A certain Hogwarts professor of runes

Chapter 181 Ouroboros

Passing through the wall behind the Leaky Cauldron, they went directly to the Madam Malkin's Robe Shop on the north side of Diagon Alley.

According to Professor Flitwick, while the shop sells school uniforms, dress robes, and travel cloaks, Mrs. Malkin is happy to have a custom-made outfit made for you if you're willing to spend a little extra money.

Madam Malkin was a short, plump witch with a friendly smile, wearing a deep purple robe. "Welcome! Are you looking to buy a robe, or perhaps a glamorous ball gown, sir?" she said, holding a measuring tape and a wand.

Felix pointed at Dobby. "Madam, it wasn't me, it was him."

Mrs. Malkin's gaze fell on Dobby, and she said awkwardly, "Oh, uh..."

"Madam, Professor Felius Flitwick recommended me to you, and he raved about your cooking."

"It is my honor."

Under Felix's verbal and financial persuasion, Mrs. Malkin had a little suit made on the spot, which made Dobby look brand new, like an English butler.

"Sir, you're so kind to your house-elf, but I don't know if I should remind you, about the clothes..."

"Madam, Dobby is my friend, and he is free."

Along the way, Dobby kept trying to express his gratitude to Felix in various ways, but Felix told him that it was a uniform dress code, and he stopped.

Felix led him to the dilapidated LCA Comic Book Publishing building and knocked on Andy's door.

After more than ten days away, the smell in the house seemed to have accumulated again, but Andy's appearance was much better; at least he had changed into a clean set of clothes.

He pulled Felix into the house, took out a stack of manuscripts, and said with a heavy nasal tone, "I've redrawn part of the manuscript and added some exclusive magic. What do you think?"

Felix carefully flipped through the pages. Each page of the comic book was divided into five to ten panels. When you turned a page, the characters in these panels would begin to move in a fixed order. The second panel would only start playing when the story of the first panel ended, and the timing was just right.

You could say that a single page of a comic book is like a scene from a movie.

"The magic above is quite interesting," Felix said.

If he adds another page to this, allowing it to display the contents of all the panels in the comic book sequentially, wouldn't that achieve the effect of a movie?

He shared this idea with Andes.

"what?"

Andes thought for a moment, "It seems possible?" he said uncertainly.

"I don't know any of your publishing house's magic, unless..."

"This is a closely guarded secret," Andes quickly said.

"Alright," Felix clicked his tongue, looking at the sketch in his hand and stroking its surface repeatedly. "So, in your professional opinion, is the idea I just mentioned feasible?"

Andes didn't answer. This time he thought for a longer time, and the more he thought about it, the more excited he became, circling the room repeatedly.

"Absolutely feasible! This is a breakthrough for the magical world! My God, we'll be an overnight sensation!"

"If you were to make improvements, how long do you think it would take?"

"It's hard to say. This is new technology, so it will definitely take time. I already have two ideas, and I haven't been idle all these years. My grandfather's research can also help. But the magic has changed, and the whole process needs to be adjusted, including re-selecting the most suitable comic book medium and paint. This will take time, and it will also require—" Andes stopped awkwardly.

"Need money again?"

"……yes."

Felix considered for a moment, "I can offer about 20,000 Galleons, but what will I get in return?"

Andes looked conflicted; he was hesitant. This was a crucial choice, one that might revitalize the LCA comics in his hands.

But his judgments over the past decade or so have all been wrong. What about this time?

"Are you Felix Heap?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Felix glanced at him, what did that mean? I'd already introduced myself. The little elf Dobby, however, proudly stepped forward and said, "That's right, this is the great Mr. Felix Heap!"

Andes glanced at Dobby, not paying much attention, and looked at Felix slowly, saying, "I've had people inquire about you recently, and they say you have a lot of energy."

"Just say what you mean, Andis. Don't beat around the bush."

"Five thousand Galleons! If you can help me get things done with the Ministry of Magic, I'm willing to convert this money into an investment, into 20%—no! 30%—of the publishing house."

"Handle the Ministry of Magic?"

"I hope this book will receive an official recommendation and be placed in bookstores in other countries. That would save a lot of time," Andes said.

"What's the problem?"

"It's related to some pure-blood families, and they might not like this book," Andes said hesitantly.

"But none of my previous books were affected?" Felix asked curiously.

"Different publishers are different. I have a history of this, plus the subject matter of your book..." he implied. Felix understood, so your previous publications offended some people, right?

"I need to see your controversial drawings first," Felix said, not in a hurry to agree.

If there's something wrong with Andes, he'll refuse without hesitation.

After a while, Felix looked up from a manuscript. He had only obtained the sales data from LCA Publishing, but had not yet read all the books.

It's clear that Andy has been working hard to revitalize the publishing house over the years, with a variety of themes. However, one of his books features a pure-blood family as the villain, and although he didn't specify which family, it clearly caused some dissatisfaction.

Although he considered this to be a perfectly normal creative process.

"Tsk tsk!"

Felix pondered for a moment. He would need to pay 5000 Galleons, as well as limited time and energy, and deal with any potential troubles; the reward would be a 30% stake in the other party.

He is also optimistic about the development of new technologies and has confidence in LCA.

"Okay, but I need all your magic data."

Andes paused for a moment, then said, "Of course, that's your right, as long as you don't reveal it to anyone."

Felix nodded, then he had no problem.

Money was a minor matter; what he valued most was this unique magic. At least it would provide a stable income in the future, saving him the trouble of resorting to black market extortion.

This is different from the 50% share the twins mentioned; he had no intention of taking that money at all.

Andes said to him, "Let's sign a magical contract; it will put both of us at ease."

Felix had no reason to refuse. He took out a piece of parchment, on which appeared a string of golden words, outlining the obligations and rights of both parties. Then, each left their name and blood.

Under the watchful eyes of the three, the golden flames burned the parchment to ashes, but the writing on it shone brightly, condensing in mid-air.

Soon, the gold lettering melted and coalesced into two small, glowing orbs. Felix and Andes each took one.

This contract is a common type of "witness contract," which is not legally binding but is protected by the Ministry of Magic. If any problems arise, you only need to take the ball to the Ministry of Magic to file a complaint, and the Ministry will step in to resolve the issue.

Holding the Contract Orb in his hand, Andes breathed a sigh of relief.

He could say he was gambling with part of his future, but he was now full of anticipation because a friend of his mysteriously said, "Working with that gentleman, you'll never have to worry about losing out. He's a proud Slytherin, unlike those greedy pure-blood trash."

Felix looked at the elf. "Dobby, I need you to come at least once a day to inquire about the progress and any troubles. If necessary, you can represent me in negotiations with the pure-blood families." He tapped the elf's chest with his wand, and an eight-shaped ouroboros symbol appeared.

The pattern remains still, but when you look at it, it moves rapidly, its emerald green snake eyes gleaming.

This is the logo Felix had printed on his clothes when he was in fifth grade. Many pure-blood families remember it, but it's not used much now.

"Dobby, Dobby probably can't..." the little elf said fearfully.

"When you were with the Malfoys, you also had the job of delivering letters, right?"

"But, but Dobby is just a messenger, his role is similar to that of an owl."

"Then give it a try. If you encounter any problems you can't solve, come to me," Felix said calmly. "I'd also like to know who will come looking for trouble with me."

(End of this chapter)