Chapter 85: Not the Same, Mate

"It’s just a prank, that’s all. Besides, he’s a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Fred shrugged. "If he’s competent at his job, he should’ve spotted something off about these biscuits, don’t you think?" "You’ve got a point," Harry agreed with a nod. The thought of Dudley crossed his mind again. If he hadn’t been to Hogwarts a century ago, perhaps he wouldn’t mind taking a few biscuits home now and letting Dudley have a couple. Dudley? Thinking about his gluttonous Muggle cousin, Harry also remembered Smeltings, the private boarding school Dudley attended. That school was a haven for the wealthy, as attending it meant one came from a well-to-do family. If these prank items were handed to Dudley to sell at Smeltings, would they become a schoolwide sensation? The Weasleys’ family finances weren’t great, and if the twins could make some money with their creations, it might help ease the burden at home. At the very least, Ron wouldn’t have to wear second-hand robes anymore. Besides, the Potter family wasn’t sitting on an endless pile of gold. That fortune would run out someday, and it was only prudent to explore other avenues for income. Hmm, no. Canary Creams were too eye-catching. They should think of subtler prank items that wouldn’t raise suspicion among Muggles. With this thought, Harry looked up at Fred and George. "Fred, George, I just thought of something even more interesting." "What is it?" the twins asked in unison. "Do you have any other ideas?" Harry tapped the Canary Cream. "I mean, besides this biscuit." "Don’t tell me you think the Canary Cream isn’t enough and want to give Professor Quirrell something more exciting?" Fred and George exchanged a glance and clapped their hands together. "Cool! We knew our Gryffindor lion wouldn’t settle for mediocrity—" "No, I mean something less..." Harry picked up the biscuit. "Less magical. Something more subtle that Muggles wouldn’t notice." "We haven’t really thought about that," the twins said together. Then they asked, "What are you planning to do?" Harry glanced at them, tapping his fingers on the table. "You know I’ve been living with my aunt’s family, right?" "Yeah," they nodded in unison. "My Muggle cousin goes to Smeltings," Harry continued. "If he could introduce your products to his school..." He trailed off, giving the twins ample time to imagine the possibilities. The twins exchanged another glance, still not quite grasping Harry’s idea. "You’re suggesting your Muggle cousin sell our products at his school?" Fred asked. "But they’re Muggles..." "That’s where your creativity comes in, gentlemen." Harry tapped the table with his fingers. "Muggle money can be exchanged for Galleons. If I’m not mistaken, five pounds can be converted into one Galleon. And my cousin’s school, Smeltings, is full of students from wealthy families." "Rich families?" George’s eyes lit up, clearly intrigued by the prospect Harry was painting. "Very rich," Harry said earnestly. "Maybe not as wealthy as the Malfoys, but not far off." Harry was comparing them to the Malfoys of his era, who were immensely influential in the wizarding world. Cassandra’s father, Septimus Malfoy, wielded significant power in the Ministry of Magic. Many even believed that the then-Minister, Archer Evermonde, was merely a puppet, with Septimus pulling the strings. As for the current Malfoys... well, they were more like a shadow of their former glory. Sёarch* The nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even so, a fallen giant was still larger than most. The Malfoy family’s wealth and lifestyle were beyond what the Weasleys could imagine. Harry’s suggestion lit a spark in Fred and George’s minds—Muggles had money, so why not make some from them? "We’ll start brainstorming right away!" Fred and George dashed off with their newfound inspiration. Harry opened his mouth to offer some modifications, but they were already gone. Well, that’s fine, he thought. Let them figure it out. -- To Harry’s surprise, Professor Quirrell didn’t show up for Defense Against the Dark Arts for two weeks straight. Instead, Professor Snape took over the class. This spelled disaster for Gryffindor students. Except for a select few who received "special treatment," everyone else had points deducted left and right. Even the "special" few weren’t spared entirely. While they avoided major deductions, Snape still found minor faults to penalize them for. In a way, Snape achieved a form of equality. He wouldn’t let anyone off the hook, no matter how well they performed in class. When Neville demonstrated a perfectly executed Disarming Charm, Snape’s face turned even darker. It wasn’t the quality of Neville’s spellcasting that irritated him—it was the fact that Neville showed some talent in Defense Against the Dark Arts while remaining utterly hopeless in Potions. The stark contrast only deepened Snape’s disdain for him. "Mr. Longbottom..." Snape said with a meaningful tone. "A commendable Disarming Charm. Gryffindor will gain... two points for your effort." The entire class collectively gasped. Professor Snape? Giving points to someone other than Potter? And to Neville Longbottom, of all people? Neville looked up in disbelief, his expression screaming, Snape wasn’t offended in the slightest. He smirked coldly and said, "In light of Mr. Longbottom’s performance, you will join Mr. Potter in the Potions classroom every Wednesday and Saturday for private instruction." Neville’s face fell instantly. He hadn’t expected his excellent Disarming Charm to land him in trouble—private tutoring sessions with Snape felt like a death sentence. Private instruction? Don’t be ridiculous. Everyone knew that Snape’s "private instruction" was just a euphemism for enduring his scathing criticism one-on-one. After class, Neville looked utterly dejected. "What’s wrong, Neville?" Ron asked, concerned for his roommate. "I..." Neville shivered. "I’ve been sentenced to detention with Professor Snape. Oh, Merlin, I hope I live to see another sunrise..." "Relax, Neville," Seamus said reassuringly. "Maybe it won’t be so bad. Look at Harry—he’s still alive and kicking!" "Yeah, Neville," Harry added. "Honestly, Professor Snape is quite kind and approachable. I’ve learned a lot during my detentions with him." Neville, Seamus, and Ron all stared at Harry as if he’d gone mad. Seriously, mate? Not everyone can handle what you can! --- you can read more advance chapter & Fast update on my patreon