Chapter 253: Honors Bestowed
The Fairy Tale Workshop had made a name for itself.
That was undeniable.
Almost every wizard who entered the shop was discussing it enthusiastically—it had opened quietly, yet immediately began selling rare creations capable of shifting the landscape of the magical world.
What made it most memorable was that they simply couldn't get their hands on the goods.
Unrequited desire always leaves people yearning for more.
"An invitation system... Only seventy invitations issued per month, and only guests holding an invitation can enter the shop during that month..."
A wizard walked out of the Fairy Tale Workshop, shaking his head. This shop was far from as simple as they had imagined—it was invitation-only!
He looked outside the door, where a crowd of reporters was blocked. The shop had been placed under powerful enchantments; reporters who weren't granted entry couldn't step a foot inside.
Even so, these reporters dared not report recklessly.
With just a little discernment, they could see that the person who had just gone inside was the Head of the Information Collection Department of the Chocolate Frog Card Committee. What did that mean?
The last wizard this department head had interviewed was Albus Dumbledore.
One could imagine that inside this shop resided a figure akin to Dumbledore.
Moreover, it was someone who possessed abilities comparable to Headmaster Dumbledore in some respects, though not necessarily his temperament.
Unsure if a Grindelwald-esque figure lurked within, no one dared to act rashly.
As soon as Sean stepped out of the Fairy Tale Workshop, he was surrounded by the twins.
"The Great Green, did you find anything out?"
Fred, wearing a tall top hat, asked impatiently.
"We saw you go in. What is this rival shop selling?"
George seemed to have just finished up at Wizard Wheezes. He had wanted to go in, but found the Fairy Tale Workshop closed.
He couldn't understand it; the sun was shining brightly, and it was barely past noon.
"Rival... shop?"
Sean clutched a stack of books, all regarding Ancient Runes, given to him by Professor Quirrell.
He couldn't quite grasp the twins' logic. The customer base for the two shops was completely different, so how could they be considered rivals?
"Of course! Rival—shop!" Fred said with absolute conviction.
Although he didn't know why Professor Quirrell and the Weasley twins viewed each other with such hostility, Sean explained:
"The Fairy Tale Workshop sells biscuits that allow one to transform into magical beasts."
This news would spread quickly enough; it wasn't something Sean intended to hide.
"Merlin's beard—" Fred yelled.
"We're going out of business!" George cried out as well.
Sean, still not quite understanding their panic, walked away. He needed to pack his luggage and prepare to leave The Burrow.
Tomorrow, Professor McGonagall would come to pick him up.
The flames in the fireplace flashed and vanished, and Sean appeared in his book-filled room.
Before leaving, he still needed to check out the flying car. Fred and George had originally promised to explain it to him, but they had indeed been too busy over the past two days, so it had been pushed to this final day.
"Wait for me!"
Ron ran out of his room. His bedroom was located on the fifth floor of The Burrow, just below the attic. Everything there seemed to be a dazzling shade of orange, and the walls were plastered with posters of the Chudley Cannons.
Fred and George kept their promise and returned quite early.
They studied the flying car together until very late.
Life at The Burrow was always noisy and cozy. Wizards used their magical abilities freely here, making life simpler and more efficient.
Sean had spent a wonderful time here, and more importantly, he had finished his summer homework.
The next morning.
A strip of sky was visible through the thick curtains of the room, cool and clear like watered-down blue ink—a color hovering between night and dawn. All around was silence.
Amidst the tranquility, the clinking of plates at The Burrow was the first sound to ring out.
Sean and Ron went downstairs for breakfast together, only to find Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny already seated at the table.
Ginny was a very easily embarrassed little witch. Her demeanor was infinitely close to a miniature Professor McGonagall—only much more reserved.
Every time Sean was in the garden directing the gnomes to line up and eat the roots of plants elsewhere, she would stand quietly nearby, watching.
She would listen to Sean talk about "sustainable development" and "not draining the pond to catch the fish," finding it impressive even if she didn't quite understand.
Sometimes, when Sean practiced Transfiguration in the backyard of The Burrow, a head would sprout from the window, watching intently.
As the two boys came downstairs, Ginny accidentally knocked her porridge bowl to the floor, making a loud clatter.
But no one minded; everyone seemed a bit distracted.
Mrs. Weasley wasn't humming today, and the twins were practically wailing, clinging to Sean's legs and refusing to let him leave.
Percy couldn't bear to look. He sat on the only remaining chair, but immediately jumped up, pulling a molting, gray feather duster from underneath him—or at least, he thought it was a feather duster until he discovered it was breathing.
"Errol!"
Ron shouted in surprise.
He took the sickly-looking owl from Percy, pulling a newspaper from under its wing.
The headline of the Daily Prophet: Decade of Impact Special Edition was printed in large, bold letters:
"CHOCOLATE FROG CARDS: A MAJOR UPDATE."
"Updated?!"
Ron was very excited.
The largest photo on the Daily Prophet was of a Chocolate Frog card.
Surprisingly, the portrait on the card showed only a view from the back. Under the single beam of light in the pitch-black card, this silhouette appeared profound and full of charisma.
Even more surprisingly—it was too young. No matter how one looked at it, the silhouette belonged to an underage wizard.
"Let me see—"
Everyone at the table grabbed a section of the paper, and gasps of surprise rose one after another.
"Hailed as the Thrice-Greatest Hermes, the consensus candidate of the Chocolate Frog Card Committee for the Greatest Wizard of the 21st Century.
His glories include:
Winner of the Gold Award for Pioneering Contribution at the Udala International Alchemical Symposium.
Special Guest of the Century for Transfiguration Today (Interview Declined).
The Alchemical Legend who seized the authority of magical beasts.
Chocolate Frog Card Committee Evaluation: It won't be long before the stagnant world of alchemy becomes a thing of the past. We celebrate the arrival of a genius capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with Master Nicolas Flamel (This evaluation has been acknowledged by Master Nicolas Flamel himself)."
"So what that old woman wrote was true?"
Ron dug out the previous issue of the Daily Prophet, where Rita Skeeter's oily, sycophantic praise was prominently displayed.
The phrase "related to Hogwarts" triggered a wild guess in Ron's mind.
He looked at the back of Sean, who had finished his meal and was leaving the table. He couldn't say it looked similar; it was exactly the same.
"This isn't you, is it, Sean?"
Face flushed red, he finally asked the question.
Sean was silent for a moment.
"I promise I won't tell anyone!" Ron added hurriedly, as if suddenly remembering something important.
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