[196] The Fires of Discontent

"Dragon blood, dragon scales, dragon liver, dragon heart..." Hall counted on his fingers. He needed them all.

Hall had already collected quite a few dragon materials for alchemy. Alchemy was a skill that required throwing Galleons at it. Without talent, no matter how many you threw in, you wouldn't even hear a splash. Hall was considered talented, but achieving the desired effect without wasting materials — even he couldn't do that. After a semester, his dragon materials were almost completely used up. They were incredibly useful, but using them was painful.

Part of the reason Hall had come to Romania was to obtain more materials from Charlie.

Charlie rubbed his forehead. "Okay, I have it."

The dragon training base had more than one dragon. Aside from materials that required killing dragons — like meat and liver — items like dragon blood, scales, and claws were readily available in daily life. The base recycled a portion to cover operating expenses, but employees were allowed to keep some for themselves. Even without deliberately hoarding, Charlie still had a considerable amount.

As for materials from dragons that died... when a dragon unfortunately passed, they couldn't just bury it. Dragon hide, blood, nerves, liver — all had to be clearly separated, either sold or preserved. Charlie initially found it incredibly cruel.

"How much do you want?" Charlie sighed helplessly.

"All of it," Hall said with a smile. "Of course, not for free. I'll pay."

"Forget it, how much do you have..." Charlie tried to refuse.

Then Hall pulled a storage bag from his clothes and a huge pile of Galleons poured out.

Charlie's eyes widened. "Hall!" His voice trembled. When did their family become so rich? Their family couldn't earn this many Galleons in ten years. Hall just casually produced them?

Hall seemed oblivious to Charlie's shock. "Don't worry, this is all money I earned. It has nothing to do with the family. Of course, if your colleagues are willing to sell me these materials, I wouldn't mind taking them."

That was Hall's real reason for offering the money. Otherwise, simply taking advantage of Charlie...

"Don't worry, I won't let you suffer." Hall pulled out his alchemical consumables gift pack — doppelgangers, instant-cast silver coins. There were also two bottles of Squib potions.

Charlie looked at the pile and was instantly moved to tears. "Hall!"

"Brother, we're family." Hall patted Charlie on the shoulder. "You're all alone in Romania. Take care of yourself."

Half of the dragons that died naturally at the base each year would go to him. Hall wouldn't have to worry about running out of alchemical materials. But even though he and Charlie were brothers, the relationship needed to be maintained.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Charlie, completely oblivious to Hall's intentions, was still deeply moved. Hall easily secured his promise.

Charlie was happy. Hall was satisfied. Everyone had a bright future.

France.

Lydia acted much faster than Hall had anticipated. Her disadvantages were obvious. With the resources Hall provided, she barely had a chance to sit at the table — and only a chance to sit. The rest was up to her.

Lydia used these resources to quickly reach agreements with certain people, which led to her being sent to the French Ministry of Magic for an exchange program.

Wearing a hand-woven straw hat, a white long dress with blue lace trim, and a beige handmade lace cardigan, Lydia walked down a street in France. She was pondering what she'd encounter.

Just as she was thinking, she brushed past three people.

Lydia instinctively held her breath and made her body language appear normal. She lowered her straw hat, obscuring her face. The three people didn't pay attention to a woman who looked like a Muggle.

Once they were out of sight, she looked up, her blue eyes filled with undisguised shock.

She recognised them. The three were the Averys, Crabbe, and Nott brothers. Death Eaters. Voldemort's most loyal followers.

Lydia took a deep breath, calming her racing heart, and then she became excited. Death Eaters! Who would've thought Death Eaters had gone from England to France? Cornelius Fudge couldn't have imagined it. No one else could've imagined it either.

Lydia remembered Hall's hint to her — this gentleman knew about this from the beginning, didn't he? Hall, already mysterious in her eyes, became even more enigmatic.

"I have to seize this opportunity." Death Eaters. With proper marketing and promotion, this would be a tremendous political asset for her. "Let me think about where to begin... find some spectators first, then try to capture them all..."

Stepping on the Death Eaters. Successfully elected Minister for Magic.

Hall had a wonderful vacation in Romania. He loved the Dragon Protection Base. After spending almost a month there, he really couldn't stay any longer. He left with a somewhat reluctant expression.

"How about I donate some money to your base?" Hall said to Charlie as he left.

Charlie looked confused. "We don't need the money, really. Just the materials you've bought recently — that much Galleons is enough to keep the base running for a long time."

Hall had kept buying. The ordinary employees' materials weren't enough to supply him. He was generous with his money, never delayed payment. The base's official channels began trading with him. Making a long-term business relationship wouldn't be difficult.

As for donating, Hall was just saying it casually, to leave a good impression.

"If you have any difficulties, feel free to contact me. Problems that can be solved with Galleons aren't problems at all." Hall patted Charlie's shoulder on tiptoe.

Charlie was touched. He thought his brother was supporting his work.

Thinking that way wasn't a problem. For the sake of family stability, Charlie's happiness was what mattered.

The Weasleys returned on the Knight Bus — an emergency passenger transport system that supposedly appeared anywhere on land if you raised your wand. The fare was cheap: eleven Silver Sickles would take you anywhere on land you wanted to go. The family of eight only needed eighty-eight Sickles — five Galleons and three Sickles. Compared to the forty Galleons for plane tickets, it was significantly cheaper.

The experience was also significantly worse.

Every Weasley child, including Hall, was practically vomiting uncontrollably after getting off.

"Your physical condition is really..." Molly shook her head.

Because Arthur needed to go back to work, he left alone. Molly had to take on the responsibility of caring for the children by herself.

Hall had recovered somewhat. "I'm alright, Mum. I'll help you take care of Ron and Ginny." The remaining three brothers? They could handle it.

Hall walked over, lifting one with each hand. Even Ron and Ginny hadn't reacted before Hall shoved them into the room.