82. Friends Come To Buy My Goods, Dumbledore’s Praise

Faced with Wayne's kindness, the Slytherin students looked at each other. I don't know if it's just their imagination. Wayne Lawrence's words always sound strange. The atmosphere fell into a brief silence.

Wayne was still smiling, but the curve of his mouth slowly diminished. Finally, someone stood up and broke the deadlock.

"Certainly!" Malfoy pushed through the crowd and shook hands with Wayne, wearing a smile on his face.

"The Malfoy family will never refuse the good intentions of other nobles." The Malfoy family always makes the right choice in times of crisis.

The strength that Wayne displayed just now was enough to make Malfoy, who prioritizes his own interests, overlook the issue of blood.

To be honest, the two ancestors might have had some sort of friendship before. In the eleventh century, the first Malfoy, Armand Malfoy, went to England with William the Conqueror, made magical contributions, and obtained the title of Wiltshire, an excellent fiefdom. The Lawrence family is also an old family that came from Normandy with William the Conqueror. Speaking of which, they were all colleagues back then.

Wayne's smile became enthusiastic again. This group of people was so disrespectful that they almost reached for their magic wands just now. With Malfoy leading the way, others stepped forward one by one and formed a friendship with Wayne. Even the prefects who had just been defeated by him completely forgot about their previous animosity and were all smiling. Maybe some people still feel contempt for Wayne because of his background, but they will never show it.

Without someone to take the lead, purebloods will only look down on those half-bloods or Muggles who have no background or strength. The education they have received since childhood emphasizes lineage and strength.

Did you think that no one else could have discovered Voldemort's parentage back then? Many families may know better than Voldemort himself, but they all feign ignorance. Because Voldemort is strong enough and doesn't need any historical background; he is his background. Wayne Lawrence has also demonstrated these qualities in the eyes of these little snakes.

"Since we are all friends, I also have a gift for you!" Wayne waved his hand to summon a long table and took out various potions, decorations, and a large number of quills from his robe pockets.

"For the sake of my friend, all products in the Celia store are discounted at 10%! This is an intelligence enhancer that can increase thinking speed and make learning spells more efficient."

"This is an invigorating potion. One bottle will keep you awake for two days and you will be full of energy."

Under Snape's stunned gaze, a friendly exchange instantly turned into a large-scale sales pitch for Wayne.

"Lawrence, are you selling this ring?"

A blond girl looked at the exquisite silver ring that Wayne took out and asked with a slightly red face:

Wayne enthusiastically introduced, "Greengrass, you have such a good eye. This is my latest work."

"It's a Ring of Protection! When you are in danger, the ring can trigger the armor spell on its own, and it can activate it three times."

Daphne Greengrass, Wayne's classmate and the female prefect called by Snape, was stunned.

Wayne glanced subconsciously at Snape's disapproving face.

Before Wayne could think too much, waves of exclamations from the onlooking students interrupted him.

"Is it true that it can activate the armor charm three times, Lawrence?"

Self-protection objects are rare in the magical world because few people are proficient in alchemy, let alone capable of creating such high-level items.

Anyone who possesses such a treasure would proudly show it off.

Wayne wasted no time, picked up another pendant, made it float in the air, and cast the petrification spell continuously.

The armor spell was cast three times, successfully blocking the petrification spell nearly ten times before finally failing and breaking the pendant.

Seeing the live demonstration, no one doubted it anymore.

Even the Slytherin students who were not interested in potions and quills started to show interest.

Upon seeing the few decorations, Selwyn suddenly became interested.

"Lawrence, no, Wayne, I want one. How much does it cost?"

"It's two hundred Galleons, but with a 10% discount, it's 180 Galleons." Wayne said the price with a smile, causing some embarrassment in the audience.

This price was still expensive for many of them.

There were only a few wealthy purebloods present and others who relied on selling their ancestral property to survive.

Daphne didn't hesitate when she heard the price. She turned around and went back to the dormitory to get the money, clearly also coming from a wealthy background.

One of Wayne's customized maps was bought by her.

Malfoy also happily placed an order and promised to have his family send the money tomorrow.

Wayne happily delivered the goods first and praised Malfoy, granting him a great deal of face.

The atmosphere became even livelier than before.

Snape looked at the scene in front of him in a daze. Pay the money with one hand and deliver the goods with the other.

Although it was a simple transaction, to him, it felt like a payment for protection.

Thirty minutes later, Wayne trailed behind Snape as they exited the Slytherin common room, his face beaming with joy.

I can't even close my mouth.

Four defensive items were sold for 720 Galleons, but the system only accounted for three because Malfoy is going to pay tomorrow.

Several other items were also sold, amounting to hundreds of galleons.

"Lawrence, did you make those protective props yourself?" Snape suddenly inquired from his seat in front.

"Yes," Wayne replied without hesitation. "There have been significant advancements in alchemy research recently, so I created a device."

"That's impressive…" Snape's lips twitched involuntarily.

There are no more than ten individuals in the entire UK capable of such feats.

He's not one to downplay his abilities, it seems.

I'm finally starting to gain some recognition.

"Can you sell me one?" Snape asked, his tone stiff.

Wayne raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Professor, may I ask why you need it?"

When he referred to it as a device, he wasn't being modest.

The armor spell on those protective props is only at a normal level. When translated to the system level, it becomes intermediate.

If struck by a slightly powerful spell, it will shatter, posing a risk to the wizard.

However, it's sufficient for students.

But for wizards of their and Snape's caliber, it would be easier to simply wave their wands and deflect the spell.

"Don't worry about it," Snape's discomfort was evident on his face. "I just want to gauge your abilities."

"Alright," Wayne shrugged and tossed a silver ring to Snape.

"Five hundred galleons."

"How much?" Snape looked at him in shock. 

"What we just got was a student discount," Wayne shrugged. This is the original price. You can't get points by selling to Snape, so of course, it's a bit more expensive.

"I'll give it to you tomorrow." Snape didn't want to see this handsome face that needed a beating anymore, so he left without saying a word.

Wayne curled his lips disdainfully.

After that, he also walked towards Hufflepuff's lounge.

The next day.

"Lawrence, Morning."

"Lawrence, would you like to go to class together later?"

"Thanks, Greengrass, Hannah and I have made an appointment."

Early in the morning, Wayne arrived at the auditorium. When he passed by the long Slytherin table, most people greeted him kindly. Except, a brother and sister from the Parkinson family, has a gloomy face.

Seeing their enthusiasm, other students in the auditorium were stunned.

I once suspected that I was hallucinating.

"George, are those snakes cast under the Imperius Curse?"

"Maybe a love potion, Fred."

The twins looked at each other, both seeing the other's confusion.

Let alone them, even the little badgers are confused.

Before leaving the lounge, Wayne told everyone that the conflict between him and Slytherin had been completely resolved.

After that, we were all friends.

They believed that the conflict was resolved. Wayne came back very late yesterday, perhaps to discuss the matter with Snape again.

But how is it possible to become friends?

But now they feel that they are still shallow.

"How did you do it?" Whateley sat next to Wayne and asked doubtfully.

"Isn't making friends what Hufflepuff is good at?"

Wayne said calmly, "I reasoned with them and got approval from most people, so we became friends."

Cedric, who was eavesdropping on the side, had a complex expression on his face.

If Slytherins were reasonable people, they wouldn't be so hated.

Wayne was not telling the truth.

In fact, not only the little badgers were curious about what happened, but also other college students.

Yesterday the fight was in full swing, but today it's just a bit of a whirlwind.

Let the melon-eating masses like them be caught off guard.

But Wayne insisted on saying this to death, and it didn't change even when Hermione and Cho asked.

This has also become one of the mysteries of this semester.

And the Slytherin students are also grateful to Wayne.

In their minds, Wayne could have told the actual situation last night to enhance his reputation.

One person can easily win against six prefects. If it were them, they would never be so low-key. But Wayne didn't do this, which made the Slytherins treat him more friendly.

Ronald couldn't help complaining. If he hadn't seen that the Hufflepuff logo in front of Wayne had not changed, he would have thought that Wayne had been transferred to another house.

Principal's office.

Dumbledore and Snape drank hot tea.

"I was only gone for two days and so many things happened in the school."

Dumbledore looked a little tired. He was already one hundred and ten years old this year, but the things he needed to worry about did not diminish at all. On the contrary, it has become more and more since this year.

"Where have you been?" Snape asked directly. There was no politeness between him and Dumbledore.

"Eastern Europe, the situation there has been very turbulent recently, and Keynes asked me to stabilize the situation."

Keynes is the name of the current president of the International Federation of Wizards.

It's a pity that Snape didn't care about the outside world. He asked: "You can leave with such peace of mind. Aren't you afraid that Quirrell will take the opportunity..."

"With you and Minerva here, I feel completely at ease," Dumbledore said with a smile. "You did a good job. Although there were some minor frictions between the children, weren't they resolved properly in the end?"

"A small friction?" Snape repeated unintelligibly. "That's indeed what you would say."

"It's just a little bit away, from those pure-blood families barge into Hogwarts."

"No, they won't."

Dumbledore's voice was calm but revealed strong confidence. "I have visited the Parkinson family and had a pleasant chat. They also gave me some pairs of wool socks before I left. At least I won't be short of socks next year."

Snape's hand playing with the tea lid shook.

The Parkinson family should have something to say about this kind of happiness.

He looked at Dumbledore and said, "I'm surprised you went to such lengths for Lawrence."

"Not only because of Mr. Lawrence," Dumbledore replied.

Feeling the warmth brought by the tea, Dumbledore spoke slowly, "Every student is worth my efforts. Additionally, I do not like others interfering with the existing rules of Hogwarts."

The old man's eyes suddenly became glazed over, and his expression filled with relief. "But it seems I wasted my time. Mr. Lawrence handled the matter very well and prevented the situation from escalating into a confrontation between the two houses. Instead, he turned enemies into friends."

"Only Hufflepuff," he thought of a former student, his smile growing wider. "Only Hufflepuff can do this."

"Because they are kind," Dumbledore added. "It's like a lubricant that can unite all parties."

Snape, after racking his brain for a long time, couldn't find any evidence to prove Wayne's kindness. "This little guy in first grade deceived all the teachers and students in the school!"

Snape felt that he was the person who knew Wayne best in the school.

But why did the same actions lead to different interpretations in the eyes of different people? Snape only saw Wayne's reckless behavior, but Dumbledore and other professors saw his sensible and well-behaved nature. What's going on in this world? Could it be...that he is the one with the problem? Snape fell into deep self-doubt.

It was Saturday again. Two consecutive weeks of Quidditch made the atmosphere on campus extremely lively. Before eleven o'clock, the students gathered and walked towards the Quidditch pitch. The cold wave from Greenland couldn't dampen their enthusiasm.

Last week's game was full of excitement. The broom was out of control, there was a fight on the field, a conflict in the college, and a professor got injured. Each incident had been the topic of conversation throughout the week.

Today, the two teams facing each other were Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. There was no conflict between the two houses, but the match seemed a bit dull. However, since Cedric was suspended, Ravenclaw's players saw hope of winning and their morale was high.

In response, the wise Eagles gave a pre-match analysis. "Although Hufflepuff has the largest number of students, Quidditch has never been a game of numbers."

"Even if I gave you a Seeker, Ravenclaw would still not emerge victorious," Hufflepuff argued. "Before you catch the Golden Snitch, we will be ahead by more than 150 points."

The exchange fueled tension between the two sides. Suddenly, brilliant magical fireworks bloomed over the Quidditch pitch, forming the Hufflepuff logo and the words "Must Win."

Dumbledore looked at it with a smile and said to Professor McGonagall beside him, "I still remember when you were a key player for Gryffindor. Back then, I wasn't the headmaster, just the dean."

Recalling past events, Professor McGonagall couldn't help but smile. "Yes, you saw me injured at that time and beat the head of Slytherin."

Listening to the two old men reminiscing, Snape curled his lips in disdain and quietly moved away from them.

It was approaching eleven o'clock. Players from both teams walked out of the changing room one after another. Cho, who was initially nervous because of her first competition, was surprised to see a familiar smiling face.

"Wayne? Why is it you?"