Chapter 27

After lunch, Mike and Franklin made their way to the Gryffindor common room. Franklin, known for his straightforwardness, had expressed his disappointment at not being included in the thrilling encounter with the troll. But, being a kid at heart, he soon tagged along with Mike after getting a clear picture of the entire incident.

Their journey attracted numerous gazes, as most of the wizards at Hogwarts were now aware of Mike's solo victory over the troll from the previous night. Franklin, not used to being the center of attention, was somewhat uncomfortable, unlike Mike, who marched confidently towards the Gryffindor common room.

Mike was there to find Hermione. He had seen her in the dining hall, but she seemed to be avoiding him. She quickened her pace and left the hall as soon as she heard Mike calling her name. With no other choice, Mike decided to look for her in Gryffindor.

After convincing a Gryffindor girl to give them the password, they made their way into the Gryffindor common room. The girl, recognizing Mike, immediately bombarded him with questions about the previous night's events. Mike, somewhat reluctantly, recounted his encounter with the troll, leaving her in awe. Their conversation soon veered off course, even delving into Mike's romantic status. Ultimately, it was Franklin who had to play the bad cop to get the girl to leave them alone.

Mike gave Franklin a mental nod of approval, realizing that beneath his straightforward demeanor, Franklin was quite astute and always came through in a pinch.

"Mike, you were amazing last night! You took down that huge troll all by yourself!" Harry and Ron greeted them enthusiastically near the common room entrance, eager to hear more about Mike's heroic feat.

"It was just luck. I was fortunate to defeat it," Mike said modestly. "Where's Hermione? I tried to find her in the dining hall, but she disappeared."

"Um, she's in the dormitory, but she doesn't seem to want to see you," Harry said with a strange expression.

Michael was surprised and asked, "Why? Weren't things fine last night?"

Harry was about to respond when a girl who shared the dormitory with Hermione interrupted.

"You have the nerve to ask why? Hmph! Stupid man, go away. Hermione won't see you," she said before swaggering back to the dormitory.

Harry, Mike, and the others were taken aback by the girl's behavior. After a moment of silence, Ron was the first to react.

"By the way, Harry got selected for the Quidditch team! You didn't know that, did you?" Ron said proudly as if he was the one who had been selected.

"By the way, did you know Harry made it onto the Quidditch team?" Ron said with a hint of pride as if the accomplishment were his own.

Mike remembered hearing about it from Professor Flitwick and offered his congratulations, "I heard from Professor Flitwick. Congratulations, Harry!"

Harry, somewhat sheepishly, replied, "Thanks! My first match is coming up soon. You should come watch."

Mike agreed, recalling that Penelope had also invited him to a Quidditch match. It would be a great chance to support Harry as well.

After chatting for a bit, they all headed back to their classes. Since Hermione seemed to be avoiding him, Mike decided not to push the issue. He figured it was just a child's temper tantrum, and she would be fine in a few days.

However, in the following days, Hermione kept avoiding Mike, pretending not to know him in class or the library and ignoring his greetings.

Soon, it was time to watch Harry's Quidditch debut with Penelope, as they had agreed. During this period, the Weasley brothers brought Mike another sum of money, this time even more than before, a total of 200 Galleons.

After learning more about the situation, Mike couldn't help but marvel at the Weasley brothers' business acumen.

Based on Mike's advice, the brothers placed a miniature bottle of Dolfan's Magical Drink at each young wizard's seat before the Halloween festivities. These bottles were indeed minuscule, containing just enough for a single sip.

Despite the limited volume, considerable attention was devoted to the packaging. Each bottle bore the names of the Weasley brothers and Mike, accompanied by a distinct logo crafted explicitly for Dolfan's Magical Drink.

The design of the logo was straightforward yet eye-catching, reminiscent of the iconic Coca-Cola emblem. The name "Dolfan" was elegantly scripted in vibrant red ink, exuding a sense of fluidity and grace. Additionally, the logo was imbued with a magical enchantment, causing the letters to glisten with a silky sheen and gently sway as if carried by a breeze.

The exquisite packaging immediately caught the attention of the young wizards. Many of them opened the bottle and took a sip as soon as they realized it was a drink, and then it was gone.

The following day, Dolfan's Magical Drink became a sensation throughout Hogwarts. Coincidentally, Mike's heroic encounter with the troll also became the talk of the school that evening, allowing the Weasley brothers to capitalize on Mike's newfound fame with a vigorous marketing campaign.

The demand was overwhelming, with orders pouring in relentlessly, depleting their inventory in just half a day.

Faced with this unprecedented demand, the brothers were compelled to recruit older students to assist in the production of Dolfan's Magical Drink. Despite the additional manpower, they struggled to meet the insatiable demand.

The senior students, well aware of their value, demanded compensation for their efforts, with rates comparable to those of Muggle-born shop assistants in Diagon Alley. Considering the rigorous academic demands placed on Hogwarts' upperclassmen, their remuneration was far from excessive.

Even with the extra hands on deck, the flood of orders proved too much to handle. While Mike could have potentially earned more, the constraints of production capacity meant that only 400 Galleons remained after covering expenses.

The situation disheartened the Weasley brothers, realizing they could have made much more money. However, being students, they were limited in their ability to ramp up production.

Mike proposed an ingenious solution that left the Weasley brothers in awe: hunger marketing.

Since increasing production was not an option, they chose to maintain the illusion of availability. They kept the original price but reduced the visible stock to a minimum, ensuring it sold out immediately upon release.

They then sold the majority of their inventory privately at inflated prices to resellers, resulting in a significant markup by the time the drinks reached the end consumers.

This marketing strategy, well-known in Mike's previous life, proved to be just as effective in this world, allowing for a substantial increase in profit margins without the need for increased production.

As for the pricing strategy, Mike suggested increasing the private sale price from 5 Silver Sickles to 10 Silver Sickles. However, the Weasley brothers had a different idea. They recommended setting the price for a 500ml bottle of Dolfan's Magical Drink at 1 Galleon, effectively quadrupling the original price. Their bold approach revealed their true business acumen, demonstrating a shrewdness that surpassed even Mike's.