Snape waited patiently for Lucas's explanation.

The obsidian figurine he had set down clearly couldn't understand a word of their conversation, yet this time it stood on Snape's side, staring alongside him at Lucas, pressing for the truth.

"They're willing to pay a large number of Galleons for these figurines. You know that Sarn and Susan from our house broke up, don't you." Lucas offered it as an example.

Snape had no interest in his students' romantic lives.

But he heard Lucas continue: "Susan spent fifteen Galleons upgrading the tin soldier's wardrobe and stored charms. The moment Sarn's tin soldier appeared, Susan would surround and intercept it."

Snape started to develop a headache. He sometimes forgot that Lucas was a second-year child.

Small things would remind him every now and then.

"The key point is that Sarn also spent fifteen Galleons upgrading the equipment."

Lucas spread both hands, looking entirely innocent. "The basic tin soldier only costs fifteen Sickles. That's an accessible price — because the materials for this batch are all tin, so production costs are quite low."

Snape fell silent.

He understood what Lucas meant.

Lucas's little "venture" ran on social dynamics, on children's vain competitive instincts, and on an entry price low enough that anyone could justify it.

"Have you never considered that parents might come looking for trouble?" Snape spoke from an adult's perspective, reminding Lucas: "All those children's pocket money is flowing to you. If they pester their families for more, what will you do?"

When it came to dealing with their own children, adults were far more adept at finding external causes.

The obsidian figurine nodded gravely. It was clearly meant to be a dignified gesture, but at that scale it was unbearably endearing.

Lucas was nodding too. "I thought about that. So I plan to commission a senior student who's about to graduate to open a dedicated toy shop after leaving school — expand the operation, offer a proper customization service."

"I also plan to invite Mr. Malfoy to take a stake in the shop and have the Daily Prophet cover it, so we can position the toys as commercial goods as much as possible. Parents rarely march into Zonko's Joke Shop demanding compensation, do they?"

Lucas made a persuasive case.

Snape's obsidian figurine crossed over to Lucas's side and tilted its head back, waiting for Snape's reply.

Snape was nearly driven to distraction by this expressive little creature.

He could not understand how such a tiny thing could possibly be popular.

"People like it because they all carry a subconscious need to compensate themselves," Lucas murmured, almost to no one. Rather than picking the figurine up directly, he stretched out a hand and laid it flat on the desk, waiting for the figurine to walk onto it.

The figurine had no facial features, but from its body language it clearly hesitated.

Lucas was patient. The hand stayed flat and still.

Until the figurine jumped onto the fingertips and gripped the thumb, waiting to be moved.

"People always want to keep the best things for themselves, or for someone they care about — ah!"

Lucas had just transferred the figurine away. The closing thought wasn't even finished. Turning around, Lucas found that Snape, who had been talking with him only a moment ago, was already at the door.

"Professor?" Lucas looked over with suspicion.

"I'm going to the staff room." Snape left the words behind in a rush. Without waiting for a response, the office door swung shut with a bang.

Lucas looked down. The figurine had also stopped tending to the simmering potion.

It had retreated into the shelter of the decorative scenery, leaving only the faintest sliver of obsidian robe hem visible.

Then the figurine noticed that gap and immediately tucked the hem back out of sight.

-------------

A full week passed. Lucius Malfoy kept close watch on every rumor drifting out of the school.

The students who corresponded with him all reported that nothing dangerous had happened. A few mentioned Lucas's underwater stone statue incident in passing, but only in passing, no one wanted to recommend a fellow student to Mr. Malfoy.

Especially not when that particular student genuinely had some ability.

Beyond that, the only news was that a small toy had recently become fashionable at school.

One Slytherin student had estimated Lucas's revenue and written it into a letter. That, finally, caught Lucius Malfoy's attention.

Lucius stared at the letter for a long time.

Narcissa Malfoy had been noticing her husband's troubled expression frequently of late.

He seemed to be planning something dangerous.

But this time, Mr. Malfoy chose to share.

"Cissy, do you think... if a kind of moving figurine toy became fashionable at Hogwarts, would it be welcomed by many people?" Mr. Malfoy's expression was complicated.

Narcissa walked to her husband's side. "What kind of figurine? Could I see a sample?"

That was enough to remind Mr. Malfoy: rather than beating around the bush to gather information, it would be better to use the tin soldiers as a pretext and probe Lucas once more.

And so, after a week of silence, Lucas received a letter from Mr. Malfoy again.

Lucas had the owl return a letter written in advance.

Dear Mr. Malfoy,

I happen to have been meaning to consult you in person regarding the tin soldiers. The extent to which this toy has become popular has far surpassed my expectations, and I find myself quite anxious, I am in urgent need of a reliable guide in business matters to answer my questions.

Furthermore, the reason I have not written in recent days is that the research into the diary has yielded no progress. I have felt too ashamed of your trust in me to put pen to paper.

Please forgive me.

Yours faithfully,

Lucas Graham

Lucius glared at the reply.

Lucas had become considerably less charming. Everything had been said, and yet the one question Lucius cared most about had been neatly sidestepped.

A full week. How could a Horcrux left behind by the Dark Lord show absolutely no sign of activity?

"Cissy, I believe the Greengrass family is holding a dinner during Easter," Lucius said, raising the subject without preamble.

"You could take Draco along to spend time with children the same age. We've arranged for the Goyle and Crabbe children, but Draco should have some other friends as well."

Narcissa studied her husband. Without pressing further, Narcissa still confirmed: "You're not coming with us, are you?"

Lucius looked away. "I still have some business matters to attend to."

And so Lucas received Mr. Malfoy's Easter invitation, and this time Professor Snape had been added as an afterthought to his apprentice's invitation. The order of names had changed. Snape looked at Lucas with suspicion.

"The tin soldiers are quite profitable." Lucas answered with complete seriousness. "Mr. Malfoy must want to discuss opening a shop."

Strange.

Snape, on the contrary, began to suspect that Lucius Malfoy was up to something.

His old friend was not the sort of magnanimous soul who would be overjoyed at the sight of a business prodigy and rush to share in the profits.

But there was no evidence.

Snape decided to accept the invitation.

➤ Next: The Three-Person Statue

Chapter 255 - The Three-Person Statue

Easter holiday.

Walking into the manor's interior, passing through the Malfoy family garden, the peacocks were still strolling at their leisure.

A few rabbit sculptures had appeared near the fountain, the sort small children would love. New Easter decorations for Malfoy Manor, by the look of them.

Snape brought Lucas inside, and only Malfoy himself came out to receive them.

They exchanged pleasantries for a moment. Then Malfoy extended a hand toward Lucas.

"I've been curious about your little tin soldiers for quite some time. Show me."

Lucas did as asked and drew a vial of flowing molten tin from his pocket. The base of the vial bore fixed heating runes; the body was covered in insulating runes to keep it from burning the hand.

He took a mould from his other pocket.

Without any showmanship, right in front of both adults, he poured the molten tin into the mould.

There were presumably some trade secrets inside it.

A moment later, the mould opened on its own. A small tin soldier in a wizard's robe came trotting out. It had no facial features, yet it was unmistakably Malfoy, the very first thing it did upon completion was tilt its chin upward.

"As long as you have the mould, you can manufacture in bulk." Lucas put the items away.

Malfoy understood at once.

Bulk production was the prerequisite for wide distribution. This little toy wasn't following the bespoke luxury route, so naturally the lower the cost, the better.

"As long as someone has this mould, can any witch or wizard operate it?" Malfoy leaned in.

"Yes, but the mould carries a secrecy charm that strictly controls how many pieces each operator can produce." Lucas answered every question without hesitation.

Malfoy's breathing quickened. He could hear enormous commercial opportunity in what was being said.

But he still remembered what he had actually come here to do.

He rose from the sofa. "Severus, you wouldn't mind if I borrowed your little apprentice for a few minutes, would you?"

Snape also stood. He did not yield. "You can speak here. I am his half-guardian."

He let a sly smile show deliberately. "Besides, I'd also like to know just how profitable this is."

Contrary to Snape's expectation, Malfoy was remarkably firm.

"Give it up, Severus. You have no talent for commerce. And you can't keep protecting the boy forever. It's time to let him make some judgments on his own. Or have you grown so soft you can't let go of a child?"

The last line carried a distinct undertone.

Snape did not want to back down. Lucas, however, was accommodating.

"Mr. Malfoy won't let anything happen to me on his own grounds." Lucas was entirely untroubled.

And Lucas said something true. "If I can pick up some experience in this business, that's not a bad thing — I'm still young, after all."

Since the person most directly concerned had said as much.

Snape didn't truly believe Lucas would come to harm at Malfoy Manor anyway.

Malfoy softened his tone. "Severus, the manor's library has been opened for your use. Let the young man find his footing!"

He put an arm around Lucas and led him into a room.

Now, at last, the two of them were alone.

Malfoy found that the quiet seemed to sharpen the restless urgency in his chest rather than soothe it.

He was desperate to know the status of the diary.

Since entering the room, Lucas had seemed entirely unconcerned. Lucas offered only a mild remark: "the little notebook has been perfectly calm."

Then Lucas looked up at Malfoy specifically. "You seem unusually concerned about that diary, Mr. Malfoy. Did you entrust something very important to me? Or is there some problem with the item?"

Lucas's manner made Malfoy begin to doubt himself. Had he actually handed over the real diary?

But when Malfoy met Lucas's eyes, a chill spread upward along his spine, sudden, sourceless, unmistakable. A sense of danger with no visible cause.

"Of course — I'm simply eager to see results. I intended to use that item to win over a major client..."

"Then you truly have placed great expectations in me." Lucas turned that trusting smile on Malfoy again.

At that very moment, the mark on Malfoy's arm, silent for a long while, seared him. The pain was brief. It was unmistakable.

Malfoy, who had just been relaxing, jerked his head up.

He wanted to catch Lucas's expression in that instant. But Lucas was only looking at him in puzzlement, clearly confused by the sudden reaction.

Malfoy managed a strained smile. He pulled a contract from the folder on the desk. "This is a letter of commercial intent. I'm very interested in your little toy."

Lucas accepted it with both hands. Malfoy gestured for Lucas to sit, and Lucas settled down and began reading carefully.

Lucas looked entirely uninformed.

But Malfoy's heart sank.

If Lucas had already been replaced by the Dark Lord, the performance would certainly be flawless.

The Dark Lord would not admit to his identity.

The situation was difficult to read. The triggering of the Dark Mark and Lucas's apparent unharmed state were both facts. Treating the young wizard as an ordinary child any longer carried too much risk.

Though this diverged considerably from what Malfoy had originally envisioned: Lucas drained of life force, Dumbledore intervening to destroy the Horcrux.

It hadn't spiraled out of control yet.

Malfoy reassured himself.

He interrupted Lucas's reading and drew another contract from the folder, far more generous terms. "I took out the wrong one. It should be this one."

Lucas noticed nothing amiss and swapped out the document without a word.

Malfoy realized he could bring this matter to Snape as well. Though who knew whether Snape might use it as leverage against him.

Or worse: Snape had already used this to forge ties with the Dark Lord or with Dumbledore.

Lucas picked up a pen from the desk and began marking up the contract, crossing things out and writing revisions.

Malfoy watched with a cold expression. When Lucas finished, Malfoy took the contract back.

It was in Lucas's familiar handwriting. The profit split was clearly unfavorable to Malfoy. He was reduced to little more than a nominal sponsor lending his name, responsible for the bulk of the thankless, difficult negotiations.

How could Lucas dare write it this way.

Malfoy forced his fury down.

He agreed to it.

Lucas suddenly seemed to remember something. Already at the study doorway, Lucas stopped and turned back.

"Speaking of which — the decorations at your estate are always being refreshed, but the fountain hasn't changed since my last visit."

Who goes around refreshing their fountain decorations for no reason?

Malfoy's expression was still somewhat sour.

Lucas, however, could not read the mood on another person's face.

With entirely serious intent, Lucas pitched the project. "You've already seen the sculpture I made for the school. You've seen my tin soldiers. Would you be interested in refreshing the fountain's arrangement? What do you think of the concept of a sculpted fountain?"

"A glorious sculpture, a glorious Malfoy!" Lucas promoted the concept with full enthusiasm.

Not interested in the slightest.

Even if certain pureblood families called Malfoy nouveau riche behind his back, he knew that wasn't true. They had not sunk so low as to install a gilded three-person family statue in their own garden.

Malfoy moved decisively to refuse.

He hadn't yet found a suitable excuse when the mark on his arm flared again.

This time it was more violent than before. The pain tore through his arm and nearly drove straight into his heart.

This time, Malfoy was absolutely certain: it was no accident.

His voice trembled. "I accept! This is a truly wonderful idea!"

Lucas smiled gratefully and took hold of Malfoy's hand, gently urging, "There's no need to get so excited, Mr. Malfoy, perhaps we should sit down and discuss the details."

Snape spent half an hour in the library.

He waited, and eventually a beaming Lucas returned, accompanied by a Malfoy who looked distinctly strange.

Catching Snape's questioning look, Malfoy produced the most satisfied smile he could currently manage. "Lucas's talent for commerce is even more impressive than I anticipated."

Malfoy and Lucas talked over each other explaining the plan they had just revised together.

Snape looked toward Lucas with deep suspicion. He read this as a signal that the Malfoy family was placing a bet.

Could Lucas's personal charm really accomplish that?

Or had Malfoy already dug the pit and was simply waiting for Lucas to fall in?

"Did you sign any magically binding contract?" Snape asked.

"No." Lucas shook his head. "Just a standard contract. I even copied it out myself onto parchment, as you reminded me to."

Malfoy took the opportunity to lodge a few complaints about Snape's lack of trust.

Snape simply found the whole thing very strange. But having confirmed that Lucas was not bound by any unusual magic, and that the worst outcome was a financial loss, he decided it was fine to let the young wizard try his hand.

After all, it couldn't be worse than the moment he himself had entered the wizarding world with nothing to his name.

➤ Next: Business Plan