Leader speeches, no matter the event, the bigger the crowd, the more nonsense the content.
The sheer number of people turned what might have been slightly daring speeches into endless visions of the past and lofty hopes for the future, full of empty words, really.*
Big talk, after all, you can't pour your heart out when half the audience isn't even your students.
Fortunately, Dumbledore's opening remarks were brief and powerful, which forced the following two headmasters to secretly revise their drafts. Allen had sneaked a glance and caught them hiding part of their speeches.
Why did Dumbledore speak first when Mahoutokoro was the host?
Simple: apart from being the world's most famous white wizard, he was also the eldest. That was all there was to it.
Never underestimate a wizard's age. Magic grows with time. Even after reaching adulthood, growth slows but doesn't stop.
Though someone like Dumbledore may have slower reflexes, the wealth of magical knowledge accumulated over decades more than compensates.
So, unless a wizard is physically immobile from age, older wizards are best left unprovoked. If they wished, they could easily crush younger wizards, a testament to the value of knowledge.
This accumulated knowledge was precious, seen as more valuable than Galleons, and pureblood families used it to maintain control over the wizarding world.
The simplified spell you painstakingly created after countless trials might already exist in the family grimoire of a pureblood. And as you age, using silent spells makes it nearly impossible to "steal" such knowledge unnoticed. Frustrating, isn't it?
For Allen, though, this wasn't an issue. Compared to the inheritances of pureblood families, even a single legacy he casually absorbed was enough to last him a lifetime. But now, he preferred quantity over depth, the sheer accumulation gave him a greater boost in power than focusing on one.
Allen idly touched his pocket. If only I had more money…
The others weren't lost in thought like Allen. After all, zoning out during a speech was rude. When the speeches finally ended, Allen clearly heard the collective sigh of relief around him, finally!
Speech, meal, then rest. A full routine, with plenty of food, but everyone felt something was missing.
It seemed a waste to gather everyone together only for time and energy to be spent this way.
As Allen and his group prepared to return to camp, they were intercepted by a group of mysterious Gryffindors.
"Don't rush back, there's a surprise waiting!"
The Gryffindor even had a mask covering his face, but the familiar voice betrayed him immediately, it was George.
"Hey George, what's with the secrecy?"
Once one was recognized, the others were quickly identified, Lee Jordan, Angelina (not supposed to be here), Fred, and several other mischievous older Gryffindors. All wore masks, but familiar faces were obvious to those who knew them.
"Shh, don't say a word. Today, none of you saw anything, you only encountered a few masked figures."
…You win.
They kept contacting acquaintances while pretending to be strangers, does this really count as mischief?
Whatever, strangers can't tell, and friends wouldn't rat them out anyway.
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Minutes later, Allen finally understood what George and the others were up to.
Spectacular fireworks soared into the night sky just outside the camp.
Enchanted, they didn't have much motion, but the colors were so vivid they seemed like enormous flowers blooming midair, lifelike and gorgeous. This wasn't cheap.
As Allen admired the display, one thought struck him.
Wait a second…these kids are poor. Where did the money come from for fireworks like this?
The fireworks weren't just pretty, they contained at least three advanced alchemy techniques Allen recognized. The cost was high.
Then Allen realized why they could afford such extravagance, later fireworks brazenly included advertisements. Clear, visible ads. No one would believe there were no sponsors.
Placing ads during peak student gatherings was a masterstroke, faraway young wizards had far more purchasing power than locals. Genius.
The truth was obvious: twins.
No doubt they'd earned a small fortune from ad fees. Allen gave them a silent nod of respect for their business sense.
Amid the fireworks, every few bursts revealed a clear advertisement. Silent, but perfectly timed for maximum attention just after dinner.
As Allen marveled, the twins and their fellow pranksters approached.
Before they spoke, Allen shot them a concerned look.
Though they probably made a good profit, the cost was steep. Using large magical items on campus, even fireworks, was not taken lightly, especially during student exchanges.
Professor McGonagall, known as the strictest professor at Hogwarts, wouldn't tolerate any slip-ups.
Allen knew their fun might be ending soon, but with Galleons in hand, it was barely bearable.
"By the way, how do you plan to end this? We could tell the professors it was masked students, but they'll figure it out soon. Your semester's gonna be rough," Shaun teased.
Cough
"It's fine, Professor McGonagall will soon realize we weren't responsible for the fireworks," George gasped, catching his breath from running.
Fred nodded and continued, "Some folks at Ilvermorny we talked to today said they can handle it. We think it's doable."
…Teamwork strikes again. How did Ilvermorny and Hogwarts manage to coordinate like this?
While they talked, several professors arrived, and Allen heard excited shouts,
"Professor! Professor! Yes, it was us!"
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