It seemed the mysterious Mr. Rilavita was the one.
Like the house-elves, he worked quietly behind the scenes to keep Hogwarts running smoothly.
"Hello, Mr. Rilavita," Sean said respectfully.
He would never forget a single meal at Hogwarts.
"Oh, please—just Rilavita is fine, Mr. Green," the chubby, good-natured wizard replied with a warm smile.
The moment he appeared, Aura glanced at him more than once, and Marr grew visibly wary. Even Sua started to look tense, her hands clenched tightly in her lap.
The conversation kicked off quickly. Most of it revolved around exchange rates, profit margins, and interest calculations, with Professor Tyra leading the discussion. Sean stayed quiet; he didn't need to speak.
What surprised him was that Sua didn't join in either. Instead, she sat beside him, calmly sipping pumpkin juice.
"Dear Mr. Hermes, you don't have to keep staring at me," Sua said, sensing his gaze. "Just as you don't need to step into the ring yourself, I don't have much to contribute to the negotiations."
"Why not?" Sean asked, glancing between the heated four-way debate and Sua's relaxed posture.
"Aunt Tyra will fight for the best possible contract for you. She always has. Today, with you here, she'll probably shatter every底线 the international merchants have ever set."
Sua's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper.
"Can you believe it? She just offered them less than ten percent of the profit… Merlin, the real payment is a sliver of your friendship and that glittering reputation of yours. I don't know if they'll agree, but I certainly do…"
She sounded far more at ease now.
Knowing Professor Tyra was fighting for the Tyra family's interests put Sean's mind at rest.
"Oh, don't misunderstand," Sua added quickly. "I'm not taking part because Aunt Tyra will secure the best deal for you—which means I'll always get the worst one. Last time, her opening offer actually required me to pay extra."
She looked genuinely indignant.
Sean blinked, momentarily stunned.
"Merlin's beard—you really don't realize how valuable your name is, do you? The future greatest wizard, the one who'll surpass Dumbledore, the greatest alchemist in eight hundred years—"
Sua ticked off the titles, her own voice tinged with awe.
"And you don't need to worry. International merchants are clever. No matter how harsh the contract, they'll find other ways to turn a profit. The simplest one? If a magical item sells like dragon fire, even half a percent can outperform ten ordinary agencies."
She didn't seem worried at all.
The discussion suddenly paused. Professor Tyra's voice rang out clearly.
"Come over here, Miss Sua—and my dear apprentice."
When Sean approached, the chubby Mr. Rilavita was wiping sweat from his forehead, as if the talks had been brutal. The Latina witch Aura looked dazed, eyes unfocused. Even Marr had slumped back in his chair.
Sean had no idea what Professor Tyra had said to turn these eager, energetic merchants into exhausted wrecks.
"Dear young Mr. Green, I'm truly sorry," Rilavita said, crouching down to shake Sean's hand with shy warmth. "I'd love to help the children of Hogwarts, but I can't accept the twenty-four-hour on-call clause. There are still so many other young ones who need me."
He was the first to leave.
"Senior Tyra, you're being completely unfair… but I accept. Half a percent it is. I only have one request: I want to study the principles behind these magical creations. I'd do it for free."
Aura's eyes burned with intensity.
"Aura, you're too eager," Professor Tyra said, shaking her head and waving her off.
"Though we didn't reach an agreement, dear Mr. Hermes, I will always look forward to our next collaboration."
Aura sighed deeply and carefully handed Sean a business card.
"Aura is the exception among international merchants—she's obsessed with alchemy," Sua whispered. "She'll even help with international trade for free. But every alchemist who's worked with her swears there won't be a second time. She learns too fast. After one partnership, she cracks the entire creation. Her reputation is spotless—she never profits from it—but it's a devastating blow to any alchemist's pride."
Finally, the last wizard stepped forward: Marr, who had looked half-dead moments earlier. He approached with a mournful expression.
"Respected Mr. Hermes… I can barely see any profit at all," he sighed.
"Half a percent is more than enough to fill your coffers, Marr," Professor Tyra said without looking up.
"Three percent is the absolute minimum for international brokers, my dear teacher," Marr protested, sounding utterly wronged.
"That's the standard. Standards exist to be broken," Professor Tyra replied coolly.
"It's only because it's you—and the honored Mr. Hermes—that I'm even considering this. Anyone else and I'd have run for the hills the moment I heard that sentence. Do you know how hard business is these days? The Department of International Magical Cooperation keeps raising the review standards and taxes… the magical communications market is saturated… and hiring is impossible. There simply aren't enough new international merchants anymore…"
Marr kept rambling.
Half a percent? That was practically charity. If this magical creation weren't about to revolutionize the entire wizarding world, he'd be ruined.
"Didn't I already give you a new recruit?" Professor Tyra finally looked up.
"Yes, an inexperienced one…" Marr muttered, glancing at a résumé.
The moment he read it, he froze.
What was this about earning two thousand Galleons in six months on just one percent? A top graduate in economics from the University of London?
What kind of magical school was the University of London?
Sua turned to her aunt in surprise. Professor Tyra gave her a small nod.
"You sold me out again! You always do this—"
Sua bristled.
"Hm?" Professor Tyra raised an eyebrow.
Sua instantly deflated, muttering under her breath, "You never think I'm good enough… just wait, I'll become the best international merchant there is…"
"Marr will handle the sales of the Magic Hand Mirrors. Sua will be his assistant. Procurement of materials, sales channels, and operations will be their responsibility. Compensation is half a percent of profit on every mirror sold."
With a casual flick of her fingers, Professor Tyra sent a magical contract gliding into Sean's hands.
He signed it without hesitation.
Outside, London was slowly waking. Golden sunlight bathed the courtyard in warm, gentle light.
Before leaving, Marr bowed respectfully to Sean.
"Tomorrow is the first public sale of the Magic Hand Mirrors. I know it may be inconvenient for you to attend in person, but we hope you'll be there in the background. It's going to be a very special moment."