To a Basilisk, that stuff is like the fire breathed by a Fire Dragon, spitting out a few mouthfuls every day.
Even if collected at the most conservative rate, a pint wouldn't take more than a few days, and by then, feeding it two Tebos would make up for it.
A Tebo is worth just a few bucks, compared to a thousand Galleons for a pint of venom, it's practically free.
Adding in the snake shedding and scales, at least five thousand Galleons can be earned in a month.
If that's really the case, by the time of graduation, he might be able to use the Galleons to build a cave for Norbert...
Kael only felt his heart start racing, seeing everything in the shape of Galleons.
But after getting excited, Kael quickly thought of another possibility, he took a sip of tea, attempting to calm himself down, and asked:
"Professor Cecily, I don't think St. Mungo's would always purchase venom and snake blood, right?"
"You're right." Cecily smiled, refilling Kael's cup of tea. "St. Mungo's purchases Basilisk materials to research and concoct related Magic Potions.
"I've been researching the Magic Potion recipes and books left by past headmasters of St. Mungo's, and I found records related to Basilisks in a notebook dating back three hundred years.
"According to it, materials related to Basilisks...including Snake Blood, snake shedding, and venom, naturally repel most Herbs, suitable for use with only a few equally toxic materials, and the difficulty is extreme. At St. Mungo's, there are no more than three Healers who can concoct such a Magic Potion.
"But we also can't spend all our time researching new Magic Potions. I previously calculated that one pint of venom would last us six months."
Kael's heart fell to the bottom.
Six months for a thousand Galleons, although still a hefty sum, was a far cry from the thousand Galleons every three to five days he had imagined. No wonder Professor Cecily had quoted such high prices before.
Kael rubbed his teacup, pondering.
"I don't have venom or Snake Blood at the moment, but I do have this." He reached into the Transfiguration Lizard Skin Bag and took out a palm-sized, green item with clear scale markings on it.
"Basilisk shed skin?" Professor Cecily said somewhat excitedly.
Compared to venom and Snake Blood, this snake shedding interested her more.
Because snake shedding is the only non-toxic item and the least rejected, it is the most widely used material.
She found past Magic Potion recipes related to Basilisks in old headmaster portraits, with eighty percent of the ingredients being snake shedding.
She hadn't mentioned it earlier because a Basilisk only sheds once every hundred years, and she wasn't sure if Kael had any.
She hadn't expected Kael to actually take it out.
And from a millennium-old Basilisk shedding, there must be more than just this.
Excitement flashed in Professor Cecily's eyes as she asked with a slightly trembling voice, "Is there more?"
"A complete piece of snake shedding," Kael said, "approximately fifty feet long..."
"Clang!"
As soon as Kael spoke, Professor Cecily knocked over her teacup.
Generally speaking, it's rare for anything to cause her to lose composure like this. Seeing the Basilisk for the first time was one thing; hearing that Kael had a complete fifty-foot-long piece of shedding was another.
The former was surprise, the latter was delight...
"I wonder if you would be willing to sell it to St. Mungo's." Professor Cecily quickly asked, but she seemed to consider something, hesitating before continuing.
"However, for snake shedding...we may not be able to purchase it at ten times the price of Dragon Skin. How about we offer five thousand Galleons for a five-foot-long piece?"
Five thousand Galleons for five feet, relatively speaking, is not particularly high...but snake shedding is not snake skin, and this price is quite reasonable.
However, Kael thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No, Professor Cecily..."
"How about six thousand Galleons, that's already the highest price we can offer."
"You misunderstood." Kael said with a smile, "For five feet of snake shedding, I'm not asking for a Knut, it's directly donated to St. Mungo's, along with a pint of venom."
Professor Cecily didn't seem to have expected Kael to say such a thing, looking up suddenly.
"Are you sure?" she asked. "That's quite a sum of Galleons."
"If we continue discussing, I might really regret it." Kael said, somewhat conflicted.
Five feet of snake shedding, plus a pint of venom, that's six thousand...oh no, it should be seven thousand Galleons.
When Sirius was wanted, the bounty was only ten thousand Galleons, and seven thousand Galleons almost buys him.
But as Professor Cecily mentioned earlier, the purpose of purchasing them is for researching and concocting new Magic Potions, Kael felt receiving money would be inappropriate.
Moreover, spending seven thousand Galleons to earn the favor of a top pharmacist isn't a bad deal.
Just look at Lucius Malfoy, didn't he donate so many Galleons to the Ministry of Magic in exchange for Fudge's favor?
In some sense, Professor Cecily's favor is much more important than Fudge's, and more valuable.
Kael didn't hide his intentions, and Professor Cecily naturally noticed, but she didn't mind, or rather, she was willing to owe this favor.
"Let's consider these seven thousand Galleons worth of materials as your donation to St. Mungo's," she said. "And in return...I'll personally support Albus in the election for Minister of Magic."
"What?" Kael blinked and asked.
"Isn't your Headmaster running against Fudge for Minister?" Professor Cecily said. "I was previously hesitant to support someone, after all, as the head of St. Mungo's, even if I support as an individual, others will associate it with St. Mungo's, which is inevitable.
"But I will soon resign as head and fully support Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix."
"Ah no no no... please don't do that." Kael waved his hands repeatedly, he hadn't expected this rumor to reach St. Mungo's.
Perplexed by Kael's reaction, Professor Cecily seemed confused.
She was sure that Kael was also a member of the Order of the Phoenix, at least an external member. Weren't they trying to push Dumbledore to become Minister?
Recent newspapers had been flooded with this news, causing much debate at St. Mungo's, so why refuse now?
"You probably don't know..." She reminded, "I'm somewhat known in the Magic Realm, I should be able to garner more support for Dumbledore."
"That's exactly what worries me, Headmaster Dumbledore is impossible to become Minister, nor does he have the chance." Kael said.
"You're underestimating Albus." Professor Cecily chuckled.
"I'm serious." Kael said, "Anyway, trust me, Professor Dumbledore can't become Minister, no matter how much support he has, it's useless.
"If you publicly support him, it would alienate the Ministry of Magic soon, which isn't good for you or St. Mungo's."
Seeing Kael wasn't joking, Professor Cecily gradually became serious.
If it's really as Kael said, she indeed needs to reconsider whether to publicly support Dumbledore, since Fudge isn't a forgiving person.
"How about this..." Kael suggested, "Fawkes will send you a letter soon, just receive it in front of others and write a reply to Professor Dumbledore, showing a somewhat ambiguous stance."
"Huh?" Cecily blinked, not understanding Kael's meaning.
Didn't he just say Dumbledore definitely wouldn't become Minister? Then why go through the trouble of creating a vague pretense?
She felt she was losing touch with the current young wizards' thinking.
But since Kael said so, she would comply, after all, it's just a letter and holds no impact on St. Mungo's.
...