In Dawlish's eyes, the Extendable Ears were excellent value for money.
Auror missions often required tracking suspects or gathering intelligence. Using magic would alert the target, and getting too close raised suspicion. Having a tool like this would make things much easier.
And for only sixteen Sickles, less than a Galleon, it couldn't be cheaper!
The only problem was the appearance. Two ear-shaped pieces connected by a thin wire. Anyone could tell it was an eavesdropping device at first glance.
When Dawlish mentioned this, Adrian didn't hesitate. "For an extra fee, we can disguise it however you want. We could use Muggle technology to make it look like something else."
Since the Auror captain didn't have enough money on him, Adrian said helpfully, "If you're short on cash, you can place an order and pay half as a deposit."
He poured half the Galleons from the bag back into Dawlish's hands, then took back the Protective Ring.
Dawlish automatically went along with it. Then he paused. Wait, why not just come back tomorrow with the money?
"These products are limited stock," Adrian explained. "Each order means one less available." He looked at Dawlish seriously. "Besides, what you bought is just being stored here temporarily. It's already yours."
Dawlish nodded. That made sense.
With half his Galleons back, Dawlish felt rich again. He bought one Extendable Ear to use immediately and ordered a deluxe version for later.
Next, Adrian introduced the Quick-Quotes Quill, emphasizing how it could automatically handle tedious paperwork.
Dawlish had seen it earlier but had been too startled to consider buying one. Now, though, he realized it could improve his daily work efficiency. He bought it.
"The Intelligence Enhancer keeps your mind sharp," Adrian said, pointing to a potion. "Perfect for spotting clues during tracking missions."
"I'll take it!" Dawlish said, gritting his teeth.
"Sleekeazy's Hair Potion... I think your hair could use some help..."
"Fine!"
"Fake Wand... Dungbombs..."
"...Buy!" Dawlish said automatically. When Adrian handed them over, he blinked. These were basically toys. Why was he buying them?
But seeing Adrian's expectant expression, he pulled out the last few silver Sickles from his nearly empty money bag. Supporting the fight against dark magic, he supposed.
Ellison had already spent his entire savings and then some.
Adrian had helpfully offered installment plans, just sign a magical contract. Spending tomorrow's wages to buy today's equipment? It was practically a public service.
When the three Aurors finally left the shop, they felt completely drained. But looking at the pile of items in their arms, they suddenly felt much better.
---
Inside the shop, Adrian happily counted the Galleons in the bag. Nearly a hundred!
And that was only part of it. According to the contracts, the three Aurors would pay another two hundred Galleons over the next six months.
Adrian figured he wouldn't need to squeeze any more money out of these three for a while.
The shop had emptied out considerably, most of the items on the counter were sold. Adrian had let Dawlish take the Protective Ring with him instead of keeping it as a deposit. That way, he could show it off at the Ministry and spread the word.
Just as Adrian finished counting, a pale hand reached out and snatched the bag of Galleons. Ten Galleons were pulled out and placed on the table.
'Huh?!'
That's all he got? He looked at Irene miserably.
"This isn't even enough to cover what you spent on research!" Irene said, annoyed.
Adrian thought about it. The yew wood for practicing rune-carving, the metal for making magical items, the countless materials he'd ruined while studying enchantment patterns, all of it required Galleons.
In that case, today's earnings barely counted as breaking even.
If he wanted real profit, he'd have to count on a bulk order from the Ministry.
What surprised Adrian was that the system task still hadn't shown as complete.
Was the Ministry's review not finished yet? Or was it not time for the evaluation?
---
Ministry of Magic, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Auror Office.
Director Pius Thicknesse sat at the head of the table, his face dark. Auror Supervisor Rufus Scrimgeour waited quietly beside him, looking equally grim.
They listened to reports from several Auror captains.
"When we were tracking Target 72, we met heavy resistance. Two team members were seriously injured... A dark wizard attacked us. He used powerful dark magical items during the fight. We didn't have time to react—"
"Rubbish! Absolute rubbish!" Pius slammed his hand on the desk, his voice rising. "Four Aurors, and two of you got injured! And you still didn't catch the dark wizard!"
The Auror captain lowered his head, not arguing. His face was full of guilt.
After venting for several minutes, Pius stopped and paced behind his desk, rubbing his bald head.
Supervisor Scrimgeour finally dared to speak. "Director, it's not entirely the Seventh Action Team's fault. Dark magical items have unpredictable effects, and some are extremely powerful. I think the Aurors did their best..."
Pius sighed and nodded reluctantly. Since the Ministry began its large-scale crackdown on dark magical items, he'd heard similar reports constantly.
Nearly every day, one or two Aurors were injured. Just yesterday, they'd had their first casualty. During a raid, an Auror had triggered a dark magical trap that blew away half his body.
He died before reaching St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.