Once the students settled back into Hogwarts, classes quickly returned to their normal pace.
For Alexander, that meant going straight back into his busy schedule.
Between spending time with Cho, lessons, homework, rune research, spell training, and conversations with Tom, his days filled up almost instantly.
But even with all that work, Alexander still made time to meet with Fred and George.
Valentine's Day was approaching.
And that meant business.
The first thing they restarted production of was their best-selling Courage Potions.
Just like the previous year, nervous students would drink them before confessing their feelings.
Demand was already rising.
But this year they had something new.
Alexander had the twins improve their earlier invention.
The Cupid's Messenger Bird.
Their old version was too crude for his liking.
Too simple, and this year, they made major upgrades to it.
The new messenger was a tiny, enchanted white paper bird.
Students would write a confession message on the paper before activating the enchantment.
The bird would then fly directly to the intended recipient.
Alexander explained the important improvement.
"If the confession is rejected…The bird will return to the sender and burn into ashes."
The twins nodded with excitement.
"No awkward evidence left behind!"
Alexander continued.
"But if the confession succeeds…"
The twins grinned.
"The bird returns and explodes into heart-shaped smoke!"
Last year's Cupid Messenger Birds only sent a message, and there was no way of knowing if the receiver accepted the confession or not.
The new paper birds had a simple upgrade, but dramatic enough to attract attention.
However, that was only the standard version.
They also created a premium product.
The Golden Cupid Messenger.
This version was far more elaborate.
Two small golden birds.
One bird flew above the sender.
The other carried the confession to the recipient.
If the confession failed—
Both birds would burn away instantly.
But if the confession succeeded—
The two golden birds would fly at each other, leaving behind a trail to let everyone know who the happy new couple is.
The birds would circle together a few times before exploding into colorful fireworks.
Then heart-shaped confetti would rain down from above.
Finally, a floating banner would appear overhead, reading:
Confession Successful
The twins were extremely proud of that feature.
Of course, they had even wilder ideas.
George suddenly said,
"What if we add a Howler confession?"
Fred's eyes lit up.
"Imagine it shouting your love across the entire hall!"
Alexander immediately raised his hand.
"No."
The twins looked disappointed.
"That would be too dramatic," Alexander added, "And way too chaotic."
He paused and casually said,
"But if you two really want to do it… I'll turn a blind eye."
"Just a reminder, I did not approve, and you two did the Howler confessions on your own."
The twins exchanged a look and burst into laughter.
They understood perfectly what Alexander meant.
If they did it without telling him, he technically wasn't responsible.
The plan continued expanding.
Next, they created a photo booth for couples who want Romantic Illusion Valentine's Day Cards.
Alexander and the twins designed a base enchantment and taught the students how to personalize the cards themselves.
Some created floating hearts.
Others added magical flowers or glowing lights.
The customization made the idea extremely popular.
Because of the growing demand, the twins once again hired student employees.
The hired student employees helped run the photography booths, where couples could take romantic, enchanted photos.
With the help of Peevus, they found the best places with a magical background of Hogwarts scenery.
Their photography booth schedule was filled until the day before Valentine's Day.
The business exploded in popularity almost immediately.
Fred rubbed his hands together excitedly.
"We should add more attractions."
George nodded.
"A lot more."
Alexander raised an eyebrow.
"You two are on your own."
The twins looked at him, shocked.
Alexander shrugged.
"I'm already helping with supplies and planning."
"I'm busy enough."
He crossed his arms.
"If you want to add ideas... you're on your own."
After a few seconds, the twins knew what Alexander meant by busy enough.
Fred smirked.
"Oh?"
George grinned mischievously.
"Planning something special for Valentine's Day, Alex?"
Alexander smiled at them.
"I have my own event to plan."
The twins immediately started teasing him.
"Ooooh."
"Romantic mastermind."
"Cho will definitely love it!"
Alexander just laughed and waved them off.
Eventually, the twins gave up on pushing for more ideas.
They already had plenty to do, and business was going well.
Meanwhile, Alexander quietly began preparing something much bigger for Valentine's Day.