Logically, Richard immediately guessed that the statue depicted Rowena Ravenclaw. There was something slightly frightening about this marble woman, who gazed at those around her with an enigmatic half-smile. The statue's head was crowned with an elegant tiara, reproduced in marble. Engraved on it was the phrase:
Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure
The common room was filled with students, most of whom turned their gazes in Richard's direction in surprise.
A brown-eyed, blonde fifth-year girl, known to Richard as a Ravenclaw prefect named Penelope Clearwater, walked up to Rich and asked politely:
- Boy, have you come to visit someone?
"Good afternoon, Miss Clearwater. Allow me to introduce myself-Richard Rich. In case anyone else at Hogwarts doesn't know this, and I highly doubt it, I own the Experimental Charms Workshop, where wizards develop new enchantments."
"I've heard of Rich's Workshop," said the Head Girl, "but I thought it belonged to your parents."
"No, miss. It was my idea to create the workshop. If you don't mind, I'd like to make an announcement for those who, after school, want to find a prestigious, interesting, and highly paid job in magical engineering."
"Is it true?" Penelope's nostrils flared like a predator sensing prey.
"Yes, Miss Clearwater," Richard replied politely. "My workshop is rapidly expanding. We need young, active, and talented specialists. Not those who want to dawdle in the offices of the Ministry of Magic for knuts, but wizards who want to advance magical science, unravel the mysteries of the universe, and travel into space to other planets."
Richard's loud and clear voice attracted the attention of every Ravenclaw student in the common room. Boys and girls dropped what they were doing and flocked to the entrance. Soon, almost half the house had gathered.
- Dude, what were you saying about space?
The question was asked by a tall, brown-haired man with long hair and a spiritual face.
- Mister?
Richard raised his right eyebrow questioningly.
- Stanley Kirk, seventh year.
"Mr. Kirk, ladies and gentlemen," Richard continued, "I plan to launch within the next five years the first interstellar starship in Earth's history, created by wizards using well-known magic. This spacecraft will set out to explore stars that, in theory, could harbor planets similar to our own and suitable for life. Then, nothing will stop us from creating portals there, exploring new worlds, and colonizing them. This will be a major step for humanity and a huge one for wizards."
The faces of the young mages showed disbelief, some astonishment, some wild delight, and several older men looked at Richard with admiration, like fanatical believers in an angel who had descended from heaven. But there were also those who dismissed Richie's speech as the ravings of a madman.
"But is that even possible?" someone exclaimed in a cracking, teenage boy's voice.
"Nothing is impossible, magic can do anything!" Rich replied without hesitation. "It's just a matter of strength, resources, and time. I have all three. And if there are talented wizards among you who are ready to lend a hand to the greatest event in world history, Rich's Workshop awaits you."
"How much do they pay?" asked a plump, brunette woman with her hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, adjusting her round glasses with the index finger of her right hand.
- The salary of a young specialist who hasn't yet had time to prove himself is between two hundred and fifty and three hundred galleons per month. Plus bonuses.
A deathly silence fell over the Ravenclaw common room. The students tried to grasp the scale... The scale! At best, they'd have to start with a hundred and fifty Galleons, maybe even a hundred, and here they were earning the same as a department head at the Ministry of Magic. Their imaginations were filling in the blanks, conjuring up fabulous riches after a few years of work.
Before the hubbub began, Richard continued:
"Ladies and gentlemen, that's not all. Some of you may have heard that first-year students in your department are working on a project to create graphene film. I'm announcing that anyone interested is welcome to participate in this project to create a simple and accessible method for producing graphene film. I'll be awarding a grant of one hundred thousand Galleons for the final result. You can learn more about graphene from the first-year students in your department. With that, I take my leave."
As Richard turned his back on the crows, a terrible hubbub erupted behind him. A barrage of questions rained down, but no one waited for answers. Young Rich knew how to engage people. You had to make them seek out the information themselves. If he had wasted time answering a barrage of questions now, he would have only lost his voice, given himself a migraine, and at least a third of the potential job and research candidates would have been eliminated. As it was, Richie created intrigue, hinted at a mystery and a fertile field for research, tempted them with untold riches and incredible prospects. One could expect at least a third of the students in the blue-bronze department to begin actively trying to devise a way to cheaply produce graphene, probably through magic, but who cares? The material would come in handy in building a spaceship.
The next day, during breakfast, all of Hogwarts witnessed a remarkable sight. Almost the entire Ravenclaw class was engaged in a strange activity: they were holding pieces of tape, which they were gluing and unsticking with incredible enthusiasm.
As Richie passed the staff table, he caught sight of Minerva McGonagall's long face. The Transfiguration professor's round eyes never left the Ravenclaw table. Her left eye twitched slightly. Headmaster Dumbledore looked deeply thoughtful. He cocked his head to one side and twirled his beard.