"Master, what's going on?" After Hog shrank, he naturally slipped through the confines of the stair railing, slid forward, and rolled to Alan's feet.
"I told you, this is a newly made alchemy tool. I call it the Shrinking Ring. As long as you keep channeling magic, it can help you shrink your body. You are currently at your smallest size. Once you master it, you'll be able to control your dimensions at will," Alan said with a smile, looking down at the bewildered dog squatting on the floor.
After hearing Alan's explanation, Hog was greatly surprised. He lifted a small paw to inspect, sniff, and lick it. Then he circled himself a few times, and as if he had discovered a brilliant new game, he scurried off excitedly. Hog found that after his body shrank, everything around him seemed to have grown massive, making his surroundings feel entirely new and exciting. Moreover, his smaller size meant he could now squeeze into places that were previously off-limits—under tables, behind sofas, and into narrow gaps. Thinking of this, Hog immediately rushed upstairs without stopping. Today, he was going on a grand adventure.
Seeing Hog so enamored with his new toy, Alan shook his head helplessly. It seemed some furniture in the house was destined to suffer again. He slowly strolled back to the third floor. He didn't see Hog along the way, having no idea which nook or cranny the wolf had burrowed into. Alan didn't pay much attention; instead, he went straight back to his room and sat at his desk to contemplate his next moves.
Alan planned to set up his underground alchemy factory this summer and produce his first batch of inventory. Then, by Christmas at the latest, he would open his alchemy company. This year he had spent a large portion of his savings on research and on having Karkaroff acquire materials from mainland Europe, so he needed to find a way to recover his funds. Since he was opening a shop, he needed to prepare in advance. When doing business, the main pillars to consider are suppliers, products, pricing, and sales channels.
Regarding raw material supply, alchemy tools mainly require magic alloys, wood, and the biological components of magical creatures. He had the synthesis blueprints for Paracelsus Brass and Agriba Alloy. These two magic alloys were sufficient to supply his production, making him completely self-sufficient in metallic materials. As for leather and wood, he planned to "shear the wool" from the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts. Given his relationship with Hagrid, he could certainly procure enough raw materials. Plus, he also had contact with the Centaur tribe; perhaps he could leverage that relationship to extract resources from the deeper parts of the forest.
Alan nodded, then spread out a piece of parchment and wrote down words like Forbidden Forest, Hagrid, and Centaur.
Next were the products and pricing. Alan had already thoroughly conceptualized these two aspects. For his standard inventory, he planned to primarily supply amulet sets made of Agriba Alloy, including Protective Amulets, Communication Amulets, Flash Amulets, and Sonic Boom Amulets. Among them, the Protective Amulet was a high-wear life-saving item. Alan planned to price it low, at only ten Galleons, to increase customer loyalty. Other amulets would be priced between twelve and fifteen Galleons each.
Secondly, there were "Magic-Suppressing Handcuffs" designed to quickly drain a suspect's magic; "Tracing Goggles" that incorporated a Tracing Charm and a Tracking Spell to assist with apprehension; "Self-Checking Pocket Watches" that could self-diagnose injuries; and Protective Gloves that, unlike the Protective Amulet's passive activation, could actively cast a Protego at any time. These types of products didn't wear out as quickly as amulets, so they needed to be priced higher, likely between thirty and fifty Galleons. The exact amount would be determined after discussions with the Ministry of Magic.
At the same time, he also prepared auxiliary combat equipment like Phase Boots and Tactical Vests. These items could significantly enhance an Auror's combat effectiveness and survival rate, and could be priced between one hundred and two hundred Galleons per item. Adding his newly developed Humanoid Target, this alchemy tool could serve as both internal training equipment for the Ministry and a device for assessing new recruits. Pricing it at three hundred Galleons seemed quite reasonable.
Alan recorded these thoughts on the parchment. Then, thinking of something else, he took an item from his space ring. It was a metal rod about a meter long and as thick as an arm, with one end slightly thinner than the other. The thicker end had eight fine tentacles extending radially.
"Perhaps I can complete this equipment before the opening. This item is tailor-made for the Ministry of Magic," Alan said, rubbing his chin as he looked at the metal rod before putting it away.
For tactical equipment, he only planned to launch this much for now. Other projects either involved his core technology or contained traces of the Dark Arts, which could not be exposed to the public. As for civilian products, he planned to get involved eventually, but he had to establish his foundation first.
With supply, products, and pricing settled, the only thing left was sales channels. Since his products were aimed at tactical use, his primary target was the Ministry of Magic. To successfully establish cooperation, internal connections were vital. Alan pulled out two more pieces of parchment and wrote letters to Arthur and Moody, respectively, inviting them over for a detailed discussion.
After finishing, Alan stretched comfortably. He suddenly sensed a life aura in the house and knew Kiki had returned. When he went down to the second floor, he found the living room in total disarray. Tables, chairs, and storage cabinets were piled up haphazardly into a mound—a small wooden mountain. Kiki stood by, holding a paper bag of groceries, staring at the mess in astonishment.
"M-Master," Kiki said, seeing Alan on the stairs and looking at him nervously. "I didn't do this, Master. I just got back."
"I know," Alan nodded, then closed his eyes to sense the room. He glared at the small furniture mountain and roared, "Hog!"
Upon hearing his voice, the pile trembled. A crackling sound came from within, and a dog's head, covered in dust, struggled to poke through a gap in the furniture.
"Master, look! I built you a fortress. Pretty good craftsmanship, right?" The young dog's head spoke in a deliberately cute voice, looking at Alan with wide, eager eyes.