Wizet, having lived in an orphanage in his previous life, inherently lacked a sense of security.
The simplest way to gain security was to make his wallet plump.
Although he now had five hundred Galleons on him, for the sake of the future, increasing income and reducing expenditure was something he had to consider.
He hadn't found opportunities to increase income yet, but reducing expenditure could be implemented immediately.
In the magic World, books were expensive; not a single one cost less than a Galleon.
If he only had the scholarship, just buying textbooks would use up nearly half of it.
Wizet checked the list and found all the textbooks he needed for school.
He browsed through the sea of books, gnawing on a couple of biscuits when he got hungry.
The bookstore clerk stood observing from a distance for a long time, watching the boy pick up and put back books, a look of barely contained impatience on her face.
She had seen too many customers who just read for free and had mastered a set of 'tailor to the customer' techniques.
Old Wizards who were shabbily dressed and world-weary usually had thick skins and were hard to get rid of with just a few words.
Wizet, on the other hand, was different; he carried a cauldron with him, and the books he was flipping through were all first-year Hogwarts textbooks, clearly an incoming freshman.
Incoming freshmen surely had thinner skins;
His clothes weren't flashy enough, so he couldn't be a child from a rich and powerful pure-blood families;
Flipping through textbooks back and forth probably meant he wanted to feel the new books; if he genuinely intended to buy, he would definitely choose a used bookstore…
These many factors led the clerk to approach Wizet.
“Sir, you’ve been here for most of the day; would you like me to prepare you a cup of black tea?”
Wizet subconsciously asked, “Black tea? How much?”
In his previous life, he would also read books for free; bookstores often had small cafes selling drinks and desserts in addition to books.
“Then you should go next door!” The clerk impatiently pointed outside the door. “There’s an ice cream parlor there; you can go there!”
“Wait…” The clerk suddenly widened her eyes, and cold sweat instantly broke out. “Are you that Obscurial?”
Wizet was already used to people’s reactions. He put the book back on the shelf. “Excuse me, I’ll leave now.”
He had already exceeded his goal, mentally recording a large stack of books.
Since the clerk had asked him to leave, there was no need to stay.
Hagrid hadn't returned yet, so he planned to go to Ollivander's Wand Shop first to get the most important wand.
“Don’t say that…” The clerk waved her hands repeatedly. “You continue… I didn’t say anything just now! You continue…”
“What’s going on?” A well-dressed, elegant middle-aged man walked over and stood between the two.
“Boss…” The clerk wiped the sweat from her forehead. “I just saw this customer had been here for a long time and told him he could go to the ice cream parlor next door to sit.”
“Is that so?” The bookstore owner murmured. “Sir, why don’t we go upstairs and sit?”
Although Wizet was full of doubts, he still followed the bookstore owner to the second floor.
The moment he stepped onto the second floor, the Hustle of the first floor instantly vanished, replaced by a sense of tranquility.
Clearly, magic had been cast here to create an atmosphere different from the first floor.
The layout of the second floor was exquisite, with all the furnishings appearing ancient and full of classical beauty.
Wizet couldn't help but exclaim, “This is truly a wonderful place to read!”
“Thank you.” The bookstore owner waved his hand, inviting Wizet to sit. “What would you like to drink? Is black tea suitable?”
Wizet was a little flustered and nodded softly, “Of course!”
The bookstore owner spoke again, “I am Clothar Bathatt, the owner of Flourish and Blotts. May I ask your name?”
“Hello, Mr. Bathatt, my name is Wizet.”
“Their income is related to the bookstore’s sales, and sometimes they take inappropriate measures. I hope you can forgive them.”
Wizet was full of doubts in his heart. Why was this bookstore owner's attitude towards him… so good?
“Of course, I can understand.” However, he also knew the hard work of the employees and waved his hand, saying, “That clerk actually wasn’t wrong. He really did ask me if I needed black tea.”
Bathatt took a sip of black tea. “Oh? Do you really think… that sentence was literal?”
“Yes, I thought there was a teahouse or cafe here for the convenience of readers.”
“A teahouse in a bookstore? I’m very interested in this idea. Could you tell me more about it?”
Seeing Bathatt’s sincere attitude, Wizet nodded and shared his views on bookstores from his previous life.
Bathatt was indeed listening attentively, even waving his wand to conjure a quill and parchment, recording what he said.
“Mr. Bathatt, I must sincerely say—the environment on the second floor is truly excellent, very suitable for hosting various book clubs.”
“Since you focus more on the influence of the bookstore, having the clerks actively provide service can undoubtedly improve the overall rating of the bookstore.”
“Even if they don’t buy books, they will order a cup of black tea and a dessert, and with the service of the clerks and the elegant environment, the bookstore’s own style will be elevated.”
“Excellent!” Bathatt showed a brilliant smile. “Actually, this bookstore is my family’s business, and I want to take it a step further, to give the bookstore some personal characteristics of my own.”
“Unfortunately, I haven’t found a better method and have been stuck in place. Today, from your words, I have found a brand new path…”
“Having the clerks serve customers well and making customers realize that Flourish and Blotts is a special place is a brilliant idea that has greatly benefited me!”
Wizet waved his hands repeatedly, “I’m glad I could help, after all, I’ve been reading here all morning.”
He was actually just a conveyor of ideas; this model was not uncommon in bookstores in his previous life.
Bathatt still thanked him, not only covering all his future textbook expenses but also permanently reserving a private seat for him on the second floor.
Whenever Wizet came to Flourish and Blotts to read, both tea and desserts would be provided free of charge.
Bathatt led Wizet to a small, dilapidated storefront. “Wizet, this is Ollivander's Wand Shop. Remember to visit the bookstore often.”
“If there’s a chance…” Wizet nodded repeatedly. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
Watching Wizet enter the shop, Bathatt did not return to Flourish and Blotts but turned into the Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor next door.
He walked briskly to the deepest part, where a silver-haired old man was sitting.
Dumbledore was eating candy, with a pile of lemon sherbets in front of him. “Clothar, you’re here! What’s your impression of Wizet?”
“A very clever child!” Bathatt sat down, his face beaming. “If it weren’t for those reports, I wouldn’t have seen any hint of an Obscurial in him.”
“He possesses a maturity far beyond his years, and his thoughts are likewise. merlin's beard! You might not imagine, but I actually got inspiration from him!”
“He gave me a brilliant idea that could make my name in family history… Perhaps Bathilda could even record this and write it into History of Magic!”
“Oh? Such a thing happened?” Dumbledore’s tone held a hint of surprise. “Could you tell me more in detail?”
