Boom!
A sudden explosion echoed, and the powerful breeze it generated sent Fred and George tumbling over with a somersault. The others in the room were also affected, tottering backward as they staggered. The scattered debris on the ground flew everywhere.
Due to unexpected words from Remus, Fred and George again made a mistake with their control of magic. Fortunately, they learned from their mistake and managed to keep the noise of the explosion within the room. Otherwise, they really would have had to consider living on the streets.
Once everyone regained their balance, Hermione immediately cast an angry glare at Harry and Ron, who understood perfectly what Hermione intended to convey and ducked their heads in response.
Fred took a leaf off his hair, glared at Remus furiously, and almost lost his temper. He would have sworn if it weren't for the fact that Remus had once been his professor. After all, Mrs. Weasley had seized most of their previous production, and their funds were stretched thin to ensure delivery.
"If this was a prank!" George huffed, "It was undoubtedly very successful, but there's only one problem!"
The twins exclaimed together, "You'll have to pay for my losses, Remus!"
"Investment?"
Before Remus could say anything, Sirius looked at him with a strange expression.
"You're serious, Remus? You want to invest in Fred and George?"
"Why not?" Remus smiled.
Harry and his friends looked at each other in disbelief, knowing exactly what the other was thinking.
Investment was certainly a good idea, but the question was, where would the money come from? Remus' financial situation was well known to everyone in the house!
"How much money do you plan to support these two young rascals?" There was no need for subterfuge between Sirius and Remus anymore; he asked directly.
At this point, Fred and George realized that Remus was not just joking or teasing them, but his personal financial situation put a damper on their excitement. They swallowed their anger and suspiciously watched Remus, who was smiling.
"Uhm—" After a brief pause, Remus said in a light tone, "Well, this is a business deal. I can't just tell you how much I'm prepared to invest right away. I need to assess the value of the products you've created and your future prospects, but I anticipate it won't be less than ten thousand Galleons..."
"I must be hearing wrong, right?" Ron jumped up immediately, "How much? More than one thousand Galleons!"
The twins blinked in disbelief, as if they were dreaming.
"One thousand Galleons?" Sirius questioned, raising his voice and staring directly at Remus, "Where did you get all this money, Remus?"
Remus obviously knew his words had caused confusion among everyone. He looked at each person one by one, finally fixing his gaze on Sirius's face, pursed his lips, and couldn't help but laugh, "The Ministry... and my retirement savings."
"Oh, about that, well, it has to do with you too, Sirius--"
"I don't recall ever borrowing money from you, Remus," Sirius said, furrowing his brow. "I'm not trying to pry into your finances, Remus, but there has to be an explanation."
Remus did not chastise Sirius for being nosy. He understood that Sirius was merely concerned about Remus resorting to desperate measures due to financial hardship.
"It's actually your bounty, Sirius--"
Remus smiled and finally spoke up,
"Do you remember, Sirius, when you first escaped from Azkaban? The Ministry of Magic issued a bounty on your head to the wizarding community. At the time, we didn't know you were innocent, so, uh... some people had their eyes on that nice chunk of change."
Harry looked puzzled at Hermione, but saw the same confusion on her expression.
"Some people. Who do you mean?!"
Sirius blinked in confusion at first, but seconds later, his face darkened visibly, and even a hint of "clenching his teeth" was noticeable.
"Good, good--"
Sirius stepped forward, staring at the smiling Remus with a ferocious expression, speaking in a near-whisper, "You dare..."
"You've known all along, have you? But the Ministry did issue a warrant for my arrest. They were so generous to revoke it?"
"Yes, we all know the Ministry's reputation has been dodgy, but the problem is, if they break their word, as you know, Sirius, someone won't just let it go, will they?" Remus's smile dimmed a bit. "And even though you were innocent, Peter Pettigrew had to pay his price."
"Oh, well--" Sirius said resentfully, "I suppose I deserve a share, Remus!"
Sirius and Remus never mentioned the person's name, but the hints dropped here and there were enough for even Neville to guess who they were talking about!
Professor Brakebone and Remus joined forces to hunt down Sirius, and after their success, they shared the bounty on Sirius's head.
This sounds like something that would be funny because of the absurdity and irony of it all.
Harry and his friends held their breath, their shoulders twitching slightly, but Ron's gaze toward the increasingly bright-eyed Fred and George was an understatement of 'subtle envy'!
"All right, Remus, it's your money, you decide."
Sirius backed away, crossing his arms and pursing his lips, but after a moment of thought, despite Fred and George's disgruntled glares, he still asked somewhat curiously.
"But why do you want to invest in these two young men, of course, the things they make are indeed interesting, but, Remus, this money must be more valuable to you than it is to them?"
Remus understood that Sirius was indirectly trying to remind him that the wizarding world was still not friendly towards werewolves, and it was indeed difficult for him to find a livelihood that could sustain him. Therefore, he should be more careful with his wealth and not just give it to the two boys to waste.
"You must have noticed, Sirius, that my interview this morning ended in failure again--"
Remus toned down his smile, maintaining a calm demeanor and his tone was also without any fluctuations.
"Yes, I do have a bit of gold in my pocket, but I cannot rely on it for my future. It will run out eventually, won't it? I need to find a job that provides income and make myself financially independent. I do see potential in Fred and George's joke products, and they do need support and guidance now. It's also an opportunity for me. To be honest..."
Remus took a deep breath, and his expression finally grew slightly bitter.
"Well, outside of Fred and George, others might not be willing to accept an investment from a werewolf. Ah, I suppose you guys are willing after all?"
Fred and George exchanged a glance, and the next second, their faces lit up with fervor. They leapt up in unison.
"What kind of joke is that? Of course we're willing!"
"Of course, who cares about that, dear Remus!"
Fred grabbed Remus's arm and pushed him down onto the edge of the bed, his eyes burning with enthusiasm as he stared at him intently.
"You're serious, right? I mean, one thousand Galleons at least?"
Remus has been traveling and experiencing the world for many years. In terms of vision and experience, he is far superior to Sirius, who wasted ten years of his life in Azkaban. As for business, he's not a complete novice.
"A thousand Galleons is the minimum investment--"
Remus smiled and began to calculate it out for them.
"It's not going to work like that, Fred and George. You have to understand that if you want your products to be popular, you need a store. The rent isn't cheap, and your products - the mature and safe ones, I mean - will have to be mass-produced in a workshop."
"We've thought about the shop thing!" George exclaimed enthusiastically. "We even have a name picked out."
"The Weasley Magic Tricks Emporium!"
Fred's eyes glinted with excitement, showing a level of devotion that had never been seen in the classrooms of Hogwarts.
"That name won't work, two of you--"
Crossing his arms and watching the show, Sirius smirked playfully.
"If Molly knew that Remus' shop was called that, she would sue him for copyright infringement."
"Oh, Mom. I completely forgot about it--"
Fred pounded his forehead in exasperation.
If Mrs. Weasley found out they didn't even try to tone it down but instead went even further, their relationship with her might truly reach its end!
(End of this chapter)
