JACG Chapter 70 (Set-up)

Accepting a student meant I had more things to worry about. I was no longer just using ingredients for my own research and use. Now I needed to provide ingredients so Petunia could actually learn to be something more than what she was.

Sure, I had a rather large stockpile of regents but with my flippant use of ingredients and her wasting them, it was only a matter of time before restocking. It was not a really big issue, I had more than enough gold to buy whatever the fuck I wanted. It just meant that I was going to have to go shopping more often.

So I found myself in the same shop I visited so long ago. The shelves were not as full as they were previously but the shopkeeper was able to restock rather quickly all things considered. As I walked through the door the owner’s eyes widened as he took me in.

“Merlin, what happened to you lad!?” The shopkeep questioned as I made my way to him. The last time I saw him I was gathering ingredients for all of my enhancing potions so the changes between then and now were rather large. I was surprised that he was able to nail my identity so quickly.

Then again this is a man who was more than familiar with me. Long hours spent bargaining and selling to him must have had my image burned into his head.

“With those ingredients, my research has picked up massively,” I spoke out with a small smile on my face. I did not need to explain anything to him but I liked the guy a fair bit. 

“With results like this, I expect you’re going to hit it big lad.” The shopkeeper spoke out with enthusiasm. He was clearly happy for me which was surprising. I guess dumping thousands of galleons onto his counter really warmed up our relationship.

“At the rate I’m going everyone will know my name,” I spoke out with a cocky grin on my face. I may be releasing a variant of Phoenix Tears on the market soon. That little fact will have people praising the ground I walk on.

“Good for you lad.” He spoke out in a happy tone. Again the sincerity behind it was odd but it was nice to have.

“So what brings you here lad? I can’t imagine you are already out of ingredients.” The shopkeeper questioned lightly. 

I chuckled awkwardly at him. His entire stock might have been a lot but I was burning through it incredibly quickly. Seeing my reaction the shopkeeper examined me with a disbelieving look on his face.

“Really lad? It hasn’t even been a week.” The shopkeeper questioned with the same amount of disbelief dyeing his tone. I winced at the tone but there was nothing to do about it. I was running low on ingredients and that was a fact.

“Well, I’m not the only one using the ingredients.” I let out lightly. Sure, I was the main reason my ingredients were running low but Petunina played her part. I was also implying that I had a team researching with me which was a fairly common practice.

The shopkeeper looked over at me for a moment. He was coming to terms with all the facts but even then he was confused. The changes I brought up were too much for him to bear.

“So can you help me out?” I asked sheepishly, I needed more ingredients and he was the only person I knew to ask. Sure, I had to pay for his services but I was more than fine with that. 

If I went to Dumbledore about my lack of ingredients I would have to deal with his long-winded speeches. Lucius was not an option either, talking to him about acquiring ingredients would have the Dark Lord trying to put his nonexistent nose in my business. The goblins might have been helpful but I kind of robbed them, if I came to them with a massive amount of wealth they would be rather touchy. The fact is that I did not have any real connections that would be helpful in acquiring a large amount of ingredients.

My best shot was literally buying them from one fucking store. It was not a good state of affairs. Well, there was one more person I could have gone to. Narcissa would certainly have the connections I needed to buy a large amount of ingredients. I even thought about asking her for help as she was clearly someone who cared about me.

That was the issue. She cared about me and I did not want to drag her into my mess for something so simple. She would be taking a stance on my side by providing those connections. Her family had heavy ties to the Dark Lord’s faction so she would be risking a lot by standing by my side. I was going to make a rather vocal neutral stance after all, her family would certainly not like that.

It was not just about the danger. I did not want to drive that wedge between her and her family. She was my friend and I did not want to harm her relationships for something so simple.

“Look, I appreciate the business lad but I can’t keep dumping my inventory on you. My other clients would throw a fit.” The shopkeeper spoke out with a sad smile on his face. He wanted to help me but it was just not feasible. He could not rely on the fact that I would constantly buy out his stock. 

I got his position but it did not help me all that much.

“I get it, I really do but I need those ingredients,” I spoke out seriously. Well, it was not that urgent but I really wanted those ingredients right now. He looked over at me with his brow furrowed. He then let out a sigh.

“Alright, just one more time lad. You can buy whatever I managed to restock.” He let out quietly as he looked around his store as if cataloging everything. I looked around at his store with my own brow furrowed. He managed to restock quite well but it was not really enough.

I sighed internally, I should have expected this outcome when I first saw how little he had. I could not ask him to introduce me to his supplier. Something like that was not done with a customer of all people. I was not close enough to even bring up the question. It would be threatening his livelihood after all.

“Everything in the store should round out to two thousand Galleons.” He let out quietly as he finished his internal catalog. Again I let out an internal sigh but I started to dump Galleons on his desk. He did not even flinch as the large amount of coins suddenly appeared on his desk. 

“Same deal as last time?” I questioned lightly as I looked around at his shelves. If he was gone I could pack rather quickly after all. Now that I was thinking about it why would I care if he knew I had some sort of spatial storage? Magical shit was the root of our society it would not be that shocking. Nor would it be some grand secret I wanted to hide.

“That works for me lad.” The shopkeeper let out before I could change my stance. He was already bagging his newfound wealth into a sack. He may not have been willing to dump his entire stock on me again but he was clearly prepared for me to come back.

He finished packing his coins and started to leave the shop. He paused before he left it fully. He turned around to look at me with a serious look on his face.

“I don’t know where you got these Galleons lad but be careful.” He let out softly before he left the store. I took in his words and increased my opinion of him. He clearly had some thoughts about where they came from but he was keeping his mouth shut. I was prepared to face the consequences of my actions but it was nice to see someone on my side. Even if their only support was their silence.

I silently started to pack everything inside of my inventory. It went rather quickly but it was not a task that was meant to take a long time. I was not satisfied with the amount of ingredients that I got but what could I do about it? I could only hope that my increased fame would bring about those connections.

Beyond that, I needed to figure out how to farm these ingredients myself. I was planning on exploring the vast multiverse so my best option was to farm these ingredients myself. The problem with that was I sucked at Herbology, you would think with the vast amount of knowledge I knew about potions it would be helpful but you would be wrong.

I knew how to use those plants to their fullest but I had no clue on how to get them to grow to their fullest extent. To be fair to myself if I did take the Herbology classes seriously it would still not be enough. The knowledge to grow those ingredients to their peak was something that would be hoarded. That knowledge would bring in a lot of wealth after all. Our society was perfectly fine with creating monopolies so that knowledge would be out of my hands.

I was certain with Fortuna on my side I would be able to acquire that knowledge but I still sucked at taking care of plants. I would also have to rear magical animals for the variety of ingredients they could provide.

I would figure out a way to farm those ingredients it was only a matter of time. I had access to the Dimensional Chats Group. Nothing could hold me back.

That was for the future. I knew I was going to burn through ingredients and I needed connections urgently. I was going to be putting up a rather neutral stance. That would bring the neutral faction into my orbit. With the amount of fame I would gather I should be able to use that.

The Greengrass family was a rather prominent potions supplier after all. They were strictly neutral and that meant I could buy from them rather easily. I might have to release even more potions to really get my fame out there but it should work.

This was great, I killed two birds with one stone and I was not even aiming for that to happen.

With that load off of my mind for now I left the shop and entered into Diagon again. The streets were just as busy as it was the last time I was here. The goblins were no longer patrolling the streets but that was always going to fade. There was no way they could search for me endlessly. The ministry might be cowards but they would not let those lesser beings trample on them for so long.

God, my people were just filled with racist bigots. Superiority complexes were just a part of magical society. I was not beyond that either, I was a terrible person and I could recognize that. I considered everyone lesser than me even my own people. The things I brought to this world proved that thought. 

I took a deep breath and tried to banish that thought. I did not need to be thinking like that. I was still in the realm of being smited by beings beyond my comprehension. I was not a god and it would do me no good to think like one.

The streets might not be filled with patrolling goblins but there was a curtain of unease lingering in the air. The people chatted in worry, the movement of the crowd saying that they were getting what they needed and tried not to linger. The goblins might have spooked the crowd but it was more likely that the war was showing itself in the feelings of the general populace.

I took that in, these people would have their world basked in fear and worry and I would allow it to come. Not because I feared the person that would hurt them but because I did not care. In fact the war was for my benefit. Truly I was not a good person and that fact tasted bitter in my mouth.

No one wants to be the bad guy even when they know they are one. I looked away from the fearful crowd and walked towards my destination.

I had more planned for this shopping trip. There was plenty I could learn from this place. Items enchanted and sold to hundreds would teach me so much at a single glance. The spells that weaved their existence would be clear as day to me. It would save me a lot of time trying to learn those spells myself. 

Those items were not my real destination for today. It was just a nice benefit as I navigated the street.

No, I wanted unique abilities that no one else but me could learn. That meant I needed to find rare and unique beings that were capable of magic.

The easiest way to see that was magical creatures. Diagon had a pet store but it would not be all that helpful to me. The magical creatures in that store were meant to be pets, they would not carry any animal that would really catch my eye. Generally, they had a variety of birds and cats, in rare cases there were snakes and toads. Nothing that would change the game for me. 

To see rare magical creatures I would need to venture out of Diagon. The creatures I wanted to see were not exactly safe which meant they were going to be in Knockturn. 

Some of those animals were not illegal to own but there was no way in hell they would be kept in Diagon. Those creatures would frighten the general populace too much. A Cerburues would maul the frightened populace and it was not even all that impressive.

I did not know where those creatures would be held at. That knowledge was not something I was interested in before. I could use some spells, those shops may be warded against the common variety of those spells. My version of those spells was obviously different, they could not be stopped by some common ward.

If I did show up to those shops I would have to deal with the owner throwing spells at me. The shops that would contain those creatures tended to be invite only. Which meant if someone barged into the store they would freak out. 

It was easier to get an invite, I wanted to study as many creatures as I could after all. It would be easier to do so if the owner was not throwing every single spell they knew at me. 

I knew where I could get an invite even if it would cost me a fair bit of coin. It was of course the place where everyone went when you needed to get things no questions asked. Borgin and Burkes, I was going to see that slimeball again. Even worse I was going to pay him to get me an invite. The things we do in the name of progress.

I was once more in that dark cramped store filled with a variety of odd things. Borgins eyes locked onto me the very moment I stepped into his shop. I was used to him looking at me like I was a cut of meat but there was an intensity in his eyes that was unfamiliar. I gave him a questioning look as I was not sure what his sudden interest was about.

“It’s good to see you again Mr. Snape.” Borgin let out darkly. The intensity in his eyes increased and it was confusing the fuck out of me. The fact that he called me Mr. Snape did not help my opinion of him. Sure, he would have no way of knowing I denounced that name but it still rubbed me the wrong way.

“Can’t say the same about you Borgin,” I spoke out with a tight smile on my face. I did not like him and he should know exactly why that was. 

“That’s a shame Mr. Snape.” Borgin spoke out with an overly dramatic hurt look on his face. I gave him an unimpressed look that he took in stride.

“If you are not here to play nice why are you here Mr. Snape?” Borgin questioned with that same odd glint in his eyes. I gave him a measured look as I was still not sure what was going on with him.

“I need an invite to visit one of those stores selling exotic creatures,” I spoke out blandly, I was going to give up on figuring out what was going on with him. I was going to get what I needed and leave the slimeball. Borgins eyes lit up at my proclamation.

“You're in luck Mr. Snape, I can get you that invite easily,” Borgin spoke out in glee. Again this was odd he would usually treat anything I asked him as some sort of grand quest that was going to cost him an arm and a leg.

As if reading my reaction the glee faded from his face as he coughed awkwardly.

“I’ll go get you that invite, feel free to browse around while you wait,” Borgin spoke out hastily as he ducked into the back of his shop. Something was definitely going on with him and it involved me. There was no question about that as he was acting really fucking odd.

I could leave right now thwarting whatever nonsense he was planning. I considered it for a moment before deciding against it. I did not really care about what he was plotting. Nothing he could do could possibly affect me. I could take this opportunity to get revenge on the slime ball. It should teach him to take me seriously.

So I waited around for whatever surprise he was going to spring on me. I was able to examine some rather scary enchanted items so it was not a complete waste of time. Some of the things that were stored in this shop were fucking scary. Why you would need a spoon that was enchanted to break a skull like an egg? I was probably better off not knowing the answer to that question.

I was examining another horribly enchanted item when I heard someone enter the store. I looked over with a bored look on my face as I was expecting something to pop up.

The man who entered into the shop was stunning and that was coming from me. He clearly took the time to make sure his beauty could be appreciated by anyone. Soft brown hair that was perfectly styled and he was dressed to the fucking nines. He wore an easy smile that would convince anyone he had your best interests at heart.

His eyes on the other hand were eye-grabbing for me. They were a soft red which I never expected to see from anyone but a fucking vampire. The man was trying to convey a warm look in his eyes but I could see behind the easy smile and warm eyes. There was a layer of coldness that lay beneath everything the man was trying to portray. An empty hungry coldness that told me exactly who was standing before me.

I was not expecting him to look like this but the timeline was still fairly early. So he was no longer Mr. No Nose.

I smiled blandly at the Dark Lord himself. I should have expected that my actions would have him barking at my door one of these days. That fucking slimeball sold me out and fucked off. He would pay for this but for now I was going to have to deal with this ass hole.