Chapter 240: The Refreshed L.C.A Publishing House
Felix Harp politely yet firmly declined the current headmaster's request for a eting at St. Mungo's, saying, "I'm sorry, but dedicating a morning each week is the utmost of my available ti. Besides, I still need to spend ti summarizing the treatnt plans for the Longbottoms."
Standing at the entrance of St. Mungo's Magical Maladies and Injuries, Felix shared the latest treatnt progress with Madam Longbottom, "After a maximum of three treatnts, they will reach the threshold of recovery.
At that point, I will use the bond ford by Frank and Alice's emotions to weave together the process of restoring their mories.
As long as the self-recovery ability of one of them is triggered, the other will benefit as well."
Madam Longbottom's hands were intertwined as she suppressed her excitent and sensibly asked, "There won't be any unforeseen consequences, will there? Could this bond potentially burden the other?"
Felix smiled and reassured her, "Rest assured, Madam Longbottom. If they were strangers, this approach might indeed be unwise, but Frank and Alice are different. After such a long period of treatnt, I am quite certain of one thing—they are the most important people in each other's lives..."
After parting ways with Madam Longbottom, he made his way to Diagon Alley. The L.C.A. building had undergone a remarkable transformation, its worn-out fa??ade now painted in vibrant rainbow colors, capturing the attention of passersby.
On the re-erected signboard, a young boy peeked out of a Ferris wheel-shaped window, his face lit up with joy.
He could also see a few seven or eight-year-old children beside him, pointing at the massive signboard, hanging from their parents' arms, and excitedly shouting.
"It seems Andis and Dobby have done a good job."
The ground floor's foyer had been repurposed. As Felix entered the building, a young witch approached him, "Hello, sir. How can I assist you?"
"I'm here to see Andis," Felix said briefly.
"You are—"
"Felix Harp, a shareholder of this company."
The young witch's eyes lit up, "Mr. Harp, please follow
upstairs to the third floor. Mr. Andis has already been inford. No matter the ti, you can find him directly."
"Isn't his office on the second floor?"
"The second floor has been converted into a production office, with twenty skilled artists inside. They were all forr employees of L.C.A Comics Publishing," the witch explained.
"You seem well-inford."
"My father used to work for Mr. Andis's grandfather, but later on, the publishing house faced difficulties, and many people left. Now, things have turned around, and the company is revitalized. A considerable number of people have been rehired," the witch said cheerfully.
Felix nodded and was led to a narrow office on the third floor. Andis, with stubble on his face, was engaged in an enthusiastic discussion with an elderly wizard. Andis's eyes brightened as Felix approached, and he opened his arms to embrace him tightly, saying with a hint of complaint, "Oh, rlin, our savior and major shareholder has finally graced us with a visit!"
"Truth be told, when was the last ti you took a bath?" Felix Harp instinctively stepped back a pace; the sll was too overpowering. He cast a cleansing charm towards Andis. "It's not that I'm indifferent, but we have Dobby, right? He can represent . Speaking of which, where is he?"
"Downstairs, wearing several hats, working tirelessly... Where did you find that dostic elf? Get
one as well," Andis replied.
"Don't jest." Felix shook his head. "I'm here today to see if you've run into any trouble and whether you need assistance."
"As you can see," Andis shrugged, "we're short on staff, and that's the biggest problem. Unless you can find a large number of employees."
"Do you have any specific requirents?" Felix inquired.
"Experienced skilled artists would be best, of course. If not, we can train them ourselves, but they need to be diligent... After all, the job can get quite monotonous."
Felix pondered for a mont and called Dobby over.
Dobby was still dressed in his little suit, but his deanor had changed significantly. "Great and generous Mr. Harp!" he exclaid excitedly.
Felix automatically translated his words into a greeting. "Hello, Dobby." He then spoke earnestly, "Listen, Dobby, I have an idea that I need your input on."
"It's my honor to be of service, sir. Dobby is ready!"
Felix paused; he was still getting used to Dobby's manner of speaking. "Currently, the publishing house is short-staffed. I want to ask you if you know any dostic elves, the kind without owners?"
Dobby looked at him hesitantly, his tennis-ball-sized eyes full of uncertainty. He shifted uneasily. "Yes, sir. So... yes."
"Is there a hindrance?" Felix asked calmly.
"Their condition isn't great. For dostic elves, losing an owner ans losing everything. They often suffer greatly and struggle to recover."
"Dobby, can you persuade them to work for ?"
Dobby widened his eyes. "Can I? Dobby has always wanted... Oh, Dobby is being too greedy. But Dobby has been hesitating whether to bring it up..."
Felix chuckled. "They'll work for , and I'll compensate them. It sounds fair."
His idea didn't stop there. From his earlier conversation with Andis, he had noticed that Dobby's position was sowhat awkward. House elves found it difficult to directly command wizards; they were usually commanded. So Dobby mostly did auxiliary work or was occasionally brought out by Andis to interact with pure-blood wizarding families.
That wasn't what he wanted.
"Dobby," Felix looked at him seriously, "I want you to gather those free elves for —whether they're wild or cast out, I don't mind. You're responsible for convincing them. Once you gather a group, bring them to . If everything is fine, they can have formal employnt, and you'll manage them all."
Dobby blinked his large eyes and nodded vigorously, his excitent almost bringing tears to his eyes.
"Dobby, Dobby is honored beyond words!"
This reaction sowhat strangely puzzled Felix.
"It's rely an exchange of needs. For repetitive work, house elves are entirely capable. And having Dobby manage other dostic elves serves multiple purposes."
...
At three in the afternoon, amidst the snowy landscape, Felix Harp arrived at the Hog's Head Inn in Hogsade.
This inn tucked away in a side alley didn't appear notable. Its signboard depicting a pig's head creaked and swayed in the chilly wind.
Standing at the entrance, Felix, draped in a cloak and wearing a hood and mask, couldn't help but smile. Why did he always associate underground dealings with this place?
Perhaps because many of the patrons here chose to hide their faces?
The Hog's Head Inn functioned as a semi-public black market of sorts. The innkeeper didn't interfere much; he allowed discreet transactions to take place here. This leniency might even be seen as a way to attract custors.
He also spotted the figures of Dentors in the distance. They moved in pairs, patrolling continuously.
Amusingly, so of the Dentors were noticeably shorter than their companions.
"Who would've thought I'd encounter familiar creatures..."
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