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(HPMM)Chapter 32: Showing off
🕑 Added 2025-09-29 14:38:35 +0000 UTC"Do you think you could find something for plants?" Daphne asked hopefully.
"Any particular reason?" I asked curiously.
"The Greengrass family runs many potion ingredient farms and pride themselves on their mastery of plants in particular due to their druidic heritage." Tracey explained.
"I see. I can think of a few fruits that would fulfil the niche you are after but as for finding and obtaining them, well theres no telling how long that might take or even if it's possible at all. I'll put out word though." I said honestly.
I meant it too as there were several plant related fruits I could think of off the top of my head.
Not including the two I myself wanted there was the forest fruit used by Aramaki who becomes an admiral after the marine ford battle and it's aftermath. There was likely others as well but they hadn't been mentioned in the manga or anime so I wasn't aware of them.
'Now that I think about it I should probably see about getting a devil fruit encyclopedia from Whitebeard. They aren't complete but it would definitely be better than relying on just what I saw in the anime or manga.' I thought seriously.
"These fruits are gonna be expensive aren't they?" Tracey asked with an expression that said she fully expected to be unable to afford one.
"Depends on what you consider valuable or not. See in this case I don't want gold or galleons but rather things that noble houses hoard to themselves such as rare knowledge and resources. Gold or galleons I can acquire easily but that? That requires connections, status or irresistible treasures." I said seriously.
"Books!? You want books of all things for something like that!?" Daphne exclaimed in shock.
"Not just any old books but rare ones, even unique volumes that haven't ever seen a pair of eyes outside your family. Knowledge is power, especially for a merchant like me." I said seriously.
"My dad will make that deal without hesitation." Daphne said confidently.
"I wouldn't be so sure unless your father is a fool. What I am asking for is effectively part of your families legacy. It's not about the knowledge being useful or not to your family but that you and only you have it. These fruits are certainly worth it but to make such a deal is to trade away this advantage and unless one is mad or desperate they will hesitate." I said shooting down her misunderstanding firmly.
Don't get me wrong I have no problem exploiting my customers ignorance if it gives me a better deal but Daphne is not the one making the deal and there was no point in giving her false hope. I wasn't sure what sort of man her father was but as I said it was not so easy to make such a deal. These were heavy stakes to pay for anyone who was part of a group that valued their heritage so highly.-
Telling her this made her go silent as she understood at least somewhat the weight of my price. After that the train started to move and I went back to my book. The two girls talked amongst themselves as I read though I was still keeping an ear out on both their conversation and the door since I was expecting a visit here soon. The door was pushed open about fifteen minutes later and a bushy set of long brown hair and round face with slightly long front teeth was looking in on us.-
"Excuse me but have any of you seen a toad, Neville's lost his and we are searching the train for it?" the girl who I identified as Hermione Granger asked seriously.
"Accio toad." I said calmly as I drew and waved my wand.
Soon enough there was a thump as a large brown toad flew into the girl. I earned three sets of eyes at that and merely smiled.
"Summoning charm, I learnt it a bit early since it's quite handy." I said casually.
"Where'd you learn it from? I haven't seen it in the first year books at all." Hermione asked intrigued.
"That's because it's a fourth year spell. The textbooks are merely guides after all, not the limit. " I said as I put my wand away.
"Might want to hurry back with that toad, looks like it's trying the escape again." Tracey said motioning to the wiggling toad Hermione was holding.
The girl quickly rushed off with the thing at that reminder and I was left with two sets of eyes looking at me expectantly.
"What? I did say knowledge was power already. For us wizards and witches that is VERY literal." I said with a shrug.
"How far ahead of the rest of us are you if you are casting fourth year spells?" Daphne asked curiously.
"Depends on the subject. In charms and Defense against the dark arts a whole year and a half roughly. As for the subjects that take ingredients or physical practice or are incredibly dangerous like Transfiguration, Herbology and Potions more or less at the same level you are. I do have more theoretical knowledge on them then you do though." I said casually.
"How!? Didn't you only get the books like a month ago?" Tracey demanded in shock.
"I did but I can read quite quickly and can understand and remember what I read near perfectly. I also went out of my way to purchase higher leveled books as well as copies of our textbooks that were second hand and had notes written in them. After that I spent at least six or seven hours a day studying." I said honestly.
"You are definitely going to Ravenclaw. I can't even begin to imagine studying so long." Tracey said with a shudder.
"That would certainly be convenient. Ravenclaw is a neutral house if my research is correct. That will serve me well if I want to make deals with all four houses." I said with a shrug.
