Harry Potter and the Candy Factory

Soon after, Russell left.

Charlie stood alone in the office, his heart filled with a complex mix of emotions once again.

He rose from his seat behind the desk and began to pace slowly in his private, enclosed space, lost in thought.

From time to time, he would stop, pick up the letter in his hand, and reread it, his mind constantly churning.

Dumbledore's invitation was indeed an unexpected development.

Originally, he had thought that once Harry opened the candy he had sent as a gift, Harry's personality would lead him to share the joy.

Sooner or later, the candy, not yet officially on sale, would be experienced for the first time at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry… coupled with Harry's celebrity effect and the likelihood of some sensitive wizards discovering the magical secret hidden within the candy—such as the dear Headmaster Dumbledore.

All these factors would undoubtedly provide the best initial publicity for Scent of Violet sweets.

Don't underestimate the impact of publicity within Hogwarts alone.

Keep in mind that the primary target audience for the candy is underage children. The families represented by the nearly one thousand students across seven grades already constitute a significant demographic…

"Forget it…"

After pondering for a good while, Charlie, unable to figure out what Headmaster Dumbledore was up to, finally gave up.

He plopped back down in his chair, shook his head, and sighed.

With a flick of his wrist, he released the letter he had been holding, and it floated in an arc downwards.

Then, as if influenced by some invisible force, it was inexplicably lifted up, flew back to the desk, and neatly slipped back into the already opened envelope.

"Whatever…"

Charlie's voice inexplicably carried a hint of laziness as he muttered to himself.

"Anyway, since the old headmaster has invited me, attending the Hogwarts opening ceremony can't be a bad thing, especially since…"

Here, Charlie paused, and the corners of his mouth began to turn upwards without restraint.

"I think my dear old friends will be very happy to hear that I'm coming back!"

With those words, Charlie's spirits lifted, and even his eyes regained their clarity.

"Russell!"

He sat upright in his seat, as usual, and snapped his fingers lightly.

With a "Pop!" Russell, who had just left not long ago, reappeared at Charlie's side.

However, this time, he was holding a list so long that it was dragging on the ground, indicating he was in the middle of work.

"At your service! My great master Charlie!"

Russell's slightly sharp voice rang out again, as he hurriedly rolled up the list that had been dragging on the ground and hid it behind him.

"Help me prepare a suitable set of clothes…"

Charlie's voice returned to its original tone, without the laziness from before.

"As this is my first invitation back to Hogwarts in over a decade, I must be dignified."

"That's absolutely right, Master!"

Hearing Charlie's words, Russell's expression immediately became serious, and he nodded in agreement.

"This is a major event! As an alumnus of those young wizards, and the owner of Charlie's Chocolate Factory, we must ensure that you present the most perfect image at the opening ceremony!"

"Uh…" Hearing Russell's serious tone, Charlie paused slightly and said softly,

"Actually, it doesn't need to be that serious… After all, I'm essentially attending in a personal capacity…"

"Master, what about the formal attire you wore when visiting Baron Bursted?"

Before Charlie could finish, Russell, already treating it as a major event, didn't give him any chance to refuse and hurriedly muttered,

"No, no! That attire is too red. You were a prefect of Slytherin House when you were studying at Hogwarts, so we should wear something with Slytherin characteristics."

Saying that, Russell frowned, paused again, and then his eyes lit up.

"I remember you had a dark green one before. Perhaps we can still find it in the closet!"

"…" Charlie's eyelids twitched involuntarily as he listened to Russell's constant chatter.

… … … … … … … … … … … …

In the corridors of Hogwarts, under the dim lights, Snape walked quickly on the uneven stone floor, clad in a jet-black robe.

His eyes revealed a deep and inexplicable gloom, which, coupled with his prominent nose, made him appear somewhat frightening. His lips were tightly pressed together, causing the corners of his mouth to droop unconsciously, making him unapproachable.

Snape was currently holding a thick stack of lesson plans, presumably preparing for the upcoming school year.

The wind stirred by his footsteps flowed around him, causing his black robes to flutter.

"No! You can't do this!!!!!"

"Hm?"

A faint shout rang out, causing Snape, who had been walking by himself, to instinctively turn his gaze towards the direction of the sound.

It was coming from the direction of the Headmaster's office. From behind the giant stone gargoyle, the wooden door seemed to be the site of a fierce argument, so loud that even the soundproofing of the Headmaster's office couldn't completely muffle it.

Snape subconsciously paused, his brow furrowing slightly in confusion, which only made his already unfriendly gaze even more terrifying.

With a muffled "Bang!", the wooden door opened.

Snape saw Hagrid's massive frame, hunched over and awkwardly backing out of the Headmaster's office.

"No!!! You can't let him come back!!! Headmaster Albus Dumbledore!!! You can't do this!!!"

The voice was still shouting, and only when Hagrid had completely retreated from the Headmaster's office did he finally realize where the sound was coming from.

Hagrid was tightly embracing a slender figure, completely opposite in size to his own—it was Filch.

At this moment, Filch was struggling desperately in Hagrid's grasp, twisting his head and shouting loudly into the office,

"Charlie Black!!! Headmaster, you can't let him come back!!! My heart hasn't acted up in twelve years!!! He'll be the death of me!!!!!"

"Come on, Filch… don't overreact. He's grown up…"

Hagrid continued to carry him out while explaining helplessly.

"A grown-up demon is even more terrifying!!! I don't want to see him!!! No!!!"