Alex had taken stock of the situation, and after doing some quick calculations, he was more than pleased. Excluding the Magical gear and professional-grade alchemy equipment, the shop had already pulled in thousands of Galleons in sales just from regular magical goods.
Even if he ignored the high-ticket items like humanoid targets, the profit margins were still impressive, easily in the hundreds of Galleons. Of course, much of this was due to the excitement of the grand opening, and many purchases were likely impulsive. But even if sales stabilized over time, the store could still rake in dozens of Galleons daily. With steady revenue and additional contracts, especially supplying Magical gear to the Ministry of Magic, Alex was confident that his yearly income could reach ten thousand Galleons.
Ten thousand Galleons. With that much money, he could finally start working on more ambitious projects, ones that required serious funding. However, the increase in product variety also came with a downside: production pressure. Not all of these alchemy goods could be outsourced to Muggle manufacturing. To address this, Alex had built a new Arcana shaper in the days leading up to the school year, specifically for crafting civilian-grade alchemy products.
And just like that, time flew by. It wouldn't be long before he had to return to Hogwarts. With the new school year approaching, Alex knew that customer traffic at the shop would slow down. But that was fine, he had prepared for it.
Before leaving, he entrusted the store's management to Wimzy, ensuring that things would continue running smoothly in his absence. Fang, however, would accompany him back to Hogwarts, where he'd handle surveillance for a while. He also gave Wimzy one last, specific instruction, don't take your eyes off Azalea. He still had some suspicions about her identity.
Returning to Hogwarts marked the start of a new phase for Alex. By sixth year, the workload was much lighter, unless students were aiming for high scores on their final exams to earn their N.E.W.T.s. In fact, seventh-years barely spent time in the castle at all; many students applied for early leave to gain practical experience in their chosen fields.
Alex had no intention of staying at Hogwarts for too long. He had business to run. Now that he had a solid financial foundation, he could afford to pursue real research, projects that required heavy investments.
However, he hadn't forgotten his promise to Snape, to keep Slytherin in order. At the start of every school year, discipline was always an issue. After a long summer break, students got lazy, and some needed to be reminded of their place.
So for the first few months, Alex planned to keep a close watch on the house. He would reestablish order, make sure no one caused trouble, and then apply for permission to leave. And the moment he stepped back onto Hogwarts grounds, he shed his casual demeanor and returned to his other role, The strict, no-nonsense Head of Slytherin House.
By now, Alex's reputation wasn't limited to Slytherin alone. After the events of the previous school year, students from all houses knew his name. And whenever he walked by, no matter which house they belonged to, one reaction was almost always the same, A hushed silence. A straightening of backs. And an unmistakable sense of awe. Of course, there was one exception, Tonks. While the rest of the students straightened up in Alex's presence, she remained as carefree as ever, her usual laid-back attitude unaffected.
Still, in the first month after returning to Hogwarts, Slytherin House was noticeably undisciplined. It was clear that many students were still mentally stuck in vacation mode. Alex wasted no time. With his usual iron-fisted approach, he quickly pulled them all back in line, reestablishing order with strict reinforcement. By the second month, things had finally returned to normal. Discipline violations had significantly dropped, and the overall atmosphere of the house was back on track.
By the third month, even the first-years had settled into a proper academic routine. Incidents of rule-breaking were practically nonexistent. That was when Alex decided it was time. He was ready to apply for early leave. Without hesitation, he drafted a formal application and took it straight to Snape.
Snape's reaction was predictable. "You really think you've mastered everything this school has to offer?" he sneered, eyes narrowing as he read through the application. "Or are you simply so arrogant that you believe Hogwarts is beneath you?" The disdain in his voice was sharp, but beneath it, there was something else, something unspoken.
The truth was, under Alex's leadership, Slytherin had flourished. Their discipline, academic achievements, and overall standing were at an all-time high. Even Snape himself had to admit, he couldn't have achieved this level of dominance on his own. And now, Alex wanted to leave. Snape was not happy about it.
Alex, however, knew exactly what the man was thinking. It was obvious, Snape wasn't just worried about losing a promising student. He was worried that without Alex, Slytherin might slip back into mediocrity. In other words, he wanted Alex to stay and keep things running smoothly. Alex smirked slightly. "Relax, Professor. Even if I'm not physically in the castle, Slytherin won't fall apart. You do realize that I'm absent most of the time already, don't you? And yet, things run just fine." His tone was light, almost teasing, but it was the truth.
"If you're not planning to leave immediately, why apply so early?" Snape's voice was sharp with skepticism. "You do realize that, as a minor wizard, you're still bound by the underage magic restrictions? You cannot legally cast spells outside of school."
Alex wasn't surprised by the pushback. He had anticipated it. "You also know I have a business outside of school," he replied smoothly. "It requires my attention from time to time, and since I'm still in the growth stage of my career, I can't afford to be stuck here all the time. But I'm not planning to be absent permanently. This application is just so I can come and go freely when needed."
Snape didn't look convinced.
"And as for casting spells outside of school…" Alex reached into his pocket with a small smirk, pulling out a document and handing it over. "Take a look at this."
Snape's eyes narrowed as he read the title. "Hit Wizard Proficiency License?" He frowned, flipping it over for verification. "You applied for this over the summer? I recall this certificate is only granted to seventh-years. How did you manage to get it?"
The Hit Wizard Proficiency License wasn't particularly useful in the UK. It had a stronger presence in other countries, where it was known as the Bounty Wizard Certificate. Unlike typical Ministry-issued permits, this certificate granted its holder the legal right to use force against wanted criminals, capture them, and claim bounties from the local Ministry of Magic. It was especially popular in regions where wizarding law enforcement was weak, as it allowed bounty wizards to operate independently across borders. In short, it was a freelancer's license to hunt down Dark Wizards, without too many questions asked. More importantly, in Britain, it granted one key privilege: the ability to legally cast spells outside of Hogwarts, even as a minor. That, in itself, made it invaluable.