Machioni nodded, "It's indeed a pity that the same type of poppet cannot be mass-produced, but the uncertainty can also become a new selling point... Every poppet pet is unique, which is a great marketing angle..."
He pondered how to make more money with poppets, while conjuring paper and pen to quickly jot down his ideas.
"Even if they don't need feeding, people who have pets won't just keep one pet."
"If they love their poppet pet, surely they will prepare a nest for it... No, it should be a luxury villa, and we can sell matching furniture and gardens..."
"In that case, clothing and accessories can also be made... Poppets can make friends with each other, and the owner can even hold weddings for them, forming families..."
"There should be special dresses for holidays... Equipping pets with small flying carpets or toy flying broomsticks is appropriate... We can also make miniature versions of the Hogwarts Express... Muggle cars and airplanes are not bad either..."
"Uh... if they're made in human form, would anyone want to date a poppet? An ever-loyal lover..."
Vid watched as Machioni's parchment kept growing longer, with more and more words...
Someone once told him that when it came to having a pet, the pet itself was the cheapest part.
He seemed to see the day when Machioni would empty the pockets of wizards around the world.
Vid didn't take out the poppet embedded with spells, but maybe... when the technology matured, he could prepare a few well-behaved and clever little ones for his parents?
...
Vid left the method for making poppet pets to Machioni, and the subsequent contract details, production processes, etc., were naturally handled by Lupin with Aslan Magic Workshop.
Vid spent most of his time on studying.
Currently, his focus is on improving poppets through Alchemy, practicing Animagus through Transfiguration, and learning the Fiendfyre Curse.
Although Lupin promised to teach him the Fiendfyre Curse, he was always very cautious in teaching it. Vid had learned a lot in theory and even written three papers, but hadn't started practical practice yet.
Vid wasn't in much of a hurry in this regard; he had plenty of time and plenty of patience.
Every so often, Vid would use the Disillusionment Charm to wander around the Restricted Section, and he had flipped through almost all the books that recorded the Fiendfyre Curse.
After Spell Class ended, Vid had also consulted Professor Flitwick about the spells and control methods for different flame curses.
Although Professor Flitwick had never had the experience of "burning half the city," his understanding and expansion of spells were unmatched by ordinary people.
After several consultations, Vid could make flames dance on his fingertips without burning himself at all.
After holding a Mandrake Leaf in his mouth for a long time, Vid gradually learned how to speak and eat normally.
In his previous life, he had heard of people holding sharp blades in their mouths and still eating and speaking normally.
Vid might not yet be at this level, but he had grasped a few small tricks to avoid damaging the fragile leaf while doing normal activities.
When sleeping at night, he would use a spell to stick his teeth together. As long as he didn't chew, he wouldn't unconsciously swallow the leaf due to its size.
On the night of the full moon, Vid was fully prepared. Professor Sprout clipped the leaf he had chosen and watched as Vid placed it in his mouth.
The bitter juice of the plant spread in his mouth, and Professor Sprout said, "I've arranged for the kitchen to prepare some soft foods for you. You should endure it for this period, try not to eat anything chewy, and drink as little water as possible."
"Although you can try repeatedly, you must have the belief to succeed on the first attempt, staying attentive at all times. This process is very taxing, and most people don't want to try again after failing the first time."
"Although I trust your determination, I still hope everything goes smoothly for you, without too much suffering."
Vid smiled, his eyes curving, and said softly, "Thank you, Professor."
"Mm, no need to thank me." Professor Sprout patted his shoulder, "Also, try not to speak when it's not necessary this month."
...
In the blink of an eye, it was Friday again.
Vid woke up in the morning and, as usual, first felt for the Mandrake Leaf.
Without a bitter taste in his mouth, it meant the leaf was intact.
Relieved, he got up to wash and tidy up, and when he came out of the bathroom, there was already a bowl of fragrant minced meat porridge and a cup of suspiciously colored vegetable and fruit juice on the table.
Vid closed his eyes and downed it in a few gulps, mounted his broom, and went to the Room of Requirement, where Fred and George were already busy in the Alchemy Room.
Since Vid borrowed the Marauder's Map from them, the three of them began studying Alchemy together.
Michael and others initially wanted to join, but after studying Runic Language for a few days, he gave up and didn't hesitate to remove Ancient Magical Runes from his electives list.
"Thanks for the heads up, Vid," Michael said earnestly, "I definitely won't take this course next year!"
Harry, Neville, Theo, and others nodded in agreement.
Only Hermione glared at them before continuing to diligently memorize the Rune Dictionary.
The Weasley Twins weren't very good with Ancient Magical Runes either, but they were passionate about Alchemy and had unique techniques for circumventing problems, opting for more basic spells and more complex processes to achieve their purposes. Sometimes Vid would get some insights from them.
A few days ago, Vid had returned the Marauder's Map, but the Twins said that this map shouldn't belong to just them, so they left it in the Umbrella House.
Fred even told everyone, "Anyone who wants to sneak out at night or go on adventures, feel free to use it! But remember our motto—"
"—I solemnly swear I am up to no good!" the twins echoed in unison.
Harry and Michael applauded fervently.
Hermione glared at them angrily, "If the professors catch us, we'll lose points for our house, and I hope you remember that!"
The twins began secretly calling Hermione "Little McGonagall."
They didn't tell anyone, yet somehow the nickname still spread.
Hermione also heard about it, but she didn't feel angry at all and thought it was a compliment.
...
Vid and the Weasley Twins had temporarily set aside their research on the Marauder's Map because it contained not only many advanced spells but was also closely tied to Hogwarts, which couldn't be replicated elsewhere.
Vid even suspected that the original group of four had used very precious materials on the map, and that the ink was anything but ordinary. Without destructive research, it was impossible to deconstruct the components in detail.
Even Lupin wasn't very knowledgeable, since most materials came from James Potter and Sirius Black.
These two had once held the secret treasures of two ancient Pure-Blood families, and whatever ancient and precious things they used on the map, Lupin had little understanding of.
The help he could offer was mainly in spells, like the Human Trace Curse and similar ones.
Vid didn't currently have a need to learn these.
Therefore, their recent research focus was on repairing the Two-Sided Mirror.
After two hours of studying, Vid checked the time, said goodbye to the twins, and headed to Professor McGonagall's deputy headmaster's office.
Lupin and Harry were already waiting there.
Neither was usually neat in appearance, but now they were dressed up meticulously.
Their hats, ties, and cufflinks were all perfectly arranged, and there wasn't a speck of dust on their wizard robes.
Because today was the day of Sirius's trial. They were heading to the Ministry of Magic.