Hearing Grandpa Dawson's offer, Richie was genuinely taken aback.
Change his last name? Meaning he'd go from Richie Harland to Richie Godwin?
+1
"As long as you're willing to take the Godwin name, everything here will eventually be yours," Dawson continued. "The estate, the Galleons, and the remaining thirty-something perfume formulas I have left."
The main hall fell silent. Only three floating candles remained lit overhead, perfectly spotlighting the three of them.
Dawson brushed off his jacket, his thick beard twitching upward in a smile. "What do you say, little Richie?"
Richie lowered his gaze, his mind racing. It would be a lie to say he wasn't tempted.
Based on the auction earlier, one formula sold for 800 Galleons. Thirty formulas meant 24,000 Galleons.
What did that actually look like? A Nimbus 2000 cost 200 Galleons. 24,000 Galleons could buy exactly 120 Nimbus 2000s. To put it in even starker terms: three Nimbus 2000s were equal to Terry's dad's entire annual salary. 24,000 Galleons was basically forty years of Mr. Boot's income! (Terry: ...)
+1
And that was just the base value of the formulas. If Richie decided not to sell them and ran the business himself, the profits would be astronomical.
Dropping that kind of massive fortune in front of a normal kid might not mean much, but Richie had a forty-year-old soul in his body. He knew exactly how much that kind of money could change a life.
But... Richie slowly shook his head.
"I'm sorry, Grandpa. Changing my last name isn't something I can just decide on my own. I'd have to talk to my parents."
If he had heard this offer before his Hogwarts letter arrived, he would have agreed in a heartbeat. But after six months of diving into magic, Richie was completely hooked on the thrill of uncovering its mysteries. He was obsessed with studying.
+1
His current setup at Hogwarts already gave him everything he needed to pursue that passion. So, honestly? Dawson's massive fortune didn't actually hold that much appeal anymore. His priorities had shifted.
Of course, if his mom and Denton were totally fine with him changing his name, he wouldn't mind. Nobody actually hates money.
+1
Hearing the rejection, Annabelle proudly ruffled Richie's hair and shot Dawson a smug look. "See, Dad? Not everyone is obsessed with your money."
Dawson just let out a hearty laugh. "I was mostly just tossing the idea out there anyway. Little Richie is still too young to really grasp what I'm offering. I'll ask him again when he comes of age. Alright, head up to bed. You're taking the kid out tomorrow, and I've got things to do."
With that, Dawson clasped his hands behind his back and strolled out of the hall.
Watching his grandfather leave, Richie turned to Annabelle, a little confused. "Aunt Annabelle, am I not going home?"
"Nope," Annabelle said, leading him toward the stairs. "I already cleared it with your mom. I'm taking you around France for three days, and then I'll drop you back off."
"Oh." Richie nodded.
The Godwin house was a classic bait-and-switch. Outside, it looked like a run-down farmhouse, but the interior was incredibly lavish. Plus, the floor plan was impossibly huge—Richie was certain the entire place was heavily modified with Undetectable Extension Charms.
+1
Annabelle led him into a freshly prepared guest room, spritzed a little calming perfume in the air, and left him to settle in before heading to her own room next door.
After an insanely long day, it was finally time to crash. Richie let out a heavy sigh, sank into the ridiculously soft mattress, and immediately drifted off. Honestly, that calming perfume smelled amazing.
The Next Day
Geeth the house-elf woke Richie up for breakfast.
+1
Down in the dining room, Annabelle was already seated at the long table.
"Morning, Aunt Annabelle," Richie said, taking the seat across from her and scanning the spread: baguettes, croissants, jam, and hot cocoa.
Wow. What an incredibly underwhelming breakfast.
Catching his thinly veiled disappointment, Annabelle offered a quick explanation. "This is just how breakfast is here. The French consider it the least important meal of the day, so it's pretty casual. Eat up. After this, I'm taking you to see my alma mater."
Richie picked up a piece of baguette and tore off a surprisingly tough bite. "Your alma mater? You mean Beauxbatons?"
Annabelle nodded, spreading blueberry jam over a piece of bread and handing it to him. "Beauxbatons is the only magical academy in France, and its prestige easily rivals Hogwarts. Plus, its most famous alumnus—the legendary alchemist Nicolas Flamel —is still alive."
Nicolas Flamel...
Why did that name sound so incredibly familiar?
Richie paused, his mind aggressively rewinding through recent events.
["Give it a rest. It's nowhere near April Fools' Day!" ]
["Snape might look a bit grim, but he's highly respected among the professors!" ]
["Fluffy?" ]
["What Fluffy is guarding is strictly between Professor Dumbledore and his good friend, Nicolas Flamel..." ]
+3
Wait a second.
Professor Dumbledore's close friend, Nicolas Flamel?
Richie blinked. That was exactly who Hagrid had accidentally name-dropped.
After forcing down breakfast, Annabelle took Richie to the local Ministry of Magic and used the Floo Network to travel straight to Beauxbatons.
"Honestly, I love that Beauxbatons actually bothers to maintain their Floo Network," Annabelle muttered. "It's miles better than Hogwarts."
The Pyrenees, Southern France. Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Visitor Reception Room.
With twin flashes of emerald green fire, Annabelle and Richie stepped out of the fireplace.
You can always tell how well a Floo Network is maintained by how much soot ends up on the traveler. When you Floo into Hogwarts, you usually step out looking like a chimney sweep. But standing in Beauxbatons, both Annabelle and Richie were completely spotless. (Since Hogwarts is a highly secure boarding school that actively discourages visitors, they naturally don't care about keeping their grates clean.)
Annabelle had changed into her old school uniform: a set of elegant, pale-blue silk robes embroidered with a golden crest of two crossed wands. She looked incredibly sharp and dignified.
Richie, meanwhile, was still rocking his standard black Hogwarts robes, complete with the Ravenclaw house crest.
In the center of the Beauxbatons reception room, a carved eagle statue rested on a desk. Its stone beak opened slightly.
"Welcome back to Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, Alumna Annabelle Godwin. Professor Celine has been notified of your arrival. The Professor asked me to pass along a message: if you have the time, she would love for you to stop by the Transfiguration office to catch up."
"Oh, perfect. Please let Professor Celine know I'm going to give my nephew a quick tour of the grounds first, but I'll be by to bother her shortly."
"As you wish," the eagle statue replied, its beak snapping shut.
"Come on, Richie," Annabelle said, gesturing toward the door. "Let me show you around Beauxbatons."