The moment his magic activated the enchantment, the metallic band shimmered faintly before pulsing with a soft glow. Then, a strange sensation washed over him. Fang blinked. He was… shrinking. His entire body gradually became smaller, reducing at a steady pace. Within seconds, the massive canine that once reached Alex’s waist had transformed into a puppy, barely knee-high to an average human. When he looked up, Alex now loomed over him like a giant.
Fang, now in his newly diminished form, tumbled forward as the collar’s effect freed him from the stair railing. He rolled to a stop at Alex’s feet, his tiny paws flailing for balance. “Master… what just happened?!”
Alex crossed his arms, watching him with an amused glint in his eyes. “As I said, it’s a new alchemy item. I call it the Shrinking Ring. As long as you supply it with magic, it allows you to change your size at will. Right now, you’re at the smallest setting, but with practice, you’ll be able to adjust it however you like.”
Fang blinked, still dazed. He lifted his tiny paw, staring at it as though it belonged to someone else. Then he sniffed it. Then he licked it. “…It is still me,” he muttered in awe. Then, realization dawned. His face lit up with pure excitement. With a burst of energy, he twisted his body and bolted across the room.
“Oi, where do you think you’re going?” Alex called after him, but Fang was already off on his own adventure. Everything around him looked huge now, which made even the simplest objects seem infinitely more interesting.
The legs of the furniture, the edges of the bookshelves, the gaps under the tables, there was an entire world he had never been able to explore before! He dove under the sofa, scampered through the narrow gap beneath a desk, then wriggled his way behind a cabinet he had never been able to squeeze through before.
Alex watched as his dog tore through the house in a frenzy of childlike joy, rolling his eyes. “…I knew he was going to enjoy this too much.” Sure enough, within seconds, Fang had raced upstairs, giggling like an excited pup.
Alex exhaled, shaking his head. “I just made my own life harder, didn’t I?”
Fang was on an adventure. With his newfound ability to shrink at will, he darted from room to room, diving under tables, squeezing through gaps in furniture, and scrambling into spaces he had never been able to explore before. His paws barely touched the ground as he zipped around the house, tail wagging in excitement. Watching from the staircase, Alex sighed and shook his head. “Looks like the furniture is going to suffer again.” He made his way up to the third floor, unsurprised when he didn’t spot Fang along the way. The overly energetic mutt had probably wedged himself into some impossible crevice or found an entirely new way to cause trouble. Not that it mattered, Alex had bigger things to think about.
Settling at his desk, he spread out a sheet of parchment and began outlining his next steps. This summer, he was finally going to establish his underground alchemy workshop and start producing his first batch of products. By Christmas, he intended to officially launch his company.
After all, the past year had drained a significant amount of his savings. Between research costs and securing rare materials, many of which he had Karkaroff smuggle from the depths of Eastern Europe, his finances had taken a hit. It was time to start making some of that money back.
A proper business required careful planning, suppliers, products, pricing, and sales channels all needed to be considered. For raw materials, he had already secured stable sources. Magical alloys, enchanted woods, monster hides, and alchemical reagents would be the foundation of his products. He had the synthetic blueprints for Paracelsus Brass and Agrippa Alloy, two of the most versatile magical metals. With those, he could manufacture his own supplies instead of relying on outside vendors.
As for wood and leather, the Forbidden Forest was full of resources. Between his connection with Hagrid and his ties to the centaur tribes, he could procure the necessary materials without issue. Alex jotted down Forbidden Forest, Hagrid, Centaur on his parchment, making a mental note to set up those supply chains soon.
Next came products and pricing. For standard goods, he planned to focus on Agrippa-alloy amulets, each designed for specific magical functions. Protective Amulets, which activated upon sensing danger but had high wear-and-tear, were priced at 10 Galleons, a low-margin item intended to build customer loyalty. Communication Amulets, capable of instant and secure messaging, were set at 12 Galleons. Flash Amulets, which created a blinding light to aid in escapes, were priced at 15 Galleons, the same as Sonic Boom Amulets, which emitted a powerful concussive force. Each product was carefully positioned to balance affordability, utility, and profitability.
Since protective amulets had the highest rate of consumption, they would serve as an entry-level product, keeping customers coming back for replacements.
For more specialized tactical gear, he had already designed several advanced items tailored for magical law enforcement and combat applications. Magic Restraints, which neutralized a suspect’s magic and were embedded with tracking spells, were projected to cost between 30 to 50 Galleons, pending final approval from the Ministry. Tracking Goggles, designed to enhance visibility of magical traces, especially useful for Aurors, were set at 50 Galleons, the same price as the Self-Repairing Pocket Watch, which could heal minor injuries and alert the wearer to ailments. Reinforced Gauntlets, capable of automatically conjuring a Protego barrier upon impact, were also priced at 50 Galleons.
Higher-tier combat gear included Phase Boots, which enhanced mobility and allowed for short-distance teleportation, estimated to cost between 100 to 150 Galleons. Tactical Vests, designed for increased durability and automatic spell resistance, were set between 150 to 200 Galleons.
Finally, there was the Humanoid Training Target, a fully automated magical sparring device capable of simulating combat scenarios, making it an invaluable tool for Auror training. Given its complexity, the price was set at 300 Galleons, reflecting both its advanced enchantments and its potential to revolutionize magical combat training.
This wasn’t just a general-market product, it could be used for official training exercises within the Ministry itself. Alex carefully recorded all his pricing strategies, then pulled out another object from his space ring. A prototype. It was a metal rod, about a meter long, with a thick base and a tapered end. From the wider end, eight thin, mechanical tentacles extended radially. “I should be able to finish this before the grand opening,” Alex murmured, rolling the rod between his fingers. “This one’s tailor-made for the Ministry.”
Satisfied, he put the equipment away and returned to planning. At the moment, he was limiting his product line to items that wouldn’t expose his core technology, or ones that dabbled too closely in Dark Magic. He was also considering developing a civilian product line, but that would have to wait. The supply chain, products, and pricing were all set. Now, the last key element, sales channels. His primary market was clear: The Ministry of Magic. If he wanted a smooth business relationship with them, he needed the right contacts.