<h4>Chapter 18: So profitable</h4>


    Since discovering how quickly time passes when teaching earnestly, Count Dracpletely changed his teaching attitude and stopped being as casual as before.


    Naturally, the vampire professor, nowmitted to teaching, disyed exceptional teaching skills and unparalleled experience. He quickly gained the recognition of almost all the students at Hogwarts.


    The students were delighted; after years at Hogwarts, they finally had a reliable professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts!


    Next, the gossiping students began discussing Professor Drac''s looks, and then moved on to discussing his abilities.


    First-year students said Professor Drac could effortlessly toss out five adult wizards like Quirrell; third-years imed Professor Drac was immune to spell damage; fifth-years boasted that Professor Drac could cast dozens of spells instantly...


    Initially, they based their analyses of the new professor''s abilities on existing evidence and ssroom performances. However, as these spections circted among the gossiping students, they became increasingly oundish:


    Some swore that Professor Drac had been able to duel Voldemort during the war; others imed to have seen Professor Drac single-handedly subdue a fierce giant dog; even more wildly, some spected that Professor Drac was a devil who had been asleep for thousands of years and would stir up trouble when the time was right...


    Supporters of the professor argued fiercely with those who made these guesses, insisting that such spections were absurd. The professor was so handsome; he could not possibly be an evil devil!


    ...


    During the lively midday, Fred and George Weasley were moving back and forth along the Gryffindor table.


    "Let me tell you a secret—our first ss of the term was taught by Professor Drac," they mysteriously shared with students from other years.


    "Wood, let me tell you, Professor Drac didn''t even blink while fending off all our attacks. He didn''t even flinch!" George said, draping an arm over a burly Gryffindor student''s shoulder.


    "That''s old news. Can''t you share something new?" Wood asked disdainfully, pointing toward the Slytherin table.


    At that moment, a Slytherin student was vividly describing Professor Drac soaring into the sky, the scene so detailed it was as if it had really happened.


    "Look at what you''re saying!" Fred said, jumping up from the bench. "We''re about to reveal some fresh first-hand news. Get ready to be amazed!"


    "We just had two pots of butterbeer with Professor Kettleburn," George said proudly. "From him, we learned some even juicier news. Want to hear it?"


    Gryffindor students gathered eagerly around the twins, excited to hear this more explosive news.


    "ording to Professor Kettleburn, Professor Drac once had a brief encounter with Snape!" Fred managed to tantalize the crowd. "He said the two professors had a minor showdown at the hall entrance."


    "Let''s start the betting! Come and ce your bets on who''s stronger, Professor Drac or Snape. The odds are 1 to 2!"


    Before Fred could finish, George pulled out a makeshift betting table, with a dividing line in the middle.


    "I knew it, Weasleys, it''s just another one of your schemes to make money!" Wood rolled his eyes but ced a silver sickle on the betting table to hear thetest news.


    The twins looked at the betting board and noticed that most Gryffindors had bet on Professor Drac being stronger. They exchanged nces, clearly dissatisfied.


    So, they turned their attention to Slytherin, "What about it, Slytherin''s wealthy students? Aren''t you betting on your house head? Or are you afraid of Professor Drac?"


    Hearing Fred and George''s taunts, some Slytherin students couldn''t sit still.


    A haughty first-year boy stepped forward. He had neatly styled tinum blonde hair, a pointed chin, silver-gray eyes, and was tall and thin. Two chubby followers followed him closely.


    "Why is Professor Drac''s odds so much lower than Professor Snape''s?" he demanded indignantly.


    "Because Professor Drac has much higher supportpared to Snape," Fred said with a grin.


    "You two ignorant Weasleys, I''ll show you the financial power of the Malfoy family!" He pulled out several gold coins from his pocket and tossed them into the mixed pile of copper and silver coins.


    Seeing the Malfoy heir cing his bet, other pure-bloods also joined in, cing their gold galleons on their house head.


    In no time, with the influx of Slytherin''s pure-blood money, the odds for Drac and Snape became 1:1, nearly even.


    Once everyone had ced their bets, the twins huddled together mysteriously.


    Fred made a mouth gesture to George—"We''ve made a fortune."


    George smiled knowingly and collected the various colored coins.


    "Listen up, everyone, the final result is—Professor Drac won! He defeated Snape with just a nce!"


    A loud cheer erupted from the Gryffindor side, while Slytherin fell into silence.


    "You don''t have any evidence!" Draco Malfoy said angrily. "Why should I believe your nonsense? You can''t guarantee that this news is urate!"


    The twins exchanged knowing nces and, as anticipated, pulled out arge ear from their pocket.


    They pressed a button on the ear, and Professor Kettleburn''s voice came out of it.


    "Oh, you''re talking about Drac? He simply used a nce to drive Snape away!" Professor Kettleburn''s tone was boastful. "I didn''t expect that with the current poor reputation of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Dumbledore could find such a reliable professor."


    ...


    Draco Malfoy, fuming, left, leaving behind a pile of glittering galleons in the wooden bucket under the betting table.


    This money might be insignificant to the Malfoy family, but to Fred and George, it was more than a few months'' worth of ie.


    The twins marveled at the pile of galleons.


    Just then, an angry voice rang in their ears, echoing through the entire hall:


    "Weasley, how dare you set up another betting pool?!"