Last of The Fae

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At Thane's gesturing, Rita stepped inside only to stall as she crossed the arched doorway. The store's interior was pleasantly free of the clutter she expected from an Apothecary. Instead of tall, narrow shelves packed with jars and vials, neat, organized rows of empty glass display cases occupied the floor. 

But most peculiarly, a heavy tome floated in front of each display case, charmed by magic. 

Rita observed far more oddities, such as the lack of a store counter for customers to pay for their goods and the floating silver lights that bathed the shop floor in an ethereal glow.

Moving further into the store, Rita made room for her film crew, who she gestured at, silently communicating that they should start filming. 

Once everyone was inside, the stone doors slid back into place, isolating the store from the outside world. As the store was sealed off, the silver lighting seemed to intensify, shining almost like miniature suns, though not so intensely that it was harsh on the eyes. 

"Once more, I'd like to welcome you all to Fae's Apothecary," Thane said as he stood before Rita and her team. His soft but powerful voice rolled out like the tide. As you can see, this store is unique, but not only for its appearance. Ms. Skeeter, would you like to join me for a demonstration?" 

"Certainly," Rita replied, effortlessly adopting the same charming smile she had practiced a thousand times in the mirror until it had become second nature. 

However, as Rita stepped up beside Thane next to a display case, Rita found her smile somewhat straining. Her dry-cut expectation of Thane as an inexperienced youth with an inflated ego was challenged by his smooth pronunciation, steady projection, and stiff posture. 

"Now, Ms. Skeeter, are you familiar with alchemy," Thane asked as he glanced down at her. 

"No, I'm afraid potion-making was never my strong suit," Rita replied with a light-hearted chuckle, all while her mind tried to figure out how she could get Thane to slip up, hoping for a moment that would capture his shortcomings and inadequacies. 

"And I'm sure you're not alone. This is why I'm sure you'll love our Encharmed Catalouges," Thane said, holding out his hand near the floating tome next to the display case and opening it to a random page. 

Rita watched with interest as the empty page became a table of contents with the names of countless alchemical ingredients, most of which she would have no idea what to use for.

"As you can see, each display case catalog lists the current items available for purchase. To navigate to the specific ingredient page, scroll through the table of contents or use the search bar feature to narrow the results." Thane instructed, which Rita followed, using her finger to interact with the paper, and she watched in amazement as the parchment transformed.

After experimenting with the catalog, Rita picked a random item and watched the parchment morph into a highly detailed report on the plant. 

"Once you have reviewed your selected items, you may proceed to the purchase section at the bottom of the page," Thane explained, with Rita following along as she brushed her finger against the raised ink. 

Rita flinched as she felt a slight pull on her mana reserves, which flowed into the catalog. Rita quickly retracted her finger, more surprised than hurt, but it wasn't enough to distract her from the scene that unfolded before her. 

A brief flash of light faded in the display case, revealing a plain wooden box and what looked like a coin slot in the glass panel facing Rita.

"If you would allow me," Thane said as he inserted five galleons, which were approximately equivalent to thirty-five dollars. 

Each coin hit the silver plate with a slight clink before disappearing into thin air. Once all five galleons vanished, so did the glass panel, and Thane reached inside to grab the wooden box before presenting it to Rita. 

"Thank you for your patronage, Ms. Skeeter, and I hope you're satisfied with your purchase. Though don't go vanishing on me before our interview." 

Rita paused momentarily at Thane's words before quickly opening the wooden box to find the alchemical ingredient she had bought resting within its velvet-lined interior, "I-I believe satisfied is an understatement. I wish shopping were this easy in every store." 

While Rita continued to smile on the outside, her mind was racing internally. Although Rita had initially scoffed at Thane's boast of becoming the global standard, she now had concrete proof of his accomplishments. 

Though the display cases and magically appearing items may have seemed like little more than a gimmick, Rita understood how the public would react. People adored novelties, especially ones that improved their quality and ease of life. 

There was also the fact that Rita had lied about her lack of expertise in potions. It was quite the opposite, actually. Professor Slughorn had been the potion master during her time at Hogwarts, so Rita studied tirelessly to gain his favor. 

While she wasn't an expert by any stretch of the imagination, Rita still recalled a good amount of information from her days as a student. 

The 'random' ingredient she had purchased was Shadowmoss, a crucial component of concealment, anti-tracking, and invisibility potions. Usually, a single batch went for fifteen galleons, so when she saw the listed price at five, Rita was sure that Thane was either an idiot or trying to rip people off by concealing the ingredients in a box locked behind a paywall.

However, Thane paid for the moss and commented on Rita's purchase, which showed that he knew what Rita had bought and, thus, its value. Even more startling, when Rita looked inside, there was a full batch of moss instead of a third or half batch, as the price would suggest. 

'How does he expect to make a profit?' Rita couldn't help but wonder. Shadowmoss was notoriously difficult to cultivate, and most of the world's supply was harvested from enchanted forests. 'Unless he has enough to supply to...no, that can't be.' 

Still, Rita couldn't shake the doubt in her mind as she looked up at Thane with a piercing gaze and said, "If you don't mind, I think we should begin the interview. I have so many questions." 

"Then I'll do my best to answer every last one," Thane answered, his charming smile still in place, but Rita could sense the underlying challenge in his response. 

'Let the game begin,' Rita thought as her crew quickly set up cameras, sound equipment, and two plush leather chairs for her and Thane. 

Once everything was in place, Rita turned in her seat to face the primary camera, a radiant smile blossoming across her face. "Hello, Great Wizarding Britain. For those of you who don't know, my name is Rita Skeeter, Gossip Correspondent for the Daily Prophet. Today, I am joined by a very special someone who has something very special to show us." 

Rita then turned to face Thane, an action mirror by the camera, which zoomed in to focus on his smiling face. Compared to Rita's beaming grin that exuded charm and appeal, Thane's was more relaxed but no less enthralling, displaying the quiet confidence of a man in his element. 

"Greetings, my name is Thane Fae, though many of you would know me as the Head and Founder of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Fae. And today, as Rita said, I'm excited to announce my business, Fae's Apothecary, the future standard of the Alchemical and Potion Industry."