By the time Catherine got home, it was already 7:00 p.m.
Although she wanted to go back to school, thinking about what had happened the night before made her want to be alone for a while.
In her spare time, Catherine sat at her desk and began working on the fourth Harry Potter book.
In fact, it was already finished, but since Catherine had revised the plot earlier, she went over it again to catch any mistakes and polish it further.
"Pairing Harry with Hermione… honestly, I think that's great."
To Catherine, Harry and Hermione had always felt like the original pairing. She never expected Ron to end up marrying her—basically getting "cheated on."
Maybe that was Rowling's original intention, but the more Catherine thought about it, the more unsure she became about whether she should change it.
As she was thinking, another idea suddenly popped into her head.
Maybe… why not turn Harry Potter into a game?
Since everyone liked Hermione or Harry so much, why not let people pursue them themselves?
Yes!
That's it!
Kate suddenly got excited.
Later on, Harry Potter would be adapted into many video games anyway, so why couldn't she do it first?
Of course, traditional video games were out of the question. Catherine thought instead of her abandoned TRPG project.
If it were a TRPG, it might actually work!
A TRPG—tabletop role-playing game—is a game where players take on character roles, with outcomes decided by dice and a game master. Dungeons & Dragons is the most famous example, and it was later adapted into video games.
So why not develop it in that direction?
Yes!
Catherine grew more and more excited.
If she launched a tabletop game first, it would be much easier to release related video games later. And Dungeons & Dragons had made a fortune just by licensing games—why couldn't she do the same?
Not just that—her own fashion design studio could even create cosplay outfits and sell them to fans.
It was worth noting that Americans were just as passionate about cosplay as the Japanese, and they cared deeply about realism.
The idea was solid, but there was still one major problem:
the copyright deal she had signed with Paperbook Publishing was a buyout. Although it only covered the first three books, it still made things awkward.
If it could be changed into a licensing agreement, that would be much better.
Catherine thought for a moment, then picked up the phone.
"Hello, this is Robert,"
a familiar voice came from the other end.
"I'm considering letting Paperbook Publishing continue publishing the remaining four Harry Potter books… but I'd like to revisit the contract."
Fortunately, although she had already started writing the fourth book, she hadn't signed a contract for it yet. Even though Paperbook's offer had been generous, something about moving forward so quickly felt off, so she had put it on hold and told them she had other novels planned—but no immediate schedule. In reality, they were nearly finished.
Now, she finally had leverage to negotiate.
Although Robert was still a newcomer, he was diligent. At the very least, the content of today's conversation would reach the editor-in-chief within ten minutes.
Her guess was correct. Soon, Paperbook Publishing called back.
They agreed to convert the buyout into an exclusive licensing agreement for Catherine, with the condition that only Paperbook Publishing could be authorized, and no other publisher could be licensed within five years. For European releases, Paperbook's overseas branches would have priority.
Additionally, Paperbook wanted to include an advertisement in the hardcover edition—a teaser ad for a tabletop game.
Harry Potter was a slow-burn novel. The first two books sold well, but it hadn't yet reached its peak. Paperbook hadn't fully anticipated its explosive success.
Paperbook Publishing was the largest publisher in the United States. Many later millionaire authors also got their start through Paperbook's eco-novel platform, which first nurtured high-earning writers, then scaled up, and eventually became an industry leader.
Despite differences in nationality and systems, Paperbook's foresight shouldn't be underestimated.
They reached a preliminary agreement over the phone. Once another contract was signed, everything would be settled. Of course, Catherine's contract would also require her guardian's signature.
"Well, there's only one problem left."
That problem was designing a set of rules that would appeal to the masses.
Catherine's primary target audience was the middle class—people who bought hardcover editions.
After all, only those above the middle class usually had the leisure time to play tabletop games.
But—
Suddenly, Catherine thought of another group:
children.
In the U.S., many things start "bombarding" people from childhood—Barbie dolls, Transformers, and so on.
Some say Americans' sense of nostalgia comes from the intense, almost brainwashing-level influence of these things during their early years.
Either way, winning over children was a victory in itself.
There's also a saying: "Anyone who dares to underestimate Americans' intelligence will succeed."
Catherine didn't have the luxury of the twenty quiet years that Dungeons & Dragons had enjoyed.
She wanted to make a splash.
That meant the game rules had to be simple and easy to learn—which required drastically reducing complexity.
At first, Catherine considered publishing two sets of rules: one for adults and one for children.
But she soon changed her mind.
There would still be two rule sets, but now they would be a "general version" and a "professional version." The miniatures would also come in two styles: chibi designs for kids, and more realistic ones for adults.
The general version would be a simplified ruleset, while the professional version would resemble a more advanced system like Dungeons & Dragons. While many Americans learn slowly, the really smart ones—often stereotyped as being of Jewish descent—can be a nightmare for rule designers.
The first version emphasized freedom and fun, while the second focused more on role-playing depth.
Even so, designing the simplified general rules took Catherine over a month, and she didn't finish the core system until May.
After all, the original Harry Potter storyline wasn't very suitable for a game—it lacked proper "leveling."
So Catherine even adjusted the plot slightly to highlight a power system. To keep it believable and consistent with the worldbuilding, she racked her brain for a long time before finally producing an acceptable version.
As for miniature designs, that part was relatively easy. Catherine's rarely used drawing skills finally came in handy.
She sketched several character concepts, though actual production would have to wait.
Time slowly moved toward June, and Catherine's second book signing was just around the corner.
She had high hopes for it.
Beyond the excitement surrounding the tabletop game and The Blair Witch Project, Catherine had a feeling that this would be her American dream—
a true American dream.