What if it's worth more than Malfoy's entire family fortune?
Rating: G Feedback: Please!
Archive: FF, FPA my Lj This story is based on EmmyLou's plot bunny # 28.
Many thanks to E. Kathleen Roper for the beta.
You can find the picture at
Priceless
"Oh Arthur, where did you get that paining?" Molly Weasley demanded in a dismayed voice as she watched her husband with his newest Muggle painting. Last year Arthur Weasley had collected old batteries. The year before that he had put several spells and charms on an old Ford Angila , which her youngest son, Ron, and his best friend Harry Potter had flown to Hogwarts after missing the train to school. The car crashed into the Whooping Willow and spent most of the time driving around the Forbidden Forest. "I hope you didn't pay a lot for it."
"Didn't pay a thing for it Luv." Arthur replied in his jovial voice. "I found it in the attic while I looking for my old issues of Muggle Monthly. Don't you think it's a lovely picture?"
Molly Weasley gave the picture a hard look. It was a large oil painting, done in black, white and grey, depicting several trees and a farmhouse in the backround. The frame was nicked in several places and encrusted with several years of dust and grime.
"It's, well, rather boring Arthur. It doesn't move." Molly said shortly. "I think the painting
would be much nicer if it had some brighter colour and the trees moved. Maybe some birds,
animals or people in the back round."
"Well that's the beauty of Muggle art. It doesn't move," Arthur explained steeping back and admiring the painting. "You know, the Muggle world has thousands of museums dedicated to non moving paintings. I went to one a few years ago. Did you know Molly, that people spend hours looking at them? One chap I spoke to said he came every day to study his favourite painting."
"Muggles are strange." Molly said sagely. She looked at it again and shuddered. It was a depressing picture. "Where do you plan on hanging it?"
Something in Molly's voice warned him that his new painting would not be welcomed in the
living room or their bedroom. "Oh, inside my workshop. I think it will look perfect next to my
battery case"
'Good. Now what do you want for supper?
"Harry could you go and get Arthur from his workshop? Supper will be ready in five minutes"
Molly asked has she set the table with Ginny's help.
"Sure." Harry replied cheerfully. He had arrived from his relatives house this afternoon and as a consequence was a much happier boy than the one who had arrived earlier in the day.
"Mr. Weasley supper will be ready in five minutes." Harry called out as he entered Arthur's workshop. He looked around the room with a barely concealed smile. Mr. Weasley had an eccentric collection of Muggle items. Batteries, car parts, old radios, broken telephones and several computer hard drives littered the tables in his workshop. He looked at the walls covered with Muggle posters and artwork.
"Hello Harry. What do you think of my newest painting?"Arthur asked eagerly pointing at the wall. "I found it in the attic last night while I was looking for my old issues of Muggle Monthly."
Harry stared at the painting for a minute before rendering his opinion. "I like it Mr. Weasley. I like the way the painter used subtle shading on the tress. It kinda reminds me of dark stormy day were no one wants to go out. I can almost hear the wind whistling through the trees. Do you know who painted it?"
"I'm not sure." Arthur replied in a pleased voice. His children had voiced the same complaint that Molly had voiced last night. "Come on Harry, we don't want to be late for supper otherwise the twins will eat our fair share, and we can't have that can we?"
A week later.
"Oh Harry," Arthur said has his family finished breakfast, " I found out who painted that picture of mine. Some artist named Vincent Van Gogh. Have you ever heard of him?"
Harry cup paused in mid air. "Van Gogh. Are you sure Mr.Weasley?"
"Oh yes Harry, I'm quiet sure. His signature is on the bottom of the painting and on the back of the picture. Van Gogh. Nuenen, France. November 1885." Mr. Weasley said cheerfully between bites of toast. "Do you know who this Van Gogh chap is?"
"He's a rather famous Muggle painter. An Impressionist Painter born the 1800's. His works are very well know." Harry replied putting his cup down. "Are you sure that it says Van Gogh?"
"Oh yes. You can go and take a look if you like." Mr. Weasley replied now sipping his tea.
"Famous painter did you say? Maybe it's worth something."
"Sure dad." Fred, or was it George, answered with a quick grin. He started to sway and spoke in a high pitched voice pretending to be Sybil Trelawny. "My inner eye tells me that it's worth more than the Malfoy family fortune." The table burst into laughter.
"You never know." Harry muttered before he excused himself from the table. A few moment
later he was standing in front of the painting examining the painter's signature in the bottom
right hand corner. Van Gogh. He muttered a quick spell and painting rose into the air. He
stepped around and sure enough on the back were the words: Van Gogh. Nuenen France
November, 1885.
His aunt and uncle had several expensive books on art that were only put out when guests
came over. He had been absolutely forbidden to touch them but that hadn't prevented him from
looking at the books when they weren't around. He vaguely remembered that several of Van
Gogh's painting were considered lost by the art world and the last Van Gogh painting that had
gone up for auction had been sold for over Thirty million pounds. If this was a lost Van Gogh,
Fred, or George's remark about it being worth more than the Malfoy family fortune could be
accurate.
"I think I need to make a call to Hermione."
Three months later. Hogwarts.
Breakfast was almost over when Owl Mail started to arrive. Ron's excitable owl Pig, short for /
Pigwidgeon crashed landed on the table sending pumpkin juice everywhere. The small owl
started hooting frantically and thrust his leg at Ron.
"Honestly Pig, can't watch where you're going?" Ron muttered as he untied the Daily Prophet from Pig's leg. He absentmindedly gave Pig some toast as he started to read. Ron's jaw suddenly dropped and his eyes grew wider and wider as he read.
"What's wrong Ron?" Harry asked in an off hand voice as he took a bite of toast. There was a loud crash from the Slytherin table.
"Read, read!" Ron gasped shoving the paper at his sister. Ginny started to read and her eyes began to shine and a huge smile formed on her face. The paper fluttered onto the table. They grabbed each other hands and started bounce up and down all the while grinning like maniacs.
Harry shared a grin with Hermione as he picked up the paper. He started to read out loud:
Muggle Painting Found in Attic sold for Twenty five Millions Galleons
Authur Weasley, ex-MoM employee recently sold a painting by Muggle painter Vicent Van Gogh for twenty five million galleons at auction in Muggle London. Mr. Weasley discovered the lost masterpiece in his attic several months ago. Mr. Weasley, now the richest Wizard in England, declined to say what he will do with his new found fortune.
The expression on Draco Malfoy's face was priceless.
End