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Chapter 23: Garden Party:
Dae walked to Rika and wrapped the woman in his arms. She had draped her formal robes over the speeder, and was wearing a one piece bathing suit, flip-flops, and a wide brimmed hat. The golden sunlight sparkled on the tips of her fur, and his heart lurched. She had never seemed so beautiful to him before. Their kiss was warm, and a little lingering, but not too outrageous of a public display, even if several of the students, both male and female, sighed as it broke.
"Amadeaus!" the snap of command was unmistakable. Professor McGonagall was hopping mad, and more than ready to rip into the tall man. "Look at this... Madness! How dare you invite vendors from Hogsmeade onto school grounds? Open fires? Elves cooking meat, in the open? Snacks served at mid-day? And what is this insanity about... "special guests?"
A small bright voice peeped up from behind Professor McGonagall. "Oh, one of those would be me. A pleasure Miss McGonagall, I am Gerome Gnome, of the First Geneva Gnome Bank of Business. It's truly wonderful of your school to open itself to relations with we Gnomes." The tiny figure waddled around the shocked teacher and held up a tiny hand.
He was barely 15 inches tall, rotund, wearing a blue smock, tan pants, red pointy hat and red pointy toed shoes. His neatly trimmed beard hung to mid-chest, and his rosy cheeks glistened with restrained mirth. "I'm so glad you wizards have finally come to understand that the Goblin form of banking, while effective for hoarding, isn't how one builds wealth. Money is like manure, you need to spread it around to make things grow! Allow me to offer you a reduced rate of..."
"Gerome!" Dae snapped, chuckling softly, "Not now, save your pitch till after the party, please. Just keep an accurate count on what I owe the Hogsmeade vendors, ok?"
The tiny Gnome laughed brightly and popped away, teleporting from point to point so rapidly it seemed he never was in one spot for more than an eye blink.
Dae continued to ignore Professor McGonagall and made a circling gesture at the small stage on Madam Rosmerta's wagon. With a small flash of pyrotechnics, Mariko's and Ro's band Equinox started playing something fast and happy. The girls were in flamboyant short robes, deck shoes, and bikinis, the boys in board shorts and Hawaiian shirts. House colors were predominant, but the two boys from London wore more muted colors that, while they blended with the girls, obviously marked them as not being students.
A slim woman with Asian features dressed in a beautiful golden silk kimono moved to Dae's and Rika's side. She bowed politely to them both, then offered Professor McGonagall a slightly deeper bow. "Thank you for welcoming me to your school on a day of celebration. One learns more in watching people rejoice, than in simple records and fact sheets, test scores and dry reports." She turned and watched the band, head cocked to one side. "I believe you underestimated your young charge Mr D'ark. Rowena has a wonderful grasp of my language. I just wish our school terms lined up better. She's going from classes here straight to classes in Tokyo without more than a weeks pause." Her head tilted to one side as she observed the copper ring and the small running figure inside it. "Could we talk about a second invention? Perhaps licensing that remarkable ring spell, rather than your patronage of the girl's school year in cash?"
Dae smiled and looked down, Gerome was at his side and quivering with anticipation. "Talk to Gerome, he handles the money for me Madame Yumiko." Dae nodded to the small Gnome and moved away as the two started talking in rapid Japanese.
"Amadeaus..." Professor McGonagall was almost growling it now. "I, want, you, to, explain... Now." Her words were short clipped off, almost savage bursts of sound. Dae turned and laid out his most infuriating smile. As Rosmerta came up and flung herself into his arms. She puckered up for a kiss, then squeaked in revulsion.
"Oh, hell no, go wash your face you idiot. It's covered in blood, and disgusting. I have no idea how Rika puts up with you. Filthy savage." She swatted the tall man on the bottom and made the same chiding sounds she used on the google-eyed school boys who were too busy looking down her top to pay for their drinks. "Off, off, off, wash, wash, wash! Oh. Hello, Minerva, I didn't see you there. Rika!"
Professor McGonagall's head was snapping from one side to the other, she was overwhelmed by the insanity. Rika's blatant display of, well not skin, but fur? Rose's wandering hands, the pair of them clutching one another like... a first romance couple, giggling girlishly.
Her hands balled into fists, and she felt her face turn red. She wasn't a prude, darn it, but, this madness, it was infuriating. Kids on bikes, doing weird side wheel, spins in place, kids running at walls, and doing back flips halfway up, landing and running in a different direction. Soccer and basket balls used as dance props? Was that... break dancing to the music from the band? Fighting? No, the kicks and punches never came close to the other students, they were showing off? Boys and girls, spinning kicks, flips, and everywhere... laughter. She looked up, a four-way quidditch match had broken out, and the kids were showing off on the brooms. And Madame Hooch, in a kimono that matched her eyes?
.§..§.
"Ahh, Minerva, you must just let it go, we've lost the revolution, before we even took to the field." Professor McGonagall turned and flinched at the sight of Albus Dumbledore in flamboyant Bermuda shorts, white deck shoes, a paisley Hawaiian shirt, with Day-Glo colors, and a hat that only Lucifer could love. The old wizard chuckled and slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her to the Healing Springs. Even as they approached they could see the golden ropes of magic slide down glass sides and then crawl back up to the center of the dome. They stared in wonder as the glass flowed like silk and was drawn up, like curtains. "Magnificent spell-craft the Mer-People possess, is it not?" The older man sighed. "Dae is right to ally with them once more. While I can not see them taking our side in the war to come," he shook his head ruefully. "I don't doubt for a second, they will protect those of our people they can." He turned to the flustered teacher to look at the school yard, and gestured broadly. "Do you see, Minerva? Age, house, birth-rite, all ignored. All put aside. That murderous man has made our students one." They both sighed and shook their heads together.
"How? How does he do that?" She questioned her mentor. "He's a crass, arrogant, jerk. Disreputable, vicious, murderous! You do know he killed three men in the sewers the day before the term started don't you? And that Rika, she killed two men and sank a barge!"
"Yes, they did." Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "And they turned a brain damaged boy into a potential Druid, to bring the planet back into balance. They stand between us, and our darker natures, and tell us, 'You shall not pass.'" Dumbledore sighed. "They are a necessary evil, and, for all they are, all they've done, they aren't evil. We've seen it. This..." He gestured broadly, the smiles, screams of joy, happiness. "... they will build on this. They'll stand before us and say take our gifts, we give ourselves to you. How could we turn away such hope?"
Minerva didn't look convinced. "And the pile of bodies they'll leave in their wake?"
Dumbledore shrugged, ever the pragmatist. "Someone turns the crank to make the sausage. We've become too insular. Our people need a kick in the arse. I will put Dae's murderous ways against Voldemort's at every opportunity."
They paused as younger students ran past them with sample bites of BBQ chicken, potato salad, and corn-on-the-cob for the joyful Mer-People in the Healing Spring. Laughter exploded as they traded sushi for bites of cooked meat.
The pair shook their heads. "You see? He is a killer, but he's a builder too."
Minerva shook her head, she was so conflicted. "But Albus, he's brought strangers onto the grounds..." She paused as the old man lifted a hand.
"Look at the wards, Minerva. They aren't down, in fact they are ramped up. Even I couldn't supplement them so much. And then look to the tower, Dae's and Rika's room and hall."
Minerva closed her eyes, and felt the glowing wards, the pale gold was wrapped in cool blue filigree of spell power. These wards could hold off almost any force, and no one could pierce them without permission. It was the Mer-King's work with a guiding hand from Dae's power. Up in the tower, she felt it, the never blinking eye of Dae's mechanical minion T8. It stood silent and watchful, a finger poised on a trigger to off-world weaponry.
Minerva shuddered. "I don't think I like being under the watch of his minion armed with such heavy weaponry."
"Nor do I, but, it cannot fire without Dae's command. Not even Rika can force it to fire." The old man said softly, "but, if you look at the angles, it can't fire into the courtyard. Only at the gates and beyond."
Minerva traced the angles with her eyes, and nodded. "I still don't like trusting my life to that man."
"No one sane would," the warm cultured voice broke into her thoughts. Dae walked up, hand casually draped on Rika's hip. He smiled easily, a real one, not his maddening over the top smirk.
"Professor, Headmaster," the pair nodded and bowed respectfully. "Sorry about the ruse to get you off the grounds. I just needed to get the party started. I see you got your invitation as well."
Dumbledore chuckled softly. "Indeed I did, though I fail to see how you got Fawkes to delay it's arrival by even a second, much less 15 minutes."
Dae smiled again, this time his roguish one. "I'm charming." Rika snorted in disbelief, and was joined by Professor McGonagall.
"Dae, I do have one question, how will you pay for this... extravagance? I see no way for your salary to cover it," Albus asked.
"Oh that's simple. I sold the formula for self-cooling glue to a computer company. That way they can cut more paths onto a computer chip, sandwich it, and increase its power with less heat."
Minerva gasped in horror. "That's a weapon grade discovery! Are you mad?! Think of what the muggles could do with such an invention!"
Dae reached out and tugged a stray thread from Minerva's robe. She squeaked and jumped back as he held it up. "What is this?" he asked quietly.
Minerva glared and snatched the thread from his hand. "It's a cotton thread, so what?"
Dae smiled sadly. "A simple cotton thread, that led to some amazing discoveries. Clothing, candle wicks, bags to store food, book bindings, electric light filaments, garrotes, nooses, tourniquets, restraints..." he paused. "All from a simple thread."
Albus chuckled softly and nodded. "You see, Minerva, knowledge, not intent." He jerked his chin to the band, the exquisite guitar work Rowena was matching to Mariko's vocals. "All from a simple... thread."
Professor McGonagall thought for a moment then nodded. "I understand, but I still don't like Dae giving corporations off-world technology."
Rika pipped up and touched Minerva's shoulder. "It's a dead end." Minerva looked confused, so Rika continued. "That technology has a three to six year build time til failure. You can only sandwich so many layers, then it acts as a heat sink, and becomes super flammable. It's a technological dead end." She smiled gently. "This is our home now too, for the time being. Six more years at least. We were not going to give you star-drives, but a simple, mostly harmless push?" She shrugged. "Why not?"
Dae nodded and gestured widely, and all of them could see it in his expression, he was home. "This is where we intend to stay, for at least six years." He shot a glance at Rika, and relaxed at her contented smile. "If you'll have us that is."
"Tokyo would be better for you, Master D'ark." Madame Yumiko piped in. "Bring your woman, come to my school, bring your wisdom and inventive mind, we will offer you 1,000 times the salary you make here, and 89% of all profits from your inventions." She paused and looked at the round boy splashing the Mer-King gleefully, as they fought in the Healing Springs.
"I swear to you, we will find a cure to the boy's brain trauma. I guarantee it."
Rika's teeth grated together, and Dae's hand on her hip held her back with just the lightest touch.
"That is such a generous offer, Madame Yumiko, but, I am under contract, and Rika loves the food here. Plus the castle has grown to be, more than a place to live. However, once my contract is up, I would love to have Gerome negotiate a new contract for my services with your school, and an option for first refusal on all new inventions? As a show of good faith, until then?"
The slim woman laughed, fanning herself and shook her head. "That would be most satisfactory, on the condition, we have first option to your services at your resignation, or termination?" The pair shook hands and little Gerome took copious notes, looking totally overjoyed.
"I have seen more than enough, and welcome young Miss Rowena to our school. Please, come and see our campus at your leisure, all of you," the woman said softly, and in a swirl of Dragon-shaped smoke was gone from the grounds.
Dae shook his head and moved with the others away from the main part of the celebration. "I figure at about six o'clock we'll shut it all down, do the clean up, and have the school back to normal, is that alright Headmaster?"
Dumbledore chuckled softly. "As if I could truly stop you if you wanted to keep it up till dusk. No, my friend, six is fine. I actually do have a meeting I need to attend in London tonight." He looked down at his outrageous outfit and sighed regretfully. "Though I must say. I wish I could wear this shirt to it."
Dae and Rika smiled and walked away as Minerva looked shocked. The couple sank into the Healing Springs, and were quickly joined by Sybill Trelawney.
"How does he draw people to him? Why are people drawn to him?" Dumbledore whispered softly. Minerva stared at the trio and shook her head. Neville Longbottom was splashing the Mer-King still, and the King was howling with joy and laughter. "I think, he just draws people out. Lets them, be free."
Dumbledore turned to his companion and smiled. "I think the Dark Lord, is in for one hell of a fight."
Coming soon, Chapter 24: Night Fight.