Disclaimer 1: This is fanfic. That means I do not own any of it. I just borrow it to play with for a little while and let people see the pathetic results if they really want to.

Disclaimer 2: I'm not making any money from it. It's just for fun.

Disclaimer 3: What isn't borrowed is all made up. None of this is real or most likely at all realistic. Please don't trust any of the information in here. Most likely you know more about whatever I'm writing about than I do.

Disclaimer 4: Attitudes, views and opinions expressed by the characters or in the story are not necessarily those of the author. Even when writing Science Fiction or Fantasy I do not tend to attempt to create perfect/better worlds in which everybody gets a happy end ... or whatever is best for them. Please accept that some characters will have a bad ending or be unhappy.

Disclaimer 5: I intend no insult to anyone. If I offend anyone I'm very sorry. Please understand that it was an accident as I tend to be very clumsy in these things.

Chapter 28: The Missing Mirror

Harry was delighted when he heard that they were to have a real family meeting on the weekend. He wasn't quite sure what the occasion was, but it was to include not only him, his mother and father, which now that he was a Prewett was of course Claudius, but also his Aunt Petunia, his Uncle Vernon and Dursley. He couldn't wait to finally see his aunt and uncle and could barely force himself to pay attention in class that Friday.

When he did see them, though, he felt a little disappointed at first. They looked like so very ordinary people. Aunt Petunia was very tall and thin, but hardly what Harry would have called beautiful and Uncle Vernon was fat and balding, not at all imposing or cool.

They both said they were very happy to see him, though, and Uncle Vernon had brought a Muggle tool especially so Harry could see it.

"Not that Dudley can't have a look as well, if he likes to," he explained to Harry. "But he has seen them before. One of the first things he asked us when he met us was what our company produces, so I thought you probably will want to know, too, eh?"

It hadn't occurred to Harry before, but now that he saw it he was indeed very interested. Wizards used very few Muggle tools and never had the latest models.

"So this is a modern drill?" he asked weighing it carefully in his hand and trying to figure out how one was supposed to hold it.

"Don't activate it here at the table, Harry," Claudius reminded him. "The restaurant staff wouldn't be happy if you accidentally drilled a hole into their furniture."

"I don't even know how to activate it," Harry assured him.

"That big button there does it," Uncle Vernon explained. "I did bring a block of wood to try it on, but that's in the hovercar. Drilling is not something one should do at a restaurant ... unless one is making renovations, of course."

"Of course," Harry agreed readily. "I never would have thought of doing it, really!"

"It isn't the very latest model," Uncle Vernon said remembering Harry's earlier question. "And far from the biggest, but it is the one most in demand out of our current models."

"Oh, couldn't you have brought the biggest?" Dursley begged.

"No, I couldn't," Uncle Vernon replied with a chuckle. "It is much too big and heavy to transport in an ordinary hovercar and one needs special training to use it, so you couldn't have tried it out. You'll have more fun with this one."

Harry liked the small drill just fine and was delighted to try it by drilling a few holes into Uncle Vernon's block of wood after lunch.

Uncle Vernon explained the many different uses drills could be put to and how versatile and productive they were. It was very impressive and Harry spontaneously asked whether he could visit Grunnings some day and see all the other drills.

Uncle Vernon beamed with pride in his company.

"I'm sure we can arrange that. Think you might enjoy working for us, eh boy?"

"I don't know," Harry admitted. "It'd be great to work that close to you, but I'd like to be a gardener. Does Grunnings have gardeners?"

"Well, not many," Uncle Vernon had to admit. "One is quite sufficient to take care of the little bits of green on the company grounds and the current one is ... well, I'd estimate him to be about 35. But we have a new assembly line that is to go into operation soon and we'll have to hire some new workers for that. You'd be producing the latest model there. Then there are two product testers retiring in a few months and we'll probably need an additional one to keep up with the increased production thanks to the new assembly line. That's very responsible and exciting work since you get to try all our models, even the really big ones once you have the necessary training and experience. Or if you are a little less hands-on productively inclined I can most likely get you a position as a secretary. That'd be an entry level position for a job in management like the one I have."

"I'd rather be productive than manage or test," Harry said. "Not that I don't realise how important those jobs are," he added hastily since he didn't want to hurt Uncle Vernon's feelings. "But I love seeing that I am making something, like a gardener gets to see the plants he planted."

"Then the assembly line would be just the thing for you," Aunt Petunia interjected. "You'd be making drills all day."

"And with time and diligence you can become a foreman," Uncle Vernon added. "And supervise and train other employees in your assembly line."

Harry wasn't so sure he liked the idea of supervising others and frowned a little.

"It means helping other employees be more productive," his father explained. "Since by then you would know all the best and fastest ways to do the work."

"And you'll be close to your aunt and uncle so you won't be lonely," his mother added. "That was the very worst part of leaving the secondary institute for me. I didn't know anybody at my new workplace and unlike when switching institutes I was the only one that was new. Everybody else there already knew the others and didn't need to make new friends."

"But you are saying the assembly line starts now," Harry said trying to keep all the arguments in mind and I still have most of my seventh year to go."

"Only a little more than half," Dudley corrected. "And the line isn't starting tomorrow, right Dad?"

"It is true that you can't finish the school year if you want to make use of the opportunity of the new assembly line," his mother admitted. "But Harry, you are having such a hard time catching up to your new school that ... Well, face it, you aren't going to get very good A-levels no matter how hard you try. There just isn't enough time. Nor can you expect to be able to return to your old institute by then, and even if by some miracle you could, you'd be a year behind there as well, so your NEWTs wouldn’t be good either. Your uncle can help you get a perfectly respectable OWL level position at a well established company which is a perfectly natural reason to choose to forego NEWTs that nobody will frown upon. It's not an offer one turns down, Harry, and it is most likely the best you can realistically hope for."

"I'll think about it," Harry promised. "It's just that I was so sure I wanted to be a gardener I never considered drill making before. I need time to think."

"Of course, Harry," Uncle Vernon said. "That's why I made sure to tell you early. The job openings aren't even listed yet, so there is no risk of anyone snatching them away before you can make up your mind."