Chapter 51

Harry, Hermione, Dan and Emma arrived in Washington DC via portkey. It took them a few minutes to recover from the portkey and work out exactly where they were. Emma led them north after checking her map. The streets were snow covered and judging by the size and condition of the houses, they were in a rather affluent neighbourhood. As they approached a Gothic styled house, a woman came rushing out to meet them.

"Thank you for coming out so early to show us the house." Emma said.

"No problem." The reality estate agent replied. You could practically see the dollar signs in her eyes. "I know how busy you all are. Let me show you around this gem of a property."

They were lead inside away from the cold. The house was very dark and had a very imposing feeling to it. Harry took an instant dislike to it.

"This house is extremely sought after due to its proximity to Capitol Hill. Its massive dining room is ideal for hosting political gatherings. In fact, a lot of famous political figures have stayed in this house including Martin Luther King Jr., and JFK to name a few. You will be buying a piece of American History.

"No other house in the area has as many rooms as this place. All of the rooms are good sized so you should never feel cramped staying here. Storage is not a problem with a large attic plus two outbuildings including a multi-car garage. The cellar once held one of the country's best wine collections. Central heating is provided via a solid fuel burner which could be easily converted into electric to save money and to take advantage of the solar panels you produce. A little TLC, which I heard you are quite good at, and this will make the perfect US home for you." The relator said. Only Dan and Emma were paying attention to the pitch from the real estate agent.

Hermione could sense quite a few dark creatures in this house. One of creatures she spotted was extremely dark and would be difficult to remove. She and Harry shared a look before putting their hands on wands so that they could be ready to respond to any attack on their family. Seeing the dislike on the faces of the two children and knowing that house purchases were a collective decision, the real estate agent directed the pitch at the children.

"This house has an impressive backyard that is more than large enough to fit a pool. If that is not enough space then you can always purchase the house behind you and make one massive enclosed area to play in. Privacy is not a problem with those big trees obscuring the neighbours. Not that it would be a concern as the neighbours are friendly and hold monthly block parties. You probably cross paths with them on a regular basis at the two public parks within walking distance from here. Transportation is also not a problem with easy access to public transport and main roadways."

At the end of the tour, the Real Estate Agent knew that she failed to convince the children that the house was right fit for them. So she said her goodbyes and let them leave. They headed back home for lunch. This time, the meal was prepared completely by the house elves using the recipes from the cookbooks they stole from Molly Weasley. As they began eating Bryce asked.

"Are you sure you have a cleaning service and not some helpful ghosts?"

"Why do you ask?" Emma asked.

"I was in the library studying when I accidentally spilt some of my orange juice all over my notes. When I came back from the kitchen with some towels, the mess was already cleaned up."

"Maybe they were cleaning some other part of the house when they spotted the opportunity to clean the library without anyone noticing." Emma suggested.

"How did they get past Grandma and Amy who were near the entrance of the library?" Bryce said.

"It is an old house maybe there are secret passageways we have not discovered yet." Dan suggested.

Knowing what the normal reaction to finding out there are secret passageways. Emma quickly said "I don't want anyone looking for secret passageways. It could be dangerous."

"If I find anyone looking for secret passageways they will be sorry." Shirley announced backing Emma up.

"Thank you, Shirley." Emma said.

"No problem. It is your home after all." Shirley said. The meal continued. Rob turned to Dan and said.

"I made the transfer. You should see the money in your account in the next few days."

"Why are you transferring money to Uncle Dan?" Amy asked. "It looks like he is loaded."

"I am investing it for your Dad." Dan replied. "Mum, are you sure you don't want to get in some of this action. I am willing to guarantee a seventeen percent return."

"I stick will stick with term deposits. They are safer and a lot less bother." Diana replied.

"Suit yourself." Dan said, disappointed that his mother did not trust him.

"Seventeen percent return." Bryce said. "Is that compound interest or simple interest?"

"Compound interest paid yearly." Dan replied.

"Can anyone get in on the deal?" Bryce asked.

"Sorry. I only do it for family." Dan replied to the disappointment of Bryce.

"Can I get the same deal?" Bryce asked after some thought.

"Once you start making money. We can talk about it, if that is if it is okay with your parents." Dan said.

"Sure but it must be a full-time job and only a percentage of your income." Shirley said to Bryce and Amy.

At the completion of the meal, Diana said. "That was scrumptious. How much does the service cost?"

"A lot, if it was not for all the events we hold it would not be worth it." Dan replied.

"Do you guys have access to periodicals and magazines?" Amy asked. Hermione and Bryce also perked up with interest.

"Let me show you now, if you want?" Dan asked as he did not want to help with the cleaning up. He received three nodding heads. It was looking at the bobbing head figurines found in some cars.

"Okay. Let's go." Dan said as he led everyone except Emma to the library. They walked to a side wall where he pulled back the bookcase to reveal a secret room. There were no windows or ventilation to the room. The only light source was a single light bulb which Dan turned on. On the left side of the room was magazines in a plastic covers and on the right side was newspapers in massive folders. At the back of the room was a single computer.

"We keep this place hidden so that our guests do not mess around in here." Dan said. "The magazines and newspapers go back two years and they are sorted alphabetically by name. We have magazines like The Economist, New Scientist and the Times but none of the trash magazines. This computer has access to a regularly updated database which allows you to search for a particular article. For example you want to find articles about "Granger" then you put the word in the search field and it lists all the articles concerning that subject. You have to find the article in here but if you can't find it then ask us to get it for you. This collection is part of a bigger collection held elsewhere."

"What if we want to copy something?" Amy asked.

"There is a photocopier in our study. If you need to copy something then tell us so that we can let you in since we keep the room locked." Dan replied. "Any other questions?"

"No." Amy said. Dan took his leave followed by Hermione and Harry. As they left, Amy, Bryce and Shirley were fighting for the keyboard while Diana and Rob looked on amused.

"Where is the bigger collection of magazines and newspapers?" Hermione asked her dad as they searched for Emma.

"We have access to several collections. There the one at the Granger Institute, another at our US headquarters and a really complete collection at our old home. The collection at our old home is missing access to the database since computers cannot work in magic rich environments." Dan replied.

"Maybe we should install a second computer with access to the database in the periodicals room." Hermione suggested.

"It is unnecessary as the computer in the kitchen and the one in our study has access as well." Dan said secretively as he did not want his relatives to know. They found Emma and proceeded to their next inspection. This time they portkeyed to a desert area of the Las Vegas near McCarran Airport and took a taxi to the next property. On the street in front of the property they were met by the real estate agent. He was a man who would not look out of place an Elvis Presley look-alike competition.

"Nice to see you again Mr and Mrs Granger." The real estate agent said in a broad southern accent. "These are the two munchkins you mentioned on your earlier visit."

"Yes, nice to see you again." Dan replied. "We have a lot to do today so let's get on with it."

You could tell that Dan did not like the real estate agent and found him sleazy.

"Alright, this way please." The real estate agent said as he led them to the property.

"This little gem has not been on the market for long and has already attracted quite a bit of interest. It supposedly won a few awards for its innovative design and construction. Environmentally conscious people are drawn to its low energy consumption and the fact it blends in with its surroundings. Transportation is also not a problem with easy access to the airport, bus routes and there is even talk of a fast commuter train link to Carson City." The real estate agent said as he started the pitch to the Grangers.

"So the train link might be a pipe dream." Dan said as he tried to poke holes in the pitch.

"It well known that they already conducted the feasibility study and are requesting bids from various construction companies. Carson City is experiencing an explosion of economic activity and the Nevada governor, Bob Miller is desperate to spread the growth throughout the state. He believes the best way to do so is to improve the state's infrastructure and in particular, commuter trains. If he continues his support of the project they could begin construction next year." The Real estate agent said trying to assure the Grangers that the project was a done deal. Seeing how his previous statement was not successful he decided to elaborate.

"In the last six months, Carson City is becoming the centre of gold trading in the world. There is talk that Carson City could also play an important role in the energy industry and global logistics. All that activity would require large labour force to provide support services. Las Vegas is perfectly placed to provide those services. It already has the large population in place and it is in the same state as Carson City so less state taxes."

"Why are the owners selling if you believe that Las Vegas is going to rapidly expand?" Emma asked.

"The owners are relocating to Australia so they had to sell in order to pay for the move."

The inspection of the house continued as the real estate agent realised that he could not convince the Grangers that the commuter train link was an actual possibility. They were shown the 6 bedrooms which was a lot less than the previous house they toured. The deal breaker however was the lack of privacy on one side of the property.

Since they were already in the area, the Grangers took another portkey to their global headquarters.

"Mr and Mrs Granger, Miss Granger and Mr Potter we were not expecting you." Grant's personal assistant said as they arrived.

"We were in the area and we thought we will pop in." Emma replied.

"Where are my manners? Would you like some refreshments?" Grant's personal assistant asked.

They all declined.

"If you would wait here for a minute I will let Mr Rosenberg know you are here?" The secretary left and came back a few minutes later.

"Sorry but Mr Rosenberg is at a delicate stage of some negotiations he is conducting. If you want I can show you around until he is available."

"That sounds lovely." Dan said. The personal assistant started showing them around. They noticed immediately that the office was a lot more crowded than their previous visit.

"Our company's strong growth has continued. We are in the process of doing feasibility studies to determine whether it is worth our while to relocate the head offices of the operations we acquired to this city. Most of the activity related to magic has been moved to a site we acquired near the Granger Institute. In fact, we are the only company that the outcast organisation allowed to purchase land within their wards."

The second office building was now completely non-magical and was seriously crowded. It was a total change from the last time they visited when it was devoted to their magical operations. At the end of the tour, they made their way back to Grant's office. Grant was waiting for them, obviously tired from the negotiations he was conducting. His hair was a mess, his tie and jacket were removed and his business shirt had its sleeves rolled up.

"Who were you negotiating with, Centaurs?" Emma asked.

"The Centaurs were a breeze. They practically jumped at our first offer." Grant replied.

"What was the offer?" Harry asked.

"We are the only ones allowed access to their forests to collect magical materials. In return for the access we help defend them against other outsiders and we assist them in establishing another sanctuary. So all other outsiders are now banned from their territories including Hogwart's Forbidden Forest." Grant replied. This brought a grin to the faces of Harry and Hermione.

"Can you image if Professor Snape tries to enter the Forbidden Forest to collect rare potion ingredients only to face an angry Centaur?" Harry said.

"How about Hagrid being forbidden from access to the dangerous creatures he loves?" Hermione said.

"It will drive Dumbledore up the roof not knowing what was happening in area so close to him." Harry suggested.

"Ollivander, the wand maker, will also be denied access to the forbidden forest to collect wand cores." Grant added.

"Why did you mention Ollivander?" Harry asked.

"We need a better wand maker. The ones in the US are working flat out and are struggling to keep up with demand. If we can convince Ollivander to relocate to the US and take on a few apprentices then it would be extremely beneficial to our cause." Grant explained.

"Have you offered him more money?" Emma asked.

"We tried but he has been at the same location for so many years that he is very reluctant to move." Grant said. Harry and Hermione whispered to each other before turning to Grant.

"We believe we can help you convince Ollivander. But what we tell you must remain a secret." Hermione said.

"I maybe a squib but I have enough magic to defend my mind." Grant assured them.

"Well you can tell Ollivander that Harry and a Voldemort-possessed Professor Quirrell fought. Their spells collided and a golden cage appeared. Our research indicates that it is because our wands are brothers to each other. Voldemort does not know that so when he comes back he will be looking for him to find out why it occurred." Harry lied.

"So he is coming back?" Grant asked in shock.

"Maybe we will talk to Ollivander ourselves." Harry said at seeing the shocked expression on Grant's face. Hermione handed Grant a glass of water which he downs in one gulp. That does the trick.

"The Dark Lord is coming back?" Grant asks again.

"Yes. But we will be prepared. All our actions is about removing potential targets from within his grasp or taking away potential allies. Speaking of allies how are the negotiations with the Outcast organisation and the other magical races going?"

"I was in the negotiations with the Outcast Organisation when you arrived earlier. It is still in the early stages but the signs are positive. They bring with them agreements with the Veelas, gnomes and the dwarves. Giants are no longer a threat as they all work for us and are too scared of pissing us off. Vampires are mostly on board but a formal agreement is something we are working towards but there is no rush since the ones we have hired are bound to us by contract and would defend us from the others if push came to shove. Werewolves are the same. They are hunting the rogue elements that give werewolves a bad name such as Fenrir Greyback. In fact, Greyback lost the leadership of his pack and is on the run severely injured. Remus is being watched but they are holding off putting him down until we give them the go ahead since he owes us a lot of money." Grant explained.

"How about the Merpeople and the trolls?' Hermione asked.

"We will let the Outcast Organisation deal with the Merpeople while the trolls are too dumb to abide by any agreement. So we have not worked out how we are going to deal with them." Grant replied.

"I will try to work out something for the trolls. Is there anything else?" Hermione asked.

"In regards to the goblins, I think that either Harry or Dan should lead the negotiations when we are in a strong enough position. They will demand to deal with the actual person in charge and not their representative." Grant explained.

"Why can't I or Hermione lead?" Emma asked.

"The Goblins look down on females in their culture and would refuse to do any deals with them as the lead." Grant replied.

"I think Dad should do it." Hermione said. "The goblins would think they would have the advantage since he is non-magical. When he enters the room in Basilisk body armour holding a machine gun with Basilisk venom bullets that should shock them."

"I like it. It will keep them off balance." Grant said. "I will get our people to modify some bullets so they can hold basilisk venom and Dan will need practice using a gun."

"Could you get hold of a gun for me?" Dan asked.

"That won't be a problem. We have quite a collection that we have stolen from drug barons and arms dealers." Grant said at that moment someone knocked on the door.

"I have to go. The negotiations have started up again." Grant said.

"Okay. See you later." Emma replied voicing the sentiments the rest of the group felt.