Chapter 9
In the next few months, the Peverells slowly wrought many changes to the Wizarding World in the British Isles. The newspaper launch had become a study in economic revival. Before relaunching the Daily Herald, Hadrian had hired around thirty muggle-born wizards and witches to become the face of the MoDE's various aspects. A pure-blood witch of diminished powers from a mostly unimportant branch of the clan Travers, by the name of Pauline Meyers, was hired on to act as the liaison representing the Daily Herald.
She often acted as the intermediary between them all. Her oath to MoDE had cleaved her links to the head of Travers, and she had been absorbed into the newly forming MoDE family. She had quickly become extremely devoted to Hermione and often acted as her secretary. Pauline had approached all major businesses, inquiring about any new or under-performing products or services they wished to promote, offering a heavily discounted ad space in the newspaper as a re-opening offer. Many of them had taken it on.
As a result, within a week of the Prophet shutting down, the Daily Herald had taken the market by storm with its extraordinarily thin paper, vivid colours and lively prints and the range of content. The magicals at MoDE had taken a leaf out of modern newspaper formats from Hadrian and Hermione's suggestions and worked to combine all the magazines and the Daily into one single paper. They hoped to roll it out formally in a month's time.
The front page was always dedicated to breaking news, interesting and historically significant events and announcements. And the Inner pages tackled politics, business, vacancies, articles on various subjects ranging from transfigurations to potions contributed by leading luminaries on the respective subjects, even a history section they had roped Bagshot to contribute in, as well as a section dedicated to social dynamics. But Page 3 of the paper was their true weapon.
That single page so innocuously inserted into a bulky newspaper was the lynch-pin that began to redefine their emerging economy. The mysterious Peverell Couple, stunningly gorgeous Black Siblings, the dashing Heir Longbottom, the powerful Bones Siblings, and the magnificent Potter Brothers, began to dominate the pages. Everything from their daring new fashions to their latest hobbies became the talk of the town. Gossip got official.
And with such powerful names gaining attention rapidly, their elders sought to protect the family names by finally pushing through for defamation and ligation laws, protecting the fourth estate at the same time. It hadn't been as expensive to manoeuvre as the Peverells had initially estimated. The youngsters remained strong as the new-age celebrities. Trickles of their statements, easing new ideas of tolerance, co-operation, innovation and progress began to slowly but surely enmesh into the public psyche, none the wiser.
The Peverells and their cute little ward made many trips to the Diagon Alley, seen visibly as a family. The close resemblance between Hermione and little Milen went unremarked and easily accepted. Milen had been unwilling to forget his birth parents and had settled to calling his guardians, Aunt 'Mia and Uncle Ryan.
He was a bright and happy child, quick to learn his letters and numbers and already itching to pick up the more complex books. They began to teach him small but effective defensive magics easy enough for a young under-developed wizard with unstable cores. He picked up the wand-less casting ability slowly but surely.
He was not entirely an all-round genius. He still struggled with artistic expressions. He still remained abysmal at potions and magical creature studies but turned into a prodigy with an instinct for runes, transfiguration and charms. His tutors were rather pleased with his progress.
Hadrian had taken to training him personally in the mind arts and discovered that the boy was indeed a natural at that. As a precaution, though, Hadrian left a little switch in the child's mind to alert him the very minute dark magics penetrated. They both had faith in Milen's true nature and sunny disposition but it never hurt to be careful. It always paid to cover all their bases.
All three of them were often photographed as page three celebrities, and trendsetters. Their ensembles, closely resembling the more modest and demure versions of muggle fashions began to be emulated. Seemingly random chance encounters had them bumping into Charlus Potter and Arcturus Black as well as Alandair Moody and Harfang Longbottom, the most influential of the up and coming movers and shakers, along with the newly married Edward Bones and his blushing muggle-born bride Alicia, among others.
The group grew closer over their mutual interest in the Peverell Public School opening in Wiltshire and gradually, they had all invested in the business. Once under oath, Hadrian and Hermione had produced a copy of the Ministry's book of Records for all magicals, although they presented it as a Peverell family heirloom, and let the group assume that the ministry version was a donated copy anonymously given to the ministry when it was formed, in the early 15th century.
The vulnerability of the information hidden there and the careless approach of the ministry over this strengthened their bonds together. When the Peverells explained their plans for the school, the whole team was all for it. Arcturus, Cassiopeia, Charlus and Dorea put their heads together and set to recreating a less maniacal version of the Knight bus, that they dubbed the Peverell School Bus to pick up magical students from anywhere in the Isles. They planned for a day school like a regular muggle one, to teach muggle foundation subjects alongside a few magical subjects. The idea was to groom a new generation that was able to effortlessly navigate both worlds and protect the statute of secrecy.
Subjects like Cultural Studies, Enchanted Botany and Zoology, Magical World History, and Applied Latin, along with Mathematics, Geography, Civics, Economics, English, Applied Sciences, and Fine Arts covered the muggle side of their learning platforms. The school also offered lessons in fencing, callisthenics, gymnastics and yoga.
Each subject was engineered to enhance the student's ability to perform magic better, control accidental magical outbursts and reduce chances of detection. Peverell School for Gifted Students registered one month after the Daily Herald was launched and even merited a small mention as a non-profit business venture spearheaded by the MoDE conglomerate.
The ministry continued to ignore the recent development. Hector Fawley, the minister since 1925 had always been more interested in flamboyant fashions, being seen and covered in the new newspaper these days and as a result, had been exceedingly easy to please and manoeuvre.
To secure their influence, Arcturus Black and Hadrian Peverell had taken to visiting him frequently, with subtle and minor bribes, effervescent praise of his style and gentle nudges to direct the ministry towards the directions they wanted to be seen heading. And if Hadrian discretely placed a few undetectable compulsions on the foolish man, no one knew or disagreed, least of all Arcturus who had cottoned on to Hadrian's little subterfuge very early on, but other than a raised eyebrow, mentioned nothing.
Dorea Black, Charlus Potter, Edward Bones and Hadrian Peverell, often accompanied by little Milen, began to discretely visit the homes of the listed muggle-borns, ostensibly, to offer them scholarship admissions to the Peverell School for the Gifted. Initially, they mentioned nothing about magic, only offering a scholarship to selected students, with no discernible criteria.
But gradually, providing opportunities to parents to mingle and socialize with each other raised the topic by itself within three weeks of the new school. And Harfang Longbottom, the newly appointed head of the board of governors of the school called for a parental meeting and talked about the special abilities of their wards.
Around three hundred families with children of ages from four to eighteen had attended. The talk had been carefully controlled, in a secure hall, runically locked to ensure the information they imparted here would not be openly discussed ever again. Harfang, known by his muggle sobriquet, Harry Longbottom, along with Cassiopeia Black talked at length of the danger of suppressing their child's magic, the benefits of training the child's skills and abilities as well as the legal need for secrecy. Most parents were keen on any idea that would provide safety and progress for their children, but not all parents and guardians thought so kindly.
The Peverells mingled among the parents and discovered around twenty malcontents, religious fanatics and abusive parents who wanted nothing to do with magic or such other unnatural-ness. Hadrian and Hermione had led them one by one into an anti-chamber, wiped their memories selectively, and arranged for their children to become hostelers and spend only bare minimum time under parental care. They were then amiably dismissed with only memories of their children being selected to an elite educational program, and the parents agreeing to a boarding school that worked round the year until the students were legal adults.
At the end of the day, around 33 children of various ages needed fostering. The west wing of the school, presently unoccupied was quickly converted into dorms for girls and boys, by efficient elves. Cassiopeia and Harry agreed to chaperone the children for a week until suitable matrons and wardens, a resident healer and an administrator could be hired from a list of qualified squibs and Muggle-borns.
Peverells offered the services of five house-elves from their recently recruited army of fifty to run the school. Each of the five were efficient and capable of maintaining credible glamours to pass off as muggle humans in case of unexpected visitors. Sharptooth was also called in to up the security of the premises to ensure not even a fly could penetrate without express permission. Within the year, students who went from PPSG to Hogwarts became celebrated prodigies at the new school. A visit by Headmaster Dippet, along with his Deputy, Dumbledore had almost turned into a disaster until Cassie had spirited Mione away and Hadrian and Artie took over the tour.
They strongly recommended to Headmaster Dippet that Hogwarts continue to offer similar subjects or risk losing students hand over fist. Money talks clearest and Dippet was impressed enough with the results to take a few CVs for prospective teachers at Hogwarts, including Hadrian himself, much to Dumbledore's polite barbs and protests about discomfort of such rapid change. Hadrian had no idea why he felt shocked; the man had always been a proponent for maintaining status quo.
Hadrian had countered by suggesting that they offer the new subjects as optional and let the students decide. That way no one feels offended and nothing is shoved down any unwilling throats. Hadrian accepted Dippet's offer to take on the headship of the new courses until he could find a suitable replacement. He openly declared that he was a healer by profession, as was his wife; and they intended to continue that. It was only taking in their nephew that sparked an interest in education reform and that motive was quite understandable, indeed.
Soon enough, the Peverell Public School for Gifted came to be acknowledged as the primary wing of Hogwarts and a far more secure location. Regular mentions in the Herald soon had many pureblood families inquiring about admissions for their own children. Hadrian and Hermione considered it a successful venture at that point. Milen would start schooling there the next year and they were eager for a smooth transition for him.
While the merged primary school blossomed, and the year progressed, Hermione's real estate project of gated communities and Hadrian's own project , the Healer's Clinic for All Ailments kept them equally busy. Though the school was a joint venture with many leading names, they had wanted to keep the real estate business, and the healer's clinics in the family.
Hermione had started with a small township of twenty hectares close to Wiltshire, and built seven sky-scrappers capable of housing a total of ten thousand moderate sized families. Each of the seven were ranging from simple to luxurious, from simple studio apartments to six Bedroom duplexes. Muggle facilities settled cheek to jowl with magical features.
A beautifully manicured garden and leisure park stood right next to a modest sized quidditch field. A small shopping complex even held both kinds of facilities. Initial plan was to offer residence on rental basis only. And all initial offers had been made to big names like the minister and his entourage, wealthy influence-rs from all factions and even luminaries like the Lestrange family, who tended to oppose progress of any kind on principle alone.
Hermione sorted their protests by offering the rentals like a holiday destination for the leisurely wealthy to provide a safe opportunity to study the habitats and lifestyles of the muggles without breaking the sacrosanct statute. The very first township was built to emulate a luxurious resort. For all intents and purposes, the magicals who sought to holiday here treated it like an African Safari trip. They would slum it for a little while, coo over the cute and amazing muggles and go home marveling at their own progressive mentality.
It offended her sensibilities but she swallowed her pride and took comfort from the fact that this would be a stepping stone to changing their narrow-minded perspectives, once and for all. And much to her delight, it seemed to be mostly working, especially when, bar a few hard-nosed orthodox families, most of those exploring the place tentatively had come to appreciate the safety in numbers, cleverness of anonymity, and the delightful new ideas, conveniences and opportunities the muggles brought in.
Hadrian and Hermione steered clear of those names they had formerly associated with dark arts and Voldemort, but sometimes, the pureblood zealots came from surprising quarters, like Cedrella and Patrick Weasley, and Armand and his sister Hepzibah Smith, as well as Andrew Macmillan and his clan. Hadrian was working his way through networking with the known Sacred 28 families, while Hermione was reaching out to the known and celebrated intellectuals.
After their disagreement over the schools, they continued to steer clear of Dumbledore for now. Although, to be perfectly honest, the Peverells had become extremely busy and had to juggle creatively to make time for Milen; Dumbledore simply didn't qualify for even a second's passing thought. Although they had given an interview in the very first publication of the Herald, highlighting that they did not ever expressly give permission to Grindelwald to appropriate and bastardize their family crest, they had not had any trouble or even an acknowledgement owl from the man. Dumbledore had come sniffing, though.
Seeing Peverells, a family name previously believed to be extinct, many whispered and speculated but Hadrian openly talked about family magics and other obligations that had kept his parents and grandparents travelling the world while he was mostly left behind carefully guarded in their un-plottable Keep, travelling only to meet tutors and other peers.
Most understood the need to guard the last remaining members of dying family names and found the situation quite credible and soon enough, with frequent exposure, the novelty of the Peverells and even their parsel-magic healing abilities were considered an excellent gift and nothing more. The only ones to view them with sceptical distrust was Dumbledore and his cronies.
Them openly discussing the reasons why their family had remained hidden had caused an uproar and helped them pass another law regarding publishing of unverified fiction without appropriate disclaimers. The story of the Peverells being hunted over a children's bedtime story based on nothing but imaginative fiction had other leading families worried about their own unique family magics and wholeheartedly supporting the new law.
Dumbledore had attempted to publicly call them out for the issue and tried to prove that the wand, the cloak and the stone existed, although lost in annals of time. He attempted to prove his point by claiming that the Peverell Cloak had been inherited by the Potters through Lolanthe, but Charlus had come out in their defense, openly admitting that though their family had always commissioned invisibility cloaks through generations, they didn't last. He produced the one he owned and expert enchanters examined the cloak and declared it a normal cloak, and nearing it's expiry.
Similarly, the stone, Hadrian had stoutly proclaimed, was another fabrication. Death is irreversible. It can be prevented, protected against temporarily but no power on earth could reverse death by any means. Any powerful wand could claim to be the Death stick. but the power depended on the core of the witch or the wizard wielding it. Wands made of Elder wood or thestral cores were more powerful and volatile, naturally but did not match the temperaments of any wizard.
He declared that his ancestors had been powerful and intelligent enchanters who made many wonderful things during their time and the story had come about as an exaggerated lore to sing praises of their prowess. People simply ended up taking Beedle a bit too seriously, to severe consequences for his family. It was a lesson against gossip-mongering, to the Peverells, and nothing more.
And it had far-reaching, dangerous consequences for his innocent family. At best, they were left with a severely depleted family of barely three magicals, an enchanted family clock, the kind that ticked and tocked, and a few enchanted cutlery and an ancient trunk and that was it. Hardly worth killing anyone over.
Gustav Ollivander was heard quoting his own agreement of this, adding that the myth of the death stick was simply a myth, because wands don't really work like that. He had always professed that it is always the wand that chooses the wizard. So simply stealing a wand cannot engage it's allegiances, else even muggles could have wielded it.
That sobering note ended the very public argument decisively and put such a talk to rest. Hadrian was positive that Grindelwald had followed this discussion from the shadows and drawn his own conclusion about the wand he had stolen from Gregorowich. But thus far, neither Hadrian, nor Hermione had ever been approached about it. Nor did Grindelwald stop using the Symbol of the Hallows.
But the Peverells had become proficient at ignoring things that didn't immediately concern them; so they continued with their nephew, their projects, the school and the new chain of clinics and life went by for two years with no major incidents.
Twice they celebrated Milen's birthday with great pomp and ceremony, and made it a habit to take him to orphanages, old age homes and rescue shelters to feed and clothe the poor, the unfortunate, and the needy. And when Milen turned six, they taught him five simple healing charms and how to recognize and handle basic first aid potions. As expected, he was a swift study, and eager to prove himself.
That afternoon, they took the six-year-old to Knockturn Alley, set up a kiosk to offer free healing consultations and allowed him to heal and potion some patients. Experiencing their relief at his work, the gratitude in their eyes, and the magic in their blessings had cemented the goodness in Milen for all eternity. Never again would he find temptation in the Darkness.
The pride in their eyes had rekindled his conviction that Milen was indeed a good, kind, smart and gentle little boy. He had very seriously admitted to them that Uncle Ryan was right, two years ago. Choices are what made us who we are. And that had led Hermione to hug the stuffing out of him until he gasped for air. Hadrian had laughed and set another tickling charm at the two of them. Some things never changed.
And they had gone home to celebrate with their elves and the MoDE family, with a rather simple cake and lots of love and laughter. That night, when they went to bed, Death and Magick visited them in their dreams, to inform them that Milen's soul was now and forevermore pure and protected. Dumbledore and others could put him through hell-fires but he would always remain in the glow of Light. Milen was now, in many ways, exactly like Hadrian, all the way down to the purity of his soul. They would continue to keep a keen eye on him like any good parents would, they'd never stop worrying over him, but the shared dream had taken the keen edge off the worst fears for now. They wouldn't be revisiting this particular fear for years to come.
Mission 1, accomplished!