HLN CH 32 2007 Interludes and Out-takes
The new line of Phoenix brooms was a hit. They were selling out as fast as they could be made, at all seasons of the year. The Norwegian Blues remained the broom-of-choice for students between 12 and 16 because it met Hogwarts standards, but there was nothing wrong with the Phoenix school brooms so they turned up with students who had no desire to play Quidditch at school. Just because they were not racing brooms did not make them less fun to ride on the paths around the Loch! Madame Hootch endeared herself to another set of students by setting up a stunt bike riding area, where control was more important than speed.
Harry had sucessfully identified a new niche market, but he wasn't about to stop there. He thought that since wizarding children could play with these bikes and toys safely around mundane children, the mundane children would be wanting the same (or at least similar) toys. He had Gringotts watching for mundane toy companies, particularly quality bicycles, that had stock shares available. Most companies offer two kinds of stocks; Common stocks which are for investors, or Preferred Shares, which are actually part-ownership with voting rights and profit-sharing. He wanted Preferred so that he would have input, some voice in the company. He wanted to buy enough to guarantee him a seat on the Board, even if it took a while to acquire that much.
Gringotts found "Schindler's", an older company undergoing reorganization after several of their Board had either retired or died. Harry eventually bought all the outstanding Shares, winding up owning about one-third of the company outright. He also bought up a similar quantity of the Common stocks for balance. Gringotts was sensible. One account suddenly buying all of that would inflate the prices, with other investors smelling a buy-out or takeover. Instead, the goblins used their accounts from a number of branches and several associated Banks. The prices had dropped when the Market learned several of the owners were putting a large number of shares up at close to the same time. Buying steadily from multiple branches indicated a firm interest but nothing exceptional. The prices finished near where they had started. Harry left the "Buy" order standing. If others decided to sell in the future he would be there.
Harry's purpose was simple. He wanted to provide good quality bicycles to the mundane market which physically resembled the Phoenix line illusions. Braiding steel pipes for the frames was possible but heavy, and would not be popular. Instead, he had seamstresses design braided padding to fit around the frames. The bright colors and fresh designs were exactly what the market wanted. Rainbow braids, ribbons fluttering, and sparkling decals of fanciful Phoenix caught everyone's eye. Built-in headlamps, tail lights, and multiple safety reflectors, as well as cute covered baskets, were standard. Bikes and toys for boys came in camo and Union Jacks instead of pinks.
Harry didn't miss a beat. Toyshops quickly stocked stuffed Phoenix; a coloring book was drawn up and sparking crayons packaged with it. Other toys – scooters, wagons – from other suppliers were quickly licensed with similar paint jobs and braided padding. Advertisements on children's television programs led to product placement IN those shows, and quickly pretty cartoons about a bird exploring the world became common. Before Easter a line of children's clothing hit the stores; bright jackets, rainbow skirts, T-shirts, socks and sparkling trainers with built-in lights.
Children, particularly some who had seen friends riding similar bright bikes and toys in the parks, dragged parents into the shops to buy. The Company profits rose quickly, proving Schindler's was still a strong competitor. From being the newest, slightly resented member of the Board who had "all those foolish ideas", Harry became the old Member's favorite nephew. When they learned he was still finishing his MBA, they were delighted to give him tips on 'how business really works.'
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The original WWW, the real Joke shop, was doing well, too. They stocked the Dragon Broom toys for little kids, the scooters and wagons and all the accessories. They also stocked many of the mundane versions. The toy store down the alley did the same. Flourish and Blotts stocked the coloring book, and sold a surprising number, not only to younger siblings of the students but many went back to Hogwarts tucked in the bags of the Firsties.
WWW had a strange staffing problem. George and Ron jointly ran the place, and each tried to be physically in the store a couple of times a week even though they both had other businesses. Even Harry tried to stop by regularly. Verity was the active Manager in Diagon Alley these days, and they opened a special branch in Hogsmeade on school weekends. The strange problem was that some days there seemed to be too many Weasleys in the store. Specifically, every so often Forge and Gred were both in the store, playing off each other and cracking jokes. It was a hoot watching them! No one could ever tell which was which even if George happened to 'lose' an ear as part of a joke. Verity usually just decided she was due for a coffee break and left them to it.
Other days Fred was found in a mundane suit and tie, in meetings with George setting up new electronics shops. He was fascinated with the new Pocket Floo, and even tried to go through one. It didn't work. He could 'go' as ghosts went, could phase directly, from where he was to wherever the person talking to him on the Floo was, but he could not go through the Floo. It was a very strange puzzle. Every month he came back with some new idea to try, none of which worked. George spent a lot of time teaching Fred electronics. Harry was fascinated with the way Fred phased. Was it like the way an elf popped? Was it teleportation the way the mundanes thought of it? It certainly was not apparition, or even the fanciful 'flumation' popular in wizard fiction!
However, Fred's true interest continued to be the original joke shop, and he was usually there anytime he was not shadowing George. He and Verity became very good friends and developed many new ideas for the shop. You might have said he was mostly in the shop, but you would be wrong. He was there on the 25th of each month, opening the shop early and staying until closing at midnight. George made a point of coming to see him. Sometimes Fred spent the day with him, but often George had to be in meetings. More than once George was out of the country. Fred didn't mind. He stayed in the shop and visited with any family members who came to see him. If school friends came, Fred usually told them he was George, just having some fun. He looked real, he dressed just like George, and could even pull his ear off. He simply avoided touch, which of course he would do if he was pretending. Most people decided he really was George, goofing off.
Once, Angelina came to see him. They wound up crying together for what might have been. Fred assured he that it was fine for her to have married George. He loved them both and wanted them to be happy. He loved the four babies! After she left, he went downstairs and told Verity, "Sometimes being dead is hard." Then he went to the front of the store and played with the pygmy Puffs.
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One day the Fire Chief who had led the call when the plane crashed by Harry's gatehouse happened to run into a school friend of his own. His friend was military, and it stirred a vague memory in his mind. As they chatted over a beer, he asked. "We had a call-out a while back, an old biplane that crashed. The pilot was drunk as a skunk. Even after he sobered up in hospital he had no idea what he was doing up there or where he was going. He had managed to dump his fuel before the crash, so a small coppice burned. A neighbor who saw it managed to get him out of the plane before the flames could reach him. I believe they were even able to rebuild the plane later."
"Interesting, I guess. No one hurt badly?"
"No, the cottage owners were out for the evening. But, it's the cottage owner who is the real puzzle to me. I have the station computers tied into the Net to do automatic searches when there is a fire, and the quick profile on them has some odd blank spots. Blank spots that look like they might be Military service by the Seal on them, though the couple is quite young. Both are still in college, taking a few classes at a time. Both have full time jobs by the taxes they pay, but I can't quite trace those, either. I tried looking him up on the website of the broom company indicated as his employer, but he's not listed. He must be quite junior, probably an office clerk, but that doesn't match his taxes. I found her father listed as a minor Ministry coordinator, but I can't find his family at all. I was told he visits them, but they don't exist."
His friend took a long pull on his lager, and summoned refills. After they started the new drinks, he said, "I think I just might know what is going on. Does their name happen to be 'Potter'?"
"How did you guess that? Yes, they are!"
"Then, I do know. In the 1970s there was a particularly nasty terrorist forming a small group. The Potter parents were targeted. They were part of the Special Task Force tracking them down, you see. They hid in a safe house that was so secret the address still isn't in any database, but he found them through a traitor. Officially, they died, but their baby lived. Fast forward to the 90s, when the boy was in an exclusive boarding school in Scotland. The original terrorist had been a long time recovering from his injuries, but he began regrouping. When he felt strong enough, he went after the boy. He was rather obsessed, which helped. He and his group attacked several times, but was at the same time being tracked again. Eventually he and his gang actually attacked the school! They were not unexpected, and were not only repulsed, but mostly killed. The Potter boy himself killed the leader. Even though they were still in school, he and his friends received recognition and commendations from HRH. The children received Special Forces Military Hero commendations as well. The entire affair was placed under the Official Secrets Act. Those are probably what are under the Seal you turned up. His family owns at least some of the Dragon Broom company, so he likely has some income from that. I heard he recently invested money, probably the reward money from the terrorist affair, in the Schindler Bicycle Company. He's about the age where Trusts get distributed. He's the brains behind the Phoenix toy line that is all the rage, and the company loves him. You would probably find his name there."
"I had no idea! Officially a Hero at that young age? No wonder they sealed his records! But, how did you happen to know about it?"
"Oh, I'm in that office and read old records to fend off boredom. I've actually been sent up here to check in on him. Special Forces would still like to recruit him, and his wife, and many of their friends, so we keep in touch."
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This Chapter is shorter because we have a LOT going on here. Our lives and plans are hitting rocks, and it isn't Covid. I have been holding these scenes to insert, and thought to just post them together. None are in the 'main thread' of this story. I only have one more about Fred coming along any time soon.
Where are we going? Well, Ginny is moving into being a full-time Journalist. Harry had better finish that MBA because he's getting very busy. Two little boys (three if you count Teddy, and I do) keep them hopping at home! Hermione is moving into the Ministry. More babies will be coming along, as babies do.
Oh yes, Chapter 33 should be posted on April 15.