Harry Potter and the Rocky Mountain school of Magic ch7
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns the rights to Harry Potter and I'm not her.
Filius Flitwick sat at the breakfast table looking forward to another year of teaching. When he'd retired from Hogwarts nearly thirty years ago, he never thought he'd teach again. For years he had fantasized about his retirement but it turned out to be rather boring. After forty years of having to be awake early in the morning, his dreams of sleeping in were just that, dreams.
He had returned to professional dueling for a few years but it was obvious from the beginning that he was nearly too old for the dueling circuit. It wasn't nearly as much fun as it had been in his youth and his injuries took far longer to heal. He'd won the league championship his first year back but it had been a very close thing. He'd looked forward to challenging Federov again, never having been able to challenge him in a title fight. Having to square off with his former student Harry Potter had been unexpectedly difficult, however it had been horribly fun.
Rocky Mountain couldn't be any more different from Hogwarts. At Hogwarts he'd taught only one subject to seven year groups. At Rocky Mountain he taught three classes to two year groups and an adult education course. Teaching first year would always be his favorite. The looks of happiness and wonder they had when he first introduced them to magic warmed his heart every time.
To think that this school had been on the verge of closing just twenty years ago was shocking to the elderly professor. Making Harry Headmaster had been an act of charity by MACUSA. Harry had only been teaching here a year at the time.
Filius could see the influence of Minerva and Albus in Harry's style but if he were being honest Harry Potter had far surpassed both of them. From day one the students at Rocky Mountain were given responsibilities and high expectations and every one of them rose to the challenge. The professors too had been given the same chores as the students. Filius had heard from the other professors that many had baulked at the Idea of cooking and cleaning alongside the students, but the equal treatment of both staff and students had turned the school into a community.
In twenty years Rocky Mountain had gone from one hundred and four students taking a handful of classes to a student population of over one thousand taking over one hundred classes. A student to teacher ratio of eleven to one and teachers lining up for a chance to teach here.
Funnily enough Rocky Mountain also boasted the lowest tuition fees and the highest postgraduate employment rate. This school encouraged its students to strive for excellence in a way Hogwarts never had. Filius often wished he'd been a better administrator when he was deputy headmaster. He might have been able to make those changes he'd always wanted to make but alas even thirty years after retiring from there the school was just the same as it ever was.
Offering adult education was never something he'd have ever envisioned but it was a good money maker for the school and it was amazing to see how enthusiastic adult witches and wizards were to fix their youthful mistakes in not taking their schooling seriously. Filius remembered the joy on the face of the forty year old prostitute when she passed her NEWTs and realized she now had options available to her that she had never had before. Cynthia was now a mediwitch at a free clinic in Newark and a frequent speaker at the annual career week festival.
000
"Filius, may I join you for breakfast?" The very tired looking headmaster asked.
Startled from his musings Filius nodded. "Please, take a seat." Looking closely at the younger man Filius could see bags under his eyes. "Still unable to sleep I see."
"Not so much. I think I'll ask Roxanne for a dreamless sleep potion for tonight." Harry said with a sigh.
"Professors, could I speak with you?" A voice behind Filius said.
"Pull up a chair Mr. Renwood, give me ten minutes to get some of this coffee in me and I'll be happy to help you." Harry said to the student.
Filius smiled at this. The students never seemed to remember that the teachers were human too. The headmaster had a reputation for being available to his students at nearly any time but it was well known that he wasn't at his best before his second cup of coffee in the morning.
They all sat quietly as Harry finished his first cup and poured another.
"Alright Mr. Renwood, what can I help you with?" Harry said before taking his first sip.
"I'm looking for ideas for my fifth year enchanting project. I realize I have all year but I thought about this all summer and I haven't got an idea what to make." The boy said.
"Well what do you like to do? What are your hobbies? What do you hope to do after school?" Harry questioned.
"I like fishing and hunting, quidditch and mounted blastoid. Glass blowing and cooking. As for after school, my father wants me to join him at his accounting firm but I think I would like to try professional quidditch for a while if I can."
"Well that's a start. Other students have made practice items for quidditch like a quaffle and keeper glove set that lets you practice by yourself. Or a practice snitch that blinks in a highly visible color, so newer seekers can find it easier. Last year a student enchanted his blastoid gear to be self cleaning, another student added cushioning enchantments that would stop the player from getting seriously injured if they fell from their broom."
"Well those are good ideas but I play chaser." He said with a frown. "Maybe I could enchant a bullet to target the heart of an animal for an automatic kill shot."
"I'm sorry Mr. Renwood but enchanting firearms and ammunition are both highly regulated by both MACUSA and the ICW. You need to be a registered gunsmith and hold a Federal Firearms License before you are even allowed to experiment. Though the idea is a good one. What hobbies do your parents have? Maybe you can make something for them."
"Well I go hunting and fishing with my dad, those are his only real hobbies. My mom likes to knit but she doesn't really have the time for it since my little brothers were born."
"Well you could enchant a set of knitting needles. Program in a bunch of different patterns, maybe size presets for sweaters and such. The sky's the limit. Most of it can be done with animation charms, I'm sure that if you ask Professor Flitwick would be happy to advise you."
"That's a good idea Professor and it would make a good Christmas present too." Turning, the boy addressed Filius. "Could I make an appointment with you for Friday after classes to discuss my project, sir?"
Filius nodded. "I look forward to it Mr. Renwood."
And with that, the boy left.
"You know Harry, you too hold a charms mastery."
"Delegation, my good man, delegation. If you would prefer to fill out financial reports for the board and ministry, I'll happily help Mr. Renwood." Harry said with hope in his eyes.
"No, no I'll take care of Mr. Renwood." Filius said, waving away that idea.
"I figured."
000
"Mr. Caldwell, I understand what you are saying. The problem is, we have very few students that are interested in a career in glassblowing. If there was more interest I'm certain a partnership between Rocky Mountain and Caldwell glassworks would be beneficial for us both. I just don't see how it would work for the few upper year students that could work for you." Harry said diplomatically.
"Headmaster, yours is the only school in North America that teaches the traditional trades. Even if your students can only produce a few hundred phials a month Caldwell can turn a profit. Shipping them in from Africa isn't at all cost effective. The phials cost us four sickles a piece and there is a thirty percent breakage rate while shipping. If we supply the silica and lead, we can pay the students one sickle per phial and still make a twenty seven percent profit over shipping them in. I will also guarantee any student that wishes, a job after graduation." The business man pitched.
Harry thought for a moment.
"I'll tell you what, you pitch this again with Professor Hardy, our glasswork instructor. If he approves, we can make a deal. Have you got a copy of our rules and regulations for student employment?"
The man smiled and nodded. "Yes, I am very impressed with your safety protocols and will be implementing them in my business."
Harry smiled back. "Okay I will have one of the school elves escort you to the glassworks. Give me a few days to discuss everything with Professor Hardy and I will contact you with a decision."
"That would be fine, Headmaster."
"Oren!"
An elf popped in beside the headmaster. "How may I be of service to the Headmaster?" The elf said.
"Oren, could you please escort this gentleman to see Professor Hardy at the schools glassworks." He said with a smile for the young elf.
"Yes, Headmaster." He said. Then turning to Mr. Caldwell, he said. "If sir would follow me." And exited the room with the pudgy business man trailing behind him.
000
Later that evening Harry apparated to the Dew Drop Inn in old Las Vegas. He quickly made his way to room five and tapped the door with his wand three times.
The Dew Drop Inn was the access point of the Las Vegas underground. Magical America's largest entertainment district and home to Harry's favorite pub Olsen's. This had been Jimmy's baby after his retirement from active service and it catered to hit-wizards, Aurors and other law enforcement types. Jimmy's daughter Jenna and grandson Timothy inherited it when the old man died a few years ago.
Harry used to come here often when Katie worked the night shift and the kids were away at school. He liked to play darts and tell old war stories, just like everyone else that frequented Olsen's. Besides, it was the only place that had a good English Imperial Stout on tap.
"Harry!" Came a call from the patrons.
Harry sat down at the bar beside a group of uniformed Aurors and a pint of his favorite appeared in front of him.
Taking a sip he took in his surroundings. The group of Aurors seemed to be welcoming a new recruit. In the back by the pool tables Harry recognized a number of regulars though couldn't remember their names. In the booths opposite the bar he saw a few more familiar faces of Hit-wizards he used to know. Finally he spotted the person he wanted to see back near the dartboards.
The man's red hair was much thinner than it had been the last time Harry had seen him. He still had the tall stockiness of his youth but he was a little more hunched nowadays.
Picking up his beer he approached the man.
"George! How's business?"
George Weasley smiled. "Business is great as always." The smile vanished from his face. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it back on time for the funeral." George said apologetically.
"You came and said your goodbyes. Katie loved seeing you and Angelina again. That was far better than coming to a funeral." Harry said with a sad smile. "How is the family?"
"Fred has taken over management of our American subsidiary Fool's Paradise. I'm thinking about retirement, maybe just going back to product development. Angelina wants to travel a bit now that the kids are grown. Dad is still holding in there but he just isn't the same without mum. He spends a lot of his time in his shed. I think he might be enchanting a new car. Bill and Fleur are spoiling their grandkids. Percy is still at the Ministry. He's back at magical cooperation and loving it. Charlie has a new boy toy, if a forty year old man can be called a boy toy and is heading the Welsh dragon reserve and I'm sure Ron told you he's coaching for the Cannons. He must be doing a good job, They came in eighth place last season. He's still seeing Luna whenever she's home from her expeditions. Her son's have taken over the Quibbler since old Xeno died." George rattled off.
"Good for them. Maybe I'll visit with Arthur soon. I think I can understand him a bit better now, besides since I helped steal his last car, I should help him enchant a new one."
"So, Darts?"
000
A/N: Bedeeb bedeeb bedeeb that's all folks. I should update again on Friday. Hope you enjoyed. Please review.
