Chapter Two

Encounter at Grendelbane's

It hadn't exactly been Corey's idea to get a summer job. In fact, it had been the farthest thing from his mind when he left Hogwarts last year. But after his Mom took sick and his Dad got tired of yelling himself hoarse telling Corey and his friends to keep it down, his adopted parents made it quite clear that he was going to do something productive.

Still, if he had to have a summer job, Corey couldn't think of a more prestigious one. Even though his boss, Grendelbane the Eighteenth, was a goblin through and through and a very hard taskmaster, Corey actually enjoyed his job separating and grading the woods to be used in wands, sanding and preparing them and other ingredients and minding the counter. Although Corey hadn't known it at the time, Grendelbane had inquired about him before the end of the school year; he had a keen eye for a promising Physical Arts student. Being a Focus Caster who didn't require a wand to use magic worked to Corey's advantage, for no other wand had to be used to enchant what he made, keeping the wands pure and free from outside influences.

Five days a week, Corey took the floo to Myrkinbrek, the goblin's exclusive town deep below the surface, where enchanted sunlight beamed down on the buildings as people mulled about in the streets to shop. There he performed all sorts of chores and errands, for the goblin did not give him an idle moment. He was not even quite sure how much he was going to get paid at all for his efforts, for it was decided by Grendelbane and his parents (Corey found it annoying that he had little to do with the negotiation, goblin tradition or not) that he would be paid one lump sum at the end of the summer based on the quality of his work. Not that Grendelbane had any intention of letting Corey dally at work in any case, but Corey privately wondered if he was getting deducted for every time the goblin had to tell him to pick up the pace.

Even though the work was hard, Corey learned to like his boss, who on a whim would stop what he was doing and show Corey something new with wand making, taking over the shop at times so the boy could practice it. The goblin also never seemed to have a kind word for his progress, criticizing every little detail, but Corey had learned from working with his own Dad that the often-brutal criticism was anything but personal dislike. Rather the opposite; the more the old goblin bellowed, the more Corey knew the goblin cared about his progress.

There was one person who often came into the shop that Corey didn't care for at all; Grendelbane's twin brother, younger by two minutes, Beowulf. Beowulf was a sour, well-to-do accountant who often seemed to come in for no better reason than to criticize his brother in a very unproductive manner, and even worse, harp on his lack of business sense. It was Corey's belief that the deep rivalry between them stemmed from jealousy over Grendelbane getting the shop, for Beowulf often pointed out to Grendelbane in no uncertain terms that their parents always thought him the better wand maker. And so that day like many days, Beowulf came into the shop and Corey reluctantly went to get his boss, who scowled ferociously at being disturbed.

The shop's familiar, the Beard Wand, floated in the air behind Corey as they stepped into the showroom, but upon seeing who it was, the wand promptly stuck up its end as if sticking up its nose and strutted to its display cabinet, shutting the door behind itself.

"Is that boy still here?" Beowulf said disdainfully. His dislike for Corey had been evident from the start; Beowulf did not approve of his brother taking on outsiders as apprentices.

"And making progress," Grendelbane said coldly. "Gold knows he works harder than you ever did."

"And any fool knows that you don't gain capital by working for money, you gain capital by making money work for you," Beowulf sneered.

"What do you want, Beowulf? I am in the middle of setting a very expensive wand and I am not in the mood to deal with your snide remarks today," Grendelbane said.

"My principal client needs some work done on his wand, and I told him that you would give him a fair deal this time," Beowulf informed him.

"And exactly what's in this for me?" Grendelbane asked, his dark eyes flashing. "I don't see why I should give your clients any breaks. Besides, every time the man comes anywhere near this place, I end up needing a new display cabinet."

"You inherited that Wand along with this shop, so that is your problem," Beowulf snarled. "I bring you business, and you should be grateful for my generosity."

"I don't need your generosity, Beowulf, or your clients. I'm quite capable of managing my own business. Now if you don't mind, get out of my shop and go back up the shaft where you came from."

"Yes, you heard him, up your shaft," Corey quipped. Beowulf growled and moved as if to grab the boy when the Beard Wand suddenly burst back out of the display and got between them, aimed at Beowulf.

"Your apprentice needs to learn some manners, Grendelbane, no wonder you're losing so much business these days," he snarled.

"The business always has its up and down times. We'll pick up by Christmas like we always do," Grendelbane said, nudging Corey towards the back and handing him a dusting cloth.

"That would depend a great deal on how you treat my client this time, Grendelbane," Beowulf said, squinting and making it clear he had no intention of being talked down to. "May I remind you that my client is a very influential man, and if he is displeased, I am sure he will make certain that everyone else knows about it. I would hate to turn in another red book to Gringotts again this year. I don't think the bank would be quite as understanding as I am," Beowulf said with a smile. "I at least, am willing to let it go, being the family business and such a Myrkinbrek landmark for so long. But if you don't learn to cut corners on your spending, it won't be long before the bank will be wanting to sell it to someone more capable of producing a higher profit margin."

"Beowulf," Grendelbane said, looking at him steadily. "Up your shaft." Beowulf sneered at him.

"He will be here in a few minutes," Beowulf said as if Grendelbane hadn't said anything at all. "I expect you should put that thing away and be ready to greet him better than you greeted me," the goblin said, turning and walking out of the shop.

"Oh, I'll give him a greeting," Grendelbane muttered out of his breath, knowing quite well that his hands were tied. "Willowby! Stop peering around the corner and get the chains off the wall."

"The chains?" Corey said curiously. The string of heavy iron chains had been hanging over the worktable since Corey began working there, but never had they been taken down before.

"Yes," Grendelbane said, grabbing the Beard Wand before the wand could float out of range. "They're going to need to go around the cabinet. Hurry up!" he ordered.

The Beard Wand had already started to struggle against the goblin's grip at the mention of being locked up, and Grendelbane threw it in the cabinet, quickly shutting the doors and reaching for the chains Corey was holding. He spoke a single word and the chains rushed out of Corey's arms and began to wrap itself the cabinet. Large locks began to snap around them, so that Corey could hardly even see the cabinet for all of the iron around it.

"Mind the counter until he gets here. I really need to finish setting that dragon wing wand," Grendelbane sighed.

"Yes, sir," Corey said, gazing thoughtfully at the cabinet as he began to polish the counter. But the Wand didn't make a sound, completely resigned to its confinement, and Corey couldn't help but wonder at the lengths the goblin had gone to. Of course, he'd always known the Wand was quite particular about who came into the shop, and made little bones about displaying his dislike of some of them.

Perhaps that's why business was slow? Corey wondered. No, he decided, remembering what his dad told him when he'd mentioned it before. Grendelbane's was hardly a struggling business. If he sold twelve wands in a year, he'd make more than many a Wizard business and would have been doing quite well indeed, for Grendelbane only catered to the elite. But as a goblin business where money, politics, and even the law went hand in hand, such a 'petty' profit margin would have seen as merely breaking even, and might have even earned the very vulgar title of being a 'charity' business.

Even so, Grendelbane's focus had always been on the wands first and money second instead of the other way around, and that more than anything set him apart from his brother. Corey was secretly glad that Grendelbane had been the one to be two minutes early. He couldn't imagine what the business would have been like under his brother's control.

The bell above the door rang out, and the Wand peeked out of a little area between the links, trying to see. Looking up, Corey broke into a sudden smile seeing Danny walk in the door, who was also surprised to see him.

"Corey! Whatever are you doing here?" she asked.

"Working. My parents made me get a job over the summer," Corey explained.

"So that's why you haven't been writing so much," Danny said, folding her arms.

"Well, that, and the fact that Dad wants to scan any piece of post going to and from the Malfoy residence," Corey chuckled. Hearing the name, Grendelbane stuck his head out the door, staring at her.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Danyelle Nelson, Lucius Malfoy's niece," she explained. "He wants to know if it's safe to come in."

"Safe enough, I expect," Grendelbane grunted, glancing at the cabinet.

She waved at Corey and stepped back out, coming back in a moment later with her uncle. Suddenly a loud banging noise began coming from inside of the cabinet, shaking uneasily every time it occurred. Lucius paused just inside the door, gazing at the cabinet warily, clutching his cane as he looked over at it.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy. What can I do for you today?" Grendelbane inquired.

"You can start by putting that Wand out of its misery," Lucius muttered, frowning as the banging got louder. "And what is that doing here?" he added, gazing at Corey who was matching his gaze with pure dislike.

"Working," Corey said simply.

"Then start working and stop gawking," he said with obvious irritation.

"Willowby, why don't you go check on that wand set?" Grendelbane said warningly. Corey knew better than to argue with Grendelbane but didn't lose sight of Malfoy until he was all the way in the workroom, moving around the desk as quiet as he could so he could hear what was going on.

"There's something wrong with my wand lately. It's been starting to fizzle out from time to time and seems sluggish on command," Malfoy said, taking the wand out of his cane and handing it over. "I also want it realigned to perfect precision."

"This wand has seen a lot of use," Grendelbane mused, looking over it. "There are some rather interesting enchantments on it as well," he added, eyeing him thoughtfully. "Might I ask who made it?"

"A personally hired wand maker," Malfoy said evenly, looking at the goblin steadily. "But he had little luck with improving it so it was suggested that I take it to you. And if you don't mind, I'd rather it be taken care of by you personally. I don't want that Snape foundling you hired to touch one finger on it."

"Of course, sir," Grendelbane said, nodding again, remembering all too well what had happened in front of the shop two years before.

"How long will this take?"Lucius asked.

"A week at least, I do have other repairs…" There was a thud and jingle, and Corey realized it was a coin pouch hitting the table.

"Tomorrow morning, correct?" Lucius said.

"Very well," Grendelbane agreed, eyeing the pouch thoughtfully.

"And I require a temporary wand in the meantime," Lucius added. Grendelbane glanced back at the workroom, calling Corey's name.

"Get Mr. Malfoy one of my personal wands, please," Grendelbane ordered. Corey was taken aback, for Grendelbane had never been willing to hand out a wand like that before. Getting an idea, he went over to the display cabinet, but Grendelbane and Malfoy both barked at him before he got all the way there. "NOT one of those," Grendelbane snapped. "Out of the drawer in the back."

"Maybe you had better pick the wand. I wouldn't put it past Willowby to give me something inferior," Malfoy said. But Malfoy's unfortunate choice of wording suddenly angered Grendelbane, who snarled in warning.

"Mr. Malfoy, there are no 'inferior' wands in this establishment. If you think that you can find any better, you're more than welcome to try." The two of them eyed each other calculatingly, not moving until Corey came back with a box in his hand. Grendelbane slowly looked down and opened it, nodding at the boy.

"A twelve and a half inch walnut serpent's tooth wand, a very reliable temporary wand for someone of your innate talents," Grendelbane said.

"And I didn't touch it, only the box," Corey said almost defiantly.

Malfoy eyed the boy thoughtfully, picking the wand up, getting used to the handle. Then he immediately turned it on the cabinet, spinning it around in a circle several times before finally turning the doors of the cabinet firmly against the wall, the banging still going on from within.

"Fine. This will do. And my wand had better be done in time, Grendelbane, if you expect to get the rest of your payment. A man of my standing can't afford to go without a wand for too long."

"Yeah, it might get dangerous," Corey said coldly. Malfoy turned and squinted at him, quite aware of the threat behind that remark.

"And you, Willowby, had better learn your place," Malfoy said in a low voice. "Your tongue may be brave now because of your 'parents', but one of these days you're going to say the wrong thing in the wrong place and you are most definitely going to regret it."

"Malfoy, if you have a problem with my apprentice, I suggest you take it up with me," Grendelbane said, firmly grabbing Corey's shoulder and pulling him back a step.

"Or better yet, take it up with me."

The four of them looked up to see Severus Snape standing in the doorway with his arms folded, looking steadily at Malfoy. Danny quickly decided to step next to the wall out of the way, while Grendelbane glanced up at the clock.

"Ah, is it three o'clock already? You'd better put away your work now Corey, thank you," Grendelbane said.

Corey ran to take off his apron and put away his equipment, hurriedly throwing them on the hook and in the drawer because he was afraid of missing something. But the two of them were still eyeing each other when he got back as if waiting for the other to move.

"Well, if it isn't the famous Defense teacher of Hogwarts," Malfoy said, his voice slightly mocking. "Supplementing your pathetic income with child labor, now?"

"Hardly," Severus said with apparent disinterest in being taunted. He glanced at Corey who quickly worked his way over to his side. "Corey happens to be learning the benefits of making an honest living, not that I expect you to appreciate the value of that."

"I think he would probably benefit a lot more from learning how to keep a civil tongue," Malfoy said, "But considering his role models, I suppose it's understandable."

"I don't have time for games, Lucius," Severus said tiredly. "But I had better not catch you threatening my son again. Or anyone else in my family for that matter."

"Or what, Severus?" Lucius challenged him. "Did you really enjoy your stay so much at Azkaban that you're that willing to return to it?"

Just then, Lucius was aware that the cabinet was slowly turning back around. Realizing his danger, he whipped around with his borrowed wand and pointed it at Corey, ordering him to halt. Severus pulled out his wand and pointed it at Lucius, who upon seeing the movement smacked his cane towards Severus' feet. As Severus deftly stepped back to dodge the cane, Lucius had a chance to take a better position. Just as Lucius cast a spell, Severus countered with one of his own, the two blasts meeting in a strange head-on stalemate.

Corey wasted no time then getting the cabin turned around and Danny rushed over to help, unlocking the chains. As angry as her uncle was going to be at her, Danny didn't want either of them to die any more than Corey did. Within seconds they had the cabinet undone and the Beard Wand came charging out, forcing itself into Severus' other hand. A blinding light then burst forth, propelling the two men backward and breaking the spell, forcing Malfoy over the counter and Severus halfway out the door.

Corey ran over to Severus as he scrambled to his feet, the Beard Wand shooting back out of his hand. It aimed itself at Malfoy once more, blasting him with a bolt of lightning.

"That's it! I have had it with you!" Malfoy said, turning on the Wand. But as Malfoy began to cast a spell, the borrowed wand flew out of his hand, neatly caught by Grendelbane as it spun through the air. "I'll go to the board of Artifacts for this and have that thing impounded!"

"Go ahead and try," Grendelbane snarled, flinging both the bag of gold and Malfoy's own wand back at him. "But I ask you not to come in my shop again, or so help me, I'll let the Wand finish you off once and for all!"

"You'll be changing your mind soon enough when that Wand's destroyed," Malfoy snapped. "As for you, Snape, the next time you try and cast a spell at me, it will be the last," Malfoy swore. He stormed out with Danny on his heels, still watching his back in case the Wand decided to attack again.

"He can't really have the Beard Wand destroyed, can he?" Corey asked worriedly.

"Nonsense, he provoked it by casting at it. But never mind that. I want to know exactly what happened out there," Grendelbane snapped, suddenly grabbing Severus' wand out of his hand and looking at the ebon wood wand. Looking quite surprised, he gazed at Severus, then Corey then back again. "Serpent tooth?"

"Yes," Severus said, getting an odd suspicion and looking over at Corey. Corey broke out into a grin when Grendelbane looked at him as well.

"Now why is it that I suspect that was no accident?" Grendelbane asked.

"Well, I'd noticed the wand looked an awful lot like Dad's when I had to polish them all last week. So when you told me to get Malfoy a wand, and I knew Dad was coming to get me, it just sorta came to me to pick that wand. Worked out pretty well, didn't it?" Corey said cheerfully. Severus growled softly, while Grendelbane failed miserably to hide his sneer of amusement. "At least we got him out of the shop."

"Yes, I suspect Beowulf will have quite a number of words for me when he hears about this, but no matter. And don't worry about the Beard Wand," Grendelbane said, waving to Corey in dismissal and went to the back room.

"You all right, Dad?"

"Yes, but don't be too sure you will be when I get you home," he frowned at him as he headed out of the shop, looking warily around for any signs of Lucius. "How many times have I told you never to speak to him?"

"But Dad, he was a customer. I didn't have much choice," Corey said.

"You could have been a bit more careful about your wording," he snapped back.

"Yes sir," Corey said, knowing that was true. "Hey, can Malfoy get in trouble for pulling a wand on me?"

"Under the circumstances, I think it'd be best if we didn't pursue that," Severus said, having little desire for the Ministry to start wondering what spell he had tried to cast on Lucius. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention it to your mother either. Go straight to your room or down to the basement to help me when we get back, but stay out of her sight until she forgets to ask you how your day was."

"Does that mean I'm not going to get into trouble?" Corey asked hopefully.

"Only if I don't," Severus warned as they started for home.