CHAPTER II

"Sweet Fancy Moses!"

"My car or yours?"

"Mine"

Fudge had answered just after seeing the not-so-reliable car of Arthur Weasley, which clearly seemed to be falling apart. Scratched from head to tail, the old Datsun seemed to have gone through a lot of rides, and one of its doors seemed to crumble as Arthur put his hand on it.

"Have it your way, then" replied Weasley, smiling.

Fudge looked up inside his pockets to find his key. He pressed the button on it, and the alarm of his BMW went off with a low beep. Arthur and the Minister slided into the gaudy car and soon, Fudge was driving with absolutely no idea regarding the place he was being taken to.

"To your left, now, Minister" said Arthur, just a second before the reached the corner, so Fudge had to make a terrible maneuver not to lose the trail.

And Arthur continued to guide the Minister, almost killing themselves in the process, until ther arrived to a place Fudge never thought about: The Leaky Caldron. Something was different about it, though. Instead of the dust-covered sign on the door, the was a neon flashing one, that had the name of the place. Another name, as Fudge noticed just a second later.

"The Kinky Caldron?"

Arthur smiled faintly.

"Just wait a bit, Minister"

Cars were parked all along the street, and there was almost no parking places at all. A woman in a velvet scarf twisted around her body got off one car, and a man with a vulture stuffed on his had, got off another.

"The way I see it, Arthur, the Leaky Caldron is a Night-Club at... at night" Fudge said, scowling. "This is highly... how long has it been this way?"

"Er... dunno, Minister"

Fudge tutted.

"I feel there is something you are not telling me, Weasley"

Without saying further words, Arthur got off the car and the nex thing Fudge knew was that Arthur had opened his door.

"There, Minister" Arthut said, briskly. "The Kinky Caldron is the best place to... er... relax. It´s almost nine, you don´t wat to miss the star´s performance!"

"How many times have you come here?"

"This is the... er... second time, Minister"

Unwillingly, Fudge let Arthur drag him out of the car, and they stepped into the entrance of the place, where the hunchback of Notredame (oopsss... wrong tale!), a hunchback received them with a smile.

"Master Weasley! So good to see you here again!" cheered Tom. "The usual place, I presume?"

Fudge looke at Arthur in a suspicios way.

"Second time, my ass--stonishing place!"

Tom had opened the door, and Fudge was now, his jaws dropped, looking into a place lit by neon lights, and waitresses with tiny black dresses, carrying trays containing cigars, candy-bars... etc.

He and Arthur were taken to a table next the scenario, and there they sitted. A wizard with a long beard rised from a nearby table and went directly to them, seizing Arthur´s hand.

"The new star you hired is amazing, Master Weasley!"

"Hired? ALBUS! What the heck...?"

The Wizard, Albus Dumbledore, smiled.

"Hi there, Cornelius!" he said happily.

"No wonder why you haven´t been aswering my owls" replied Cornelius, angrily. "Make sure Minerva doesn´t find out about this..."

Albus´s face paled straight away.

"Dear Lord, she´d kill me!" he exclaimed. "I just hope she, and everybody else, keep believing that you summon me to London every night, Cornelius, because you are unable to manage everything. Hope you don´t mind!"

"Nice one, Dumbledore"

"By the way, didn´t you know that our dear friend Arthur here is the owner of the Kinky Caldron?

Arthur lowered his profile a little bit.

"Nobody needs to know..."

Albus patted Arthur a bit hard on the shoulders, which made Weasley almost crash against the table.

"There, there, Arthur! Do not be so modest!"

Fudge snorted.

"And your family is living in a... burrow, while you are a millionare owner of a Night-Club. Not registered, by the way"

"I am in the process..."

But Arthur did not finish the sentences, for a loud music began. It was nine o´clock. Lights flashed, and a blond singer appeared in the scenario. Barry Manilow.

Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl...

And then, a woman short hair, toad-like face and a velvet blue cardigan, locked in a cage above the scenario, began to sing and dance. Then, she drew her back to them, and made a reverence...

Fudge´s eyes were about to drop.

"Sweet fancy Moses!"

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So it seems that our dearest Arthur has a business nobody knows about! Will Molly and Minerva ever know what their couples do at night? Will Fudge die because of a heart-attack? Who is the misterious woman in the blue cardigan? Leave a nice review and you´ll know soon!