Disclaimer: Some is mine, most isn't.
Chapter 8: GreetingsThe days following passed quickly, and Harry found himself looking more and more forward to the meeting with his new employees.
When Monday the 12th rolled around, Harry was surprised at his own eagerness.
"Mr. Potter, please hold still!"
Madam Pomfrey was checking Harry over to make sure he was able to leave the school.
"Poppy, I'm fine!" Harry groaned, "I've survived the past week, haven't I? I'm going to be fine! And there will be people with me too"
"Of course, Harry dear"But the matron was still waving her wand in complicated patterns.
Harry gave up. He instead let his mind wander over the happenings of the last few days.
He had sent letters to all of the workers, telling them to meet at the Leaky Cauldron on Monday at 5 o'clock. The replies had come back quickly, all agreeing. Harry had not sent that same time to Vesica Bacchatio, however. He had instead written to her and told her that any time would be fine and she could choose when and where to meet. She wrote back within a day saying that she would be in Diagon Alley on Tuesday, July 13th. Harry agreed and they decided to meet at the Ice Cream Parlour.
"All done"
Madam Pomfrey put down her wand and picked up a pile of clothing.
She handed it to Harry saying, "From Kingsley Shacklebolt"
He grinned, and told her to leave so that he could get changed.
Harry found that the ensemble consisted of black formal robes that billowed out as he walked, making him look very intimidating (So this is how Snape makes everyone scared, he thought as he walked around in them) and a pair of black shoes.
Harry had begun to greatly dislike wearing glasses. So twice a day he would wave a hand over his face and say, "Focus." But he was getting irritated with having to re-cast the spell so often. This afternoon he decided to try something different. Instead of saying "Focus" he chose to say "Repair" When everything shifted into view, Harry decided that it had worked.
He called a "Bye Poppy!" and left for the entrance hall.
As he came down the marble steps, Harry noticed that there were a lot of people waiting for him.
He counted them silently. Fifteen . . . he thought, are they all coming?
There was Dumbledore, McGonagall, Mundungus Fletcher, Snape, Tonks, Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Lupin, Professor Flitwick, Bruce Atnick, Mrs Figg, and four men Harry didn't know.
Bruce noticed him first.
"Harry's here" he said simply.
Everybody turned to face the staircase.
"You're wearing the clothes I got you! You look dapper, kid," exclaimed Kingsley.
Everyone laughed, except for Tonks, who was muttering, "Looks bloody gorgeous to me"
That made everybody laugh even more.
"So who's coming with me?" asked Harry, more serious than the rest.
McGonagall stepped forward and said, "All of us, excluding Albus, but not as we appear right now. We are all going to appear as your employees. Some as bodyguards, a few as advisors, one as your driver, et cetera."
"Who's who, then?" Harry asked, taking the information better than the others had imagined he would.
"Kingsley, Bruce, Nathan, Rico, Lance, and Ralph are going to be your bodyguards. I am coming as a cat, sitting next to you."
Albus interrupted her, saying, "Harry, I want you to call her 'Minnie.' This is because you will not be calling a cat 'Professor McGonagall'"
McGonagall scowled.
"As I was saying, Harry, I am your cat. Arabella and Mundungus will not be with you, per se. They will come in a bit after the rest of us and they will take a table outside the room we go into. Severus and Tonks will be your advisors. Filius and Remus will be at the back of the room near Moody under invisibility cloaks. Moody will be standing at the back writing down everything that is said. That is everybody."
Harry laughed. "So I'm going to have six bodyguards, a cat, and two advisors with me?"
"Yes Harry"
"Then who is going to drive?"
McGonagall looked around. "Rico"
"How are we getting there? I mean . . . we can't drive the whole way"
"We are taking a Portkey Lift to London then driving the rest of the way" McGonagall explained.
The explanation didn't help Harry the slightest. "A Portkey Lift?"
"Yes. They are a large and invisible. They have to be authorized by the Minister for Magic himself. You sit in them, flick a switch, wait ten seconds, and when you get out you are at the desired arrival location"
"Okay then. Let's go"
Harry turned to the front doors and was about to open them when Dumbledore spoke up.
"Harry, please wait a minute. We need to make everyone appear as they would. It might take a little while"
Harry turned around and waved his hand at the assembled gathering of withes and wizards, said "Disguise!" and turned back to the front doors.
As he opened them, he turned back to look at his handiwork.
Kingsley, Bruce, Nathan, Rico, Lance, and Ralph were all wearing black robes that despite the loose cut, showed their large muscles. They also all had their hair modified (except for Kingsley, who was still bald) so that the cuts were identical. Mrs Figg and Mundungus were wearing regular robes – Mrs Figg's a dark grey and Mundungus' a brown. Mrs Figg's hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and Mundungus' posture was more proper. He also had lost the scent of Whiskey and looked properly groomed. Snape and Tonks were both wearing clean-cut dark grey robes. Snape's hair was short and had lost its greasy appearance – he was unrecognizable. Tonks' hair was a blonde color, reaching to just past her chin and she had become a few inches taller. Professor Flitwick and Lupin were each holding an invisibility cloak. They were wearing simple black robes that, if the cloak shifted and exposed a part of them, would not be as noticeable as a bright color. Moody had gone through the most drastic change. His skin, once wrinkled and scarred, was smooth and unblemished. His magical eye was nonexistent and so was his wooden leg. He was dressed in navy robes that hung loosely on his frame.
"Potter! What did you do to us?" he asked, his voice no longer rough.
"I disguised you," stated Harry, with the air of a person stating the obvious.
Everybody laughed, but then Lance pointed at Moody and exclaimed, "Moody, where's your eye?"
Moody looked puzzled.
"It's in the socket, you doorknob! Where else would it be?"
Eyes all turned to Harry, who explained, "It's still there, but it doesn't look like it is"
Dumbledore walked up to Harry.
"Harry," he said seriously, "What did you just use to change everybody's appearances?"
Harry shrugged.
"It's simple, really. All I do is wave at whatever it is, and then I say what I want to happen. So for example, " he stepped away from the Headmaster and pointed to himself "Float!" he commanded.
Harry started to lift off the ground, and stopped rising when he was about a foot up.
He pointed at himself again and said, "Land"
He did.
- - -
"So," Harry said, feeling awkward "Let's get going. I don't want to be late"
He turned, threw open the front doors, and walked out, robes billowing out behind him. He only paused a moment to say, "Direction!"
A line of blue smoke appeared in mid-air in front of Harry, and he followed it towards the Quidditch pitch.
"Well that was unexpected," announced Snape as soon as Harry had disappeared around the corner of the nearest tower.
Dumbledore sighed. "It was indeed, Severus. I suppose you should all follow him. You should not be late"
Ten minutes later, the group of fifteen was seated in what looked like mid-air. When the fourteen older occupants had first entered the Quidditch pitch, they had noticed that Harry was sitting down on an invisible seat about half way down the pitch.
"Come on in" he said pleasantly, when he saw them approaching, "The entrance is over there" Harry pointed in the direction of the Quidditch changing rooms.
"Er . . ."
Harry chuckled, observing their hesitance.
"Direction!" he barked, and a blue line appeared, curving from Harry to the group. "If you follow it you will end up inside the Portkey Lift"
They did as he said and soon everybody was seated comfortably inside the Lift.
Harry decided to take control. "Switch!"
There was a slight vibration that seemed to engulf the Lift, and a slight swaying sensation. The Quidditch pitch disappeared from view and was replaced by a swirling black mist. But after a few seconds there was a 'thump' and the vibration stopped. A sunny street appeared – cheerful, yet empty.
A voice spoke inside the Lift, ringing slightly, "You have reached the set destination. Please stand. The Portkey Lift will disintegrate in ten seconds"
There was a sudden shuffling as everybody stood, not wanting to end up on the ground.
Indeed, in about ten seconds, there was a rumbling and a warm breeze hit the wizards, showing that the barrier had disappeared.
"I see the car," said Rico gruffly, breaking the silence.
Everybody looked to where he was pointing, and there, gleaming in the sunlight, was a shiny new black limousine.
"Are we trying to impress anyone?" Harry joked, "Because its impressing me, and I'm supposed to be doing the impressing"
But McGonagall, ever punctual, interrupted the chuckling and said, "Mr Potter, you will sit in the back, surrounded by your bodyguards, not including Rico, who shall be driving. Arabella, Mundungus, you will follow in that other car" she indicated a white Nissan parked behind the limousine. "Filius, Remus, you will be sitting in the empty seat where Rico would sit if he needn't drive. It might be a tight fit, yet I believe you can manage it. Moody, you will sit in the back opposite Harry, between Severus and Tonks, who will be on either side of you. I will be on the floor in my other form. We will discuss false identities during the drive."
The group split – Mrs Figg and Mundungus into one car, the rest into the other.
During the drive, it was decided that everybody would call Harry Mr Potter; Rico, Lance, Ralph, Kingsley, Nathan and Bruce would be referred to as Richard, Lawrence, Rick, Kent, Nicolas, and Burt; Moody would be Alexander; Snape would be Sean; Tonks would be called Dora; and Professor McGonagall, of course, would be known as Minnie. Flitwick and Lupin didn't need names because they were not, hopefully, going to be seen.
When the limousine arrived in front of the leaky cauldron, Rico parked and dashed around the vehicle to Harry's door, acting his role perfectly. He opened the door and Harry stepped out, McGonagall trailing behind, followed by Snape, Tonks and Moody. Meanwhile, the rest of the bodyguards were letting Lupin and Flitwick out the door on the other side.
Once he was out of the car, Harry's six bodyguards quickly surrounded him. His entrance into the Leaky Cauldron was large, and drew the attention of everyone in the pub.
First Lance, Ralph and Kingsley entered, drawing their wands as they passed through the doors. Harry came next, looking both rich and intimidating with his expensive roves billowing out behind him. Professor McGonagall, as a cat, was directly behind him. Then came Bruce, Rico and Nathan, drawing their wands too. Snape, Tonks and Moody followed them, talking amongst them selves, as Flitwick and Lupin slipped in, invisible.
When Tom the barman looked up and saw Harry standing there surrounded by bodyguards, he said happily, "Mr Potter! How pleasant to see you! What would you like today?"
Harry drew himself up to his full height, "A private room, Tom, and make it large. I'm holing a business conference here at five o'clock, and I do not want to be crowded"
Tom bowed, "Of course Mr Potter. How many will it need to fit?"
"Fifteen, with space to move around"
"Just one moment, Mr Potter, I need to check the rooms"
Just as Tom started to slouch away, Harry stopped him, using his authority, "I do not have time to wait, Tom. I have five well-known designers coming that will be here within the hour. I need the room now"
"Y . . . yes Mr Potter, of . . . of course. I wouldn't want to hold you up now, would I? No . . . no. But do you have time to wait while I make the room spotless?"
Tom sounded very anxious.
Harry sighed. "Yes Tom. I suppose I will have to. I can't be getting these new robes filthy."
He walked towards the nearest barstool, began to sit down, and then stopped.
"Burt, clean the stool" Harry commanded "and the rest of you," he said, referring to his other bodyguards "Spread out. Make sure every part of the room is being watched."
They did as they were told and Harry sat down on the newly cleaned stool, Bruce at his side. Snape, Tonks and Moody were still all chatting.
"Bruce," Harry murmured after awhile, "how come there are still people staring at me, even after ten minutes?"
"You're rich, famous, an idol of the Wizarding world, especially after what happened at the Ministry" Bruce replied, equally quiet.
"Oh. Well, can't I tell them to stop watching me?"
Bruce chuckled. "No, Harry. Even if you could, they wouldn't listen. But you are supposed to look like you are enjoying attention, remember?"
"Oh yeah. Well I'll start now"
Harry cleared his throat. "Tom!"
The barman appeared a few seconds later. "You want something, sir?"
"I want the room. I need to have the room checked before I can settle into it, and that has to be done before anyone comes"
"Yes sir. Right this way. I was just about finished"
"Men!" Harry ordered his bodyguards back to his side, and he was instantly surrounded.
The room was large, with a table made of a dark wood in the center. It was a circular table, surrounded by chairs.
"Sixteen chairs" announced Tom "Just in case "
"Thank you Tom. Burt, accompany Tom out and wait there for our guests"
Bruce nodded curtly and followed Tom back to the main room.
"Check the room for everything. I don't want any hidden cameras, spells, jinxes, or anything that might endanger Carus, Viola, Tela, Miles or Cesso"
Harry sat himself down in the largest, most comfortable chair, and leaned back, his eyes closed. He could hear his five remaining bodyguards walking around the room, searching for anything that could possibly be dangerous. Every once and awhile there was a muttering as a spell was cast, confirming that things were safe, but other than that, things were fairly silent.
"Mr Po'er?" Rico interrupted Harry's non-existent thoughts.
"Yes Richard?" replied Harry, staying true to his character in case someone was listening.
"I tink we a found some'ing here"
Harry sat up in his seat. "Pardon Richard?"
"I said I tink we a found some'ing here"
Harry got out of the large chair and walked over to where Rico and Ralph were crouching by the wall.
"What is it?" he said almost lazily.
"A bug. S'more like a bee'le"
"Move aside, men. And leave the room. If my guests get here, tell them I will be with them in a minute"
Both men nodded and left the room, with Lance, Kingsley and Nathan following. As soon as the door was firmly shut, he turned back to the beetle, which was backing into the corner.
"'Lo Rita" With a movement so quick it was almost unnoticeable Harry drew his wand and pointed it at the bug. "I think you should change back before I do it for you"
There was a pop and Rita Skeeter appeared crouched in the corner.
"Hello Harry" she said, "It is so nice to see you" She stood and straightened her robes with a brush of her heavily polished hand. "You wouldn't want to give a statement about your plans, now, would you?" At Harry's glare, Rita continued, "No? Well I didn't think you would, to tell the truth, but now is as good a time as any"
"Rita. I am not giving you an interview right now" Harry's tone of voice was stern, and he could see Rita starting to recoil, so he changed his voice to be more gentle. "Yes. Good girl, darling. Now you go back home and owl me later about a good time for an interview. I promise I will give you one if, and only if, you write exactly what I say"
Rita nodded meekly. "I will do that then. Good day" With that she disappeared.
Harry shook his head, chuckling. He called his men back in and they continued with the examination of the room.
- - -
At exactly five o'clock the door opened and Bruce came in, followed by five adults.
Harry stood to greet them, extending his right hand.
"Mr. Potter" the first man said. He was tall and muscular, with sandy brown hair and typical brown eyes. "Cesso Magus. Pleased to meet you"
"Good day, Cesso" replied Harry, tilting his head slightly "Pleased you could make it"
The next adult was a woman; short, at about five foot four with short black hair and brown eyes. "Viola Opaco" she said simply "How d'you do?"
"I'm doing fine, Viola. And you?"
"Wonderful"
"That's nice"
The man who shook Harry's hand next was a tall yet sturdy man with dark curls and equally dark eyes.
"Carus Nota, I assume?"
"Yes, sir"
"Well it is a pleasure" Harry smiled.
"I'm sure"
Carus walked past Harry and sat down in a chair at the table.
Harry decided to ignore this and held out his hand to greet the next man, who could only be Miles Veno.
The last person to greet was a tall redhead with blue eyes.
When Harry went to hold out his hand to her, she pulled him into a hug and said, "Nice to meet you Harry"
Harry was slightly ruffled and as soon as he was released he glanced at Kingsley, who pointed his wand and all wrinkles were smoothed and Harry felt tidy again.
"Well make yourselves comfortable. I am predicting that we will be here awhile"
And with that, they all began what was to be the longest meeting of their lives.