The Search Is Over,
Chapter 95, A Meeting of the Magics
"We brought pillows," Blaise told Kreacher.
"Bramble picked them up yesterday while doing the weekly shopping. We have six so if we ruin a few in the attempt we still have plenty to get it right. I figure we'll decide how much to sell them for depending on how difficult they are to make."
As he spoke, Blaise gestured to an ornate ebony trunk on the floor beside the door of the library. Kreacher presumed it held the pillows in question.
Nodding,, he pointed to the large square mahogany reading table in the center of the room.
"Kreacher thinks we should sit there, then the pillow we are working on can be in the center of the table where we all have easy access. Kreacher also brought some pillows down from the attic, so if Blaise and Gellert like, we can begin with those, and save the new ones for when we have perfected the product."
Gellert smiled as Blaise nodded.
"Grand thinking," Gellert praised.
Flashing a quick pleased grin, Kreacher reached under the table and drew out a large burlap sack from which he removed three pillows. They were large and looked soft and comfortable.
Being told that he had good thinking by any other great wizard other than Regulus was still rather exciting, and he didn't bother straining himself to hide that fact.
They settled themselves into three of the four chairs that surrounded the table and Kreacher neatly stacked two of the three pillows in the fourth chair. The third, he placed in the center of the table.
"How does the enchantment process work for Blaise and Gellert," Kreacher asked.
He was curious to know their methods before beginning as it would likely be helpful when combining his own ideas.
"Somewhat differently for each item, depending on the sort of enchantment we're placing in it. The manner in which we layer or connect the various charms can differ depending on the function we're after," Blaise explained and Kreacher nodded.
"Just as Kreacher expected."
"Did you have ideas of how to start," Blaise asked the elf, gesturing at the pillow.
It was Kreacher's idea after all.
"Kreacher has a few, but he'd prefer to see what Blaise would do first, then he can add to it," Kreacher decided.
"He has never enchanted anything with a wizard, not even Master Regulus, so he feels he will do better if he has something to work off first. It will give him a feel for the direction of the magic."
Blaise nodded and thoughtfully drew the pillow toward him as Kreacher and Gellert watched on.
"I feel the charms should be placed or rather layered quite deeply into the fabric of the pillow so that it runs throughout the entire thing, stuffing and all. Being a time release sort of spell, that feels right to me if no one objects."
When Gellert and Kreacher nodded, he continued.
"I will layer the number of hours using a clock for reference. The hours themselves are one enchantment, but they are empty hours," he explained.
"They could be filled with anything. It just so happens we shall be filling them with sleep.
As he spoke, Blaise drew what looked to be a nearly black smoky quartz wand from a pocket in his dark slacks. Kreacher could tell that the wand was one of Mag's creations even though it looked quite different from the others he'd seen her make. Where Severus's, Regulus's and even her own had multiple stones set in silver that bonded them together, Blaise's was one solid cylindrical wand of black crystal with no metal or silver added.
Gellert and Kreacher watched as he used it to cause an image of a clock with eight hours to appear on the surface of the pillow.
"I think rather than the twelve hours, we should just leave the number of hours we're actually using," he explained.
"We could work with the entire twelve, and just enlarge and enhance the eight, but working with the eight alone just feels better to me."
Kreacher nodded.
"A lot of good magic is done on instinct alone, so Blaise should always go with his," the elf advised.
"Not to mention not adding hours we aren't using ensures no one can tamper with our spell later and cause someone to over sleep," Gellert said, lips twitching.
It was likely the sort of prank Gellert could pull himself, Kreacher silently speculated. Such a mind would prove useful in preventing anyone from tampering with their work.
"Now I shall reproduce the image until it has gone throughout the entire pillow," Blaise explained.
He flicked his wand at the pillow, continuing to cast the image of the clock until it seemed an entire stack of clock images sat atop the pillow. Next he used compression charms until the layers of clocks began to sink into the fabric. He repeated the process twice more before he was satisfied that his clock image had saturated every layer of fabric in the pillow. He then pushed it toward Kreacher who gave a nod of approval at the work done thus far.
Kreacher was honored to have been given his turn even before the great Grindelwald. Leaning forward, he caught his lower lip between his teeth as he thought. What was needed next was a connecting charm. This was rather simple in itself, but when connecting two different brands of magic, in this case that of wizards and elves, care should be taken to fill in any magical gaps left by such a combination. A shimmer of magic hung over the pillow, and only two thirds sank into it with one layer remaining on the pillow's surface.
"This connects the sleeper's mind to the pillow when their head touches it," Kreacher explained, smiling in satisfaction at the result of his work.
The magic was smooth with no visible cracks.
"The final layer remains on the surface because the head of the sleeper touches that part."
"Brilliant," Blaise praised, gaze mesmerized by the visible and nearly potion like way elf and wizard magic appeared when blended.
The untrained eye, meaning the eye of anyone who didn't have a gift for enchanting, wouldn't notice, but Kreacher, Gellert and Blaise could easily make out the two different forms of magic like intricate swirling patterns.
Taking his turn, Gellert reached for the pillow and covered it in a powerful gray warding shield. Like Kreacher's had earlier, two thirds of it sank into the pillow leaving the final layer on the pillow's surface.
"A ward to keep the sleeper's mind from being disturbed," he explained.
"Due to the fact auditory disturbances could come from the outside, I left the final layer on the surface."
Feeling that the process was finally ready for the particular talent of his that had given him the idea in the first place, Kreacher reached for the pillow again. The spell he cast surrounded the pillow in a soothing blue light that sank completely into the fabric.
"A sleep charm," Kreacher explained.
"Elves can do sleep charms," Gellert asked, and at once had the grace to look embarrassed for the unnecessary question.
Obviously they could because Kreacher just had.
"Yes. Wizards must rely on potions for sleep aid but not elves," Kreacher said proudly.
"It is a gentle touch on the part of the brain that governs sleep," he explained, knowing the other two would appreciate understanding exactly how the process worked.
"Kreacher must admit to using that on Master Sirius when he was a baby. He was a horrid little thing and screamed all the time. Kreacher was young and perhaps impatient, but Master Sirius could test the patience of the kindest saint, Kreacher swears it! As sleep charms are a skill at which Kreacher is particularly adept, he thought to use them for this project with Blaise and Gellert. He thought offering something that wizards cannot so easily manage would show his proper value."
"Indeed," Gellert agreed, nodding.
Reaching for the pillow again, Blaise worked a connecting charm that linked everything they'd done to the pillow itself. That completed the process and their first sleep pillow was done! The entire process to make the first pillow took around three hours. When they moved to the second pillow, their progress was a little faster because the three now had an exact feel for what they were doing. They finished it in two and a half hours. Kreacher suggested they break for a late lunch then, and led them into the dining room.
"Kreacher made a stew last night and there is plenty left," he said.
"Thank you," Blaise told him warmly, and with a shy smile the elf hurried away. He returned soon with three bowls of stew and three warm wedges of bread that were packed with seeds and nuts for strength and productivity for the mind. There were hot cups of black tea with honey to drink as well, which Kreacher felt soothed the system for proper digestion. As everyone had worked up quite an appetite, they ate mostly in companionable silence, their attention mainly on the food before them.
"Kreacher is a very good cook," Gellert complimented when they'd all finished eating.
"Kreacher thanks Gellert. He is glad he and Blaise enjoyed lunch."
He could tell they had from the way they'd devoured every single crumb with evident pleasure. Of course Kreacher was aware that he was the best cook there ever was, but the shared awareness of others was always pleasant. He made short work of clearing the table and the three returned to the library. They made their next pillow in an hour! It seemed the more they worked the charms the faster the process got. An hour seemed to be the final speed for producing one pillow, though, because the final two weren't finished any faster. Considering the complexity of the magic involved, Kreacher was satisfied, feeling an hour was reasonable.
"These we could make a lot of," Blaise said eagerly.
"They could be a shop staple. Something we always carry along with our more rare items. We'll price them between expensive and affordable. This will mean a lot will sell so we'll make a lot of money."
"Something more basic and useful like these pillows will bring more people into the shop as well, making them aware of it," Kreacher added.
Gellert nodded.
"Those who buy them are sure to tell their friends as well. I think we should have a lot of these made up before the shop opens. We'll give Kereston one to try tonight and see what she thinks," he suggested.
Blaise and Kreacher nodded.
"We can meet tomorrow to make more," Kreacher said eagerly.
"He will try out a pillow for himself even though it means he shall have to retire to bed two hours earlier than usual," he decided regretfully.
"He usually stays up until sunrise with Master Regulus, but he would like to sample his own work in this."
"That sounds great," Blaise said, giving the elf a smile.
"Thank you for working with us, Kreacher. It's been truly fascinating, and I've enjoyed it immensely."
Gellert nodded.
"Same. And that bread was amazing," he added with a grin.
"You're going to make a brilliant business partner...I feel it way deep down in my bank account."
The elf smiled, feeling himself practically glowing with pride. It felt grand being treated like an equal. Of course from Regulus it always meant the most, but somehow the more people who treated him like one of them, the more he liked it.
"Kreacher is glad," he said sincerely.
"Kreacher enjoyed it as well, and he will enjoy the opportunity to add to the Black family fortune with his earnings."
Having his name on half of the family fortune felt humblingly pleasant, but adding to it made him somehow feel more worthy of calling it his.
"Won't you get to keep the money for yourself," Blaise asked, a look of surprised concern on his face that Kreacher found touching.
"Oh yes," Kreacher assured hastily.
"Master Regulus has put Kreacher's name on the Gringotts account. He was always allowed to use it for necessities, but now, he can do anything he likes. He owns half of everything, and he is free. Of course Master Regulus always intended this, only he left before he had legal rights the first time," he said, gaze dropping as his face fell a little at the memory of past sorrows.
"Speaking of Regulus, we should go now so that you'll be free when he wakes," Blaise told the elf, and Kreacher gave him a grateful smile.
"Is it Alright if I leave the trunk of pillows here," Blaise asked and Kreacher nodded.
"Of course."
When Blaise and Gellert departed, he still had a few minutes to spare before Regulus woke.
Still pleasantly wired from the stimulating effort of using magic all day, he used the energy to prepare a dinner for he and Kereston for that night as well as a lunch for tomorrow. He was just finishing up in the kitchen when he felt the presence of Regulus behind him. Turning, Kreacher felt his heart quicken at the sight of those beautiful eyes, the way it always did. With some inarticulate sound, he reached out to draw Regulus close. He still had energy and as it turned out, his body had ideas concerning just what to do with it.
"Did it go well," Regulus asked eagerly.
"Yes," Kreacher replied with an excited smile.
"And as soon as Kreacher wishes Master Regulus a proper good evening, he shall tell him all about it."
Though he was eager to do just that and to get Regulus's impressions on how the pillows looked with their unique combination of magic woven throughout, Kreacher currently had a more pressing need. As Regulus's arms came around him, the elf apparated them upstairs.