Manure and Moonshine
After spinning for what seemed like an eternity, Brandt, Harry, Lyra, and Whispers landed at the international arrivals room of the Ministry of Magic in London. Whispers immediately jumped away as Harry and Lyra rolled on the floor. Brandt managed to stay on his feet but spun around on his feet several times before he managed to stop himself and reached his hands out to balance himself.
No one vomited this time.
"Welcome back," Alastor Moody said from the side of the room. He was accompanied by an Asian woman with a tattoo of a dragon along the side of her neck.
Whispers approached the woman and sniffed her before saying, "Tonks, tonks, tonks."
"Drat," Tonks said. "I assumed Lyra could tell it was me, but I guess I smell like me too. I don't know how I can change that."
"We'll work on it," Moody said. "We'll borrow some crups from the DRCMC, and add them to your training. If it's a hole in your disguise, we'll need to patch it up."
Harry approached the old Auror, "Hey Alastor."
"Good to see you, Mr. Potter. How's the family?"
"Everyone is well. It was good to be back."
Tonks looked back and forth, so Moody knew about Harry's mysterious family? She hoped that one day she would be let in on the secret too, but knew that until then, pushing would not end well for her. She went over with Whispers to help Lyra get her bearings.
The group started to move towards a fireplace on the far wall, but Moody stayed in his place.
"You're not coming with us?" Harry asked.
"I'm not a fan of Black properties, after last time," Alastor gave a death glare at Brandt who shivered a bit under his gaze. "I will be staying nearby. I have already scouted the area and set up security wards outside of the property."
Brandt took a steadying breath before saying, "We will be going to Abbott's tea house tomorrow, then the children will be returning to school."
Then without waiting for Alastor's acknowledgment, threw a large handful of powder in the fire, and called out "Elmswood Lodge!" as the green flames swallowed them up.
When they arrived, Opal was there waiting and performed some kind of magic to suspend Harry and Whispers in mid-air, so they didn't fall after being spat out of the fireplace.
Lyra looked around and yawned. Then shivered a bit and started to run for her room to find some warmer clothes. Harry and Whispers were right behind her after a moment, leaving Brandt and Tonks alone in the entrance hall.
"I want to thank you for agreeing to assist me with the children, and particularly Lyra," Brandt told Tonks. "I had a contract ready for the other woman, Madam Flores, and while she would have done an adequate job, I wasn't looking forward to how Lyra was going to get along with an unknown older woman."
Tonks smiled, "I like Lyra, she's got a lot of potential. I'm sure you and your boss have figured out all my reasons for taking the job, even though I accepted it to make sure she's safe from her father. I want to also make sure she's safe from everyone else."
She gave him a very pointed look as he responded, "I understand that perfectly. I wish both of them only the best for their futures. Speaking of which, I need to go do some things for them right now, please look after them and I will be back before midnight, I hope. Don't let them go to sleep until after 10 p.m. and Opal can provide you with 8-hour doses of dreamless sleep potions for them. We have been overseas and they need to be readjusted to the current time zone."
"Where have you been?" Tonks asked, testing the waters.
"We've been where they grew up, their home," Brandt said with purposeful vagueness. "Stick around for long enough and you might be able to learn where. I can tell you with very little doubt, it is as magical, if not more so than Hogwarts."
That shocked Tonks, and as she tried to figure out where in Narnia they could have been, Brandt called for Opal to bring him a trunk and a half dose of Pepperup potion, which he quickly downed, and caused smoke to come out of his ears.
He looked to her for anything else, and when she was still silent; he picked up the trunk, threw some floo powder into the fire, and called out, "Gringotts!" before vanishing.
Brandt stepped out of the fireplace into the main hall of Gringotts, but that was not his actual destination. He strolled straight out of the bank, towing the trunk behind him. It was just after sunset, and the lamps along the street had just come on, with plenty of people still roaming the streets before dinner time. Going just a few blocks, he turned down Knockturn Alley and passed by The King's Armory to go further down the twisted street.
Knockturn Alley started off looking reputable, with the same cobblestone street as the rest of Diagon, and buildings with polished nameplates and numbers, but after just a two minutes walk, that changed. It changed into broken stones, dirty windows, and storefronts that had no visible purpose to them. A few could be recognized as pubs or brothels if you knew what you were looking for, and if you didn't know what you were looking for the residents could pick up on that in a moment.
Brandt walked with purpose past vagrants, hags, prostitutes, and thugs. None of them approached him, for two reasons; the first being that he obviously had a purpose there, he wasn't a drunk who had stumbled down the wrong road or a teenager looking for illegal goods; the other being that there was the coat of arms belonging to the Black Family stamped on the top of the trunk he was pulling. Even if one person would try to make a move on him, others would stop them to keep Lord Black or other enforcers from paying a visit to the alley.
Finally arriving at his destination, a shop that had a surprisingly welcoming front display, filled with luxurious clothing, all on mannequins that looked like they were different bipedal magical creatures underneath the garments. Written on the glass was, "The Dapper Bazaar."
Brandt entered and walked to the back, past many articles of clothing on racks, to a middle-aged man and a woman going through a large ledger, and counting money. He waited patiently for them to acknowledge him.
The man continued counting money as the lady looked up, and said, "Steward, how may I help you today? Buying or selling?"
"Appraising, actually," He reached into his coat and pulled out a scroll. "But first, I have a contract for you to sign," he unrolled it in front of the woman.
She waved a wand over it, which caused a series of silver runes around the border of the parchment to glow. She flipped it over and performed the same spell which revealed nothing.
"Just a betrayal notification? Nothing else?" she asked.
"Anything else will come after the betrayal. I have work for you, and I would be happy to trust you as I have done in the past, but for this, I need to know if either of you ever informs someone else about what I am bringing to you."
The man stopped counting the coins and closed the ledger, then took the contract and read through it. Then looked up at Brandt and said, "Straight-forward, no loopholes, how will you be paying for the appraisals?"
Brandt reached into his pocket and pulled out three gemstones. There was a ruby and an emerald each about the size of a grape and a diamond cut into a rounded triangle, about half the size of the others. The woman took them from him and inspected them before passing them to the man who dropped them into a drawer behind him. He took out a black quill and signed the contract, passed it to the woman who signed it as well, then returned the scroll to Brandt.
Placing it back into his coat, he reached down to the trunk and pulled out a small wooden case, and placed it on the counter. Opening it up revealed nearly a dozen glass containers, sealed shut, shimmering with the signs of a preservation charm on all of them. They were all filled with various plant, animal, and dirt samples. He reached in and pulled out two of the containers, one was filled with the manure he had collected with Harry, and the other had in it small red crystals.
"These two are the most important, I am pretty sure I know what the manure is, and I have no idea what the crystals are."
He reached back into the trunk and pulled out five metal rods, six feet long each, and placed them on the counter. They had the numbers 1 through 6 written on them at the ends.
"These are core samples from an area around a volcano. #1 is closest to the surface and #6 is the lowest. I have no idea what you'll find with this, but I'm hoping it will be something interesting. Do as many tests as you can with this, from the most basic to the most bizarre and esoteric."
"Will there be any future business connected to these appraisals?" the woman asked.
"Most likely," Brandt responded. "I also require a photo developer who is working right now and can be trusted to be as discreet as the two of you."
"You'll be wanting to go to The Monarch," the woman said.
"The brothel?" Brandt asked, surprised.
"They employ a girl there who goes by the name of Serenity. She cannot see and is often asked to develop photos in addition to her other responsibilities. I would imagine she does more photo work than anything else, as the benefits of having someone who can never reveal what they develop is quite valuable."
After considering it for a moment, he asked, "May I use your changing room for a moment?" Getting a nod, he took the trunk and entered the room on the side of the establishment.
He wasn't going to a brothel looking like Steward Brandt of House Black, so he changed into a hooded robe with a face-concealing charm. Knowing that wouldn't be enough, he grew out a long beard that went down to the middle of his chest and a wide mustache over the top, twisting with several curls. Looking in the mirror, he made his eyebrows much bushier, then finally waved his wand to turn his black hair and beard a sandy blonde. Then he applied a shrinking charm on his trunk and stuffed it into his pocket. He hadn't done that before, as he wanted to make sure no extra magic interfered with the samples he was delivering.
With that completed, he pulled up the hood on his cloak and reentered The Dapper Bazaar. There was another customer meeting with the proprietors, and all the samples he had left with them had been tucked away and put out of sight. He gave a brief nod to them, which wasn't returned, and exited back into Knockturn Alley.
He only had a vague knowledge of where The Monarch was, so he just walked with purpose until he saw a building, a bit taller than those around it, with a butterfly on the front door. He approached it and knocked.
A small panel slid off at eye level, and someone asked gruffly, "What do you want?"
"I'm looking for some entertainment," Brandt responded, not knowing what else to ask for at a Brothel.
"Who sent you?" they challenged back.
"I was referred to you by someone at The Dapper Bazaar," he told the voice behind the door.
"Good enough," the panel slid shut and there was the sound of eight locks being undone before the door opened and revealed a short, but exceptionally strong-looking man holding a metal club.
"This way," he gestured down the hallway with the club.
As they walked down the hall, Brandt felt a series of diagnostic spells wash over him, and as he wasn't clubbed over the back of his head, he assumed that everything checked out. This was quite a bit of security for a simple brothel.
When they got to the end of the hall to another door, the bouncer ordered him, "Hood off."
Leaving no room for argument, Brandt pulled the hood down to reveal his changed features. The man nodded and opened the door.
He was led into an extremely elegant room, everything was upholstered in rich red leather and dark wood. There were dozens of men lounging around the room, most of them with drinks in one hand and more than half of them sitting with a scantily clad woman, chattering and laughing about whatever. Then he saw the reason for the security; there were at least two department heads from the Ministry and a few other recognizable businessmen being serviced here.
The bouncer noticed his gaze and gave him a nudge with his baton, "Go order yourself a drink."
Brandt turned away from the men entertaining themselves and walked over to the bar where he was greeted by a dark-haired woman, bartending in a strapless purple dress.
"What can I get you?" she asked while handing him a coaster.
Suddenly, one of Lord Black's lessons flashed back to him. During his education as a Steward, he had been taught many things about covert business dealings. Being the face of the Black family for the past few years as the Lord was dying, nearly all of his business negotiations only needed simple bribes and were done without the need for subterfuge. However, he still learned one particular lesson about how some establishments used drinks as code.
He could just ask the bartender to speak with Serenity, but he had never used this lesson before, so he racked his brain to try to remember the details of the lesson to see if he could do this properly. He was never good at the memory Palace teachings of occlumency and he would kill for the kind of recall that Harry Potter had, but he still was able to remember what to order and even threw in a bit of creativity to get his point across.
The first thing was he needed to turn down the coaster. A coaster under your drink meant that you were drinking for fun, not for business. Then he ordered, "I will have a screwdriver, with a small shot of moonshine on the side."
The bartender looked at him a bit strangely, but just said, "Have a seat, your drink will be out shortly."
Brandt walked over to an empty chair that had no others near it and sat down. The leather was enchanted to perfectly support his spine and feeling the armrests, he knew that a drink wouldn't tip over if it was placed on the rounded surface. He made a note to come back here sometime, if only to enjoy the rich environment or if he needed to provide entertainment for someone he was doing business with. A minute later, his drinks appeared on the table to his side, and he just left them there and waited.
Nearly ten minutes passed by before he was approached by a woman about his height, wearing a short black dress, leather boots, and a cowboy hat. She did a little spin in front of him, then surprised him by sitting down across his lap, and spoke in an accent from the American South, "My name is Lucille, I was told you were looking for an introduction?"
Brandt stared at the woman on his lap for a moment before looking at his drink order and chuckling. He chuckled a bit more before taking his wand off his wrist holster and casting a quick privacy charm around them.
"My apologies Lucille, I was trying to get an introduction to another colleague of yours, Serenity."
The girl looked at him funny, and then back to his drink, then laughed, as well, "Because too much moonshine makes you blind?" Brandt nodded, "Good try there, all you need is an umbrella for an introduction to a girl. Is this your first time?"
"At drinks, yes," he said to the blonde who was still draped across his lap. "Do you think you could provide the introduction?"
He performed a bit of muggle sleight of hand, that he had learned as a teenager, to make three galleons appear between his thumb and index finger, fanning them out.
Lucille took his hand and grasped the coins, then leaned over to whisper in his ear, "Follow me."
She stood up, still holding his hand, and pulled him to his feet, then towed him out of the room through a passageway with beads hanging from the ceiling. As he brushed by them, he could feel some kind of magic in them, security charms of some kind, he guessed. Halfway down the hallway, they came to a door, and Lucille knocked.
After a few moments, it was opened by a woman in a very form-fitting red velvet dress. However, unlike the other women in the main lounge, nothing was revealing about it. It had a high neck, long sleeves, and went down to her ankles. She was also wearing a lace mask that didn't have holes cut out for the eyes. Her auburn hair was tied back in a ponytail.
Lucille said to her, "Hey darling, the gentleman here was looking for an introduction. Instead of an umbrella, he tried to be specific with a shot of moonshine."
Serenity smiled a bit, "I can see where you might have gotten confused. Did you come straight down the hallway?" Hearing an affirmative from Lucille, she continued, "Thank you, I'll take it from here." Turning her head to Brandt, "Please come in, make yourself comfortable."
Brandt looked around the room. It was very dark, with little bits of light in the corners so he could see the layout. The woman here wouldn't need the light, so it must be for the benefit of the customers. There was a large couch, a small bar, a desk, and a coffee table. Two doors were leading further into the suite, but it wasn't obvious where they went; though he assumed one was a bedroom. There was also one of the high-back chairs from the lounge, so he settled into that.
Serenity walked over and laid down on the couch, stretching out like a cat, and saying with a purr, "So, what have you got in mind for me tonight?"
Brandt did find her attractive and spent a moment admiring her form before getting to the point, "I was informed you do discrete photo development."
"Oh, that," she sat back up. "How many pictures, and what kind of time frame are you looking at?" Before she sounded playful, but now she had an 'all business' tone to her voice.
"You're going to think I'm a bit nuts, but I have 226 rolls of film I need to be developed. I can't remember how many photos, as some rolls are magically enhanced to be close to 100, and some are muggle-make of 24 or 36. I have one roll that specifically needs to be done by 9 a.m. tomorrow, and the rest need to be done as soon as possible. I am prepared to pay for your full schedule until they are completed, and I can have a house-elf deliver the payment as you progress and pick up the finished product."
"Yeah, that is a bit nuts. I don't have enough development potion for all of that."
"How many firebird feathers would you need to have enough?" Brandt asked.
"Let me think," she seemed to be counting while touching her thumb to her fingers and adding up some kind of number in her head. "I would need approximately 216 inches of feathers. I assume you're asking because you have access to some."
"It seems that's always what people are short on, with the only phoenixes in the country belonging to the Daily Prophet and Albus Dumbledore."
Brandt pulled out his trunk and enlarged it to full size. He cast a diagnostic spell on the coffee table to find out it was four feet long and then started to take hoohoo feathers out of a sack and line them up on the table, end to end until he had done it four and a half times. He ended up finishing it up to five times.
"There are 240 inches of hoohoo feathers on the table. I'm not sure how it would affect you without sight, but when they are lit with a flame charm, they make those who see the fire feel happy and are provided with pleasant dreams as they burn off. There are enough extras here that you could sustain the effect for the next week nearly continuously if you needed to burn the rest immediately to make the potions." He waited a moment for her to absorb that before adding, "What will be the final cost for your services?"
"Without knowing the final number, I cannot tell you. I will provide a bill with your elf before the final delivery. Please summon them now so I can call it later."
"You don't do everything upfront?" Brandt asked, having assumed everything at a brothel would be paid ahead of time, or at the very least, in incremental payments.
"Even without your name, we can find you if you don't pay up. You also don't seem like the kind of man that would welch. And since you would prefer to take your photos to a discrete service, you won't get the final delivery without payment. So I'm sure enough that you'll come through. And if not, we do employ bloodhounds."
"Understood," Brandt said. Then he called out, "Opal!"
Opal popped in and said, "Yes St…"
"Silence Opal," he shushed her quickly. She immediately seemed to lose the capability to speak. "Please allow this woman to call you when needed. She will call you to deliver photos by breakfast tomorrow, and later she will call you with a bill for me, deliver it to my office at the manor and notify me immediately that it is there."
Opal quickly walked towards Serenity and held out her hand.
Brandt told her, "Please hold out your hand, Miss."
Serenity held out her right hand, nice and low for Opal to place hers on top, leaving a brief pink handprint, before it vanished.
Brandt told Opal, "Thank you, Opal, you may go now, and you may speak after you return."
Opal nodded and popped away.
"Please put all the film on the table, and I will deal with it." Brandt removed a large box of all the film he had used on the trip and placed it on the table, then removed one roll and placed it on top, informing her that that was to be developed tonight.
"You may go back to the lounge now. Please inform the bartender that I will be unavailable until I tell her otherwise. Your drinks should still be waiting for you there."
With that being said, she pulled a wand from her sleeve that was made of a willow branch, and swished it toward the table. The feathers jumped up and arranged themselves into a bundle with a pink bow tying itself around them. The box of film jumped up at the next swish and the two floated off into the next room with Serenity grabbing the falling individual out of the air and following them in.
Alone in the room, Brandt just walked out and back down the hall and out into the bar. He passed on the message to the bartender, and then asked for a coaster, returning with it to his spot from before, and sliding the coaster under his drink. After sitting there for a moment more, he picked up the screwdriver, still cold, and took a sip. It tasted like being fifteen years old again. That's why it was used as a code for introductions, as it was often a young person's introduction to drinking.
After a few more sips, Lucille came back over and draped herself across his lap again, "Done with Serenity already?"
"It was just business," Brandt responded.
"Sweetie, it's ALL just business here, but from the way you say it, you might have energy for a little more business?"
It took Brandt quite a bit of willpower not to take up the woman on her offer, even if it did cost him some gold, but he just responded, "Sorry, not tonight. I'm just finishing my drink."
She looked down at the drinks on the table, "Have you had moonshine before?" Brandt shook his head. "Try it," she challenged him.
Brandt picked up the shot and took a whiff, his eyes immediately widening at the strong alcohol smell. Then, to make sure he at least tried some of it, he took a large sip. His first thought, as he forced it down, was that his face probably looked like Harry's as he drank Pinocchio's Tincture for the first time. After he swallowed, he shut his eyes, stuck out his tongue, and shook his head.
"Good stuff, right?" Lucille asked him with a smile and a laugh. "Mind if I finish it off?"
Brandt gestured for her to have at it. He had maybe drunk a quarter of the shot and there was no way he was going to finish it. She just picked it up and downed it like it was fruit juice, then smiled, gave him a peck on the cheek, and got up to go somewhere else.
All Brandt could think of was, "Damn." So he finished the teenager's drink and left for his next stop of the night.
The fireplace spat him out into Black Manor, and he strolled through the house until he reached the Lord's study, and knocked on the door.
"Enter!" Arcturus called from inside.
Brandt entered the room to find Arcturus sitting at his enormous desk. The desk wasn't just large in length but had a wide top that you could almost have two people fighting on top of it. There were papers stacked around the room as well as numerous globes, flat maps, and various magical objects. Most of them were weapons or animal parts, specifically heads of animals with various types of teeth, probably because Arcturus liked to use his limited metamorph powers to mimic them.
"Welcome back Brandt," Arcturus said. He was looking much better than he was before. He looked strong and the color had returned to his hair. There was energy in his eyes, though one of the cracks that had been on his face before the party was still running from the corner of his right eye down to his jawline. Knowing it was obvious, Brandt said nothing about it as if the man wanted to talk about it, he would.
"It's good to be back, though it is a bit colder now."
"Well, let's get to the debriefing, we can start with Miss Tonks and the party before talking about the island. And the most important thing first… Did you win our wager?"
"No, I didn't, she didn't bring up our plotting until halfway through the evening. She settled negotiations I was having with Ackley Buttonwood about importing demiguise hair into the country while also coming up with a surprisingly cunning plan to fix the problem the ministry is always having with cauldron bottom thickness. She had two requests for repayment of the favor, one was to know our plots."
"And did she buy your response?"
"Well, they were the truth, so she didn't seem to object to them, though she had no desire to take up the Black name. Maybe if you disown Bellatrix and Sirius, she'd consider it."
"They're as good as, they just don't know it. They never stopped to think about what our family motto really meant. If it comes down to it, and we need the extra push, you're welcome to tell her about it. What was her other request?"
"She wants to use Elmswood as a crash pad, and throw a few parties there. I gave her a month pass and told her no parties until you approve."
"Let's see how she does with Lyra before allowing that. Do you have anything else to report from the party?"
"A few things. Miss Tonks has a friend who did Lyra's makeup for the party and did quite a good job. I want to speak with him about a business venture, completely from my trust vault."
"It's your money," Arcturus said with a shrug.
"Next, we met a man at the party named Henderson Drake, do you know him?"
"Accidental Magic Reversal, right?"
"He used to be," Brandt corrected, "He's DMAC now. He was the agent who was in charge of responses for the region of Greater London that included Harry's childhood home and dealt with the boy's accidental magic and hushing it up. He felt fine with discussing some of the incidents in public. Harry came very close to violence with him if I hadn't snapped him out of it."
"I'll speak with him," Arcturus said with a very dark undertone.
"Lord Abbott had The Whimsical Wands perform at the party. I arranged for possible elemental tutoring for Harry and Lyra from three of their troupe. Also provided introductions for the eldest Greengrass daughter to be given tutoring as well."
"Greengrass, huh? Do you think there's a possibility for an arrangement with Mr. Potter?"
"I would advise against it," Brandt cautioned. "He wasn't raised in our world, as I'll explain to you in-depth later, she might be good to teach him the finer points of society, but no arrangements should be made for either of the children. As the one who will be around for when they become adults, I strongly advise against any arrangements."
Arcturus stared at his Steward seriously, then nodded, "Understood. Now, what else?"
"Lord Nott wants to know what our business is with his son, tried to interrogate Harry and Lyra in public about it, and he also not so subtly threatened me with some bravado about knowing my place."
"Darby!" Arcturus called out, and the elf popped into the room. "Please pay a visit to Lord Nott and inform him I will be joining him for lunch on…" he looked at a calendar to his side, "Wednesday afternoon." The elf popped away.
Turning back to Brandt, with a sinister grin, "I'll make sure that Lord Nott knows his place."
"Well, that's all for the party. I made sure Miss Tonks is aware of my betrothal and knows I'm committed to it. I think that's part of what convinced her that I wouldn't be hounding her when she accepted the post helping Lyra, though we'll see how things proceed.
"After the party, the kids performed their blessing at Hogwarts. I have copies of the pictures of how it turned out." He pulled out the copies of photos he got from Newt, and Arcturus looked through them, as Brandt continued. "I don't have all the details of how it was performed. Much of it was probably done with the magic in their staves. They both have a knack for ritual magic, and should probably be taught some of the basics of sacrificial rituals to see what they can do with it. I have a recording of them speaking about modifying the blessing with new elements, and my memory of setting up the one at Hogwarts."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, blue, crystal ball and a small smokey vial, handing them to Arcturus.
"We made stops on the plane flight in a few places, but at the first one, in Turkey, we had a chance encounter with an affluent family in the region I'm not familiar with, the Duman family, who happen to have a Lamassu bonded to their family line."
"I think I have heard of them," Arcturus said, squinting and trying to remember.
"We got to meet the creature, and it seemed to attack Mr. Potter, but it actually gave him a tooth that bonded with his staff. It seems to have strengthened its power by allowing him to temporarily imbue others with either strength or weakness depending on his will."
"Interesting…" Arcturus pondered.
"Jumping ahead quickly, but on the same lines; later in the trip, Harry killed a captured dark creature, called a sigbin," Arcturus just shrugged. "Mr. Scamander explained it as something just slightly less dangerous as a lethifold, but more intelligent." Now, Arcturus's eyebrows were raised in interest.
"That was my reaction too. As payment, they received a bag of sarimanok feathers, two fangs from the creature, and its skin which will be shipped later. Lyra provided one fang to their tutor; a half-breed called a Duwende, to be made into a wand; and the other is now mounted on her staff. How she bonded the fang to her staff is unknown to me."
"Tell me about the island," Arcturus directed him.
"The children grew up there from a few months after Malfoy's abandonment. The only semi-normal interactions they had were with the Duwende known as The Giver. The rest were with demiguises, cobras, hoohoos, a giant glowing deer, and an enormous magical snake approximately fifty-five feet long. They didn't have any human interaction for years before some poachers invaded the island, who were killed by the large magical animals and it is possible Harry and Lyra also killed a few. It would explain why they can both see the thestrals."
"Both children showed no remorse or anxiety from the violent situations they've partaken in. Fear is one thing, but a child who hasn't been blooded before would be wracked with uncertainty about something as serious as the violence they have done, and that's only the events that we know of. They both have a killer instinct." Arcturus took a deep breath and said, "Tell me more about the island."
"It is a gold mine," Brandt told him. "There are a few things I'm having investigated, and if I'm correct in my assumptions, it's actually a diamond mine. I should have an update for you by the end of the week or the following. For now, I can just tell you that the island is rich in natural resources, most of the trees on the southern side are good wand trees, and there are potion ingredients everywhere. There is a large nest of hoohoos that drop feathers everywhere. There is also a constantly expanding population of demiguises that can supply an endless amount of hair. The largest ones are taller than I am, and the average size is slightly taller than Harry is now."
Arcturus looked like he didn't believe the last part, so Brandt added, "I'll have photos developed in a week."
"Who is developing them?"
"I was referred to a blind whore who works at The Monarch. I figure blindness is the best form of discretion."
"You arrived pretty quickly here after visiting a brothel," Arcturus smiled at his Steward.
"I did not partake, I figured it would make a good story to tell Miss Tonks about my fidelity," Arcturus nodded in agreement. "It's always better to use the truth to sell a story," he added.
"Now, a few interesting things… We had a meeting with the Filipino Ministry. They are interested in expanding their influence on the island but needed to ask permission first. The children seem to have stumbled upon enough coincidences for them to have magical ownership of the entire island." Seeing the interest on Arcturus's face, he continued. "It can't be claimed as a Black property because it belongs to both children. There is also a man in their Ministry that has an unusual interest in the island. I'll need to have a full investigation done on the man and his family. Strangely, their government is an even bigger Old Boy Network than ours and nearly every member of that man's family works in his department. His name is Raphael Braulio Cámara Gutiérrez, Department Head of the Invisibility Task Force. I will also want to investigate a possible ally of his, Asa Nangpi Villanueva, Deputy Chief Obliviator."
"Go ahead with the investigations, I'm going to make a trip to the other Black Islands to see if I can piece together their protections and see if we can use it on this one."
"Also, you would be proud of Harry for how he handled their ministry. I think he's ready for a meeting with Fudge." Arcturus looked surprised as Brandt pulled another memory vial out of his pocket. "View it at your convenience."
He took it and placed it with the other objects.
"The children are nearly inseparable from their brooms. Lyra had a series of playful dogfights with a swarm of at least a dozen hoohoos, at night, over the water. There are an incredible series of pictures that we'll have in a week. Harry got her to do it to cheer her up over Malfoy's release. Regarding that, I'll need to increase my training time with Agustus, just in case I run into him somewhere I can't escape." Arcturus nodded.
"Regarding Harry, and since I was prepared that time," Brandt pulled out and enlarged his trunk, then pulled out the quaffle-sized blue orb, "I got a recording of Harry 'playing' with the magical deer, called a Lampong, which has a four-x rating. That is the antler on his staff and the core of his wand. Mr. Scamander says it ranks only between numbers 15-20 on his top animal encounters, but I would put it much higher. Though he did say that number six was seeing a Nyuvwira slaughter a herd of zebras."
"I'll need to ask Mr. Scamander if I can see that memory, I'd love to have at least one head of that hydra up on my wall here," Arcturus smiled as he looked around the room and took the orb from Brandt.
"Back to what you were saying earlier about the children's killer instinct," Brandt returned to that topic. "I think I figured out what they were plotting when Stevens showed them the Incendio Solem spell." Arcturus raised his glass and took a sip while showing interest. "Remember the first time they worked with Stevens? When Harry had told her, 'Imagine he's the tree?'"
"Yes, so?"
Brandt pulled out a copy of the photo that had been shown to him by Nestor. "This tree grows on the island, and there is only one from what I've seen. He warned a warding team that had been nearly killed by the Lampong, to stay away from this tree, that they will die if they get too close and won't even be able to retrieve their dead. Both children seem very wary around it, so I'm assuming they've seen someone die near this tree, and Lyra in particular has some desire for revenge against it. I'm going to have a contact of mine compile a list of deadly magical trees to see if I can find anything similar. I have quite a few pictures of it from other angles as well." Arcturus took one more look at the photo before putting it with the others of the results of the blessing.
"The final thing I have to report is something I am only theorizing, but I'm nearly positive that I'm correct." He looked around as if someone could possibly overhear him inside Lord Black's office. "I think Harry Potter is a parselmouth."
Of all the reactions that Arcturus Black had that evening, this was the most intriguing.
"How sure are you?" he asked Brandt.
"90% sure. I'd also give 30-40% odds that Lyra is also a parselmouth. Their tutor, the Duwende known as The Giver, is a parselmouth. He communicates with an enormous magical serpent and with many other snakes around the island. If he taught Harry and Lyra magic, he would need a way to do it that isn't just signs and grunts. Additionally, Harry has a familiar on the island which is the largest cobra I've ever seen, approximately twenty feet long. It seemed to communicate with him, even if he didn't respond in front of me. More cobras patrol the demiguise villages, but Harry has told us that The Giver doesn't live with them, so there must have been someone controlling the snakes when they first lived there. I also nearly caught Harry responding to the magical serpent on a few occasions, but he stopped himself before doing anything more than gestures or nods. If Lyra isn't a parselmouth, that means she just developed more of her magic on her own rather than learning through the half-breed or just had Harry doing a lot of translations."
"Do you think anyone else knows?" Arcturus asked, clearly interested in the subject.
"If it is true, the Scamanders both know about it. I would also hazard a guess that Nestor Balindong, Severus, McGonagall, Mad-Eye, and Tristan Nevitt all know as well. Very good odds on Dumbledore being aware too."
"Keep an eye on him. Clearly, he doesn't trust you for some reason. Find a way to make that bridge happen. Historically, other than the Dark Lord, parselmouths have been powerful and talented healers. Almost nothing is more deadly than a scorned healer."
Brandt nodded, already trying to figure out the best way to approach the subject with Harry.
"Another project that the children will probably learn about in the fall," Arcturus began. "Ludo Bagman is trying to organize a competition to replace the TriWizard tournament which may include wizarding schools from all around the world."
Brandt had heard about the TriWizard tournament during his history lessons at Durmstrang, and despite the danger, he had always wanted to at least see it take place.
"How many schools?" he asked
"Every ambassador the DIMC can reach is being spoken to right now. There are fifteen major schools if you don't include the Chinese, but they are not worth counting as they certainly will not attend due to their isolationism. There are numerous minor schools, even here in Wizarding Britain. I think that Ludo will put a substantial entry fee which the smaller schools will not be able to afford."
"You know, this might be a perfect opportunity to try to investigate the other two heirs from America and Australia," Brandt suggested. "They don't know they are Blacks yet, do they?"
Arcturus smiled, "Yes, that is a perfect idea, and the girls are both Harry's age, too."
"Again, my Lord, I advise against any arrangements with Harry, it will not go over well with him."
"I will keep my options open," Arcturus said while ignoring Brandt's advice. "I am allowing you your freedom under your arrangement, just make sure you make the best of it. Regarding the tournament, I have put myself on a committee to work on organizing the different events of the tournament. They will probably be more akin to the Muggle Olympics, with dozens of representatives per institution, rather than like the previous TriWizard tournaments, with only one per school. As soon as we decide on the events, you and Stevens will start training Harry and Lyra on anything that will give them a leg up in the competitions. They probably won't win anything, but I expect them to make a good showing."
Brandt nodded, but even as he did so, Arcturus looked even more serious, saying, "The summer after the tournament, I will die. I want to make sure all of the Blacks are known for their strength and can stand on their own before I am gone. Lyra is the future of this family, just as much as you are. We are getting the opportunity to present her to the world, on the international stage. We will not waste the opportunity."
"Should I discreetly arrange tutoring for the other heirs?" Brandt asked.
"They are already on scholarships, but if any of the tournament events are in their skill sets, I will have their teachers encourage them to enter," Arcturus responded.
From there, Brandt filled Arcturus in on some of the other details of the island, particularly the stranger parts: the horned pig, the dead mystery monster, the fear ward, and any other unexplainable thing he had seen. Harry and Lyra didn't seem to be open with anyone about the nature of these things, so it wasn't a trust issue between them and Brandt.
As the clock was approaching 11, Arcturus cut off Brandt while talking about Old Man Pelayo, the wandmaker.
"Darby!" he called out and the elf popped in. "Please prepare for me a traveling bag for warm weather, and deliver it to the treasure room."
Brandt's face brightened. One of the things that convinced him to work as the Black Family Steward was the treasure room in this house. Arcturus never explained what all the items in the room were or where they were from, but Brandt knew they were old and expensive. He followed Arcturus into the room and gazed at the many objects around the room. They seemed to be from many different eras and regions around the world. There were wooden masks, bejeweled crowns, tapestries that took up entire walls, chests of gold and gems, weapons, and much more. Every piece was protected and covered in glass as if they were in a museum.
At the end of the great hall, there were four pedestals, each of which had an item sitting on top of them, surrounded by misty grey fog. He was told never to try to touch these as the grey fog was a disintegration ward. Arcturus demonstrated it once for him, tossing an apple at the ward and seeing it be reduced to dust. However, today, Arcturus just walked up to the second one from the left and snapped his fingers, causing the fog to disperse.
Behind the ward on that pedestal was a beautifully crafted scimitar. The hilt had a red ribbon around the grip but the rest of the sword, including the blade, was black. Brandt stared at the blade as a hint of light gleamed on the edge for just a second as if it was reminding those who looked upon it that the black blade was sharp. Arcturus smiled at the weapon and picked it up, giving it a spin and a swish. He had obviously done that before. Darby popped in with a travel bag and passed it to Arcturus who swung it over his back.
"I'll come back for the meeting with Nott, but I will probably not be back for good for at least a week or two," he told Brandt.
"You're not bringing Goyle or Stevens with you?" he asked with concern.
"The Black Islands are only for those with Black blood. One day, you'll get to see them as well." He smiled and then raised the dark blade into the air, saying aloud, "As I gaze upon the sea, my dreams return to me."
As soon as he had recited the line, the black sword winked out of existence, pulling Arcturus along with it. Brandt glanced around and noticed a new piece he hadn't seen before; in a glass case, there was a clipping of Narcissa and Draco, attending Albus's party, along with two severed fingers and a broken blue quill. Hearing Darby clear his throat, he turned to see the little elf was making small gestures that indicated that he needed to be leaving, so he collected his trunk and flooed back to Elmswood Lodge.
Arriving back at the lodge, he found Tonks in the sitting room, quietly listening to music on Harry's record player. She had poured herself some drink he didn't recognize, which seemed to be changing from green to purple as she swirled it in the glass. She gave a small smile to Brandt as he entered the room.
He gave a smile back and said playfully, "Drinking on the job?"
"It's not alcohol, it's a variation of the wiggenweld potion my friends and I invented back in school. You mentioned the kids were dealing with a time difference and this helps adjust them. I taught Harry and Lyra how to brew it to pass the time before they were allowed to fall asleep."
"Have you patented it?" Brandt asked.
"Never saw a need for it, it's just a potion variation."
Brandt rolled his eyes, "Opal?" the little elf popped in. "Please owl a patent application to Miss Tonks for a potion variation," she nodded and disappeared.
"You're going to make me do that?" Tonks asked.
"You showed an impressive amount of creativity solving Buttonwood's budget issues, then you don't see the point in patenting a potion that could be sold to every traveling wizard around the world. It baffles me."
"Fine, I'll do it," she said with exasperation. "Where have you been?"
Brandt smiled back, "Well, I visited a clothing store in Knockturn Alley, then made a quick trip to a brothel, and finally had a debriefing with Lord Black on our recent trip."
"Ahh, now I understand. You must need your romantic affairs to be private? No public philandering?"
"If that were the case, I wouldn't be telling you about it, I just thought it would be fun to see where your mind went."
Tonks gave him an angry squint, and said, "So, you weren't there for a shag? That's what most people would assume if you mention a quick trip to a brothel. So what were you doing there?"
"I was referred there for someone who would discretely develop photos. Apparently, this brothel has someone employed who provides such a service."
"Ok, that's weird," she said. "I'll ask Moody about it. He knows everyone in Knockturn, especially those that he doesn't need to arrest."
"This is where I'll say goodnight, Miss Tonks," he started to head out of the room, before stopping and turning around. "Do you have another one of those potions?"
"This one was for you," she said, standing up and passing it to him.
He took it from her hand and smiled, "Thank you, Miss Tonks, and goodnight again."