A/N: Brought to you by Italix Parsons Essential - Lovely pen.
Playwitch is magical Playboy. A uh ... adult magazine i suppose.
Chapter 19: The Bank Chapter (Names are hard)
"Harry!" I accept Sirius' hug as we get off the train. He holds me at arms length to get a good look at me. "I've waited so long to see you off the train." He looks a bit teary eyed.
"Come on you big sap, you'll make a scene." He laughs and nods.
"Tonks was around here somew-" He gets interrupted as the pinkette dashes past him and attempts to squeeze the life out of me. I can only smile and hug back.
"Awh, I've missed you sooo much." She pulls back and grins. "Look how tall you've gotten!" She continues the strange cooing for a while before setting off at an impossible pace, recounting her various tales from her training as we head towards Diagon Alley. "How's Hermione?"
"Well if we'd stayed for another 10 seconds, you'd have seen her." I say as we enter the Leaky Cauldron. "She was releived when she got her results, I'm surprised she's not written to you yet." It's been a while since then.
"Oh, She has, but that's girl's stuff." She grins at me.
"I don't even want to know." I look up at Sirius. "How've you been keeping? Gotten a hold of Moony yet?"
"Few months ago. I thought I'd mentioned it?" He frowns. "Anyway, He'd been working in America for a few years, so it was tricky to find him."
"What's he been doing? Nothing with wizards I assume." Werewolves have to fight an uphill battle for any employment in the magical society. It's ridiculous.
"Yep. Some muscle work for muggles." He laughs.
"Muscle work? Moony?" I don't know much about him, but he doesn't strike me as the type.
"Stronger than he looks. Bouncer stuff, look menacing. I think it's the calmness. It unnerves people." He says conspiratorially.
"Is he over here now?" I ask as we head off the main street.
"Back at mine right now. He's been digging through the library for the past couple of days, you know how he is." That kind of catches me off guard as Sirius opens the flat's door.
"Kept it clean, Tonks?" I ask as we walk up the stairs. She grins innocently … or as innocently as she ever could. Clothes and general stuff laying around, but it's not too bad. "Better than I'd expected. How you get today off anyway?"
"Junior Aurors get like 1 day off a month. With approval." She says sourly.
"Mad-Eye not driving you too hard?" I smirk.
"His idea of a test is trying to curse me when I'm on the toilet." She scowls.
"How about you, Padfoot? Fancy joining the corps again?" I drop down into my armchair with a sigh, closing my eyes.
"Maybe. I'm probably on a blacklist for being in Azkaban." he muses. "Anyway, swing by in a few days. We can catch up then, meet Moony too."
"Will do." I nod, opening my eyes again. "Sorry about not coming down at Christmas. Basilisk n'all that."
"Nah, it's fine. Just come for this Christmas, Basilisks be damned." He grins and waves as he leave.
"You have to tell me everything." Tonks is now sprawled out on the sofa.
"Well, it all started on the train..."
It takes a while to catch her up properly.
"Arithmancy and Ancient Runes?" Tonks laughs. "You're mad."
"I like to think they'll go hand in hand." I shrug. "One will be easier because of the other. I don't know, I think it'll be fun."
"We've got very different ideas about what's fun then." Her face adopts an evil grin. "Maybe it's all those late nights in the library with Hermione?"
"Do I detect a hint of envy?" She snorts. "I'm hurt, Tonks." I pretend to look affronted. "Oh, What's with the mirrors?" I point to the new furniture. 3 tall mirrors by the kitchen.
"Just to make sure I get all the details right." She explains as I stand up. "Cover all the angles.
It strikes me just how long it's been since I'd really looked at myself in a mirror. The extra height and the fact I no longer resemble a street urchin. I certainly don't look 12 any more. It's like...
"Tonks." I stare at my reflection.
"What?"
"This is it." I point. "The mirror. When I was in my first year. The Mirror of Erised. This is what I saw. Same shirt and everything." A smile spreads across my face. "No jewellery, but that didn't really make much sense." I shrug.
"What does this mean then?" Tonks asks as she stands beside me. "You couldn't be happier?"
"Nah. This was the goal when I was 11. If I saw the mirror now ..." I step to the side and pull Tonks with me. "It'd probably be similar to this."
"With me in the frame?" She smiles, or it looks like a smile. "Aren't you just Prince Charming?" I grin.
Whilst Hedwig left to reassert her territory in London, I'd ventured out into the city in search of a violin – A very old and used one too. My journey had started in an antiques shop and, although there wasn't a violin, I did find the base to a gramophone. What the man didn't know, was that he had a magical gramophone, charmed to play without any winding needed. It had once belonged to a man named James Hanford, He had sold it to this shop without the horn, claiming it was a normal, yet broken, antique His Master's voice gramophone. It's carrying case had a handle and wheels, so I paid £30 and continued the search.
After handling a battered violin, courtesy of a spoilt child, I'd come across the exact thing I'd been after. A man named 'Arthur Mann' had used the violin for 50 years and 3 days until he died at the age of 68. His son, Lawrence Mann, had sold many of his father's possessions in 1987 – The violin travelled around and eventually found itself in an auction hall where I had to big against an especially loud American man. Of course nobody else knew it's history as I did, nor did I have to have this particular violin after touching it for appraisal, but it felt right. £73 and one angry American later – I head back to the Leaky Cauldron with my hands full.
"Harry!" Sirius waves me over to the table he's at.
"What are you doing in here?" I set the cases down.
"Just grabbing a drink." He nods to Moony. "It's all wine and gloom in the manor." He shuffles along the bench so I can sit.
"The infamous Remus Lupin." I smile at the haggard man. He looks old and tired, his hair is already going grey. His clothes are slightly worse for wear and he looks as if he's been dragged through a thorn bush backwards.
"Infamous?" He sips his drink and looks at Sirius. "I don't know what he's told you, but it's not true."
"Hey! I'd never tell such lies." He smiles innocently.
"So that story about charming James' glasses to see through McGonagall's robes wasn't true?" I ask.
"McGonagall's?" Remus laughs. "Amateurs. It was the head girl's, Sirius just doesn't want to admit it was better than he could do."
"Are you sure you know how to work one of these?" I ask Sirius as he fusses over the record player. I'd conjured an exact replica of the horn, he insisted on fitting it himself.
"Yeah." Something clicks loudly. "We've got one in the dining room. Bella and I used to crank the Beach Boys to the top when nobody but Kreacher was home. Ah!" He straightens up and dusts off his hands. "What did you get?" He accepts the record from my hand.
"I was skint after the buying the violin. Iron Maiden – No prayer for The Dying."
"Iron who?" He slips it out of it's case.
"You were in prison, never mind that." I shake my head.
"Side A it is." He says.
"What's happened to music, Moony?" Sirius moans. "My poor ears."
"It wasn't that bad." I say. "I think Tonks'll enjoy it." I undo the clasps holding the violin case closed and hold the instrument to my chin.
I start slowly at first, to get a feel for it as my fingers become more nimble, sliding across the strings with ease as I work the bow. I switch to a more upbeat tune, a favourite of Arthur's. It's relaxing to play. Definitely worth the money to keep the instrument that taught me.
"Sirius?"
"Yes?"
"You know how your amazing Godson's birthday is coming up?" I ask casually over breakfast in Grimmauld Place.
"Yes?" He says carefully.
"Do you think I could get a ring?"
"A ring? Sure."
"Made of mithril."
"Mithril!?" He almost chokes on his coffee. "What in Merlin's name do you need a mithril ring for?"
"Alchemy."
"Alchemy!?" He coughs again.
"Hear me out – We need a focus for our spells. A wand, rings, feathers, runes – That sorta thing."
"Right." He nods.
"Alchemy also requires a focus. A staff or a rod of some kind. A ring or a Philosophers Stone." I grin. "Which doubles as a power source too, but unless you've got one of those kicking about, a ring would be great."
"Why does it have to be mithril?"
"Because I'm learning alchemy, not parlour tricks. Mithril can conduct magic on a level not seen in any other metal, even better than wood given the correct circumstances. You could even-"
"I get it, I get it. 'Must be mithril'." He drains his mug. "Do you know how hard it is to find something made of mithril?"
"Well, we can either chip a bit off of Azkaban, or we can go to the Goblins. They can shape it. For a price." I add with a grin.
"The Goblins? I don't think that's such a good idea, Harry."
"It'll be fine. They would never risk angering the uh … esteemed Lord Black." Sirius snorts. "Grab your jacket, let's go."
"If you get us beheaded, I'm going to kick your arse in whatever afterlife there is." He says whilst pulling his jacket on. "Don't you think I should dress up a bit if we're dealing with Goblins?"
"What? Of course not. It's a bloody bank, not the Playwitch Mansion." I pull the front door open.
"The what?" Sirius quickly walks down the stairs after me. "Harry!"
"Playwitch is a lot bigger than it was in the 70's. Their annual turnover is-"
"The Mansion, Harry. The Mansion." He urges.
"I heard that they bought this big mansion and all the models live there. Nobody knows where it is, the only photographs are taken in house by the other models." We cross a road. "The annual turnover is about a million galleons for the past 3 years running. The stock holders were apparently incredibly careful about hiding the Mansion so they could control every shot that leaves. None of that public menace Daily Prophet stuff." I look back at Sirius' dreamy face.
"Wait." He snaps out of it. "Did you say the shareholders know where it is?"
"Of course. It's probably a bunch of dirty old men, Such as yourself, but they know. Maybe it's a fidelius." I shrug. "Thinking of buying the whole company?"
"You said it yourself, A one million galleon year. That's good business. It could go bigger and better, give it a few years under the right leadership, who knows? Maybe it could double in a few years."
"And the scantly clad models have nothing to do with it?"
"Hadn't even crossed my mind." He grins.
"'Course not. Well, Gringotts is the place to go if you want to buy majority shares somewhere and look, the Leaky Cauldron. Business awaits."
"So we just stroll in and ask to buy some mithril?" Sirius asks.
"Kinda. You have to be direct with Goblins, but not rude. Don't dance around your point unless you're friends with the Goblin."
"People can be friends with Goblins?"
"Not with that attitude. We go in and then we just need to be careful – Not get killed for starters." Sirius opens the arch into Diagon Alley. "Oh, and don't exclaim at any prices, You might offend them and-"
"'You never want to offend a Goblin'." He nods. "You sound like-"
"Arcturus Black. I heard him tell you this morning." I laugh.
"It's weird that you can do that."
"Just ask for a Master of Metallurgy. I'm not a Lord, so they won't listen to me."
"Master of Metallurgy, got it." He nods as we approach the bank.
"Then let me do the talking so you don't start a war." We laugh as we cross the bank's threshold.
"Good day, Teller." Sirius greets in an overly formal voice. He's going to get us killed.
"Lord Black." The Goblin replies lazily.
"We wish to speak with a Master of Metallurgy." Hopefully the Goblin doesn't think he's taking the piss.
"May I enquire as to what business you have here today?"
"No." Sirius says firmly. Good.
"Very well." The Goblin scowls, or perhaps it's a smile. "Ironhook!" A smaller Goblin comes running. He's given instructions in the raspy Goblin tongue. "Follow him." We follow the Goblin to a set of ancient looking wooden doors. A gold plaque has 'Master Steelclaw' engraved onto it.
"Sirs." The Goblin stands to the side of the doors as they swing open. The office is a lot smaller than I'd expected, but that's mostly due to the shelves and cabinets that lines the walls displaying a vast number of rocks and metals. An old, white haired Goblin, Master Steelclaw, sits behind the grand desk. His left hand is, quite fittingly, a metal claw. The door closes behind us.
"Lord Black, How may I be of service?"
"Harry wants a-"
"Listen here, Steelclaw." I walk up to his desk. "We're here for one thing, so you'd best not waste out time. Mithril – Can you work it?"
"What does one such as you require such metal for?" He asks through gritted teeth.
"If you can't do it, then fair enough. Come on, Sirius." I turn to the door.
"We only just-" I glare at him.
"I can shape the true metal like no other." Steelclaw growls. I wink at Sirius as I turn back.
"Why should we believe you?" I pluck a silvery bar from the top shelf. "A mithril alloy? Silver? Is this the best you've got?" I taunt. He slams his fist and claw onto his desk.
"You dare!? I should skin you where you stand for such an insult, human!" He shouts. "The Blessed Arts have been passed through my clan for generations!"
"The Blessed Art of forgery!" I hurl the mithril-silver alloy bar at him, he dodges sideways and it sails past his head, taking a chunk of the marble wall out. "A house-elf could forge better metals!"
"My clan has forged weapons the likes of which no human has ever seen!" He snarls and dives over his desk.
I punch the top of his head and wrestle the long knife from his grip and swipe at him. His claw parries the blow and he kicks me into the nearby cabinet. I hurl a big rock at him, copper this time, and it hits him squarely in the cheek. He stops. I drop the knife as he starts to laugh.
"I like you, Harry Potter." He retrieves the knife and wipes his bloodied cheek with his sleeve. I shake his hand with a grin.
"So, onto business?" I ask as we take our seats. Sirius mutters something as he slumps into his chair.
"Well that was fun." I smile as we leave Gringotts.
"Was that before or after you got into a fight?"
"Ah, All of it. First blood to me. Thanks for the present." I hold up my right hand. After we'd agreed on a base material price, I'd requested for the band to resize. I don't think Steelclaw would have done it if I hadn't goaded him into the challenge.
"What are you gonna do with that anyway?"
"Everything is achievable through magic. I can reverse engineer some of Flamel's stuff and once I see the patterns, I can start putting together my own formulas."
"I'll leave you to it I guess. Happy early Birthday."
"What about you? Your account manager have anything to say about the 25 thousand you just dropped?"
"Compared to what's going to be moving out of the Black coffers soon, 25 grand here or there isn't going to make much difference." He chuckles.
"Decided to buy Playwitch?"
"I see it as an investment opportunity." He grins.
"I'm sure your motives are strictly PG." I roll my eyes. "What does the accountant think of the decision?"
"As long as I can put gold in his pockets, he'll agree with anything I say." He throws his head back and laughs.
"So what's the plan? Buy out all the share holders and assume control?"
"I'll leave all the managers in place, they're the ones that carried the company this far. I'll just be there to oversee things." He explains.
"Ah yes. Oversight – your speciality."
A/N: A nice long one. I'm not really sure what the big 'Thing' is going to be for Harry's third year, but there doesn't really need to be one, i just think it'll be more interesting if there is.
Alchemy! Exciting stuff. Any suggestions for interesting things are welcome. It's as much science as it is magic - I recommend "In the Mind of a Scientist" by 'ZenoNoKyuubi'.
I forsee a delay for the third year round-up, So bear with me. Might be chapter 21. Thoughts and suggestions are greatly appreciated - Enjoy!