Thanks to those of you that read and reviewed Chapter 1! I'm very glad that that you guys are enjoying the story. I know I mentioned previously that updates to this fic would be few and far between, and I stand by that statement. However, I managed to get this chapter written yesterday and did a quick proofreading this evening. Since I have it sitting here on my laptop I may as well post it. I hope you enjoy. Feel free to comment with any thoughts, praise, or critiques.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any character in the Harry Potter Universe. If I did you can rest assured that I would be lying on a beach drinking rum instead of working full time and posting fanfiction online.
Chapter 2: Rainman
Twelve Hours Earlier…
Harry was standing in a dark corner of the courtyard near the Bellagio Fountains. He was waiting for something, or someone. He wasn't sure what or who. The night had been quite a blur so far. They may have come to town on the pretense of celebrating an Easter Vacation from work, but that had quickly become something else entirely. Draco had announced on arrival, as the four boys were unpacking in their suite, that he intended to ask his girlfriend, Hermione, to marry him. This wasn't much of a surprise to the other boys, as Draco and Hermione had been together over a year now. They suited each other well, and had begun dating midway through their final year at Hogwarts. Presumably the Head Boy and Head Girl curse had fallen upon them, and with any luck it would lead to something lasting.
Since their vacation had become an early version of a stag party for Draco, the boys had taken to the streets early in the evening. They began their adventure on Freemont Street. The antiquated lobbies of the Golden Nugget and Horseshoe were the backdrop of their pre-party ritual, which consisted of taking turns drinking deeply from a bottle of firewhiskey that they had commandeered from Sirius' liquor cabinet.
When the boys were well and truly sauced they had made for the wizarding section of Old Vegas, the entrance of which was concealed through a full-length poster of a topless woman wearing a witch's hat that hung on the side wall of Glitter Gulch. The street around them was filthy with the foot traffic of tourists and homeless that had made their way through the street throughout the day, but as they passed through the poster it opened into a white marble hall with an emerald green carpet path that led them into the bar area of a glittering lounge.
The sign posted at the entrance read:
Welcome to Glitter's Gully:
Where the Wanton Wizard Comes to Call
"I told you Sirius wouldn't lie." Harry had told them as the three other boys stood slack-jawed watching the scantily clad waitresses walk by levitating full serving trays with ease. As the light had yet to fall there were few patrons around, and thus there were multiple witches sitting idly by in their knickers with their wands holstered in their garters waiting for a wizard to approach them to acquire their services. This being Sin City, it was natural that the main entrance into the Wizarding district was through this brothel. Glitter, the original proprietor of this establishment had come from very old money. She had dropped two million galleons in 1931 to own the establishment that would become the entrance to Wizarding Vegas, and her investment had been returned to her a hundredfold within the next three decades as Muggle Casinos began to pop up all over town, and Witches and Wizards the world over had flocked to view the multitude of attractions.
Inside of Horizon Alley, establishments towered above the skyline and dug as far down as the eyes could see. Massive buildings that held Roman-style amphitheaters and colosseums were taking shape. Wizards paid to duel each other in clubs that held League Class Wards to protect the bystanders. Gambling halls stood all down the street, where Wizards could bet on any current Quidditch, Broom Racing, Dueling, or even Gobstones tournament. The Shopping District was alive with outlets of all the most popular Wizarding Establishments worldwide, and while the witches shopped the wizards would sneak off to Glitter's Gully to entertain themselves.
It was here that the four boys now found themselves, riding the buzz and bluster of Firewhiskey that bubbled warmly in their stomachs. Blaise made to excuse himself as he went to "sample some of the offerings" as he said, but Draco grabbed his shoulder and led him back to the group.
"Blaise, you haven't the galleons to pay for that sort of entertainment yet. You must learn how the unwritten rules of Las Vegas work. Harry's Godfather said the trick is to get a buzz, grab dinner to work most of it off, and then to make our way back to the muggle casinos. Thank Merlin we stopped at Gringotts before we left London to convert to dollars, because apparently, the craps table is a wizard's best friend in this town, and the line at the Las Vegas Branch of Gringotts is notoriously long. We brought money for food, shows and travel expenses, but we will earn our fun money so that we can go back having not lost a knut and our parents, and my soon-to-be fiancé, will be none the wiser."
With that the four boys set off to grab steak dinner at a bistro across the Alley and then snuck through the Gully back to Freemont Street, where they made the night their own. Having wands up their sleeves it was easy to manipulate where the dice fell, and as long as they lost occasionally the pit boss never suspected them. Having made their fortunes at several different casinos, the boys tucked their money into their pockets and apparated back to their suite to count their winnings, which they soon found numbered just shy of six figures.
Splitting the money four ways, the boys split up and agreed to meet by the fountains at the Bellagio in six hours after enjoying their spoils. Malfoy said something about getting his buzz back in style, and headed down the alley to find a Wizarding Pub.
Blaise made his way back to the Gully, walked up to a pole dancer and began flinging fifties at her. "Easy Rainman, don't blow your wad too quickly." She said with a cheeky grin. "The name is Imp. I think we might have something special for you in the back." She said noting the stack of cash he was failing miserably to conceal in his pockets. She led him to one of the private rooms and knocked her wand against a panel on the wall. The wall melted away, and five of the most beautiful witches Blaise had ever seen stood in front of him, each sporting a different colored bustier. "Will it be dollars or galleons honey?" Imp said with a smile. "Dollars." Blaise replied with a dumb smile on his face. "Six thousand and we can make your next hour one your friends will never believe when you try to tell them tomorrow." Blaise raised his brow and paused before saying, "Let's make it fifteen thousand for three hours. I'm feeling generous." With that the door swung shut and Blaise was not to be seen until he stumbled up to the fountains six hours later, pockets empty and a grin a mile wide.
Meanwhile, in a bar at the Paris, Neville and Harry sat at a table sipping Dom Pérignon. "They are very sparkly, aren't they?" Neville told Harry as a burlesque dancer swayed near the piano across the room. Harry laughed and clapped Neville on the back. "You need to get laid my friend. This is your perfect opportunity to sow your oats and the best thing you can think to tell me is that they look sparkly?" Neville blushed violently and said, "I can't just run off with some slag that I don't even know. I've never done it, I want it to be someone special. It doesn't have to be forever, but I at least want it to be someone I can remember fondly."
"Did you leave your bollocks in London, mate? Let's go find Draco. Maybe there is more action where he is and we can find you that special someone." Harry said with a wink. They made their way back through the Gully and into the Alley, which was bustling now with Witches and Wizards from all walks of life although it was clear that most of them were somewhat inebriated. They phoned Draco and found that he was in a high-class pub just three buildings down at the edge of Cragstone Crest, a portion of street just off the Alley where the less reputable establishments were. It was said that anyone could buy anything down that street, if they had the galleons for it. On their way, they passed a shabby building with a large shabby sign that read Bertram's Bonding Building: Lowest Cost Ritual Ceremonies Since 1939 and below that a smaller sign that read Merlin Now Officiating Bonding Ceremonies and below that a still smaller sign which read Oops We're Bonded for Life: Couple's Counseling Available Weekday Mornings.
As they walked into the pub they noticed that it appeared to be frequented by all the most notable wizarding celebrities. Victor Krum could be seen nursing a recent bruised sternum by being held up by way of a beautiful young witch under each arm. The former lead singer of the Weird Sisters was celebrating another successful gig that he had had earlier that night, having decided to go solo some six months prior.
Neville and Harry joined Draco at a large table where he was chatting up a dark man that they didn't immediately recognize. "And then the bartender sez to 'im, 'May I push in your stool?'" Draco dissolved into a fit of deep laughter as the dark man followed suit, chuckling at his own joke. Within moments Harry and Neville realized who it was. "Mundungus Fletcher, what on Earth brings you to this part of the world?" "I 'ad some business moving some dummy cauldrons down at Cragstone Crest, although I'd thank you not ta repea' tha'." Fletcher said with a toothy smile. They chatted a while more before Fletcher said, "I best be off. This money ain't gonn launder isself, is it?" He chuckled again as he waved them goodbye.
Harry and Draco shook their heads, but when they turned to speak to Neville they found that he was gone. He was seen at the bar chatting up a blonde the boys hadn't seen come in. She was undeniably beautiful, and was wearing a flowing gown that even Harry and Draco knew must be the most expensive one in the place. She had her back to them, so they couldn't make out who she was. Harry stood to try and get a better look while Draco ran off to the toilet across the room to get a better angle. Had Harry been looking down as Draco made his way across the room he would have seen a young hand pop out of midair and drop a tiny, clear and colorless vial's worth of potion into his drink. There was no one around to warn him as he came back to his drink and finished it in two swigs. And then everything had gone black.
Consciousness drifted in and out after that, and Harry had moments where he knew what he was supposed to be doing and yet others where he was lost in the black.
This was how he came to find himself standing in a dark corner in the Bellagio Courtyard at two o'clock in the morning knowing that he was here waiting for someone or something. He tried to recall what had been happening for the last four hours since he and Neville had met Draco. He remembered following Draco out of the bar, but hadn't seen Neville with him. They hadn't been expecting to see Blaise until their rendezvous at the Bellagio fountain at 1:00, so they couldn't have been looking for him. He recalled seeing girls, or a girl to be specific, with black hair. And he thought he remembered seeing a man dressed in a cheap Merlin costume. He thought he heard someone calling his name and that is when he blacked out for the last time. He awoke the next morning next to Pansy, and she had the ring.
"And that's all I remember," Harry said as they examined the objects now piled in front of them. Harry looked down at the pile and saw a wizarding photo of him "dueling" with Merlin outside Bertram's Bonding. "Well, I guess I know what our first stop is. Let's inventory our clues here and then get to Horizon Alley, quick."