"You people are a waste of time and money." The woman yelled, "He wasn't even laughing at you. He was laughing at that stupid Slytherin bimbo. I want you to get back out there."
"Do it yourself." One man shuddered, "I'm going to leave the county and I'm not coming back. He may not have been laughing at us but he was comfortable enough in his skills to defeat us that he was joking around instead of seriously facing us."
"One stunner and he downed three people." Another man added, "I've never seen a stunner that could do that. I'm not going after him any more either."
"Cowards." She screamed.
"I'll go back and try again." A large man boasted, "I only left because I thought someone else had already downed him."
Several others agreed and the woman under the hood smiled evilly, "Good at least some of you have some self-respect. I'll let you know the next time he plans to come to Diagon Alley or some other wizarding spot."
"You do that and we'll take care of him." The large man nodded.
The woman left the shoddy building that housed the run down bar where the men hid out. She never noticed the person following her through the night. When she reached the alleyway she turned on the spot and disappeared. The follower turned down the alley and disappeared a few seconds later.
"Daphne this is perfect." Harry was walking through the modern building that Daphne had chosen for his office headquarters.
"I thought so too." She smiled as she watched him gawk at the rooms and décor.
"Does it come furnished?" he asked.
"I've asked them to leave everything and they're considering it." She replied. He nodded his acceptance and she glanced down at her watch, "We have that meeting with the Minister in ten minutes."
"Right." Harry turned and followed her out the door, "He's going to introduce us to the other Minister and see if we can get some help to get the right muggle paperwork to have a business here and for the green houses."
"I don't get it." Daphne questioned, "Why do you want to have everything right in the muggle world. A few confudus charms and we have nothing to worry about."
"I plan on hiring a few muggles." Harry grinned, "The muggles have specialists in their own herbology and we're researching both. Why should we start completely over when we can learn from their experts? Our office help will need to be able to use computers to do the taxes and things that the muggle government requires."
"So this will be a magic free zone." She frowned slightly.
"No." he grinned, "I hoping to hire family members of muggleborns and squibs to do those things. Mr. Weasley has a brother or cousin who is a squib accountant. I've going to ask for a meeting with him in a few days to see if we can get him here to do our accounting."
"Since they already know about magic we will be able to do magic in the office." She nodded with a smile.
"Yep we'll only have to watch for unknown muggles coming in." Harry grinned, "We'll put some wards at the front door so when one comes in we'll be alerted."
The meeting with the other minister went well enough Harry thought. The man had been quite pleased to meet Harry and thank him for stopping the crime wave that had plagued them over the last few years. He introduced Harry to the man who was going to help him set up his business license and sent them on their way.
"Mr. Potter it's a real pleasure to meet you." The man who was sent to help him grinned when they entered and were alone in his office, "I've heard all about you from my step son. He was in your year and we're so glad to have him back at home again. When he was hiding from that awful commission that year we feared we wouldn't ever see him again."
"Who is your step son Mr. Warrington?" he asked.
"Oh, right Dean Thomas." He grinned.
"Yes I was dorm mates with Dean. We're friends." Harry acknowledged.
"Since I know who you are, it will make this process a lot easier. I can give you a list of documents I need then you can get them from your bank, school and ministry."
"We can?" Harry asked.
"Yes." Daphne answered.
She already knew about Harry's lack of information. While the man talked about forms she slipped into her memories of the day she was hired.
***flashback***
"Potter you should know about this." Draco huffed.
"Where was I supposed to learn about it from?" Harry defended himself, "I wouldn't have even thought to look it up in the library."
"Surely the family you were sent to told you of our customs." Blaise frowned, "Didn't you pay attention?"
"I was raised by muggles." Harry explained, "Even if they knew what the wizard customs were they wouldn't have told me. They didn't even tell me I was a wizard. Hagrid told me on my eleventh birthday when he delivered my letter."
"Why did Hagrid deliver you letter?" Dean asked, "An owl delivered mine, then McGonagall answered all the questions, she even covered this."
"My uncle tore up every letter I was sent by owl." Harry said, "They didn't want me to come here."
"I bet McGonagall took a piece out of his hide when she showed up." Seamus snickered.
"She didn't." Harry said, "Hagrid was my introduction into wizarding society. I didn't even get a first year packet until this last summer."
"Why didn't… what… explain." Hannah stuttered.
"Hogwarts treated me as a regular halfblood." Harry said, "I don't know why they thought I would know everything. All Dumbledore left was a short note. And even at that I never saw it. I'm sure my aunt burnt it as soon as she could."
"I can't believe McGonagall didn't take better care of you than that."
"McGonagall and Pomphrey were completely ticked when they found out. Dumbledore told them I knew what I needed." Harry explained, "They came to my house over this last summer and made sure I received everything and had all the boosters."
"So you entered Hogwarts knowing less than a muggleborn." Daphne raved.
"Yes." He admitted.
After a little while everyone drifted off back to their own homework. Daphne waited until they were all busy before she spoke again, "What you need is a personal assistant to help you make your way. Your business may fall flat if you don't follow the right customs."
"So I need a pureblood to make sure I don't make any social faux pas?" he asked.
"A pureblood would be ideal but a half blood would work if they had been taught by their magical parent." She shrugged, "Even a muggleborn who has made it a point to learn our customs would work."
"What about you?" he asked, "Would you work for me?"
"I would in a heartbeat." She smiled, "I am looking for a job."
"Have Neville show you where my room is later." He glanced around, "I would like to talk more without all the extra ears around."
***end flashback***
Harry standing and shaking the man's hand woke her from her thoughts. He had a list in his hand and held the door open for her. She smiled and thanked the man for his time before they left.
In no time at all Harry's business was open and operating in both the magical and muggle world. He hired several squibs and a few muggle relatives of his friends that he had been introduced to. Things seemed to be going well for Harry. He sat at his desk one day in late July and decided he knew it had to be time for the other shoe to drop.
"I'd call you a pessimist except I agree with you." Daphne replied when he told her, "Things have been peaceful for almost a month."
"Do you realize how unlikely it is to stay this way?" Harry grinned, "Are you really sure you want to work for me like this?"
"Compared to the alternative I think I'll take my chances with you." She returned the grin, "I only have to last until those jerks have found someone else to disgust."
"That bad?" he asked.
"Worse." She shuddered, "One man is thirty years old, wealthy but just too old for me. Some things even money can't cover up. Besides he's from Italy and I don't speak Italian. Another one is a quidditch player but he's been hit in the head with bludgers too many times."
"Have you met them all?" he wondered how it worked.
"No but I've read the reports the investigators have on them." She smiled, "Daddy may not be able to pick a good husband but he does at least investigate them thoroughly. He actually tossed out one because he was a death eater and we are neutral."
"But didn't he contract for your sister to marry Draco Malfoy?" Harry asked confused.
"When they agreed on the contract Lucius Malfoy had been cleared of wrong doing." She explained, "By the time we found out what kind of person Draco was turning out to be it was too late to take it back. Luckily though he seems to have had a change of heart since the battle, I'm hoping that is good news for Astoria."
"We will all hope for that then." He nodded then glanced at the clock and stood, "I've got to go. I'm really beginning to wish Gringotts was still mad at me. These constant meetings are driving me up the wall."
"You need to designate someone to take over the head of Business Building." Daphne smirked.
"I already tried but she insists she's just an assistant and not a head of a division." Harry huffed.
"Pay me more." She shrugged and grinned as she headed out of the office first.
"Leech." Harry mumbled good naturedly as her grin broke into a laugh.
As predicted Harry was ready to pull his hair out in the first five minutes. He shouldn't be since it was meetings with several new businesses he owned parts of. But he'd already done the fun part. This part about setting up the documents to show his percentage and helping them set up a business plan was the 'not fun' part. At least he comforted himself knowing it was the last for a while. No new businesses had approached for about a week. Since the media attack his first day out of school his business had been in the papers every day.
Fifty people had approached in the first few weeks to enter into talks to start new businesses. The first twenty removed from the bunch didn't even have an idea about a company. They were expecting Harry to have business ideas for them to pick from. The next ten wanted to start business that did what some of his other businesses did so they were out. Five of the people he refused to do business with because they had persecuted muggleborns during his seventh year, even if they weren't supporters of Voldemort. Five of them had terrible ideas for businesses. Two people Daphne refused because their stories didn't stand up against scrutiny and she felt they would just disappear with the money. Only eight had made the cut to even be considered. Of those eight, four were already in business and just needed a financial boost. The last four he was working with today. All were new ideas with good plans and what appeared to be trustworthy people.
He was exhausted by the time he left the bank. He didn't even see the man who stumbled into him knocking him to the ground. The next thing he knew he was waking up in a strange place wrapped up in ropes. He realized quickly he was alone at the moment so he looked around the room he found himself in. It was a rundown shabby room that reminded him somewhat of the shrieking shack, just with whole furniture. He wondered for a moment why he was alone, but then shook himself out of his stupor and quickly made himself invisible.
He changed into his cat form and used one claw to cut through the ropes and grinned as he banished them. He took the time to wander about the room and see if he could tell where he was. He could have left at any time but decided he wanted to end this and hopefully the person paying for the attacks would be joining him soon.
With his enhanced hearing he heard the click of a door from down the hall and realized several people were approaching the room. He conjured some ropes to make it look like he was still tied up and then back in his human form he became visible just as they opened the door. To the three people who entered the room it looked like he was still unconscious. But Harry was very much wide awake. One of the three people felt very familiar to him but he couldn't place them. It didn't come to him who it was until they started to talk.
"He's still out." A man said, "We did a stunning spell at point blank range. He'll be out for hours yet."
"You were supposed to just kill him." Harry worked hard not to let out the gasp when he figured out who it was.
"We thought this way you were sure to know who killed him." The second man stated.
"I wanted a body not a living person." She said, "Now hurry up and finish him off and I'll pay you."
"As you wish my lady." The first man growled, "Avada…"
That was as far as he got because Harry had exploded into action. He tackled the man about to kill him, stunning him wandlessly and disarming him. He then turned and stunned the other two with the wand before they were able to respond to his movement. It was all over very quickly. Going invisible again and becoming his cat form he detected the will to murder him in each of the three present. Changing back and becoming visible again he tied them up and sat down to rest for a moment.
Eventually he summoned his holly wand and it came from the pockets of one of the men. He sighed dejectedly before casting a few spells around to see if anyone else was in the building. It was empty so he sent a patronus to Kingsley letting him know that he was alive in case he knew about the kidnapping.
A few moments later a silver lynx formed in front of him, "Where are you and we'll come get you."
His reply was short, "No clue, I'll have to come to you. I'm hoping you're not at the ministry."
"I'm in your office." Was the even shorter answer.
Nodding to himself he grabbed the rope tying the three of them together and then he apparated to his office. He fell to his knees as they hit the ground.
"Harry!" Daphne was the first to speak.
"Wait." Evidentially Kingsley was holding her back, "Where did you tell me to find your rucksack last spring."
"In Hermione's beaded bag." He replied, "I'm glad to be home it's been a crappy day."
"Are you alright?" Daphne asked as Kingsley let her loose, "Should I call a healer."
"You mean Poppy isn't here waiting on me?" he asked amused.
"Actually she's on her way." Kingsley chuckled, "I had Miss Greengrass floo Hogwarts when I got your first patronus. I knew they'd want to be here when I got you."
"Oh joy." He groaned as he pushed himself onto his feet only to be pushed into a chair by Daphne and handed a cup of tea, "Thanks."
"Can you tell me what happened?" Kingsley asked.
"Well last thing I remember was leaving the bank and someone ran into me." Harry explained, "Found out when I woke up that they had fallen on me and stunned me point blank. They expected me to be out for a while longer but…"
"You never stay down as long as we think you're going to." Poppy finished as she and Minerva arrived, "You don't look like you should be sitting up drinking tea Harry I should transfigure that chair into a bed."
"Don't worry as soon as I'm finished here I'm headed home." He sighed as Poppy began to wave her wand around him, "I'm exhausted."
"Well ten hours of business meetings can do that to you I've heard." Daphne shook her head, "Of course that was also after working here for eight hours."
"How long was I missing?" he asked.
"Two hours." Kingsley replied, "We had completed the investigation in the alley and I'd come to fill in Miss Greengrass while my aurors were making a grid of places to begin looking for you. Your first patronus caught me just before I was headed back. I was able to catch the aurors before they could leave and I have them on standby."
"Other than physical exhaustion you don't have any other issues." Poppy smiled widely, "Do you want a pepper up or dreamless sleep?"
"Sleep." Harry yawned out, "Kingsley can I just give you my memory from when they entered the room until just after I got myself loose?"
"As long as it has all the important parts." He agreed.
"It has her confession to paying them to kill me and their willingness to do so." Harry offered.
"That should be all we need. I'll come by late tomorrow to see the rest if that's ok with you?" Kingsley smiled as he conjured a bottle to keep the memory in.
"Sure." He yawned again.