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Chapter Fifteen
Riyadh
Friday November 21, 1997
After receiving the contract from Omar, the water minister, Harry, Hermione, Minerva and Remus met to discuss names for additional people to offer invitations to interview. The initial employee candidate list consisted of; Zack Smith, Anthony Goldstein, Kevin Entwhistle, Lisa Turpin, Michael Corner, Penelope Clearwater, Luna Lovegood, Terry Boot, Colin Creevey, Lee Jordan, Seamus Finnigan, Carol Philips, Alastor Moody, Mick Paulson, Oliver Wood, Blaise Zabini and Justin Finch-Fletchley.
Minerva had taught all of them transfiguration except Moody, who Amelia Bones had recommended, via Susan. Susan had also recommended against offering Daphne Greengrass a try-out. Harry didn't ask her for a reason. He trusted her judgement.
After the initial discussion, they thanked Minerva and continued their discussions. Ted happened to be there and looked at the list. He pointed out that Zachary was slated to take up the Smith Wizengamot seat in a few years. He had plenty of family money and like Cyrus Greengrass, Zach's father, Remington Smith's politics were excessively traditional. Hermione glanced at Harry, who nodded, and his name was struck from the list of those to be invited. They'd briefly considered Neville, but had serious doubts that he could do the work, or would be willing to leave his plants for six weeks. Not willing to accidentally exclude a good friend, Harry personally contacted Neville, but he politely declined. Ted sent out invitations and try-out contract offers.
Oliver Wood sent a politely worded message back refusing their offer, stating that he was hoping for a starting position at Puddlemere next spring.
Anthony and Michael also sent politely worded refusals.
Harry sent the others invitations to come for paid training and practice sessions. After making the presentations and showing them the practice lake, Moody concluded that they were the real deal. Over the weekend, Seamus and Blaise washed out, as neither had any flying experience, strong transfiguration, or in Zabini's case, any semblance of magical stamina.
At the end of the second weekend, he'd decided that Entwhistle, Turpin, Boot, Creevey and Mick Paulson, who had briefly been an Auror before leaving to work in estate dispositions, would make good flyers. He'd emptied the test pond and Remus had led them each on two water runs with the others practicing desalination transfiguration. Harry emptied the lake after every second flyer.
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Remus and his Were friend, Carol Phillips, turned out to be great additions to the team. Lupin's age and affable personality made him easy to work with. The others easily accepted his direction. Like Harry, he led from the front. He also knew how to apply permanent seals, so Harry didn't have to finish every block.
Carol had always worked in transportation and logistics. They studied the construction method that had been used in Kuwait City and offered a suggestion here and there. Her best suggestion was that Harry share elf-recharging duty with the three other strongest of the team before bed, so he wouldn't be exhausted, as he had been with the final two lakes at Kuwait City. She also suggested having three water delivery routes so more of the flyers could be in the air at a time. That made sense, as the new job site in Riyadh was 250 miles from the water compared to the 40 at Kuwait City.
Harry was still far and away the fastest at construction, but largely kept his work out of sight. He started several hours earlier than the others, and had the cornerstones for four of the lakes in place before the others arrived. As before, they designated the two lakes that had the highest elevations as one and two. Since they were planning on a total of 14 lakes, they designated them as the even numbered set and the odd numbered set. With an every-other-week fill schedule, one set would be held in reserve, depending on what the actual consumption turned out to be.
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As the Kuwait crew had far more flyers than the Riyadh Saudi Arabia crew, Harry did a bit of trading and sent Tonks and Angelina to join the Lupin crew in exchange for Colin and Luna when it came to refills.
They may have been working on constructing 14 new lakes, but they still had refill responsibilities at Kuwait City. To maintain financial parity, the crews proposed a daily attendance plan, whereby when the jobs were completed, everyone who worked the same number of days was paid the same, regardless if they helped with refills in Kuwait City, or transfigured blocks at the Riyadh worksite. They all realized that there was plenty of money to go around.
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Thursday January 1, 1998 (six weeks later)
So far, Harry had provided ridiculously good paying jobs to 300 elves along with 22 witches and wizards; most of whom would have had trouble finding anything even remotely comparable in magical Britain.
Harry and Ted were meeting with Barchoke going over year-end financial reports. Ted said, "The construction projects generated 20 million galleons and another 2.7 million for the maintenance. Half of the construction money went to the elves. You earned 5 million for those efforts and the crew split 5 million."
Barchoke added, "To my knowledge, all of the gold was deposited in this branch and most of it is still here. Do you expect 1998 to have similar results?"
Harry replied, "Similar on the construction side. I expect the maintenance side to grow."
Barchoke pointed out, "The opportunity to repopulate your Wizengamot should not be ignored for too much longer." Harry was far less interested in the topic than his Account Manager, who was hoping that the Nation would directly benefit again from Wizengamot decisions.
Ted commented, "Many of the people who Harry recommended when I originally asked him are working with him now. While they may be young, their strong financial positions would add legitimacy to them; far more so if we waited another year."
Barchoke added, "True, but do not wait longer, lest those who oppose your efforts have a real opportunity to regroup."
Finally Harry pushed back. "Most likely, Susan Bones will be Minister of Magic someday. When she does, she won't be easy to bribe; first because she has a strong moral rudder. Secondly, she'll have made millions of her own money. The other people who I recommended will be in the same position; they'll be millionaires from money that they earned themselves. They'll be people who, by their nature and their own life experience, are inclined to look ahead. What they won't be are a bunch who will have their hands out with every vote. If they walk in with as much, or more money in their vaults than the Notts of the world, than Nott won't seem wealthy, or powerful, by comparison. That's my goal here, but as with any good recipe, it will take some time to bake. If it takes another five years, to change the balance of power on a permanent basis, so what?"
Barchoke gave a polite half-bow and stated, "We will continue maintaining the illusion that they are still alive. I simply don't want the effects of your amazing achievement and effort to be diminished."
Harry took a deep breath and replied, "One night may change the names of some of the players on the board; it won't change hearts and minds, or social status. Leveling the playing field or even tilting it in the newbloods' favor will. It will help them, as well as the other disadvantaged magicals. We may have different ideas as to the timing and methods, but we both have the same goal in mind."
Barchoke nodded and replied, "Your vision is true and your goals are worthy, Harry Potter. It is always mutually profitable to converse with you."
...
After they were back at Ted's house, he suggested, "You would do well to keep your Potter Waterworks crew all British. There are different tax laws in the States that would be far less beneficial to your efforts. The same would apply should you roll out your other product."
One point of concern for Harry was he'd essentially employed his entire list of school contacts. He decided to ask the existing crew for additional recommendations for the next project.
As before, the elves volunteered to dispose of the extra sand. Fourteen full-sized lakes was a lot of sand.
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Meanwhile, Ed and Dobby had been busy.
Big Football Stadium, Texas
"I don't know how you got up here, but Y'all cannot see Mr. Jones without an appointment," stated the receptionist with a Texas drawl to the two men standing before her desk.
"We don't need no stinking appointment, I'm Ed and this is Dobby."
"What's all the ruckus about out here? I'm talking to Mrs. Jones on the phone!"
"See, there he is. Mr. Jones, I be Dobby and this is Ed."
Mr. Jones looked them up and down, noting their Italian white silk suits, black silk neck scarves, and black fedora's. "Ah, you boys ain't in the mafia are you?"
"Ed looked askance at him. "Come now, Mr. Jones, everybody knows there is no mafia. We's come to trade. You's having a big Monster Truck Meet in two weeks and your sand guy can't deliver. We heard you was calling all over the state and thinking of canceling if'n you got no sand by Friday. We got sand and we can deliver tomorrow."
"How much will it cost?"
"Don't want money. How much Texas barbecue brisket, ribs and chicken you willing to trade? Oh, and four tickets to the truck jam."
…
Waterford Glassworks, Ireland.
"Mr. Gloinedeas, Mr. Dobby and Mr. Ed are here for their appointment."
"Right in that door, gentlemen."
Dobby and Ed walked into a homey looking office paneled in rich looking wood.
"I'll cut to the chase Mr. Gloinedeas," said Ed. "We heard you are having difficulty finding 99.9% pure Silica sand for your crystal making. We heard you may have to put the workforce on holiday. We's got Silica Sand and can deliver. Tomorrow. How much you want?"
Mr. Gloinedeas gulped as he looked at the two strange men dressed in white silk Italian suits. He admitted, "Well, it is true we have been having difficulties in getting the right materials. How much?"
"All you could use in a year."
"I meant the cost?"
"This is sorta, kinda off the books you see. What you got to trade?"
"No paper trail huh? I can deal with that. How about a truck load of fine glass ware?"
"Let's see your catalog."
"How you gonna get it here by tomorrow?"
"Let's just say we're miracle magic makers!"
…
"Hey Harry, they did it again."
Harry stumbled out of the kitchen onto the deck. "I've not even had my coffee yet. What is it this time, Dan?"
"He's got a giant blue fiberglass whale that has a giant slide on the lake. There's a sign. Route 66, Catoosa Oklahoma, Swimming and Fishing Hole. Blue whale slip and slide.
Harry looked out at the blue fiberglass whale and had to smile as he watched the little elves climbing the ladders to get to the slides and giggling all the way down.
"Dan, I can't yell at him. Look at the elves. What are you eating? It smells great."
"Oh, ribs. Nice Texas style barbecue. Dobby got it somewhere. It's outstanding."
"Are you drinking juice from a crystal rocks glass?"
"Yes, all the glasses disappeared. We only have crystal in the cupboards."
…
"Hi Dobby and Ed!"
"Hello Dan and Mr. Harry Potter Sir."
"What are you doing, Dobby?"
"Painting my ten foot tall fiberglass T-Rex purple, like Barney for the little elveses to play with."
"It doesn't sing does it?"
"Dinosaurs can sing?"
"Never mind, Dobby. Where did it come from?
"Traded sand at Grand Canyon Caverns in Arizona."
"Where are you putting it, Dobby."
"Oh, on the beach, next to the lighthouse, Tiki Hut and tilt-a-whirl."
Harry and Dan walked away. "I think he looked a little guilty. His ears were a little flushed."
"What I want to know is what the hell does someone who lives in the Arizona desert need sand for?"
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A/Ns
Just the thought of the two of them in their little black fedoras puts a huge smile on my face.
A shorter chapter than most. I didn't think anyone needed another fifteen pages on transfiguring section blocks, so let's just leave that implied.
When word eventually leaked out of the success of Harry's water business, the few who turned down his invitation would kick themselves for decades.
Part Three begins Harry's next career.
Thank you for reading. Please leave a note, so Hannah can bark at me and demand an increase in treats and chin rubs.
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