Title: Of Wizards and Muggles
Team: Caerphilly Catapults
Position: Chaser 1
Round: QL Daily Prophet Expelliarmus Competition
Prompt: Dissendium– [plot point] a Muggle finds out about magic
Additional Prompts used: N/A
Word count: 980
Betas: Bea, Sky
Otto Bagman was the opposite of his brother. While his brother was good-natured, jolly and sporty. Otto was a rather inconsiderate, gloomy, couch-potato. Forever in the shadow of his elder brother, the Quidditch hero. It was the same when they were young boys too, Ludo was the apple of their mother's eye, whereas Otto, despite doing better in school than Ludo, was always something of a disappointment to her. So, it was of little surprise to his brother Ludo, that Otto chose to engage in a somewhat 'questionable' career choice. He ran a rather shady business of stolen goods and enchanted Muggle objects. In an attempt to keep his business from the attention of Ministry Officials, he operated out of a small shop in the middle of a Muggle Street of shabby, run down shops. He wasn't particularly discerning about who he sold to either; wizards of questionable character and Muggle alike were welcome and served in his shop. He had a secret trapdoor hidden beneath the counter of his shop that led to a hidden basement room where he could store his stolen items until the heat wore off.
The bell above the shop door tinkled and Mundungus Fletcher entered the shop with a sack flung over his shoulder that was making odd clanking sounds. Otto waved his wand at the door and windows, locking the door and drawing the shades on the window.
"What've you got for me today, Dung?" Otto asked, as Mundungus set his sack down with a loud thump and wiped his brow.
"Not up here, Otto," Mundungus said, heaving the sack onto his back again. Otto nodded in understanding.
"Dissendium," he said tapping the counter to reveal the hidden passageway. "Ever thought about bewitching that sack to be featherlight?" he said to Mundungus as he staggered down the staircase under the weight.
"I'm no good at that spell," Mundungus replied. Otto rolled his eyes as he followed him downstairs.
"Better get good at it if you're going to keep bringing all these heavy items to me" Otto said as he watched several lawnmowers tip out of the sack. "But yet you have an undetectable extension charm on your sack."
"Well, I didn't cast it, did I? Came like that."
"I'll give you fifteen Galleons for the lot," Otto said, examining the lawnmowers.
"Fifteen? 'Ere what's your game? They're worth more than that. These ain't your regular Muggle Grass Cutters. These 'ere are enchanted. Do the work themselves."
"Yes, but they're stolen. Can't very well sell them anytime soon, can I? I'll give you fifteen or you can try elsewhere."
"And you call me the thief," Mundungus muttered, as Otto handed him the fifteen Galleons.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Dung," Otto said as they climbed the stairs to the shop "Dissendium." The passageway closed once more. With another flick of his wand the blinds went back up and the shop door unlocked.
Mundungus left the shop muttering to himself. A couple of minutes later the bell tinkled again and a Muggle entered. He came straight up to the counter and pointed to the enchanted tea-pot in the shop window.
"How much for the teapot?" he asked. "My wife spotted it the other day and she's dropped several hints about how much she likes it."
"Fifteen pounds," Otto told the Muggle.
"Fifteen? For a teapot?"
"Well, it's an old design," Otto told the Muggle. "Tea in it never gets cold, and never runs out. It's a bargain at fifteen pounds."
"Never gets cold or runs out? How's that work then?"
"No idea. Magic, I guess. I just sell it. Only one of its kind. You want it or not?"
"As long as it does what you say it does," the Muggle replied as Otto waved his wand and the teapot flew over to the counter and started wrapping itself in brown paper, while the Muggle, oblivious, handed Otto the money.
"Here you go," Otto said, handing over the wrapped teapot. "Hope your wife enjoys the teapot."
A couple of days later the bell of the shop door tinkled again. The teapot purchasing Muggle was back.
"What can I get for you today?" Otto asked. "Was your wife pleased with the teapot?"
"Never seen her so happy. She's a real tea-jenny, so she's pleased as punch that it never gets cold and never runs out."
"Glad to hear it."
"Got anymore of these magical items? Something for me perhaps? Wife insists that the garden is man's work. Wouldn't mind something to make that easier."
"Well then, you're in luck my friend," Otto said waving his wand at the door and windows, once more locking the and pulling down the blinds. "Dissendium. Follow me."
"Blimey," the Muggle said. "It really is magic."
"Yeah, but you've got to keep the secret to yourself. Understand?" Otto said as they went down the stairs.
"Don't think anyone would believe me if I told them anyway."
"Here you are. The latest stock. Only just in," Otto said, showing the Muggle the old-fashioned lawn mower. "Very finest Grass cutter here."
"In my grandfather's time, perhaps," the Muggle said sceptically.
"Ah, but this one does all the work," Otto said. "All you've gotta do is tell it to 'cut the grass, please' and off it goes. You can sit down with a nice drink while it does all the work. Even takes care of the edges too. Got a little contraption that comes out the side for that."
"How much?"
"Fifty pounds. A real bargain considering it requires zero effort from you."
"I'll take it."
Otto levitated the lawnmower up the stairs, waved his wand muttering "Dissendium" and the passageway sealed up again.
"This is my phone number," the Muggle said, handing him a business card. "You get anything else like this to make my life easier and you give me a call."