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Arthur Weasley nearly choked on his water. He glanced around to make sure the kids were out of earshot, then lowered his voice. "Su, you can't just say stuff like that. I'm pretending I didn't hear it."
Sullivan gave a small smile. The Weasleys had always been solid friends, and that loyalty was exactly why he wanted Arthur as an ally inside the Ministry.
Right now, Sullivan needed someone with real pull at the Ministry. The Magical Network was growing fast, and more people were starting to see how much influence it could have over public opinion.
For the short term, he could lean on Dumbledore's name and his American connections to keep things smooth. But the moment the network started touching real Ministry interests, Fudge would find a hundred ways to stick his nose in. Sullivan had to get ahead of that.
Avery was a useful tool on paper. Sullivan could keep the public partnership going, but he couldn't get too cozy—otherwise Avery's Death Eater past would become useless.
When he thought about it, the only pure-blood with enough years in the Ministry, solid standing, and a good personal relationship with him was Arthur.
"I'm not joking," Sullivan said. "Don't you want it?"
Arthur looked uncomfortable. "Come on, Su. Amelia Bones is rock-solid. Her brother died fighting You-Know-Who, and the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has always come from the Auror Office. I don't have the background for that."
Sullivan leaned in. "Who said it has to be the Department of Magical Law Enforcement? I've got information on one department head who's sitting on some very ugly secrets. The second they come out, he's gone."
Arthur's eyes widened. "Who?"
Sullivan didn't name names. "Doesn't matter right now. Even if a spot opens, it won't automatically go to you. But the future isn't written yet. If you're interested, I can help push things in the right direction."
Arthur hesitated. He did have ambition, and with seven kids, money was always tight. New school robes and supplies every year left him feeling like he was failing them.
"What would I have to do?" he asked. "You know me, Su. I won't break the law. At least… I'll try not to."
Sullivan slid a small detection ward across the table. "Just do your job like you always do. But starting now, carry this with you during your regular patrols and office work."
Arthur recognized the device. "What's the point of carrying it around?"
"It records everything—your daily duties, your enforcement actions. The editor at Today's Headlines will make sure the public sees how much you do for the wizarding world."
"Once your reputation builds up enough, we can start looking at how to get you into a department head position," Sullivan finished.
Arthur's face grew serious. "Su, we're friends, no question. But I need to be straight with you. What do you want out of this?"
He wasn't naïve. He understood that favors came with strings.
Sullivan answered honestly. "I want to push more Muggle items into magical use. Things like my magic phones, my enchanted cars. I want them sold openly in Britain without someone from the Ministry trying to shut them down."
Arthur thought for a long moment, then nodded. "If that's what you're after, I'll do everything I can to make it happen—no matter where I end up. I can't promise it'll work, but I'll fight for it."
"Deal," Sullivan said, extending his hand.
"Deal."
With the serious talk out of the way, the conversation turned casual. Arthur couldn't stop praising the magic phone, and Sullivan couldn't stop praising the twins' latest ideas.
Percy drifted over, trying to look casual. He poured Sullivan a fresh cup of tea and asked, "Professor Su, will Raven's Feather be taking new members next term? I'm very interested."
In Percy's mind, if his brothers wouldn't recommend him, he'd go straight to the source.
Sullivan gave him a half-smile. "Of course we will. But we use a recommendation system. George and Fred each get two spots. Ask them to recommend you."
Percy's face tightened. "I… right. I'll talk to them. Thank you, Professor."
As soon as Percy walked away, Arthur sighed. "Percy's smart. Sometimes too smart for his own good."
Sullivan shrugged. "Kids are kids. They need guidance and a few hard lessons. Want to bet how he'll try to convince the twins?"
"I hope he uses the family card," Arthur said, shaking his head. "But I suspect he'll dangle some prefect privileges in front of them."
A moment later, George and Fred came bounding over, phones in hand.
"Professor Su, we finished a new game! Check it out!"
They opened the app at the same time and started a match. Two holographic wizards in black robes appeared above the table, wands raised.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
The figures moved in real time, dodging and firing spells under the twins' control. They dueled for three full minutes before George landed the winning shot.
"Ha! 25 to 21—I'm up by four games now!" George crowed. Both twins looked at Sullivan, waiting for his verdict.
Sullivan was genuinely impressed. In just one month, they had built something this polished.
The graphics were simple, the movement a little stiff, and the spell list was still limited. But the core idea—real-time magical dueling on a phone—was solid.
"Wow," he said. "This is seriously impressive. I knew you two were talented, but this is next-level."
The twins beamed.
"So, Professor," Fred asked, "can we launch it?"
Sullivan nodded. "We'll put it in the app store right after the holiday. Polish the animations a bit more and add a few extra spells. Great work, guys."
The twins high-fived and rushed off to tweak the game, already arguing about new features.
Arthur watched them go, then turned back to Sullivan with a tired but proud smile. "They've got big dreams. I just hope they don't get themselves expelled before they finish school."
Sullivan laughed. "They'll be fine. They're smart, and they've got a good head on their shoulders—most of the time."
The two men clinked their cups and kept talking as the afternoon light faded. For the first time in a long while, the future felt like it was moving in the right direction.