By the time the Weekly Witch commotion had settled down a little, we were heading toward Hogsmeade Station together with Harry and the others.
"…This place is fine, right?"
Harry looked up at the imposing Gothic-style clock tower standing in front of the station, his expression blank with confusion.
"Was a clock tower like this here before?"
"They must've built it recently," Ron replied casually, without looking particularly surprised.
Harry tilted his head.
"But at the very least, it wasn't here before Christmas."
"That was over two months ago, wasn't it? With that much time, even my dad could build something like this."
For the record, the Burrow was the Weasley couple's first joint project after getting married, and apparently the basic first-floor structure was completed in almost a single day.
For wizards, even objects so heavy that Muggles would need heavy machinery to lift them can be easily raised with Wingardium Leviosa. With spells like Duro and permanent sticking charms, even unstable structures like the Burrow are not likely to collapse easily.
And in the worst case, if an earthquake or typhoon destroys it, a simple Reparo restores both the building and the interior in no time.
So for magical folk, building a house is about as casual as pitching a tent would be for Muggles.
That said, if you want a comfortable layout or elaborate interior design, you still need specialized know-how, just like in the Muggle world. That is how wizarding construction firms like Bulstrode Construction make their money.
Lately, with an emphasis on cost performance, they have apparently been focusing on standardized layout and interior packages. Supposedly, the tent the Weasley family used during the World Cup was identical to the room of Arabella Figg, who lives near Harry.
"Anyway, let's go inside."
As we headed from the pedestrian bridge toward the second-floor entrance, we found that the area near the entrance had been turned into a stylish garden terrace. Inside, the open atrium was filled with bright light. The marble-patterned floor, like a chessboard, was polished to a shine, and thanks to undetectable extension charms, the interior felt far more spacious than the exterior suggested.
"If I remember right, Sirius said he'd be waiting here…"
Looking around, we spotted a portly elderly man standing in front of an antique elevator. He was wearing an old-fashioned tuxedo and round glasses, with a silk top hat and even a Cuban cigar in his mouth. He looked just like one of the most famous Muggle British prime ministers in history.
"Harry!"
The lookalike came running toward us with a broad grin the moment he spotted us, his voice oddly familiar.
"W… what?"
As Harry cried out in confusion, the old man flashed a grin that was also strangely familiar.
"No way… Sirius?!"
"That's right."
The one greeting us was Sirius Black, wearing polished leather shoes and a fine tuxedo. For some reason, he was both overweight and aged, looking almost like a completely different person.
"That's shocking. You look like someone else entirely," Ron said, staring at him closely.
"Right?" Sirius replied with a grin identical to Fred and George after a successful prank.
"But still, the way you've aged and put on weight is kind of extreme…"
"Thanks to an Aging Potion and a Fattening Potion."
Aging Potions and Fattening Potions are simple brews that temporarily make the user older or heavier. Precisely because they are simple, they are easy to make, inexpensive, and a single drop can last for several months.
"I thought you might have used Polyjuice Potion…"
"If there's a torture worse than the Cruciatus Curse, it's having to keep drinking Polyjuice Potion," Sirius said with a shrug in response to Hermione.
"I actually thought about asking Remus to transform me, but just gathering the ingredients would have been a hassle. Running into the wrong people would be troublesome too, and then I started worrying about Remus's hair."
Ron and Harry burst out laughing, and Hermione spoke up.
"By the way, are you still in contact with Professor Lupin?"
"Contact? We're colleagues now."
"Colleagues… meaning?"
As I spoke, Sirius grinned and pulled out a business card.
General Magitics Co., Hogsmeade Branch
Contract Researcher
Procyon White
Leaving aside the painfully obvious alias, it turned out he had been working at my company without me knowing.
"After the incident with the Death Eaters at the World Cup, I went to see Remus to talk about Harry. While we were having a proper meal for once, he brought this up."
Sirius, if you're interested, would you consider working at our company?
"I never thought the day would come when Remus would try to recruit me," Sirius said with a smile.
Ever since the demonstration of Riddle 94 before the World Cup ended in great success, GM Company had received massive investments from pure-blood noble families and expanded rapidly. They could not secure personnel fast enough, and talented wizards were in extremely high demand.
While I was listening to all this like it had nothing to do with me, Hermione turned to me.
"Wait, but isn't it kind of bad that Elaina doesn't even know who her own employees are?"
"I'm only the honorary chairwoman, after all. The people on the ground know the situation best…"
"That's exactly the kind of useless manager who dumps everything on the field staff."
"A student's proper duty is studying."
Setting that aside, I addressed Sirius.
"Still, weren't Farley-senpai and the others suspicious of you? Even with Professor Lupin's recommendation and proven skills, someone with an unknown background would normally raise eyebrows."
Sirius gave a sardonic smile.
"Most werewolves are suspicious people with unknown backgrounds to begin with. Since I came recommended by Remus, they just assume I'm one of them."
So the issue of his unknown background was not pursued further, but whether to hire a werewolf was another matter entirely.
The cautious Penelope-senpai said, "I sympathize since I'm Muggle-born too, but this is work, and suspicious people are still a bit…" She was hesitant, but Farley-senpai stepped in to help.
"But it's Remus's recommendation, so let's at least interview him. If there's no problem, we can hire him on a fixed-term contract for about a year and see how it goes. If he's useful, we'll make it permanent."
In Slytherin, which is full of elites, minorities like Muggle-borns and werewolves are often excluded more harshly than in other houses. On the other hand, it is also true that having the right connections can get you accepted surprisingly easily.
That is how Sirius ended up working at GM Company. Once he started, he proved to be just as capable as Professor Lupin, if not more so. These days, people are desperately begging him not to change jobs, saying they will do anything to keep him.
"Honestly, I always thought working in an organization would never suit me. But once I tried it, it turned out to fit me better than I expected. Being a startup, there's a lot of freedom, for better or worse, and above all, it's fun to turn ideas into reality right away. It reminds me of when we were students, developing the Marauder's Map with Remus and the others."
Incidentally, the idea for the Drone Snitch came from Sirius. When he saw the original stationary communication mirror, he casually said, "Wouldn't it be more interesting if it had wings and could move?" That comment became the catalyst for its improvement.
Compared to the stationary communication mirrors, which were essentially just magical surveillance cameras, the Drone Snitch is far more convenient. As a result, it is expected to be applied in many fields, including aerial photography, surveying, security, and maintenance.
On top of that, he is scheduled to be selected next month for the development team of the Riddle 95 project. His salary has increased as well, and he has no particular trouble making ends meet.
Harry and the others had brought chicken, assuming he must be starving, but it turned out he was eating three proper meals a day without issue.
"Well then, let's stop chatting here and I'll show you to my office."
Following Sirius to the fifth floor, we found a room furnished with a six-seat table and chairs. A stylish desk by the window held potted plants and mysterious foreign souvenirs. The walls were lined with books, and everything was fully equipped, making it look just like a private office for a university professor.
"He works in a nicer place than Dad's office…"
Ron, let's not say sad things.
After enjoying some tea and taking a break, Sirius suddenly spoke.
"By the way, Harry, I watched the footage of your match."
As Sirius operated the multifunction double-sided mirror in his hand, footage of "the Second Task" appeared on the large communication mirror mounted on the wall.
"If the Snitch Drone had been finished a bit earlier, we could've recorded the First Task too. Anyway, congratulations."
"Thanks, Uncle Sirius."
"But don't let your guard down. There are plenty of things to worry about."
"You mean Karkaroff and Snape?"
When Harry mentioned the two former Death Eaters, Sirius's expression grew serious.
"Yeah. You can't be too careful with either of them."
"But Dumbledore trusts Professor Snape!"
"And there's always the chance Dumbledore's being deceived."
In response to Sirius's words, Hermione and Ron voiced completely opposite opinions.
"What do you think, Sirius?"
"You both make good points. But there's no decisive evidence."
After a moment of silence, Sirius suddenly turned his gaze toward me.
"Snape's movements concern me too, but what about Karkaroff? If he were in trouble and needed help, he'd probably turn to Victorika-senpai."
At that, the three of them stared in surprise.
"Wait, really?!"
"After 'that person' was defeated by Harry, my mother was the one who handled the defense for the former Death Eaters. As for Mr. Karkaroff, it seems she also persuaded a reluctant Mr. Crouch and brought him into a plea bargain."
Avoiding the awkward looks from Harry and the others, I turned back to Sirius.
"He wanted to know how to contact her, so I told him. There wasn't really any reason to refuse."
In truth, as a bargaining chip he had offered, "I'll tell you about the First Task," and even took me all the way to the Forbidden Forest to see the dragons. But since no one had asked that much, there was no need to bring it up.
"I see… interesting," Sirius murmured, resting a hand on his chin.
"If he's relying on Victorika-senpai, that means he feels his life is in danger. He's probably afraid of retaliation from his former comrades, or from Crouch. Seen another way, it makes it unlikely that Karkaroff himself is plotting anything…"
"Crouch?" Hermione reacted to the unexpected name coming from Sirius.
"But earlier you said Karkaroff made a deal thanks to Elaina's mother's proposal…"
"He might regret it," Harry said.
"Moody said Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards."
"Exactly! That's why he was sneaking into the school and into Snape's laboratory!" Ron added triumphantly.
"That actually happened?"
"I saw it on the Marauder's Map," Harry said firmly.
Sirius nodded in agreement.
"It's not impossible. He might think that if he captures one more 'Death Eater,' he can regain his former popularity."
"What do you mean?" Ron asked, and Sirius began to explain.
"Back then, Crouch was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the leading hardliner. Unlike Dumbledore or Moody, he believed in meeting violence with violence and punishing anyone who seemed suspicious. He authorized Aurors to use the Unforgivable Curses. He never supported the Dark side, but his cold ruthlessness wasn't all that different."
Sirius gave a sardonic smile.
"He was also the one who ordered me sent to Azkaban, without a trial."
"Eh?"
All three of us, Ron, Hermione, and I, exclaimed at the same time.
"Is that even possible? That sounds completely illegal…"
"No, it was legal at the time. Martial law was still in effect."
"Oh…"
So that was it.
Even in the Muggle world, during wartime or emergencies, declaring martial law allows administrative and judicial authority to be placed under military control. Under martial law, civilians who violate curfews can be tried by court-martial without ever seeing a civilian court.
The wizarding world has no army, so instead a special tribunal was established under the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Naturally, no one could oppose the wishes of Crouch, who stood at the top of that department.
"Even after Voldemort disappeared, Crouch kept martial law in place for a while under the pretext of restoring order. In reality, some Death Eaters, like the Lestranges, were still causing incidents while plotting Voldemort's return. Crouch used that to strengthen his own power."
Then Sirius continued.
"Just when he was one step away from becoming Minister for Magic, an unfortunate scandal happened. Crouch's son was caught together with Death Eaters."
Hermione gasped.
"Did Crouch try to help his own child escape punishment?"
"No. The opposite," Sirius said in a low voice.
"He put his son on trial and sent him straight to Azkaban. That trial was probably nothing more than a performance to show everyone that he had no connection to his son."
"Then Crouch's son…"
"He died about a year after being imprisoned in Azkaban. I saw his grieving mother come to retrieve the body from the solitary cell."
Sirius took a breath and drained his now-cold tea.
"The news of Crouch's son's death was exposed by Rita Skeeter in less than a week."
Naturally, Rita had no sympathy for Crouch. She viciously blamed him for neglecting his son, and his reputation plummeted overnight. On top of that, former Death Eaters like Lucius and moderates such as Minister Fudge exploited it politically and launched an anti-Crouch campaign. In the end, Crouch fell from power.
After a heavy silence, Ron muttered,
"So then… just like Sirius said, Crouch is trying to restore his position by catching Snape or Karkaroff…?"
Sirius frowned.
"But there are things that don't add up. If he wants to investigate Snape, he could just come to Hogwarts repeatedly as a judge, like Bagman does. Why doesn't he? It could simply be illness, but if so, why go to such lengths to break into Snape's lab right now, at this time? He could recuperate first…"
After muttering to himself, Sirius looked at Ron.
"I heard your brother is Crouch's secretary. Can you find anything out?"
"I'll try, but…" Ron replied hesitantly.
"Percy likes Crouch, so I don't think he'll cooperate much just because I ask."
At that moment, Hermione clapped her hands.
"Then how about asking through Clearwater-senpai?"
"That's it! She's perfect!"
Asking a younger brother might not work, but asking his girlfriend, especially someone he feels indebted to after the Christmas incident, might get results even if he's not enthusiastic.
"What do you think, Elaina?"
"I'll first check with Farley-senpai to make sure they haven't broken up. If everything's fine, I'll contact Penelope-senpai myself."
Sirius's eyes widened.
"Penelope? You mean Penelope Clearwater?"
"Oh right, she's your supervisor at GM Company."
When I asked, "You hadn't heard?" Sirius shook his head.
"Unlike Gemma, Penelope doesn't really talk about her private life at work, and she never joins drinking parties. I knew she had a boyfriend, but I never imagined it was Ron's brother…"
Sirius let out a long sigh. The world really is smaller than you'd think.
So, after immediately checking with Farley-senpai, I was told, "Things are a bit awkward right now, but they haven't actually broken up."
In fact, Percy himself seemed to be looking for an opportunity to mend the relationship, and when we asked, he cooperated far more earnestly than expected.
"I contacted Mr. Crouch this morning, and he said he would very much like to meet you all."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Actually, Mr. Crouch is currently pushing operational reforms in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. He's examining the possibility of remote work and international meetings using communication-based magical devices. That's why he would very much like to speak with you as well, Elaina, in your capacity as honorary chairwoman."
Well, that's embarrassing.
(That said, to be honest, the technical side is really Penelope-senpai's and Professor Lupin's area of expertise, and things like sales and funding are Farley-senpai's responsibility, so I'd be in trouble if he asked too many detailed questions.)
However, in the end, that worry turned out to be unfounded.
"At Christmas the other day, my subordinate caused you some trouble. I wanted to thank you for that today."
Crouch appeared at Hogwarts looking a little worn down, but he smiled pleasantly.
"Then the talk about evaluating products…"
"It's true, but I intend to proceed through the proper official channels."
It seemed that the GM Company talk had merely been a pretext to avoid putting pressure on Percy. Even so, it somehow felt like we weren't expected much at all, which was oddly unsatisfying.
"Weatherby… pardon me. He reminded me of a former subordinate. Percy Weasley is a diligent and earnest young man, but because of that, I may have entrusted him with too much work. I must be more careful myself."
Then Crouch looked at me and said,
"Shall we take a short walk outside?"
(End of chapter)
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