Chapter 31: The Most Profitable Business for Merchants
Solicitor's Office of Edward Tonks
Ronald Bilius Weasley
July 15, 1989, Saturday
"…for a businessman, finding capital is his first test. And I have no intention of backing down from that test." Ron said.
He knew Mr. Tonks was well-intentioned, but he wasn't entirely sure what he would offer. Perhaps he would offer to lend him money without interest, or maybe a partnership. Or perhaps a share of the profits for a certain period.
Frankly, such a request wouldn't be unreasonable. After all, as the provider of capital, he could even ask for 50% or more of the business.
But Ron had no intention of partnering with anyone else. And if Mr. Tonks' offer involved a partnership or profit sharing, Ron's refusal could create an awkward situation between them.
Ron didn't want that to happen. So, it would be better to leave some things unsaid and part ways amicably.
Besides, Ron had many ideas for raising his capital. And even if none of that worked, he had 1100 galleons in his inventory from the system. At worst, he would find a way to explain this money, even if it would be a bit complicated, and use it.
Meanwhile, Clerk Foster brought the prepared documents and presented them to Mr. Tonks, who reviewed them and nodded in approval.
And with that, Ron thought that today's meetings had been sufficient. Although it hadn't been part of his plans for the day, he wanted to put his plan to find capital into action immediately after leaving.
"I suppose our visit today will end here, Mr. Tonks. But if everything goes well, I will have all the necessary capital and documents ready by tomorrow. And if possible, I would like to use your services tomorrow as well. However, I'm not sure if you work on Sundays," Ron said.
"Normally, our office isn't open on Sundays. But if you can arrange everything as you said, you can send me an owl either in the evening or tomorrow morning. In that case, I can meet you here at noon. I'll also bring Andromeda's report and your letter of recommendation with me," Mr. Tonks said.
"Oh. Thank you for considering spending your personal time on our business. And if everything goes well, I'd like to sign a Confirmator Agreement Contract with you tomorrow. What's your opinion on that?" Ron asked.
"Hahaha. I thought you wouldn't ask, Mr. Ronald Weasley. I must say I'm quite receptive to such an offer," Mr. Tonks said.
"Great. Then we'll discuss and decide on the details tomorrow," Ron said and added, "Now, please tell me how much we should pay for your services today."
"If you wish, we can postpone this payment until tomorrow or later, Mr. Ronald Weasley," Mr. Tonks said.
"Impossible. As a businessman, I can't go to bed at night with my head in debt. Please calculate the fee," said Ron.
"Hahaha. Reginald, please do the calculation," said Mr. Tonks.
After Clerk Foster's calculation, Ron paid the fee of 4 galleons and 2 sickles.
One galleon of this fee was for the approximately two-hour meeting, another galleon for the confidentiality magic contract they signed, and the remainder covered the cost of other documents prepared and provided.
Although it was an expensive expense given the Weasley family's financial situation, it was a necessary and justified expenditure for Ron.
Next, Ron gathered the paperwork and contracts prepared for him, along with the four games that were still on the table, and put them into his chest. And he shrank the chest back to keychain size and attached it to his belt.
After wishing Mr. Tonks and Mr. Foster a good day, Ron and Bill left the office and the building and started walking again along Diagon Alley toward Leaky Cauldron.
At this point, Bill couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Ron, where do you plan to find 300 galleons by tomorrow? No matter how you look at it, that's a small fortune. It's impossible."
"Don't worry, Bill. I knew from the beginning that I needed to find some initial capital. Now I just know how much I need. And I already have a plan in mind."
Bill sighed deeply and said, "What are you planning to do?"
"Not me, we. I'll need your help again with this. As for what we're going to do, we're going to meet with Amelia Bones." Ron said.
"Huh?" Bill froze in place when he heard the name Ron mentioned.
After taking a few steps, Ron stopped and looked back, realizing Bill wasn't following him, and said, "What's wrong?"
Bill came to his senses and said, "Ron, when you say Amelia Bones, you're not talking about the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, are you?"
"That's exactly who I'm talking about," Ron said innocently.
"Ron, do you realize that the person you're talking about is our father's direct superior? We can't just go and meet with the head of the DMLE. And if..." Bill was about to continue, but Ron interrupted him and said,
"This isn't the right place to talk about this, Bill. Let's go to the Leaky Cauldron and rent a room; we can talk more comfortably there."
Bill nodded helplessly and sighed. For some reason, he felt that this day had been much more tiring than he had anticipated.
Then Ron and Bill went to the Leaky Cauldron and rented a room from Tom for two hours. Ron paid for two silver sickles for that. Daily or hourly rental rates were apparently much higher than weekly or monthly rates.
After they entered the room and closed the door, Ron explained why he wanted to meet with Amelia Bones.
But his explanation was quite short and simple. He just told Bill he had some crafting items that might interest Amelia Bones, and that this would solve their capital problem.
Then he pulled out a parchment, wrote something on it, and handed it to Bill, telling him what to do.
Bill now stood in the middle of the room, holding the piece of parchment Ron had given him in one hand and his wand in the other.
"Ron, are you sure about this?" Bill asked, still hesitant.
"When a Lord or Heir Apparent of Magical Houses wants to meet with another House, they can use their wands to summon the House Elves of the House they wish to meet with, and send a formal request through them. Actually, this is the proper way according to the etiquette of the wizarding world for Magical Houses. I just read about it in a book about wizarding etiquette," Ron said.
"That's not what I'm talking about. Madam Amelia Bones isn't an ordinary person. If something goes wrong, it could even cause our father to lose his job," Bill said.
"Bill, do you know what the most profitable type of business is generally for a merchant?" Ron said.
"Umm. I can't say I know. Maybe selling unique magical items?" Bill said.
"No. The most profitable type of business for a merchant is dealings with governments. Because they usually have the fullest coffers, and since the coins aren't theirs, they don't hesitate to spend what's in those coffers." Ron said.
"Ron, even so, you have to consider the risks," Bill said.
"Bill, you're worrying unnecessarily. We're not doing anything wrong here, and we're just requesting a meeting. Madam Bones won't accept if she doesn't want to. And I don't think she'll be angry about that. Besides, have my crafting items ever disappointed you?" Ron said.
Bill sighed deeply and then said, "Fine. I hope things go as you say. Otherwise, we'll be in serious trouble."
Then he looked at the parchment again and, raising his wand, began to speak aloud what was written on it: "I, William Arthur Weasley, Heir Apparent of House Weasley, wish to have a formal meeting with House Bones, and I summon a House Elf of House Bones to receive my request. Let magic be witness that I have no ill intentions."
The moment Bill began the magical summon ritual, a white light appeared at the tip of his wand, and with each word he spoke, this light grew stronger.
But as soon as he spoke his last words, the light vanished and completely disappeared.
-Pop
The next moment, with a pop, a house elf appeared before Bill.
"Pilpy heard a summons. How can Pilpy help?" said the female house elf, apparently named Pilpy.
Meanwhile, Ron immediately moved, handing Pilpy the letter he had prepared and saying, "Pilpy, please deliver this letter to Madam Amelia Bones. This is our formal request for a meeting. And thank you for your help."
"Pilpy doesn't need thanks. Pilpy is happy to help," said the house elf, but Ron could tell from her voice that she was very happy.
"Thank you anyway. We will be waiting here for Madam Bones's answer," said Ron.
"Pilpy will go and be back quickly," said Pilpy, and with another pop, she disappeared.
Meanwhile, Bill seemed to have finally regained his composure and said to himself, "It really worked. Merlin's beard! We just sent a formal request to meet with Amelia Bones. The Amelia Bones!"
"It's too late to regret, Bill. Why don't we just sit and wait for Pilpy to come back with an answer? I can give you a book to read, too, if you want," Ron said, already holding a book and sitting in a conjured armchair.
"I don't think I can focus on a book right now, Ron," Bill said, sitting down in another armchair that Ron conjured.
So, a young, calm wizard read a book while an adult wizard waited anxiously. This wait lasted about 15 minutes.
-Pop
With another pop, Pilpy reappeared in the room, holding a letter.
"Madam Bones sent this," Pilpy said, extending the letter towards Ron.
Ron took the letter and said, "Thank you, Pilpy."
"Pilpy is always ready to help," Pilpy said, then disappeared with another pop.
After Pilpy left, Ron opened the letter and began reading, and after a while, one side of his lips curved upward.
"What does the letter say, Ron?" Bill asked anxiously, unable to contain himself any longer.
"Madam Bones has accepted our request for a meeting. It says the fireplace will be accessible for us at exactly six o'clock," Ron said, then quickly checked the time, noticing it was five thirty-nine in the evening. He then added, "That means we have about twenty minutes. By the way, the fireplace address is Bones Manor, and the password for us is 'Unannounced Guests'."
"Unannounced Guests? Does that mean she's mad at us?" Bill asked anxiously.
"If Madam Bones were angry with us, she wouldn't have agreed to meet with us, Bill. But in her letter, she noted that she didn't particularly approve of a meeting requested on such short notice." Ron said.
"Merlin's twisted hat! She's really mad at us, Ron," Bill said.
"No, Bill. In the letter I wrote, I mentioned the products I wanted to introduce to her. She knows this meeting will involve business. The note she added to the letter and the password she used are moves made by Madam Bones to gain an advantage before the meeting," Ron said.
"Huh? Really?" Bill asked.
"Yes. A real negotiation begins before you even sit down at the negotiating table, Bill. It's business 101," Ron said.
"So, what do we do now?" Bill asked.
"Right now, we have no choice but to wait. Both sides have completed their moves before the negotiations. The next moves will be made when we meet face-to-face," Ron said.
"For some reason, I suddenly realized I don't want to be in this meeting," Bill said.
"Don't worry. You just need to come with me. Didn't I tell Mr. Tons? A businessman's first test is finding his capital. And I have no intention of avoiding that test, even if I'm facing the head of DMLE." Ron said.
As he said this, a smile appeared on his face, as if he were thoroughly enjoying the situation.
End of Chapter 31.
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.32: Visiting Bones Manor
Ch.33: Magical Power Finder (MPF)
Ch.34: Truth Seeker