The week flew by. On Friday, Richard rested until noon, and after lunch, he had a training session with a fencing champion. The boy's results gradually improved.
Later in the evening, an old Rover hatchback arrived at the Eaton Hall estate.
Richard had just gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed when there was a cautious knock on the door.
"Mr. Richie, Mr. Potter and his son have arrived to see you," Lucy said from the corridor.
- I'll be down to the living room now. Lucy, bring the guests some tea and sweets.
- Okay, sir.
Richard gelled his hair, straightened his jacket, and headed into the living room. As he descended the stairs, he glanced at his guests.
Scott looked familiar enough in his grey suit, which was pressed this time, but his shirt was undone at the top and his tie was missing.
Harry had transformed dramatically. He was wearing a pair of decent-fitting blue jeans and brand-new white sneakers with green soles and bright green laces. He wore a dark blue cardigan over a white shirt. His round, bicycle-style glasses had been replaced with oblong ones with shiny chrome frames. His hair was a mess.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Richard greeted his guests with a slight bow. "I hope you arrived safely."
"Hey, man," Scott waved his right hand simply.
"Hey, Richie," Harry smiled shyly.
Young Rich sat down on the sofa with young Potter. Cups of tea and bowls of sweets were already on the coffee table. Harry was happily devouring a cream cake.
The detective sitting on the opposite sofa asked:
- Richie, you said you had an important task.
"Yes, Mr. Potter. Tell me, can you get to the wizards and find out something for me?"
Harry choked on his cake and looked at Richard in amazement, then turned his gaze to his newly acquired uncle.
Detective Potter frowned, a deep crease appearing on his forehead.
"I can, if you really need me," he replied. "Richie, what exactly are you interested in?"
"First, we need to find out information about Mr. Arthur Weasley. Who he is, what his life is like, his family, children, lovers. I know he works at the Ministry of Magic as the Head of the Sector for Combating the Illegal Use of Muggle Inventions."
"Uh-huh, I see," the detective nodded. "And what's your interest in Mr. Weasley anyway?"
- I want to offer him a part-time job and buy him out completely.
- It's clear.
Harry, who had been silent until then and had been listening to the conversation with amazement, suddenly couldn't bear it and exclaimed:
- Hey, wait a minute! What wizards? What Ministry of Magic? Are you trying to play a prank on me?
Detective Potter sighed heavily, then turned to his nephew:
"Harry, I didn't know how to tell you. The thing is, our world is more diverse than most people know. Among us live people with extraordinary abilities who call themselves wizards, sorcerers, witches, and magicians. Your parents, and my parents-your grandparents, that is-were also wizards."
"And you?" Harry asked, looking at his uncle. "Are you a wizard too?"
"No, Harry," Scott replied sadly. "It happens occasionally that wizards have children who don't have magical gifts. I didn't mean to upset you, but..."
- What?! Uncle Scott, did you know my parents?
The detective's face darkened and he turned pale. He didn't know what to say to the child. Richard decided to come to the man's aid.
"Harry, a lot of wizards aren't very nice people. I shouldn't have told you this, and Uncle Scott didn't want to upset you, but wizards have a nasty tradition... If a child doesn't have magical talent, their wizarding parents disown them. Your grandparents gave Uncle Scott up to an orphanage and forgot he ever existed."
"That's not true, is it?" Harry looked at his uncle hopefully.
A gloomy Mr. Potter silently shook his head and answered in a hoarse voice:
- Unfortunately, Harry, it's true.
"So, Mom and Dad disowned me too?" Harry asked, his voice devastated. "Is it because I'm not a wizard?"
"No, Harry," Scott said. "Whether you're a wizard or not will be revealed when you turn eleven. If you receive an invitation from a school of witchcraft and wizardry, you're a wizard. If not, you're just a normal human. So let's not get ahead of ourselves. And your parents actually died at the hands of a wizarding bandit."
"Harry is a wizard, I tell you that," said Richard.
"Are you sure?" the detective asked young Rich.
- I'm sure. Harry, strange things have happened to you, haven't they?