- Definitely! Without a doubt!
"So other wizards would find such an offer profitable, too. Have we agreed on assistants?"
- OK.
Arthur was at a loss. Too much had fallen on him in a short period of time.
- Excuse me, Lord, but what about my work at the Ministry?
"What's wrong with her, Mr. Weasley? You'll continue working quietly, and in your free time, you'll assign tasks to your subordinates, explain any unclear points, and monitor the quality of their work. With the right approach, it won't take much time. You used to pursue your hobby alone and spend money on it, but now you'll do it in the company of others and earn money at the same time."
"If you think about it, it's possible," Arthur drawled. "But what about the fact that, frankly, I don't really understand Muggle devices myself?"
"That's no problem, Mr. Weasley. I'll find specialists among the common people who will explain to you and your people the probable design of the artifact devices being created. To forestall any outrage over this breach of secrecy, there won't be any. These people will be told that you represent a secret research group developing cutting-edge technology. The specialists will be absolutely certain of this, so there's no danger. Assuming, of course, that you don't perform magic in their presence."
- This is a way out... but...
Arthur Weasley stared at the contract, pretending to study it carefully. In reality, he was so deep in thought that he completely shut out the world. The wizard sat there for about ten minutes, then shook his head. A look of determination crossed his face. He picked up a fountain pen from the desk and signed it.
"An excellent decision," Richard smiled dazzlingly. "You made the right choice, Mr. Weasley, and you won't regret it one bit. Here are the land deeds, and this is the cooperation agreement."
The boy transferred the papers from the folder to the table in front of the guest. He placed the bag on top with a jingle of coins.
- And this is a modest deposit so that your family will not need anything.
- Money? How much is there?
Mr. Weasley untied the pouch and stared at the glittering golden Galleons.
"Two hundred Galleons. It's a deposit to keep your family from going broke. We won't start work right away. First, we need space. Second, you'll need time to recruit staff. Third, I can't just withdraw money from circulation. Almost all my funds are invested. I'll have the funds available for the projects by mid-June. The building will be built just in time then."
"A building?" Arthur said, confused.
"You weren't planning on housing a dozen wizards in your garage, were you?" Richard asked with a smile.
Mr. Weasley looked embarrassed and muttered:
"Actually, that's what I thought. I was already starting to come up with an excuse for Molly. She's my wife. I can just imagine how angry she'd be with a bunch of mages in the backyard!"
Richard had a hard time holding back his laughter.
"Mr. Weasley, you won't have to make such sacrifices. Do you have any wishes regarding the building?"
- It would be nice to have a garage there.
Richard placed a blank sheet of paper on top of the folder and wrote:
Spacious garage.
- Anything else?
Mr. Weasley began to think hard. After a while, he began listing, and Richard continued to add to the list.
"There should be a potion room there, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to add an alchemy lab," Arthur said, growing bolder with each sentence. His dream of an ideal place for creativity in the company of wizards like himself was becoming reality before his eyes. "There should also be a storage area for various materials."
Richard added:
- A lounge, a kitchen, a reception area, and a few offices. Is that enough, or do you need anything else?
- Enough.
Mr. Weasley nodded, then scribbled a flourish on the contract for the creation of magical artifacts for Richard Rich. Under this contract, all rights to the inventions belonged to Richard, and Arthur's group was required to provide a complete description of the artifact's creation, allowing any other wizard to replicate the process and make a perfect copy.
"Congratulations on the start of a long and productive collaboration," Richard gave the wizard a dazzling smile.
"Thank you," the stunned magician replied.
"Now about cooperation. You must find and hire mages to assist you by mid-June. Keep in touch with me via owl or phone."
Richard handed Mr. Weasley his business card. The wizard turned it over in his hands, puzzled.
- And this...
"These numbers, Mr. Weasley, are the telephone number you'll need to dial to speak to me. Or, if you prefer, send an owl."
- I will do so.
- And one more thing. I'd like to see a prototype of a flying car.
"Of course, of course!" Arthur smiled happily. "Lord, would it be convenient for you to come and see us for dinner this weekend?"
- Unfortunately, your and my weekends don't coincide. I'm free on Monday and Friday.
- In that case, if it's convenient for you, I'll be waiting for you for dinner next Friday.
- Wonderful. See you later, Mr. Weasley. I'll definitely be there. Please confirm the time.
"Also at seven in the evening," said the wizard.
Arthur Weasley was usually more confident, but now he was stunned by the prospects that had befallen him, and he was even more astonished by the personality of his benefactor. He thought:
"Who would have guessed that a small child would be the one to truly appreciate my life's work? It's immediately clear-a true Lord, not like that upstart Lucius!"