- Wow! I'd love to have a moped like that. I'm just afraid Uncle Scott wouldn't approve of such a purchase.
- Harry, your birthday is coming soon, isn't it?
- Yes...
- Wonderful. By the way, how are you planning to celebrate this year?
"Uncle Scott and I were planning a week-long camping trip on July 30th. So, sorry, Richie, we won't be able to celebrate together."
"It's okay, Harry. I'll get over this. Sorry, I won't keep John waiting for the phone. Bye, Harry. Call my cordless phone."
- Okay. Thanks, Richie. Bye.
After breakfast, Richard sent Darth Vader to the young Potter, having previously instructed the owl to deliver a letter from Harry to Hogwarts.
Then Rich Jr. called the house in London, dismissed the housekeeper, and soon, in the company of Steve, was transported there through a portal.
Richie bought several quad bikes, mopeds and teenage dirt bikes from a motorcycle shop and had them delivered to Eaton Hall.
Richie and the guard returned to the estate through another portal. The purchased motorcycles arrived late in the evening.
After the servants left, Richard used his wand to shrink all the purchased equipment and wrote a letter with the specifications to Arthur Weasley, requesting that one of the dirt bikes be enchanted first. When the owl returned from Hogwarts, he sent the shrunken equipment and the letter to Mr. Weasley.
On July 31st, Richard first sent, with the help of Darth Vader, a dirt bike (in a smaller form) sent by Mr. Weasley the day before as a gift to Harry Potter.
After sending the owl, young Rich went down to breakfast. He was mentally preparing for his birthday celebration, which would be attended by royals.
The father and son had just begun to eat breakfast when the maid entered the room.
"My Lord," she said to the elder Rich, "the gate guards have called. Word has it that a lady from the private school has come to see Mr. Richie. She introduced herself as Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall."
"Visiting a student on their birthday is highly improper," the Duke remarked disapprovingly. "Tell the guards to bring the guest here. And, Lucy, prepare cutlery for Madam McGonagall."
- Yes, Lord.
The deputy headmistress of the school of magic, accompanied by a maid, entered the dining room only ten minutes later. She was a tall, rather stern-looking woman with her black hair pulled back into a stern bun, square glasses, and a dark green, high-necked dress.
- Lord Gerald Rich, Duke of Westminster, Madam Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School, has arrived to see young Lord Richard, Earl Rich.
"Please join us for breakfast, Madam McGonagall," Gerald said politely.
The deputy headmistress looked very displeased. She pursed her lips and said dryly:
- Thank you, My Lord.
The guest was offered a seat in the middle of the large table between Richard and Gerald.
"Lucy, thank you, we don't need your services for now," the Duke said, waving his right hand commandingly and sending the servants out of the dining room.
There was silence in the dining room for a while. When everyone had finished eating and put away their cutlery, the Duke politely asked his guest:
- Madam McGonagall, I hope your journey was easy?
"Thank you, my lord, you have a wonderful home. I admit, it wasn't easy getting here. I'm the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I've brought an invitation letter for your son, Richard. He's a wizard."
"That's very kind of you, madam," Gerald replied politely.
McGonagall raised her eyebrows in surprise and looked at the calm Gerald, then turned her gaze to the completely unfazed Richard and asked:
"Aren't you surprised? I'll prove that magic exists."
The witch found a magic wand in her hands.
"Don't bother, madam," Gerald said firmly. "Put your wand away before the guards perceive it as a threat. We're aware of wizards. The Minister of Magic visited us eighteen months ago. By the way, how is Madam Bagnold?"
McGonagall's eyes widened at what she heard. She, a witch, was being threatened with security for her wand, using cryptic language, and hinting at an acquaintance with the Minister of Magic. No, she could understand, if she were in the company of wizards, drawing her wand in their presence... It could indeed be perceived as a threat. But a Muggle?! Yes, but what Muggle? If the Minister of Magic was visiting him, and with such a title...
"I don't know, My Lord," she replied. "We have a different Minister now-Mr. Fudge."
"What a shame," Gerald lamented. "Madam Bagnold seemed like a very well-mannered lady to me-she warned me in advance of her visit and was quite polite. Tell me, Madam McGonagall, do you visit all the students on their birthdays?"
The witch took such a sharp jab at her with great difficulty. Her face twisted as if she'd just eaten a lemon. The question seemed polite, but the duke's words, the tone, betrayed an understatement, something along the lines of, "Are you barging in on everyone's special occasion uninvited, like a forest troll at a party?"
"It's tradition, My Lord," McGonagall managed to say, her tone slightly irritated. "Purebloods receive invitations by owl from mid-July to early August. Muggle-born and half-blood young wizards living in the Muggle world receive a visit from a Hogwarts teacher. Those with birthdays in July or August are usually visited on their eleventh birthday."
"Aren't you bothered by all the various complications?" Gerald asked curiously. "In six hours, the Queen of Great Britain, princes, and lords are scheduled to arrive to celebrate Richard's birthday. I'm curious, if you were to arrive at that time, how would you explain yourself to the royal guards?"
McGonagall's face wrinkled in displeasure.
"The Queen?!" she asked in surprise.
"Yes, madam," the Duke confirmed with a barely perceptible nod. "The Queen."