NOVEL WEB Chapter 16
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Chapter 16– New Hire.
"You want me to manage your money and use it to make a business and increase your wealth even further. Why? You are a very successful writer and author, the best one in the entire magical world. You have more than enough Galleons, and if you keep producing your books as you have been, then you will be even richer, approaching the wealth of some of the most ancient and noble houses." Andromeda Tonks asks, confused about why I would be making this move.
And to be honest, she is right. I am currently the most famous writer in the entire magical world. And since Gilderoy Lockhart had graduated from Hogwarts, he had produced eleven books. Eleven books over a period of nine years, and each book did unbelievably well. Not to mention that Gilderoy had built himself a fanatic fanbase with all the events and appearances he made. So relying on that and producing books at the same pace would definitely earn a lot of money, enough to live comfortably for the rest of my days.
However, I am not Gilderoy Lockhart, and I cannot possibly produce well-written works like him at the same pace. It took me quite a while to get Assault On The Abominable Snowman finished, and I was relying heavily on the skills and intuition of the original Gil to do it. Except concepts and inspiration that would come so easily to Gil took way longer to occur to me, even though I had all of his memories and knowledge. I was not a writer, and I could not rely on the profession for my well-being. Thankfully I have the perfect reason to end my writing career, and no one can deny it.
"You see, Ms Tonks, all of my books are based on my adventures. They are factual right to the last detail, except for my more informative pieces like Magical Pests and Magical Me. I went travelling after graduating from Hogwarts, sowed wild oats, had fun and fulfilled my dreams. I used my youth to have funds and follow my dreams like you are supposed to, but I am now closing in on my thirties, and I am thinking about settling down, finding a wife and starting a family, raising a child." So I say, explaining my reasons and hiding the truth that I will not be able to produce books of decent quality at a rate like old Gilderoy.
I see a strange expression on Andromeda's face before she quickly covers it up, and then I realise I could have taken a dig at her when I talked about being young and following my dreams. According to what I remember, Andromeda was a very gifted witch, as to be expected of a young daughter of the Black family. Even though all of them were pretty crazy, they were all geniuses and powerful.
She had high prospects, and she could have been anything, but as soon as she graduated, she got married to a muggle-born, disowned by a family, and immediately became a mother. I don't know how she feels about that, but given the strange expression she made as well as the fact her husband is working all the time and her daughter has mostly been at Hogwarts over the past few years, she might be feeling a little regret since she is stuck at home bored out of her mind with nothing to do.
"Okay, I can understand that. Can you give me a bit more information? I need something more in-depth than you will give me Galleons to make a business and make more Galleons." She asks for more information, which I ponder about giving since I don't want to reveal too much in case she doesn't take this job. But given her background, her ability, her knowledge, and her Occlumency, I really want her, and I have a good feeling she will take the job considering her home life.
"Very well. I will be taking part of my great wealth and storing it in an entirely new Gringotts bank, which I will be calling the company bank. I will give you a key to it, and only you and I will have access. All of the money in there is free for you to access and use to the best of your ability to buy up properties and businesses as well as invest in various businesses as well as people." Before I can get any further in-depth, Andromeda interrupts with a question.
"Invest in people?" Andromeda says, confused about what I exactly mean by that. Though I think I cannot be more precise, I will be wanting to invest in people just as much as properties and businesses.
"Yes, people. For example, a talented and hardworking student at Hogwarts, a struggling inventor or even an interesting person who is stuck in a hard place. Sign a contract with them and provide them with the capital that they need, and the student will grow up with a better education and come to work for us. The inventor could make something which we could sell as a product, and the person that was in a tough spot could free themselves using our money and go on to have an important position or be wealthy. They will all have to pay us back in some way or another." I calmly explain people are just as much of a resource as actual resources.
"But, how would I judge all that? How would I know to sign a contract with a person in a tough spot that obviously has a high risk of failing and we lose our money? The other two examples I can understand, but the last one does not make any sense." I suppose she is correct, but she does not see the bigger picture. The person we will be helping, even if they are in a tough spot, has magic. Even if they don't amount to something, the simple fact they can use magic makes them valuable, and I can just use them to work for me in another position or something due to the stipulations of the magical contracts they will sign.
"Well, that will ultimately be up to you if you should choose to take the position. I will be primarily hands-off and allow you to work with minimal supervision, with only the occasional check-in. You will be the judge if anybody is a worthy investment, I will fully trust your judgement, but of course, I will intercede if I manage to find any good opportunities and investments myself and direct you to them." This way, I will be able to fully relax and enjoy myself as Andromeda toils away to increase my already vast fortune, and naturally, she will be paid well for her troubles.
"Okay, that is fine then. I won't invest like you want in someone who doesn't look like they will be able to pay for it eventually, but how will that even work? Investing and buying properties and businesses, I understand, that is easily manageable given proper documents and deeds. But how would you ensure people you invest in actually pay it back? They could just run away with the Galleons we give them. How can we trust them to stick to the terms of the agreement unless you are planning on using an unbreakable vow or something." Ah, what an intelligent and prude woman.
Before she actually takes on this position, she is making sure that it is tenable and that I have a proper plan that will work. Otherwise, she will not join a failing venture. Thankfully I already know what I am planning to do. When I first came up with this idea for a business, I took a trip to the office of the loan sharks on the south side of Diagon Alley, accurately named Galloloans. I realised that my idea was in some ways similar to their shop methods, apart from the business and property side, and so I took a trip to see how they dealt with it.
I went when the shop was nearing closing time, which was coincidentally very late in the night, and I went under cover of disillusionment to keep unseen. When I entered the store, most of the personnel had already left for the day since it was so close to closing time, leaving only one employee handling the counter and the boss in his office. I quickly stunned the employee and lowered him to the ground with a levitation charm before closing up the front of the shop and locking it down, and then going to the boss's office to stun him as well.
With that done, I looked extensively through both their minds for all the information regarding their work and I was shocked by how blatantly criminal it was and how they were getting away with it. Of course, a shop like this should really be in Knockturn Alley, but then I suppose it would not work as well as it does, the location being just as important as their methods.
Their business works so well since it is based in Diagon Alley. The office is very professional and immaculately clean, and the employees dress up nicely, look charming and act very professionally. And it is all to lure in naive, unsuspecting witches and wizards and trick them into becoming customers. So first, they would use sweet words and dashing smiles and trick them into singing a super intricate contract, and then they would solidify it by making an unbreakable vow to both abide by the agreement they both just signed.
And then they would reveal their trickery to the unsuspecting victim and tell them that they tricked them and explain everything that was just put in the contract, including not telling anyone about the deal or badmouthing the shop. Truthfully a malicious business, draining the customers for all they have until they end up breaking the contract and dying. Thankfully only those truly down on their luck and desperate go to this shop, and also, each employee can only be the witness to one unbreakable vow at a time.
It takes a while for each customer to die and open up a new spot, so they don't do much work, stay in their office, and spend most of their time chasing up their customers and intimidating them to pay back the loan. It is a sad fact that anybody can start up a business since there really isn't a magical department to put laws in place or anything.
If you can buy a shop in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade, then you can start selling stuff, and people will trust your shop, depending on its location. So anyway, having got what I wanted and a few other methods, I quickly did a clean-up job, wiped their memories and left. I then had quite a few options for my new business, and I could probably use them all.
"Right you are, Ms Tonks. My plan is for us to draw up a contract stating what we are giving and what the customer is expected to do in turn. Once that is properly drawn up and signed, we would make an unbreakable vow stating that we would both abide by the contract that we had just signed, making a fair and stable deal. Of course, we can't use unbreakable vows for every deal, only the most important ones, ad we can use other methods for the others." I have drawn out a few methods, such as a blood pact and the jink contract that Hermione had made in the fifth year for Dumbledore's army, the one that would cause boils to appear and the word sneak to be written on whoever betrayed the group.
"But even then, the way you are explaining this position, I am assuming that it would only be me and you that are involved in the company. One person can only be witness to one unbreakable vow, meaning that we can, at most have two deals made with them. That is awfully little. How do you plan to get around this?" Again asking the hard questions, well, not to worry.
The black book I read that granted me all of my mind's magical capabilities actually discovered a method for this, a way to mess with the mind so that you can be witness to multiple unbreakable vows. It is all about compartmentalising your mind and each separating each vow, setting it to the side and forgetting about it. Then, even if I do not remember it, I would still be witness, and so the terms between the two vow makers would still be in effect.
"Now, now, Ms Tonks. Did you genuinely think I would be trying to start a business such as this without thinking about all of the details already? I already have a method in mind to make multiple contracts and deals and use a business plan that will make sure my new venture will not suffer any losses. But I cannot tell any of that to you just yet, since you are not yet my employee. I have already stretched as far as I am willing just telling you what I have so far." I say, and in turn, Andromeda falls silent in thought.
I do not disturb the silence. Okay with just letting it be and allowing Andromeda Tonks to think things through. Sure, I could hurry her up and push her into accepting the offer and then use a magical contract to lock her into it, but that would not be good in the long term. I need someone strong, clever and loyal that will stick by me and follow my orders, and I don't get that being forceful and loyalty can be bread through time and actions.
"Ms Tonks, I will be honest with you. Right now, you are the favoured person for this position, the person with the best qualities, and I want to hire you. But I don't want someone who hasn't got the fortitude to follow through, someone that isn't willing to stick around." Andromeda looks up, pulled from her thoughts by my words. She is truly the one I want, but it is better I let her come to her own decision instead of forcing it. I don't want a reluctant worker. I want a passionate one.
"I need someone committed, Ms Tonks, someone that is willing to put in the time. Not someone that places their husband above all else and has looked after him as her top priority. I need someone with the will and drive to go out there and achieve greatness. So, you think if that person is you, Andromeda. I will wait one week for a letter from you accepting the post. If you do not reply, then I will-"
"I will do it." She mutters suddenly, and I find myself blinking, not having really registered what she just said.'
"Excuse me, but could you repeat that? I could have sworn you just said you would do it." I ask for confirmation because I in no way expected that.
"I said I would do it. I will take this position and help you run your new business to the best of my ability." I am bewildered by her response, not because of what she is actually saying but because of how quickly she said it. I was expecting her to mull this over for far longer, taking into consideration her overworked husband and her harrowing shapeshifter daughter, as well as all of her time spent being a housewife and nothing more.
"Ms Tonks, take some time t think about this properly. Go home and think about it, maybe discuss it with your husband. I don't want you to rush into this and realise you don't want to do it after a week because then I would have to do another search for a replacement for you. Make sure that you ar-"
"I am sure, Mr Lockhart. I do not need to discuss this with my husband or anyone else. I have had my family, and now I want to have a career. It is about time that I start doing things for myself now. So Mr Lockhart, what do we do next?" Andromeda states with firm conviction, and I can see in her eyes that she is resolute and will not back down. I don't even need my Occlumency to see that. It seems that I just got a new employee, and I am ahead of schedule.
"Very well, welcome aboard Ms, Tonks. Now that we are working together, there is no need to be so formal. Just relax." I say, relaxing myself. That is a weight off my shoulders. Now with this step done, I can move on to phase two, which is buying a shop in Diagon Alley, which I will have to figure out somehow.
"Alright, Gilderoy, you can call me Andromeda then. So, how do we make this official? Is there anything I have to sign?" She smiles, the warmth and kindness that disappeared from earlier making a reappearance, and I find myself wanting just to stay still and bathe in the feeling she exudes, but that would be weird. I don't want a sexual harassment suit so quickly, even if they don't exist in the magical world.
"Right, well, I will have a contract drawn up, and we will meet again so that we can both sign it. The location won't be here since I have only rented this space for the day. I will owl you the time and place. Another thing that I should mention is that I want all of our business to be private. For both our sake and our customer's sake, discretion is key." I tell her, adding on that last part just to clarify something before we do actually go through with this.
"Naturally. I will make sure all future business dealings and contracts are kept completely private. Only the clients and we will be aware of it." She assures me, and while I do appreciate that, she has missed the actual meaning of my words.
"And by that, Andromeda, I am talking about Occlumency. Unfortunately, there are those out there that are very skilled when it comes to mind magics. I have been unlucky enough to come across a few on my adventures, and it is not pleasant. These people will not hesitate to attack the mind and rip it apart for what they want to know, and if my business becomes as big as I hope for it to be, then we will be their targets." I clarify for her because Occlumency is a very vital thing for my new venture to succeed.
Of course, I didn't actually meet any actual mind magic users on those trips. Original Gilderoy would have been quickly sussed out if he did and probably wouldn't be here today. But still, I need to make it look urgent in her eyes and make the possibility of these people coming for our thoughts very real. Because Snape, Voldemort and Dumbledore, as well as their cronies, are lurking around every corner, and I don't want my business being exposed.
"I know Occlumency, Gilderoy, as you yourself can attest, having experienced it for yourself earlier. Rest assured, I will be able to protect the secrets in my mind." So she says, very sure of herself, which is to be expected after she just repelled me out of her mind. However, she is severely overestimating herself if she thinks that was my best effort because it was not, not by a longshot.
"Andromeda, one of the requirements of this job is Occlumency. You and I will be training in it, and coincidentally Legilimency as well so that we can help each other to better our defences and detect intrusions. This is non-negotiable. If you work for me, then we will be doing this." I state firmly, unwilling to move on it.
Truthfully I cannot trust her defences to be stout enough for me to start trusting her with anything crucial, as it could prove to be detrimental in the long run. What if we somehow, someway, get taken to the ministry and tried under Veritaserum? Occlumency would help us to avoid answering truthfully. Also, I have only ever tested myself out against the mind of Digby. D. Digworth, a prisoner whose mental faculties no doubt deteriorated over the course of his imprisonment.
I used his mind to improve my technique, skills and versatility when it comes to my mind magic, but I do not have much experience, and I have no clue about the raw power I can bring forth to ravage an opponent's mind. Furthermore, all the victims whose minds I had to alter on my journey were primarily isolationist and alone, so I either waited for them to sleep or knocked them out and then rummaged through their brains. With this arrangement, I could kill two birds with one stone and improve Andromeda's Occlumency and my own Occlumency and Legilimency.
"Gilderoy, I do not know if I am comfortable with that. I assure you, my Occlumency is perfectly fine. It stood up against you, did it not, and you are a famous magical adventurer." Her face tightens, and while the smile is still there, it is obviously not natural. She has taken offence to me requiring her to practice Occlumency with me, probably thinking I am underestimating her or, even worse, that I want to take advantage of her and look into her mind for nefarious purposes.
"Andromeda, I have been looking into the minds of all the applicants that came today, and not a single one of them had any defences. So I have just been diving straight in, not taking the time to test their defences or anything. So I did the same for you, and that is why you detected me. I could have been very subtle and slowly but surely opened your mind up to me." Again, I see her smile slowly drop, but her face isn't cold this time. Instead, it looks contemplative. Thankfully she isn't angry.
"Understand this. I can pick one of the other applicants and teach them Occlumency from scratch if you refuse this position. However, you are the best applicant, and I want you. When was the last time you actually practised or learnt any more on the subject? I am assuming before you got married when you were still part of the Black family and were practising with your family. Or did you possibly practice it when you taught your daughter?" I question, trying to get my point across. There is no doubt she was taught Occlumency together with her sisters, and when she ran away, that stopped. At most, she has an adequate defence but nothing concrete, and I need to improve on it.
"I haven't practised in years, and I- I haven't taught my daughter... But, wait, how did you know I was a Black?" She questions, trying to side-skirt the fact that she did not teach her daughter such a crucial skill. Well, I guess she did not get around to practising it that much or learning about it or how vital it is, and she forgot its importance after years of married life.
"The magical world is a small place, and Wizarding Britain is even more compact. I know a lot about the people here, it pays to be prepared, and I did my research about people that could impact my business, like the Malfoys, whose matriarch is your sister. Now, I am sure it is a difficult thing to trust your mind to someone you just met. So how about we put it down in the contract we are going to sign and clearly outline the terms of your employment and how we are going to handle this training. Would that be okay?" I ask, trying to compromise.
"I suppose, but how would we stick to it. I am sorry, but I have just met you, Gilderoy. I- I need something solid that would ensure the terms and magically bind them." She speaks, setting her own conditions so that we can open up our minds to each other and better our mind magic. I understand, after all, that with my status in the world, I am seen as a powerful wizard, and she feels some hesitance to entrust her mind to me.
"Do not worry. I have the perfect way to make sure we do this in a safe and controlled way. And I know exactly how to magically bind us without it being harmful to us." Thankfully my research had picked up on this method which didn't really seem helpful for anything else, but for this, it is perfect.
"What is it?" She asks, wanting to make sure it is a foolproof method.
"A blood pact..."
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