The autumn sunlight filtered through the windows of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, casting warm patches across the white sheets of Remus's bed. This time, mercifully, his injuries weren't particularly severe - just a nasty wound from an unfortunate tumble down the stairs.
The Healers had insisted on keeping him under observation for two full days. Though he had largely recovered, the hospital protocol required for him to remain under their care for several more days before receiving his official discharge papers.
The politics surrounding his situation had grown increasingly complex. On the very day Bryan made his premeditated appearance at the Ministry of Magic, Fudge - attempting to save face while simultaneously finding a diplomatic solution - dispatched Sirius on the mission. The mission involved negotiations with the Wildsmith family, the centuries-old owners of the Floo Pow Company, to investigate whether Remus had indeed been falsely accused of trespassing.
The transparency of this excuse was obvious to all involved parties. If Remus had genuinely been summoned for a legitimate discussion, as was now being suggested, the Wildsmiths would have surely spoken up when the Ministry deployed Aurors to guard him in St. Mungo's.
Upon receiving their assignments, both Sirius and Tonks had immediately wanted to storm St. Mungo's and liberate Remus from what they viewed as unjust confinement. It was only through Bryan's careful persuasion that they were convinced to be patient.
Bryan had meticulously orchestrated a situation that gave Fudge an elegant path to retreat from his position without losing face. Fudge, also demonstrating a surprising amount of political shrewdness, recognized the lifeline being thrown to him. Instead of exposing the truth of the situation, which would have also undermined his authority and status, he chose to cooperate by offering Remus an opportunity to clear his name. However, Bryan understood that immediately releasing Remus would have been a catastrophic blow to the Minister's already fragile authority and dignity.
So, Bryan used his connections with Gringotts to arrange a secret meeting with the Wildsmith family. Through careful negotiation and perhaps a touch of creative documentation, he got an employment contract cleverly backdated by three months. The contract, written on expensive parchment with official seals and magical watermarks, stated in perfect legal language that the Floo Pow had indeed employed Remus Lupin as a security consultant, thus providing a neat and face-saving resolution to the entire affair.
As the crisp late October air swirled around them, Bryan's attention turned to more practical matters. "I've prepared a comprehensive document detailing the specifications for the general-purpose machine parts and their material requirements."
Bryan explained further. "There's no immediate need for us to establish our own production facilities for these components. The goblins, with their extensive network and expertise in quality control, will assist you in identifying and inspecting suitable supplier factories. Once you've personally verified their capabilities and standards to your satisfaction, you'll have full authority to negotiate and sign cooperation agreements with whichever facilities that meet our exacting requirements."
The industrial district of Diagon Alley presented a stark contrast to the more familiar shopping areas. The midday sun was like aged firewhisky pouring lazily onto the black cobblestones of the complex's entrance alley. The stones, worn smooth by countless feet and magical transport carts, gleamed with an almost metallic sheen under the autumn light.
Bryan, Sirius, and the recently discharged Remus wandered through the alley, their unhurried pace allowing them to appreciate the warm sunshine while engaging in detailed discussion about their plans. Their conversation occasionally paused as they breathed in the peculiar mixture of magical and industrial scents that permeated the air.
As they ventured deeper into the industrial zone, the peaceful atmosphere gradually gave way to the thunderous symphony of magical machinery. The narrow alley suddenly expanded dramatically, becoming a proper street dozens of times wider than its entrance.
On either side, impressive factory districts stretched into the distance, their towering chimneys reaching toward the sky like the wands of giants, releasing massive plumes of pearly white smoke that twisted and curled into fascinating shapes before dissipating into the blue sky.
The workshops lining the street buzzed with activity, filled with workers wearing wide-ranging mix of magical and practical attire. Most of these laborers were native to the Wizarding world, bearing the same battered, determined expressions as the hardworking residents of Hogsmeade who made their living from the soil and their magical crops.
It was notably rare to find Muggle-born wizards among the workshop workers, particularly in the more menial positions. The logic was simple - if they were going to perform manual labor, they might as well return to the Muggle world where such work was often better waged. Instead, many of the workers were Squibs - those born to magical families but lacking magical abilities themselves. With limited options in the Wizarding world, these individuals had little choice but to seek employment in the factories, clinging to the borders of the magical world they could never fully join.
These Squib workers harbored deep-seated hopes that their future generations might possess the magical talent that had skipped them, dreaming of the day their children or grandchildren would receive their Hogwarts letters, complete their magical education, and secure respectable positions in the Wizarding community, finally breaking free from their family's history of marginalization.
Remus, his face showing his empathy, quickly averted his gaze from the workers' resigned expressions, their blank stares hitting too close to home for someone who had experienced his own form of societal rejection.
"What about the crucial components?" Remus inquired, his voice carrying both professional interest and concern. "Is there a viable way to mass-produce the magical cores that are essential for the functional aspects of our products?"
Bryan's slow head shake was accompanied by a thoughtful frown. "Not at present," he admitted. "We're facing a significant challenge there. There isn't a single workshop in the current market capable of producing magical cores with the complexity our products require. While I've successfully designed the theoretical framework, we don't have the infrastructure and expertise for mass production.
For now, we can only rely on me to manually engrave the magical runes by hand. Creating Mass production machinery for these components would require highly specialized knowledge that even I don't have. In the short term, we'll need to rely on the expertise of the goblin workshop alchemists. Of course, if you believe it's necessary, we could also consider recruiting external talent with high salaries."
Remus continued walking forward, his brow furrowed in concentration. "The research and development costs will be astronomical, Bryan," he observed, choosing his words carefully. "While we've secured an agreement with the goblins, it would be unrealistic to expect them to continue providing unlimited funding indefinitely."
"Your assessment is absolutely correct," Bryan responded with calm assurance. "We can't rely solely on goblin investment, which is why I've developed a pre-sale strategy. Currently, we have two fully functional prototypes. I've already promised to donate one to the Ministry of Magic through Fudge. The second prototype will be entrusted to you for demonstration purposes."
He continued outlining his marketing strategy: "We'll begin with a comprehensive advertising campaign in the Daily Prophet, extending to prominent newspapers in countries with developed magical communities. My reputation, combined with the name of Hogwarts, should generate significant interest. You'll be able to conduct on-site demonstrations with the prototype for potential buyers."
"For interested parties, we'll implement a contract system requiring advance deposits to support our ongoing research and development efforts. We'll set a reasonable delivery timeline of six months from the contract date. If we achieve mass production capabilities within that period, there won't be any problems. If not, I'm prepared to manually produce the core components to fulfill our commitments until we perfect the semi-automation process for production and supply—"
After several moments of contemplative silence, Remus nodded, acknowledging the comprehensive logic of the plan.
"Don't let yourself feel overwhelmed, Remus," Bryan said with a reassuring smile. "You won't be facing these challenges alone. I'll also be actively involved, and if we encounter serious difficulties, Dumbledore himself won't hesitate to provide support. Remember what I told you - this workshop isn't just a business venture. We're establishing this workshop to ensure that if a war breaks out in the future, Hogwarts will maintain its financial independence and won't be financially constrained. Ah, look - we've arrived."
Before them stood an impressive industrial complex covering an area equivalent to two Quidditch fields - a medium-sized facility by the standards of the alchemy industrial district.
The factory compound housed four primary manufacturing buildings and an administrative building that proudly presented the distinctive 'Gringotts' style architecture with white marble exterior walls, looking grand and imposing.
In front of the administrative building, the workshop's entire workforce stood in neat rows, waiting for their new boss, while Ragnok, accompanied by a group of goblin security personnel, maintained a vigilant watch over the large iron gates.
"That's Ragnok," Bryan explained, smiling at the approaching goblin. "He's the representative sent by Gringotts to help establish and stabilize the workshop's operations. Remember, Remus - there's no need for excessive formality with them. You're the decision-maker here; they're just your subordinates, regardless of their species or background."
"I understand," Remus replied, drawing a deep, steadying breath to calm his nerves.
For Remus, it was impossible not to be nervous. Although he had been through a lot in the Wizarding world over the years, and had extensive connections and experiences, he had never managed or operated a workshop before. Especially since Bryan had made it clear that if this workshop could be successfully established, it would be of great significance to them.
"Mr. Watson!" The one-armed goblin Ragnok stopped in front of Bryan, slightly out of breath from his hurried approach. He did a respectful bow, his remaining arm crossed over his chest in traditional goblin fashion. "The entire workshop staff has assembled and awaits your guidance!"
"Allow me to introduce Mr. Lupin," Bryan gestured toward Remus. "As previously discussed, he will be taking full responsibility for the workshop's production and operational management going forward. Mr. Lupin speaks with my complete authority, and I expect him to receive the same level of respect and cooperation you would show me."
"Of course, of course," Ragnok quickly shifted his respectful posture toward Remus. "It is indeed a great honor to work alongside you, Mr. Lupin. You can rest assured that every member of this workshop will fully comply with your management decisions. Would you care to address the assembled workers?"
Except for the half-year he spent teaching at Hogwarts, Remus hadn't had many opportunities to receive genuine respect over the years, especially from a group of proud goblins. He pressed his lips together, glancing back at Bryan and Sirius, drawing strength from their encouraging smiles.
"I'm equally honored to work with you, Mr. Ragnok," Remus said, his clenched fist gradually relaxing as he took another deep breath. Turning back to the goblin, he gave a warm smile and asked. "Shall we greet our staff together?"
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