December 14th, 1989, London, 12 Diagon Alley, 9:00 AM
Ethan and Harry were standing right in front of Atid Stella HQ, at 12 Diagon Street.
The sunlight piercing through the scattered clouds could disperse the coldness of morning Thursday.
One could perceive the distinct changes in the atmosphere here in Diagon Aley: rows of Witches and Wizards of all ages, some in pairs, others with their families, clad in warm clothes and robes of all styles, mediaeval to modern.
The crowds of people were moving with a clear sense of purpose, from stores to vendors. They would stop to take a look at the goods while some were interested in buying; some only shook their heads and then moved on to another.
Like the Muggles, all of the stores, shops, and vendors exuded a charming ambience of the winter and, most importantly, the atmosphere of the upcoming Christmas, with all those charmed decorations looming all over the Alley.
Which, in turn, cheerfully brightened up the whole area.
It was noticeable that the grand building of the company had also been updated to the custom.
The white, red, and green theme colours of Christmas trimming in every corner somehow managed to blend well with the golden brown and blue colours of the building as a whole.
This magnifying accentuated the building, positively gaining many curious gazes from the pedestrians.
Harry watched everything in awe as the two of them blended with the endlessly moving crowds and entered the building.
The interior was also decorated with a heavy Christmas theme.
There was an exuberant Christmas tree standing proudly in the middle of the main hall, and on it were dozens of Runic Lamps with myriad shapes and colours emitting gently and alluringly.
Scattered around the tree were the exhibits of the upcoming or official products of the company, each accompanied by a cheerful and capable employee giving an introduction about the product and asking the customer for an honest review.
It is worth mentioning that most of those who visited all bore with them an aura of excitement, their faces sparkling with joy as they observed the product; some were even comfortable enough to take part in the trial of new products.
Such as that one dress could alter its colour according to the wearer's desire once they put it on.
Then the small brass and silver cube with six different Ancient Runes. It was technically similar to a Rubik's Cube, but instead of colours, the user would have to assemble Ancient Runes.
It took quite some time for Remus and the employees to understand the solution to this, so they decided to boost visitor engagement by giving out a reward for the first 10 people who could solve this cube.
So far, a lot of young witches and wizards had taken part, but only four had succeeded, in which case they were rewarded with a special Rune Cube that, once solved, would procure a stunning effect.
This method had proven to be successful, and as of now, even many older witches and wizards had come over just to win the challenge.
Exactly as Remus had predicted, Runic Lamp and Portable Temperature Contraption – PTC were still the two most sought-after as Christmas drew close.
Taking advantage of the occasion, the company has been releasing all sorts of creative designs exclusively for these two products, with some even custom-made for some of the buyers.
One could always spot the female dressed smartly and professionally in a white blouse with a black coat, a black over-knee-length wavy skirt, and short-heeled shoes. She also wore a pair of black leather gloves and a deep green ribbon tied into a bow at her neck.
Her complexion was fair with some freckles, her face bloomed with a friendly smile that reached her green eyes, and her brown, wavy hair was tied into a loose ponytail tossed at the back of her.
She exuded a sense of utter professionalism while being friendly whenever she passed an exhibit, providing support for both the employee and the customer enthusiastically, and creating a joyful atmosphere around her.
She was Verrona Rogeiros, the manager of the main hall. She was doing her daily job, and she seemed to be up to the job.
Soon, a realisation dawned on her face as she spotted one of the two founders of this amazing company near the entrance, marching towards the reception table.
She quickly paced towards the smiling Ethan and the shy Harry, ducking closely behind Ethan.
"Good morning, boss. I'm Verrona Rogeiros, manager of the main hall... though I suppose such a capable person like you would already be aware." Her voice was firm and gentle.
She let out a slight chuckle as they shook hands.
"Good morning too, Miss Rogeiros, I believe you're doing a great job, seeing all those satisfied expressions here."
"It's an honour, boss." Her face sparkled with determination and admiration as she received such recognition. Then, her eyes darted between the shy little boy and Ethan.
"Oh, hello there, young man." She extended her hand towards Harry.
The boy could only mutter a hello as he looked into her eyes briefly. Which made the manager somewhat disappointed as she let out an awkward chuckle.
Ethan just smiled and shook his head helplessly, and he still held Harry's hands firmly.
"Pardon him, Miss Rogeigos; he still had difficulties when it came to socialising."
The manager covered her mouth as she gasped lightly. "Of course, please excuse me; I must have startled you just then." She said it sincerely.
"It-it's okay m-miss." Harry talked as loud as possible, and he nodded towards Verrona.
"Thank you." She said it with a gentle smile as she turned to Ethan.
"I must say, your son is adorable, and I sincerely wish him the best.
"Now, may I help you with anything, sir?" She said it swiftly.
Ethan was about to say Harr wasn't' his… but he just gave up the idea as he told the manager to give Remus a heads-up lest he be in the middle of the meeting or something.
Verron quickly did as she was told while arranging for the two of them to wait at one of the most luxurious waiting rooms on the right wing of the hall.
The room was enveloped in Christmas-themed decorations hanging all over the marble columns and corners, with some even enchanted to float along the ceiling.
The entire place was bathed in the warm white light coming from the Runic crystal chandelier hanging above their heads.
Due to the rising temperature of the room, Harry and Ethan put away their respective winter garments. Harry, though, still kept his navy-blue pompom capable of hiding his distinct scar.
There were treats as well as freshly made peppermint herbal tea presented on the table, which Ethan and Harry pleasantly enjoyed whilst waiting for Remus.
Soon Harry caught sight of a rather distinct machine that closely resembled that of a gramophone, although the boy could somewhat perceive faint magical traces on it.
Looking at Harry's curious gaze towards a corner of the room, Ethan also showed a look of approval towards the employee's capabilities.
With a wave of his hand, he summoned the machine. Under Harry's yearning eyes, Ethan put on a gentle smile as he began to operate and explained to the boy about the Seamless Gramophone.
…
After a while, Remus finally showed up in his new look, according to Harry.
Long gone, the haggard, poor man. Remus now looked much more refined and cheerful.
His brown hair was combed neatly, his beard was trimmed carefully, and he looked smart and bright in that formal dark brown suit and tie.
His entire demeanour befitted that of a prominent and capable young businessman, despite his faint eyes due to having to handle the mountainous paperwork mostly by himself.
"Ethan, Harry. How are you!?" The man pulled Harry into a warm embrace, which the boy gladly accepted, albeit somewhat clumsily.
It's worth mentioning that ever since the building officially opened to the public, Remus has been busier than ever, leaving him little time to visit his godson.
However, it did not hinder the two from building a closer relationship.
"Glad to see you too, Remus," Ethan said, putting on his signature business smile as usual, though Remus now understood clearly what this implied.
"I know you can handle the company here even without my presence. Ha, I had always believed that you wouldn't let me down." Ethan said all that with an innocent face, patting Remus's shoulder enthusiastically, seemingly unaware of the obvious displeasure his secretary exuded.
Remus sighed helplessly at Ethan's nonchalant compliment before he let out a genuine smile and shook hands with his 'genius but lazy boss'.
"I'm also glad that you're here. There had been some specific work that urgently needed your directions."
"Oh, I believe you and Sam would handle it just fine…" Ethan quickly remarked.
Which Remus also countered gracefully. "It would be the case if Mr. Faramundo hadn't gone on a short vacation with his godson Draco somewhere by the sea," Remus said in a somewhat triumphant tone.
'Godson!? Sam!?...' Ethan was slightly taken aback, but soon he recovered.
"That's a shame... Anyway, I'm here to tell you something about Harry." Ethan swiftly dodged a bullet by pulling out Harry's card.
Which successfully diverted Remus's attention towards the boy playing with the gramophone. Harry also perked up at the mention of his name.
They both settled down for some tea as Ethan began to tell Remus about his plan with Harry.
"I decided to do some sightseeing in Switzerland with Harry as I happened to have some business related to my recent research over there.
"Besides, I heard that the winter there is going to be very worthwhile," Ethan said enthusiastically while Harry ginned at Remus.
"We already packed things up as we're about to leave for today. I figured out we should drop by to give you a head up." Ethan pointed to the leather trunk sitting quietly by the clothing rack.
Remus almost spilt his tea as he blinked rapidly at the calmly sipping tea gentleman and then at the cheerful Harry.
Ethan had purposefully omitted the part where he was looking for the poacher's hideout, which undoubtedly would pose some danger, and received a fierce refusal from Remus.
But Ethan knew this would benefit Harry in the future; he must prepare the boy for all that was about to come, as he might not be by his side the whole time.
Plus, Ethan firmly believed he could ensure Harry's safety.
Remus was dumbfounded briefly, but before he could utter a word, Ethan was quick to drink up his tea, shake hands with him, put in his silk top hat and scarf, and he paced towards to door.
"But…"
Picking up the trunk, Ethan said cheerfully. "Worry not, I promise to buy you some souvenirs. Oh, by the way, we will be back before Christmas.
"Let's go, Harry!"
The boy quickly bid the poor Uncle Remus goodbye as he quickly caught up to Ethan's hand.
Remus watched the two of them disappear behind the waiting room's door. Letting out a sigh, he slumped back to the sofa, savouring his precious break.
Deep down, Remus was happy for Harry, as the boy fully deserved a winter vacation after all that, but he also wanted to share a vacation with his godson too!
Which led Remus to curse his two elusive bosses inwardly.
…
As they paced towards the entrance, Harry caught sight of a peculiar old wizard with a long grey beard and hair, clad in a prominent crimson robe and a small pointy hat.
The old man was enthusiastically solving the special Ancient Rune Cube in his hand. It seemed like he got it from the challenge earlier.
As soon as the pieces were in place, the cube floated into the air and busted into pieces before rearranging itself into a small sun made of flawless brass, emitting warm red light.
Earning the old wizard a lot of cheers from the bystanders while Harry's eyes widened with amusement.
Soon, the two caught each other's attention.
The old man was slightly taken aback before a grandfatherly smile bloomed on his face. In turn, Harry just nodded indiscernibly as he quickly ducked behind Ethan, who was also surprised to see the old wizard.
Ethan tipped his hat to the old man as he also bowed slightly in return, under the curious eyes of Harry, before they marched towards the exit into the bustling alley.