Harry was pacing in his room restlessly looking at the clock. Time always seemed to slow down whenever he had something important to do. The Christmas had been great. Everyone loved the presents and he too had gotten quite a few good gifts. Out of all the gifts, he had loved Petunia's gift the most. She had given him a pendant with their family engraved.
The pendant was made of silver as she knew Harry didn't like gold much. The front of the pendant was engraved in intricate details— Vernon, Petunia, Abigail and Harry— all of them standing together. Abigail as usual was on Harry's back and seemed to be laughing. Petunia and Vernon stood beside them each with a loving smile on their faces.
Harry flipped the pendant to see the words, "Forever bound by love". It was a simple yet elegant inscription, yet it threatened to make Harry cry. Inside the locket there was two pictures, one Petunia playing with baby Harry and the other Harry playing with baby Abigail as Vernon and Petunia watched. Safe to say that Harry loved it so much that he had not taken the pendant off since he had worn it on Christmas morning.
New Year was much quieter and more reserved. They had gone for a small dinner including Sirius. Both the Dursley and Weasley family had agreed that they would celebrate New Year at their own homes rather than going to each others. It was a good decision as they had spent the Christmas together.
Today was January 2nd, seven days before Harry was to head back to school. And it was today that Randolph Spudmore had wanted to meet Harry at the Leaky Cauldron. He had written that he would be there at 11 am and currently it was 10:36 am.
Harry could hardly wait for the clock to struck 11 am so that he can go and meet the inventor of the Firebolt. Now that he thought about it, what would he do if he didn't agree to make the deal? His CEO mind was now running on full gear. He could buy up more than half of the shares of Ellerby and Spudmore, making him the major shareholder and having him accept the offer that way by forcing him. But then again he didn't really need to do that, if he refused than he would leave the deal.
Considering that Firebolt would be the best broom in the future it certainly seemed like a good idea to buy up some shares of the company so that Harry could multiply his wealth. But the bloody manager that Gringotts had promised to get him was yet to arrive so there was that.
Harry looked at the clock again, it read 10:40 am. Only four minutes had passed.
"Bloody hell...why is the time this slow today", Harry grunted pulling on his hair.
"Should I just leave now? I am doing nothing of importance anyway...", he continued. "But I don't want to seem desperate..."
After a few moments of thinking Harry decided that he would just go to Gringotts to ask about the manager. With that thought in mind, Harry Apparated, disappearing from his room to appear in front of Gringotts.
Appearing in front of Gringotts he was greeted with the usual hustle and bustle of Diagon Alley. He made his way into Gringotts and was greeted by a goblin. It was the same goblin that had greeted him that day.
"Hello, I am here to ask if the arrangements for a manager that I requested has been made yet.", Harry asked.
"Yes, Mr. Potter the manager has been notified but as of this moment he is travelling to reach here. He will contact you tomorrow at your house", the goblin replied.
Harry nodded, "Very well, thank you"
The goblin looked at Harry, "Is there anything else we can help you with?"
"No, there isn't at this moment thank you" Harry stated. "Have a good day ahead" With that he started walking back out of Gringotts and towards the Leaky Cauldron. He briskly crossed the street and went through the brick wall to enter Leaky Cauldron.
"Good Morning, young man. Here alone?", Tom looked up from behind the bar to see Harry enter. Harry crossed the room and stood near the bar. Now that his scar was gone, people rarely recognised him at all and safe to say, Harry liked it very much.
"Yes, I have come here to meet someone. Could I please get some snacks while I wait?", Harry replied sitting near the counter. He looked up at the clock to see that it was 10:50 am. Only ten minutes have passed with ten more to go.
"Ah so out for your first errand I see. What is your name?", Tom asked while placing the order for the snacks.
"I am Dudley Dunvegan. I was in town to visit my uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. I am just meeting another person I know here, cause it's been quite a while since I last saw him", Harry replied. He laughed in his mind about the made up name and story, but he wasn't going to tell Tom his real name if he has not recognised Harry himself.
"Oh, so you are not from around here, I presume?", Tom asked nonchalantly as started to wipe a glass. While he was appearing to be nonchalant, Tom was paying all his attention to Harry.
Harry smirked as he noticed this. "No, I am just here for vacation at my uncles house. I will be leaving back to Romania in two days.", he replied.
Tom nodded and continued to polish his glasses, while Harry waited. As soon as the clock struck eleven, the main door was swung open, and a tall, thin with graying hair and sharp eyes walked in. His eyes searched the pub, for Harry. He was wearing a red tailored robe and his demeanor commanded respect.
Harry looked at the man and instantly knew that that was the man he had been waiting for. He stood up from his seat and approached the man with a smile.
"Mr. Spudmore?", Harry inquired gently as he neared the man.
"Ah, you must be Harry Potter", he replied extending his hand towards Harry. "I have to say, you hard to recognise, Mr. Potter"
Harry shook the man's hand firmly, "Yes, my signature scare is gone from my forehead, so people hardly recognise me". He chuckled, "Not that I am complaining."
"I see, I see...", Mr. Spudmore said with a intrigued voice. "So shall we get a private room to discuss what we came here for?"
"Of course, Mr. Spudmore", Harry replied as he turned back and walked towards the bar. "Excuse me, I would like to have a private room for a meeting please."
Tom smiled and nodded, "Very well Mr. Potter. If you go up, Christy would show you to the room."
"Ah bloody hell, busted", Harry thought. He gave Tom an awkward smile as he tried to explain.
"I must say you have quite an imagination, Mr. Potter.", Tom chuckled. "Had I not seen you before, I would have definitely fallen for the fake story you gave me"
Harry chuckled as he scratched the back of his neck. "Guess I didn't think that one through."
Tom shook his head, still smiling. "No harm done. I'll have Christy show you to the private room."
Christy turned out to be a small yet energetic young witch. As Harry and Mr. Spudmore ascended the stairs, she stood there, smiling and beckoning them to hurry up. For a girl working at a pub, she seemed awfully chipper. Harry and Mr. Spudmore followed her as she led them to a small cozy and secluded room with a fireplace and sofas.
Once they were seated, Christy had left, not before Harry had asked her to get some drinks and snacks up. Harry then turned to Mr. Spudmore, who was looking at him intently.
"Mr. Spudmore, thank you for agreeing to meet with me. As I had said in my letters, I have quite a business deal for you!"
Mr. Spudmore who was still looking at Harry intently spoke up. "I am curious Mr. Potter, how exactly did you come to know about the Firebolt project? I had just finished discussing it with my team two months before and we have not even started"
"And I know my team, they would not have been the ones who had told you.", he continued after a pause.
Harry smirked, "Let's just say that I have a knack for getting information. But I assure you, your projects secret is safe with me"
Mr. Spudmore raised an eyebrow but seemed to accept the explanation. "Very well, Mr. Potter. You have my attention. What exactly are you proposing?"
Harry leaned forward, "I have two people who have a knack of doing crazy things. Recently they have made a thing that could revolutionise the Quidditch market. I wanted to offer you the sole chance of working with this project to further your market."
Mr. Spudmore looked curious, "And what is this revolutionary thing you are talking about, Mr. Potter?"
"It's called Floating Fizzbees, a set of miniature Quidditch balls, that could be perfect for when playing indoors or teaching a child. And for the added feature, they can be used as normal Quidditch balls too."
Mr. Spudmore looked thoughtful. "That does sound intriguing, Mr. Potter. How did you come across this invention?"
Harry nodded, "Fred and George Weasley, two of my close friends, brothers and housemates at Hogwarts, came up with the idea. They've been working on all sorts of magical inventions and pranks. When they showed me the Floating Fizzbees, I immediately saw the potential. I think with your expertise and resources, we could bring this to market and make it a huge success."
Mr. Spudmore, now clearly interested, leaned forward. "So, Mr. Potter, tell me more about how we might position these Floating Fizzbees in the market. Are you envisioning them as a standalone product, or do you have other ideas?"
Harry smiled, "I believe we can do more. I would like the Ellerby and Spudmore company to have the exclusive rights to sell this product before any other broom companies. Besides marketing the Floating Fizzbees as a standalone product, we could create a special joint product venture. Imagine offering a premium package that includes both the Firebolt and the Floating Fizzbees."
He smirked and continued, "This combination would be perfect for Quidditch enthusiasts of all ages—an unbeatable broom paired with a revolutionary training tool."
"That's quite the proposal Mr. Potter.", Mr. Spudmore said. "I am very much appealed to accept the deal now but I must see the products and confirm them myself before I can agree to such a deal."
Before Harry could say anything, Christy came back with a tray of snacks and drinks. She set the tray on the table and left with a bow.
"How about I let you see the invention and also meet the inventors?", Harry proposed.
Mr. Spudmore was pleasantly surprised by it, "Of course, that should be the best move, considering the future."
Harry nodded and got up from his seat, "Then if you will excuse me for five minutes, I will be back with them."
Mr. Spudmore nodded in agreement, his curiosity clearly piqued. "That sounds reasonable, Mr. Potter. I'll be here."
Harry stood up, smiling confidently. "I'll be back shortly with the inventors."
With that Harry stood up and swiftly exited the room. He walked down the stairs slowly and once he was sure that no one could see him, he disapparated without a sound.
He appeared in front of the Burrow's door and knocked quickly before entering. As Harry was just thinking about getting the twins as soon as possible, he was too absent minded to notice the subtle changes here and there.
Ginny was lying on the couch, reading her book on basics of magical energy Harry had given everyone for Christmas. Without thinking, Harry greeted her, "Hey sweetheart", and she looked up, her eyes widening and her face turning a deep shade of red.
"Harry! What are you doing here?", she managed to stammer out, flustered because of the sudden appearance and unexpected greeting.
Harry' not noticing her reaction, asked, "Have you seen the twins?"
Ginny tried to keep her heart rate normal, as she pointed upstairs. "They are in their room," she said, her voice sounding a little breathless.
Harry nodded and raced upstairs, leaving Ginny to get her racing heart under control. He reached the door to Fred and George's room and knocked urgently.
The door opened accompanied with lots of smoke. Fred and George stood there, their hair disheveled, with Fred's face slightly sooty.
"Harry!", he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Guys, I just had a meeting with Mr. Spudmore and he wants to see the prototype of Floating Fizzbees", Harry replied. "Grab it quick, I told him that I will introduce you two to him too."
Fred and George panicked, with George racing to his table and rummaging everything to find the prototype. He grabbed the prototype and before the twins could change their clothes, Harry grabbed their hands and disapparated without a sound again. They appeared just outside the private room.
Fred and George were shocked from the sudden Apparation and stared at the door that was now in front of them. Harry knocked and led them in.
"Mr. Spudmore, I would like you to meet the inventors of the Floating Fizzbees, Fred and George Weasley", Harry introduced them.
Mr. Spudmore stood up, shaking hands with both of them. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. Mr. Potter has told me a lot of good things about your invention."
Fred and George exchanged a quick look before George spoke up. "The pleasure is ours, sir. We're eager to show you what we've been working on.'
Fred held up the prototype. "This is the Floating Fizzbees. It cn be used as a miniature Quidditch ball set, perfect for practice indoors or teaching beginners. But it can also be used in full-sized game without any issue at all."
Mr. Spudmore examined the prototype closely, "Yes, Mr. Potter told me about that already. What I am eager to see is how it works. Would you Messer's Weasleys demonstrate the working?'
Fred and George quickly set up a small demonstration, showing how the Fizzbees floated and moved with agility and precision that was same as the original quidditch balls. They also showed the safer mode they had installed for letting children play, which made the quidditch balls smaller and softer.
Mr. Spudmore, watched intently, with a glint of excitement in his eyes. "This is remarkable. I can see why Mr. Potter praised you guys so much."
He continued, "It has potential for both individual sales and as part of a premium package with the Firebolt."
Harry smiled, "So, Mr. Spudmore, do we have a deal?"
Mr. Spudmore grinned and extended his hand. "We do, Mr. Potter. Let's move forward with this venture. Should we visit Gringotts to make the deal official and on paper?"
"Of course, Mr. Spudmore", Harry replied with a smirk.
Harry, Fred, and George followed Mr. Spudmore out of the private room and into the main area of the Leaky Cauldron. Mr. Spudmore paid for the snacks and drinks before they made their way into the Diagon Alley.
Once they had reached Gringotts, Mr. Spudmore switfly entered the building followed by Harry and the twins. He approached the nearest goblin teller. "We need to formalize a business agreement and would like someone experienced to deal with the proceedings"
The goblin nodded and directed them to a private consultation room. The room they were directed to was different from the room Harry and the twins were taken to last time.
They sat down across a large wooden table, where a senior goblin named Sharptalon was waiting for them.
Sharptalon looked at them with his sharp eyes, "What is the nature of your business gentlemen?"
Mr. Spudmore spoke up, "We are here to formalize a joint venture between Ellerby and Spudmore, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Fred and George Weasley."
The goblin listened to Mr. Spudmore give out the details of the deal and the contract that was to be made. After Sharptalon listened to the details he began drafting the documents. The room fell silent as the goblin prepared the paperwork, the scratching of the quill the only sound.
Finally, Sharptalon looked up. "The documents are ready. Please review and sign."
Harry, Fred, George, and Mr. Spudmore carefully read through the agreement. Satisfied with the conditions, they each took turns signing the parchment with a special quill provided by Sharptalon.
With the last signature in place, Sharptalon stamped the Gringotts seal on the document. "The agreement is now official. Congratulations on your new venture."
Harry shook hands with Mr. Spudmore, "We look forward to working with you, Mr. Spudmore"
Mr. Spudmore smiled, "Likewise Mr. Potter. I think this is the start of a brilliant partnership."
Fred and George shook Mr. Spudmore's hand with excitement. Fred said, "You won't be disappointed, Mr. Spudmore."
Mr. Spudmore replied with a chuckle, "I can already see that Mr. Weasley. The amount for the development of the product will be deposited in your account by evening. I look forward to what you bring out."
"Absolutely, we can't wait to get started.", George replied.
As they left Gringotts, Fred and George were practically bouncing with excitement. They couldn't stop thanking Harry as they parted ways with Mr. Spudmore. Harry chuckled and told them that they better deliver the product. They replied that they will.
With that Harry quickly apparated them back to the Burrow before he made his way home. Satisfied with the successful deal, Harry flopped down on one of the armchairs beside the window and looked at the garden outside, where a few house elves were tending to the flowerbeds.
Now that they were using the entire Dursley Mansion, Harry had moved into a different much larger and more central room than before. His earlier room was large but the current one was even bigger than that.
The room had three different desks, one large one with a potion setup that Harry had gotten for his Christmas, another that he used for writing and other things. There was one more empty desk because Harry couldn't figure out what to do with it. There were a set of armchairs in the room, the closet was walk-in as the previous one but this one spanning much larger than the other one.
The windows offered a stunning view to both the garden and the sea.
A gentle knock on the door broke his thoughts. "Come in," Harry called.
The door creaked open, and Petunia peeked her head in. "Harry, dear, lunch is almost ready. Would you like to join us downstairs?"
Harry smiled warmly at his aunt. "Of course, Mum. I'll be down in a minute."