17 A New Agreement

"Ah. Professor Flitwick, Mr. Lunar, a pleasure to meet you again." Ollivander said to his guests.

"The pleasure is ours." Filius Flitwick said with a chuckle. "Mr. Lunar's wand seems to be playing tricks on him."

"How so?" Ollivander asked curiously.

"I feel like it's resisting me. I can still cast spells with it, but they do not feel as smooth as they used to be." Kaiser explained.

"Hm. Most curious. It rarely happens, but when someone's magical core experience enormous changes, their wand's compatibility might change." Ollivander told him, though he was wondering what would prompt such change. "Come with me."

They followed him to what appeared to be his workshop, where vials containing pieces of woods along with what appeared to be hair strands of magical creatures were arranged on shelves surrounding the room. Tools of different shapes with a Runes etching kit sat in the middle.

Kaiser was asked to channel energy through different wands, while pointing them at a grey stone, while Ollivander put his hand on another blue one. When he finished, Ollivander started: "It appears that your situation is a bit more tricky than what I expected. You see, the wand wood you have is still perfectly compatible with you. The problem is the core, albeit not as simple as changing it. The core is still compatible with you, but apparently not enough for your magical core. I will need to add another one, and have them work in sync. This will take me a week to finish."

"Is this normal?" Kaiser asked worriedly.

"Oh, it isn't what common folk would call normal, but it happens, Mr. Lunar. You are in luck, actually. Our family has already dealt with a few of such cases in our history, so I'm confident I'll fix it. Worry not." Ollivander reassured him.

Ollivander took his wand and offered him another he'd use in the meanwhile, for which Kaiser was very grateful.

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"You changed your wand." Daphne pointed out. She was a very perceptive young witch.

"Long story short, my wand needed some modifications." Kaiser tried to avoid the subject.

"Really? That's highly unusual. Wizards never change their wands for their whole life, unless theirs gets broken somehow." Daphne insisted.

"Tracey, word around is that professor Lupin is the best defense teacher Hogwarts had for years." Daphne was unimpressed at his poor attempt to divert their attention, but let it slide, for now.

"Oh yes! They say he is very talented, and explains spells as easily. I'm looking forward to our defense classes this year!" Tracey said excitedly.

"Considering our previous professors are Lockhart and Quirell, that's setting the bar too low." Michael remarked. "Hopefully he'll teach us how to deal with Dementors. I wouldn't what to do if I encountered one."

"Unlikely." Daphne said. "The only known way to deal with Dementors is with the Patronus Charm. It's a very difficult spell, as even some Aurors fail to cast it."

"How are we supposed to enjoy Hogsmeade weekends, with them roaming the villages. I can't even stand their sight!"

"I've read that Occlumency can help you react better to their presence." Luna suggested.

"What's that? Another unheard of creature?" Michael joked.

"Don't be an ass." Kaiser reprimanded. "And she's right. Occlumency is a branch of the mind arts. It's about defending your mind. I'll get you a book on it."

"Sorry Luna. I was joking." Michael apologized for his mistake, especially since she offered good advice, if Kaiser confirmed it.

"It's alright." Luna accepted with a dreamy smile. "By the way, don't you feel that the forbidden forest has changed?"

They all looked at her incredulously.

"You know you're not supposed to go there Luna, don't you?" Tracey asked hesitantly.

"Oh yes, I know. It's dreadful there. I only look from the distance." Luna explained.

"What do you mean, Luna? What's changed in the forbidden forest?" Kaiser asked. While the others would most of the time dismiss her words, thinking she was just imagining things, Kaiser knew better than that. He didn't understand how the concept of someone having rare magical gifts in a magical world was unacceptable for wizards.

"I feel they're more agitated and aggressive than they should be." Luna said seriously, and Kaiser took a few minutes of deep thought at her words. He asked a more questions about what she thought. He didn't think any such occurrence existed in cannon, and he took her words as a premonition. This was certainly an abnormality he'd have to investigate later.

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"Let me begin by giving you an account of my progress so far. The raw materials for our device has been reduced by forty percent, and the manufacturing process time to a minute and thirty seconds." Kaiser said at the beginning of the meeting.

"That is wonderful news." Karl's eyes lit up. "But I ask you to reconsider employing aids to help you. If we had multiple people make watches at that rate, we'd be able to export our products to other countries as well. There are… ways to make sure they never betray you."

"Actually, that is one of the reason I asked to meet you." that earned him a big smile from Karl. "Among other, more delicate subjects, and more profitable endeavors." Kaiser said with a grin of his own.

"I'm all ears." If there was one thing that attracted Karl's attention, it was money. It's not that he actually needed it that much, he was already wealthy enough. But having more wealth and acquiring more power would never hurt.

"Unfortunately, they are more a bit more delicate than I'd prefer them to be, which is why we're going to need this." Kaiser presented him a document.

It was another contract. A secrecy contract, to be more precise. It stated that anything discussed in that meeting, wouldn't be shared willingly through any means with anyone else. And that no decision against Kaiser could be taken based on the information Karl would acquire during that meeting.

It also left a way out for him, in case he didn't want the contract to apply to him anymore. All he had to do, was obliviate himself completely of the meeting, unless he liked what he heard during the meeting, in which case, they'd sign another contract, where he would do his best to ensure Kaiser's security, among other points they'd have to agree on.

"Is this really necessary?" Karl frowned at what he read. It seemed excessive for his taste, but he was very curious at the same time. What would he possibly have to say that would require such contract?

"Unfortunately, it is." Kaiser answered calmly. He wouldn't back down from his decision. His research cost him his life once, he wasn't about to repeat the same mistake. He watched Karl struggle to take a decision for fifteen minutes, going over the terms over and over again, before taking a deep breath. He reluctantly signed the contract in the end.

"Communications in the wizarding world are ridiculous." Kaiser cut to the chase. "Owls need days to deliver your messages, and the Floo network is severely limited. I have found a way to be able to instantly communicate with another person, or a group of people, no matter where they are. The only existing limitation is distance. And even that can be fixed with reasonable price. I can make sure the messages reaches the other end of the earth, instantly, as long as I have enough materials on hand."

Karl took a few moments to think about what he was hearing, and his eyes widened in realization when he began to understood how much was at play here.

"That's not all. It doesn't require any consumables like the Floo Powder. All it needs is to be made once, and then it cast function indefinitely, or for a limited time, depending on how much the runes lasted." Kaiser continued.

"This is a bit… difficult to believe." Karl finally said.

"It has already been tested extensively by Professor Flitwick and I." Kaiser reassured him, and Karl found himself agreeing with his cautiousness. If information about this got to the wrong hands, he'd be on the radars of every government, the international Floo company, owl breeders, and any organization requiring such ability.

Kaiser still gave him a demonstration. One emitter, where the was a way to choose three numbers, and one receiver, that showed the number selected on the other device. Karl didn't fully understand how that would allow them to converse, but Kaiser explained to him that this was simply a proof of concept. He would need to work on the 'interface', the way the user inputted the message, but he needed to clear his schedule to do so within the year.

That led to another conversation about the aids he'd get him. Kaiser asked for a few struggling young first-generation wizards, who have no problem taking Unbreakable Vows, given that the terms are acceptable. They'd need to be proficient in Runes and Transfiguration, mainly.

Unbreakable Vows were a taboo in the magical world. While the vow sounded like a normal binding contract, it compelled the concerned parties to act toward their agreements. They couldn't even try to break the contract, and once they provided too much resistance, they would die.

One of the main advantages of the vow, however, was its ability to keep secrets. Once you thought, even at a subconscious level, that you might be compromised, your magic would automatically erase concerned memories from your mind, provided you knew how to perform the obliviate spell.

Kaiser and Karl spent a few hours discussing various points that meeting, and their relationship radically changed after that meeting. They talked about the previous wizarding war, and Kaiser was surprised at what he heard.

It appears the neutral faction did not like how things evolved in the last war. They normally didn't concern themselves with conflicts, only focusing on their business and prosperity, but Voldemort seemed to surpass their expectations. It was clear for all to see that he didn't care much for blood supremacy, but was rather a power hungry insane bastard. He would have driven Magical Britain to ruin.

Kaiser dropped the bomb of his immortality on Karl, who could be seen visibly shivering. Those times were one of the darkest. He didn't like the idea of his family having to live through them. Kaiser offered him his two memories concerning Voldemort. They had another meeting the next week, where a revised contract was signed, before they agreed on a plan of action.