7 The Association

07 - The Association

One week later, Alex was back in the Leaky Cauldron in the morning. He did his usual routine, going to and from Diagon Alley, making sure no one could spot him applying his disguise. Then, he talked to the barman who was very happy to meet him again.

"Tom, is there a room here that I could use for a private meeting?" Alex asked.

"Yes, there is one. Right this way, Mr Grey."

Alex was led to a room on the second floor. It was a lounge area that was designed to accommodate private meetings in the inn. He examined the room and found it to be satisfactory. There was a desk there and some chairs, just what he needed.

"I'm expecting a guest around 8 o'clock," said Alex. "Send him this way when he arrives."

"Of course, Mr Grey," said Tom. "Do you have anything else you require?"

"Tea would be nice and a simple breakfast."

"I'll be right back," said Tom before leaving the room.

While waiting, Alex took out a piece of good parchment and sat down behind the desk. He wrote down the terms of a contract before applying some charms on it. Then, he repeated the process to create another. Now he had some magically binding contracts that would have the same effect as a magical oath when signed.

Although the method for creating binding contracts was not taught at Hogwarts, it was a fairly common piece of magic amongst business owners and legal workers.

The barman returned with what he ordered and Alex enjoyed his meal while contemplating how his meeting with Mr Baxter would turn out.

Alex was confident that he had a good read of the man he would be meeting. He didn't need a 'yes man', but he expected loyalty from the people that would be working for him. He felt that Mr Baxter was the right man for the job as his aide.

He heard someone knocking on the door.

"You may come in," Alex said.

"Good morning to you, Mr Grey," greeted Mr Baxter.

Alex waved him in and gestured at the seat in front of the desk.

Mr Baxter entered the room, being cautious as usual. However, the possibility of permanent employment was too good to pass up. Meanwhile, Alex cleared the surface of the desk for their meeting, moving the plates and cups to the side.

"I'm glad you decided to meet with me," said Alex. "I was worried for a moment that I had not been too forthcoming with the information about the job that I was offering."

"I am very interested," said Mr Baxter. "I won't lie about that, but could you explain it to me some more? I still don't know what I can provide you."

"The job is fairly simple. You will be my butler, doing whatever is asked of you. However, you will also be required to agree to a confidentiality clause."

"But, I won't be asked to do anything harmful?"

Mr Baxter was not the kind of man that would turn to crime. No matter how hard his living condition has gotten, he refused to do anything that he thought was a crime. That being said, he was not exactly a strict follower of the law. Being a muggle-born his age, he learned how to get by in their society.

"I have a contract here for you," said Alex. "The terms are pretty vague, but they should be enough to answer your concerns. Give it a read…"

He slid over the contract to Mr Baxter. The terms were simple, Mr Baxter would be contract-bound to keep his secrets and would not be able to cause harm to Alex, his family, and his properties by negligence or wilful intent. Asides from that, Mr Baxter would be free to quit his job should he choose to, but not without advanced notice.

As Mr Baxter read the terms of the contract, Alex poured himself another cup of tea. He was observing the man in front of him very carefully.

The contract might appear forceful to those who grew up in the non-magical world, but it was pretty common in the Wizarding World. For example, a Master of Potions might ask his apprentices to sign a contract that would prevent them from spreading the potions recipe that their master had not published.

Mr Baxter glanced at Alex after reading the contract. Since there wasn't anything that could force him to do anything he wouldn't be willing to do, he decided to sign the contract.

Alex smiled as he signed his part of the contract. He gave the copy for Mr Baxter to keep.

"From now on, you are my confidant," said Alex.

"I'm glad to be of service."

"Indeed. But first, there is something I want to show you."

Alex took out his wand and removed his disguise. He transformed from a man nearing his 40's to a teenage boy, his real appearance. Mr Baxter was wide-eyed as he watched what happened before him.

Alex chuckled at his reaction.

"Now, you understand why I need you to sign a contract. This is my real appearance. And I need a person to do some things for me that I can't for obvious reasons. Does this change anything?"

"Not at all, young master," said Mr Baxter coming out of his stupor. "You are my employer now, whether you are a child or not."

Alex could pick up some fear and amazement from the man with a passive Legilimency.

Perhaps, it was the fact that he performed quite a feat of magic in front of the man. The skill of performing Transfigurations on the self, even temporary ones, was rare even among Hogwarts graduates. Or perhaps, it was the fact that Alex obviously had reasons why he had taken an alternative identity which Mr Baxter could only guess. Either way, he could understand the man's reaction.

"You won't regret this, I promise," said Alex. "There is a long journey ahead and we have just taken the first step."

He expected competency and loyalty from Mr Baxter. In return, he would reward the man with a place in the new world that he was building.

Before the summer break was over, Alex would have to teach Mr Baxter and get him started in his Occlumency. As his trusted aide, he also expected the man to be able to protect his secrets.

***

Alex wanted to talk to the barman before leaving the Leaky Cauldron. So, he asked Mr Baxter to wait outside in the meantime.

Tom had successfully gathered the names of the muggle-borns who showed interest in the book that Alex had written. So, Alex asked the barman to contact them in the following weeks and set up a meeting. It was time for him to see who were the people he could work with in the future. As much as Alex wanted to stay hidden because of his precarious circumstances, he knew that he must start getting others people involved in what he was doing.

After that, he joined with Mr Baxter outside. The first thing that Alex wanted to accomplish was getting a home base for himself and Mr Baxter. So, they travelled to a nearby real estate office via taxi.

They were received by a middle-aged man who looked them over for a second before greeting them with a smile. The man probably assumed that Alex was the son of a wealthy family being followed around by his old servant. He didn't see the need to correct him.

Alex wanted a small manor with plenty of open space which he could turn into a wizard's home. There he would be able to store his belongings and practice his magic without worrying about the restriction on under-aged magic.

He told the real estate agent what kind of place he was looking to buy, being very clear about his requirements. After browsing through the listings, they settled with a manor in Norwich.

It was a little far from London, reachable after 3 hours of driving in a car. The building itself also looked broken-down and abandoned, based on the pictures. But with magic, those were negligible.

They arranged to meet with the caretaker of the property two days later. Before which time, Mr Baxter would be staying in a room at the Leaky Cauldron. Alex gave the man 2,000 Pounds and 300 Galleons to use freely. He wanted the man to have what was needed for his new position and to be able to do his tasks in the magical and non-magical world conveniently.

When the time came, they took a car with the real estate agent to go to the property they agreed upon. Alex liked what he saw. The house was on the small side, but they could be expanded with magic later on. The brickwork and the roof would have to be repaired. The rest of the property was not very interesting, the plants were overgrown and there were a lot of random debris scattered about.

At least, it was expansive. There would be enough space for a garden in the back. The house itself was offset by 40 feet from the front line of the property. With the addition of wards, this could be a proper wizard's home, hidden from the non-magical world.

Alex shared a look with Mr Baxter. They both seemed to think that the house was adequate. So, they made an offer to the seller. About a week later, they settled with the price of 85,000 Pounds. They were able to negotiate the price due to the poor state of the house. But the property itself was large, so they could not ask for a lower price.

After making a full payment, Alex still had more than a hundred thousand in British currency. His investments a year earlier had made him more than 60 per cent in profit. So, he sold a good portion of his stocks and reinvest what he didn't need that year.

Mr Baxter would be in charge of the restoration of the house and putting everything they need in place. He had given the man access to his bank account and his vault in Gringotts.

The first thing that he needed to do was to ask the goblins to apply their best residential security wards on the property. Then, he would go to the Ministry and register the place under his name. After that, he would be supervising all the repairs and additions in the house while Alex was in Hogwarts.

Alex was entrusting a lot with Mr Baxter. But he wasn't worried about the man betraying him. Firstly, there was the binding contract that they signed. Additionally, he knew that the man was thankful to him for the employment and the trust that he showed.

As long as Alex gave the man his due respect and did not ask him to go against his principles, he knew that Mr Baxter was loyal to him.

When everything was settled and the expectations he had on Mr Baxter were made clear, they agreed that a salary of 150 Galleons and 500 Pounds would be deposited in Mr Baxter's account every month. Alex was glad that the man had followed his example of having a bank account in the non-magical world.

He knew that he had to be careful. Despite his capabilities and the knowledge he had from his previous life, he was currently a child, a muggle-born child at that. Without any sort of magical family, his rights in the Wizarding World was practically non-existent.

***

One morning during the first week of July, several wizards and witches were gathered at the Leaky Cauldron. This was a time before the shopping rush for the students of Hogwarts would happen that summer. Seeing the Leaky Cauldron being so busy in the morning would be noteworthy to anyone paying attention.

Everyone seemed to be minding their own business. Some were drinking coffee or tea and having a quick meal. Some were reading the Daily Prophet. Although, Alex noticed that most of them were throwing wary glances around at everyone else in the room.

"It's time Tom," said Alex who was sitting by the bar. He stood up and went up the staircase.

***

Tom watched Alex leave and waited until he was out of sight. Then, the barman stopped what he was doing and addressed the people in his pub.

"The meeting will begin shortly," said Tom. "The man who invited you all here is in the lounge upstairs."

Tom had become some sort of an agent for Alex. He realized that he liked the feeling of being part of something important for once. People, mostly pure-bloods, had a tendency to disregard him. He felt that they looked down on him because of his deformity and how he would always cater to everyone in his inn with a stupid smile on his face.

Sometimes, they would come to his inn and order a drink without even looking at him, as if they couldn't be bothered. But not Alex, never Alex, he thought. The man always spoke to him sincerely. The money that he received also didn't hurt. With it, Tom was able to make some needed improvements in his inn.

Tom also realized that people, muggle-borns in particular, would nod and smile at him in the streets whenever they see him. It was good to be acknowledged like that, as simple as it sounded. Now, he knew that he was invested in whatever Alex was planning.

***

When the people made their way to the designated room, they saw an impeccably dressed man, not like the person they saw earlier. There were plenty of chairs in the room for the people there, all facing the side of the room where Alex was patiently standing.

"Welcome, everyone," Alex said. "Please come in and find a seat so we can start."

Alex stayed silent as everyone shuffled in nervously

He surveyed everyone, meeting their eyes, and made sure all were seated before gently closing the door with a point of his wand. Some of the people there were recent graduates of Hogwarts and others were as old as 60 years old.

"You all know me by my pen-name, Prometheus," he started. "My actual name is Alexander Grey. And just like you, I am a muggle-born. I am not ashamed to say it and neither should you."

Alex didn't feel the need of creating another alias. Even if someone had somehow connected him with a Hogwarts student, who would think that he was the same person? The closest thing that they could suspect was for the two Alexander Grey's to be related by blood. Furthermore, he knew that he had to stop using his disguise at some point, perhaps after he had reached his majority.

His audience looked at one another nervously, unsure of what they've walked in to. No one was bold enough to say anything.

"Some people have brown eyes," Alex continued, "and some people have red hairs. Similarly, some people are muggle-borns and some are pure-bloods. That is all there is to it.

"They may be used to describe our heritage. However, these terms shouldn't dictate how we are treated and what we can contribute to our communities... Unfortunately, the reality we all live in is very much different."

Most of the listeners nodded their heads. After seeing that, Alex knew that he had connected with the people there. They were dissatisfied with their situation, as expected. But they were also fearful.

"I look around this room," he continued as he paced around, "and see witches and wizards whose life did not turn out as they expected. The life of a muggle-born can be hard, and unfortunately, it would remain as such for many years to come."

Some of his guests frowned at that.

"Some of you might think that it would start to get better now that You-Know-Who is gone. I fear that you would be disappointed. Change does not happen on its own. While we can choose to wait, our daily struggles won't.

"Things are bad out there. I won't lie to you. And if we do nothing, they will only get worse. But I'm hoping that together, we can change some things for the better. This is why I invited you all here. I want to start an organization that would help people like us."

Alex continued talking for a while about the need for change and unity among muggle-borns. Once he felt that his point had been driven into their heads, he started with his more radical ideas.

"I think we all agree that there are a lot of things we could do to make our lives better. But would they let us?

"When was the first time that you were called 'mud-bloods'?"

Some people gasped at that.

"Mud-blood or dirty blood, they say that it is a word for uncivilized conversation. But we all go to the same school, we all have the same education. And yet, I keep hearing that word.

"But I don't want to respond in kind. Don't assume that I hate all pure-bloods. I also know that not all of them have those attitude towards muggle-borns."

"However... there is a way of thinking that is prevalent among the pure-bloods and the people who are in power. They think that people like us, muggle-borns, are outsiders in their world, that we are invaders who had little regard for their culture.

"You might be expecting me to say otherwise, but... I happen to agree with this."

A woman stood up and said accusingly, "You believe it, then? That pure-bloods are superior to muggle-borns?"

Alex smiled because he had received the reaction that he was expecting.

"Do I think that they are superior? --No. Are we different? --Yes." He paused for a while and looked at everyone in the room. He was almost daring them to argue with him. However, pure-bloods and muggle-borns were indeed different. That was a truth they all recognized.

"I'm not saying that we don't belong in the Wizarding World. After all, we can all feel the magic in our veins. It is woven in our very soul. However, that still won't change the fact that we were not born here.

"Like many of you, I was once just a naive child when they first invited me to Hogwarts. I was told that I was a wizard. Everything was so exciting then… but they didn't explain to me that I was being taken to a completely different world. Maybe I was too young to understand that we might speak the same language, but all things considered, we were being led to a different country. The Wizarding World, after all, had its own laws, its own culture, its own traditions.

"Therefore, we are, indeed, foreigners. That, in itself, is not the issue. That is a simple fact that we can't change. The problem is that there is no one there to explain it all to us and guide us in this strange world we find ourselves in. They have taken us from all that we have known and abandoned us to our own devices."

Looking at their expression, they must have realized the sad truth of what Alex told them.

"I wish that I could tell you that it is just an innocent oversight of the Ministry," Alex continued, "but I cannot deny it anymore. However, this is not only because of the discrimination based on blood status.

"The truth is that not all pure-bloods or half-bloods have the same standing in the eyes of the Ministry. In my experience, it seems that the Ministry thinks that ignorant people are easier to control. We, as muggle-borns, who come into this world with no affiliations are the most affected by this situation."

A nervous man raised his hand and asked, "I hope I am hearing this incorrectly, but are you saying that you intend to go against the Ministry?"

"No... Of course not." Not yet, Alex thought. "No matter how dissatisfied I am with the Ministry, I know it is the only chance we have on having an organized government. What I want is to change it from within and for our group to have a voice in our government.

"However, we cannot expect the people in power to welcome the changes we are promoting. So until we have the strength to protect ourselves I want our movement to stay hidden."

Everyone seemed to agree on the need for caution. They could all guess how the Ministry would react if they learned that some muggle-borns were organizing.

"In the meantime, we can help our brothers and sisters with the information that they need to thrive in the Wizarding World, just as what I aimed to do with the booklet that I published."

They continued to have an open discussion about what would be the goals of the organization that Alex was proposing. The most pressing concern was the lack of available jobs for the muggle-borns. So, they all agreed to share their information about any opportunities that they might come across with.

For the time being, the organization would remain a secret. They would continue to spread the information in the guidebook that Alex had written to other muggle-borns. And, they would be using the Leaky Cauldron as their temporary base. Alex was confident that Tom would let him reserved the lounge for their permanent use.

Before the end of the meeting, Alex presented them with a long piece of parchment. Written on it was the founding declaration of their organization. Some people were hesitant to sign, but Alex explained to them that it was also a form of security. They would all be equally responsible if something went wrong or if they got in trouble with the government.

And so, on that day, the 7th of July, 1984, the 'Association for an Integrated Magical Society' was born. In the coming days, it would simply be referred to as the 'Association' or 'AIMS' in conversation.

Alex was optimistic about the Association. He hoped that it would play an important role in their community in the future. However, he knew that he could not rely on a purely political group. While the Association could campaign openly for the changes that they wished to implement, they would need another group to act as their shield and sword.

He knew how easily the purist could resort to violence. In their eyes, they weren't even killing their fellow wizards and witches. As long as they were wearing a mask, they could escape the consequences of their actions. They knew that the Ministry would not pursue them for the loss of some mud-bloods.

So, Alex observed the people who signed their names on the parchment. He would be keeping tabs on them to find out whether they had the disposition to do whatever was needed to protect their movement.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hey readers,

I'm sorry I haven't updated recently. My laptop broke with my drafts in it. I've been trying to repair it, but I couldn't.

I plan on getting a desktop now, so hopefully, I can continue writing soon.

In the meantime, I will see what I can do about recovering my drafts.

Sincerely,

Kill_Streak

Update: I was able to take my files from the hard drive and I found a way to use a keyboard with my phone. So, I will be writing like this for a while. Cheers!