11 Chapter 11

Richard envisioned the portal as a huge circular arch, like in the Stargate voiceover series. Even if the arch is compact, it will be at least a couple of meters in diameter. Or, before his gaze, a giant space portal station appeared, with the help of which scientists send reconnaissance probes and spaceships to other stars.

Richard was curious to look at the portal and wondered where the old lady would get such a large device from. But the sorceress seriously surprised the young man.

Madame Marchbanks took out a wooden pointer and removed a silver bracelet from her wrist. Putting the jewelry on the coffee table, she began to wave her pointer and muttered something. It was impossible to make out the words.

When she finished waving her pointer, Madame Marchbanks said:

"My boy, I have enchanted this bracelet into a portal. To use it, you will need to take the bracelet in your hand and say the word Portus. Will you remember?

- I already remembered, madam, - keeping a mask of calmness on his face, answered Richard, although at the moment he was experiencing an indescribable range of emotions. - I have an excellent memory, though not eidetic. Sorry, I noticed that when you said Portus, nothing happened. What happens if I pick up the bracelet and someone else says the key word?

- Absolutely nothing, - the old woman answered loudly. - The portal will only work under two conditions: first, someone touches it with bare skin; second, the touching person pronounces the activator word aloud. By default, for all portals, the word Portus is used as such an activator. Also, Richard, call me Mentor!

"All right, Mentor," Richard replied. - Tell me, what if, for example, someone else picks up the portal and activates it? For example, a servant. Will it work?

"Yes," the old woman replied. "What's the beauty of portals - they can even move Muggles.

The Minister of Magic gave the men a guilty smile and said:

"Sorry, gentlemen, but we have to go. Business does not wait ... I already had a hard time finding the time for a visit.

- What are you, what are you! - answered the elder Grosvenor. - We understand everything perfectly. You have an important position. I was glad to meet you, Madam Minister. If you need anything, please contact me ... Unless it requires spending the size of a small country's budget, I'm ready to help or make a "modest" donation.

- Donation? - it seemed that Madame Minister instantly changed her mind about going somewhere. "Perhaps I can stay a little longer," she smiled charmingly at the Duke. - Mr. Grosvenor, if it's not a secret, what do you do?

"It's no secret," Gerald replied. - I continue the investment strategy of my ancestors: land, real estate construction, sale and rent.

An avid gleam appeared in Millicenta's eyes. She licked her lips with the tip of her tongue and said:

"Mr. Grosvenor, we had plans to build a magical village. A small village within the UK. The location is not important, but preferably away from the villages of ordinary people. Please tell me is it realistic to find land for such a construction?

"I'll say more, it's not only possible," Gerald replied, "I even have such a land. Moreover, I can even build houses and infrastructure. How much land are we talking about?

"We need a village of about a hundred houses, but it is desirable that each household has about five acres of land. Hufflepuff alumni are eager to obtain land plots for building farms and farming. Construction is optional, we can handle it faster and cheaper.

- Will Scotland suit you? Gerald asked the minister.

"Quite," Millicenta replied anxiously.

"In that case, on behalf of the Grosvenors, I'm ready to lease the land to the wizards for an indefinite lease at the lowest price.

- Wonderful! - the Minister of Magic was delighted. - I propose to discuss the issue about the price and location of land later. I will send a competent specialist from the Department of Magical Economy to you. If you don't mind, then it would be more convenient for us to work in magic currency. Unfortunately, only your son can use the bank of wizards.

- O! It's okay, "Gerald smiled broadly. - I will register these lands for my son, and the tenants will pay him the rent. Eight hundred and forty acres of scenic countryside will suit you?

- Oh yeah! - Mrs. Minister was delighted. - This is even more than I expected. But if that's all ...

"I don't dare detain you," Gerald smiled dazzlingly.

- Madam ... - Madame Minister looked at her companion and did not have time to finish the phrase.

- Yes, yes, I will Apparate with you too, my dear, - the old woman left the cozy sofa. "Richard, I'm expecting you on Saturday at nine in the morning. Do not be late.

The witches spun and disappeared. There were two faint pops in the living room.

All the feigned calmness of the elder Grosvenor was instantly washed away. Wearily he leaned back on the back of the sofa and asked in a hoarse voice:

- Charlie, did you see that too?

- How did the two witches teleport? Prince Charles asked.

"Yeah," Gerald confirmed with a nod of his head.

"No, I blinked at that moment," the prince answered mockingly. - Richie, what do you think about this?

- Wonderful ... - drawled the boy. - Quite wonderful ... I'm shocked by the possibilities of the wizards, but everything seems to be going well.

Richard was in fact in a state of stupor. He reached out and took a silver bracelet. Thoughts flashed through the boy's head:

"Is this small thing really capable of the same as a huge installation that requires a high-power fusion reactor to power it? That is, it can really move a person from one point of the planet to another? And in another galaxy, too? My God! If this is actually the case, then a couple of waves of the wizard's wand will make you billions. No, trillions! Portals have the potential to fundamentally change the logistics and capabilities of humanity. Why do magicians still live on reservations, and not occupy key positions in corporations with salaries like those of leading top managers ?! "

The elder Grosvenor's voice brought the boy out of his thoughts:

"Well, Richie, now you have a small source of magic currency. At the same time, I immediately solved the problem of your status among the wizards and smiled at the Minister of Magic.

"Nice move, Father," Richard admitted honestly. "I still have a lot to learn from you. To kill three birds with one stone for cheap and useless land in the Scottish countryside is admirable.

- Cheap ?! Gerald chuckled. - They have been unprofitable for the last five years. And now they will begin to bring at least some income.

- This is even more delightful! - Richard looked at his father with delight. - By the way, Uncle Charlie, do you think it is possible to attract wizards to business?

- What do you mean, Richard? The prince asked.

"Mmm…" the boy drawled thoughtfully. - Let's say, if you involve wizards in the development of new technologies.

"Only if secretly," Charles replied. - The magicians have an international Statute of Secrecy. That is, wizards around the world are obliged to hide from ordinary people. British magicians, if my memory does not fail me, even have laws that prohibit enchanting techniques and ordinary things.

"This is bad," Richie ran the back of his right hand over his chin. - What do you think, and if Madame Minister is bribed with something, there is a chance to change the laws? Suppose creating a loophole through which magicians can secretly enchant things for ordinary people who know about wizards?

Prince Charles thought for a moment, then gave the boy an answer:

"I think this is possible, Richie. The price of the issue! It all depends on whether you can interest the right people. But why do you need this, godson?

- Money! Uncle Charlie, you can make a lot of money from this. Moreover, it will be possible to save even more funds. I just can't imagine how you can not use such a resource as magicians.

"I'm afraid it won't work," the prince shook his head. - Richie, many people would like to use wizards for their own purposes, but mages do not want this.

"They just aren't motivated enough," Richard said with firm conviction.

"Richie, forget about it," the prince decided to end the conversation.

"Okay," the boy said, deciding to change the subject. - Dad, why exactly such a decision with the land?

- Good question, son. From scraps of information, I understood the following. First, there are few wizards. Secondly, they have their own currency. It's like a casino with chips. That is, the goal of a casino is for a person to come to them with their money, buy chips and leave them all at the casino. If he takes the chips with him, then they will become useless.

"Curious," said Prince Charles. - So, Gee, do you imagine a society of wizards in the form of a huge casino?

"Something like that," Gerald agreed. - You yourself heard the words of Madame Minister - they need farmers. This means that wizards use goods of their own production. Considering that she asked for a small area for farms, we can conclude that the consumption of the magicians is small, as is their number.

- Gee, and if we assume that with the help of magic wizards take off four record harvests a year? Charles asked.

"Not even that much," Gerald said. - The point is different - the tokens of wizards, that is, their internal currency, ply within a magical society. This means that the supply of magic currency is relatively small. Most likely, there is the possibility of exchanging pounds for their chips, so that magicians living among ordinary people can receive their candy wrappers and become participants in the magic market. But in this case, there should be a restriction on the exchange.

- Why the restriction? The prince asked curiously. - I understand that magicians still need pounds.

"A defense mechanism that is inevitable in a society with such stratification," Gerald explained. - Let's say you and I are purebred wizards. Our ancestors made some kind of chip fortune that we are proud of. And then some upstart Muggle-born comes along, who takes out a bundle of pounds "for pocket money", which, when exchanged for chips, become larger than our total capital.

Charles chuckled and said knowingly:

- Ha! Yeah ... Richie with the fortune of the Grosvenors will buy out the whole world of British wizards at the root and arrange a collapse in the exchange rate for them.

"That's what we're talking about," Gerald said to his friend. "So it's best for Richie to start hoarding chips now. Hundreds of tenant farmers are a pretty good help by any measure. A son among magicians will have the opportunity to be free of money. And given the small society in which rumors should spread quickly, Richie will gain some notoriety. I understand that the school has several faculties, one of which is called Hufflepuff. Since our tenants will be graduates of this faculty, then you, Richie, should try to enroll in it. There you will have authority, or at least its rudiments, which will make it easier to adapt to the society of wizards.

- Dad, I understand you perfectly and completely agree.

***

Richard was looking forward to Saturday. But earlier it was Wednesday.

On that day, the head of the Department of Magic Economy of the Ministry of Magic had already managed to appear to Gerald Grosvenor, only at that moment Richard was busy with tutoring in the third grade of high school.

A representative of the wizards' governing body was contracted to lease a plot of land by the Ministry of Magic for a period of ninety years with the right to sublease. After this period, tenants will pay money directly to the owner, that is, the Grosvenors. Until then, the Ministry of Magic is contractually obliged to pay Richard Grosvenor or his heir ten Galleons a year per hectare, that is, a total of three thousand four hundred Galleons annually.

Gerald told Richard about all this after supper.

- Dad, what is Galleon? The boy asked.

- Galleon is the biggest feature of British magicians. It's kind of like gold. Magicians have two more types of coins. Sickle - kind of like silver, there are seventeen of them in one galleon. And knat is a small copper coin, there are twenty-nine in one shekle. In general, the classics of a small community - everything is done in order to be different from ordinary people. Even with the coins, the magicians were very perverted.

- Dad, why do you say "kind of like"?

"Because, Richie, one Galleon costs about five pounds. In fact, there is just enough gold in Galleon and silver in a Sickle to cost about the same, that is, very little. Otherwise, wizards would carry their currency in droves to pawnshops.

- Five pounds, huh? - Richard quickly calculated the amount of rent in his mind. - Seventeen thousand pounds a year ?! - he twisted his face as if he had eaten a lemon. - I spent so much on a week's stay in Tokyo.

"I had to make concessions," Gerald replied. "Think of this as a bribe for the loyalty of the wizarding government.

"Surely the Ministry of Magic will raise the sublease price two or three times," Richard muttered displeasedly.

"I don't doubt it, son. They are also likely to build their own farms at the lowest price and sell them to farmers on a mortgage or in long-term installments at a price several times higher than the cost price. I understand that the Ministry of Magic does not have very many ways to replenish the treasury: taxes on wizard shopkeepers, excise taxes, duties on magic goods, fines. And magicians need to be put somewhere after school. Someone will become a farmer, someone will go to work in a hospital for magicians, and the rest where? In order not to breed crime, most magicians are employed by the Ministry of Magic, and they all need to be paid a salary. That is, the whole essence of the magical society of Great Britain is work for the sake of work.

- Just like in the army - if only the soldier was busy with something, so that there was no free time for nonsense.

"That's right, Richie. By the way, wizards' salaries are small, and with all the efforts, the unemployment rate is quite high. The head of the Department of the Magical Economy receives only two hundred and fifty Galleons a month.

"Something quite modest for a department head," Richard said. - Against this background, my little over three thousand a year looks like a solid amount. This is even a little more than the salary of the ministerial boss. But still, this is not enough. Dad, did you find out from the wizard how much money can be transferred into "chips"?

- Of course, Richie. Currency exchange and storage is handled by the only magic bank in Great Britain, which belongs to ... - Gerald grunted significantly: - Goblins! They have a limit of one thousand pounds a month per wizard.

- Not much. With that kind of money, you can't really turn around ... So, goblins, huh?

- Goblins.

- Goblins ?!

- Goblins!

- Dad, this is stunned, how strange! Where did any goblins come from?

"Good question, Richie." A wry grin crept across Gerald's face. - I also asked them. Fortunately, the wizard was outgoing. He said that about six hundred years ago, short people from another world appeared in our world, in which a global catastrophe occurred. These were two races: goblins - aggressive savages who were good at blacksmithing; house elves are powerful magicians, but very trusting. The latter were enslaved by the wizards using cunning, and they fought with the goblins for a long time, until they came up with a niche for them in the form of creating a bank, which they still own and manage.

- Hmmm ... - the boy drawled with skepticism. - Aliens live among us, and we neither hear nor spirit about them. But how smart is it to give control over finances in the hands of aggressive aliens?

"Pretty good move, for me," said Grosvenor Sr.

Richard's face was contorted with a grimace that betrayed a ton of skepticism.

- I see, son, you do not believe in it. And I will prove to you that this is so.

- Try it, dad.

- Look, son. We have a small group of aliens and we need to solve a problem with them. The most obvious way is genocide. But, apparently, the wizards did not have enough strength for this. Goblins tried not to go to ordinary people, because they would definitely have enough strength to destroy strange freaks, especially since the church was strong at that time and it could arrange another crusade.

- Let's say.

Mr Grosvenor continued:

"The wizards, for obvious reasons, did not want to attract the attention of such a force as the church. Therefore, they made the decision to cope on their own. And then someone's brilliant head gave birth to the idea of ​​finding a niche for the goblins, leaving which it would be unprofitable for them. From this point of view, the creation of a goblin bank looks quite logical.

- I'm starting to understand, - all skepticism left Richard. "So it turns out that the goblins think they control the wizarding economy. Receiving high incomes, they themselves brought in control of their aggressive relatives. However, they cannot get out of the underground. Firstly, the wizards will not allow them, as this would lead to a violation of the secrecy statute. Secondly, they must understand perfectly well that only among the magicians are they influential financiers, and in the ordinary world they are no one to call them. Moreover, there are much more people now than in the Middle Ages. Weapons and methods of killing among ordinary people are much better developed. At the same time, people both were xenophobes and remained. That is, at best, the goblins will face the fate of guinea pigs in research laboratories, at worst - genocide. So they don't rock the boat. It follows that with a high probability the mages trust the goblin bank.

Gerald applauded.

- Bravo! Bravo, Richie! Excellent demonstration of analytical skills.

The week passed quickly. While studying and practicing fencing, Richie did not notice that it was Saturday.

Because of the extra wizardry, the boy had to revise his school curriculum and cut his rapier training from six times a week to five.

Portal transfer turned out to be quite convenient. Richard put the enchanted bracelet on his hand and said:

- Portus.

Immediately the boy felt a jerk, as if someone had pushed him. The scenery changed dramatically. Here he was standing in his bedroom, dressed in an elegant three-piece suit, and a moment later he was in a completely unfamiliar place.

In front of Richard was an old two-story house, decorated in the classicism style. A multitude of columns and arches on the first floor propped up an open terrace-balcony on the second floor with arched windows. The walls of the house are made of white stone. The house itself is not big, but it is difficult to call it small either: about twenty meters in length and about twelve in width.

Despite the cold season, there was not a snowflake around. The temperature was springtime, and it was hot for Richard in his coat, which he had thrown over himself, just in case. Instead of snowdrifts, the eyes of the guest saw smooth green lawns and bushes, trimmed in the form of dragons, manticores and other unseen animals. Surprisingly, the bushes were also green.

Richard climbed the marble steps and entered the arched vault. The further road was blocked by huge double doors, on which a hammer hung.

After hitting the bronze plate with a hammer, the doors swung open of their own accord. It was impossible to surprise Richie with such a trick, because in the world of his past residence, electronics controlled almost everything, including almost every house had doors with automatic opening and control of all household appliances using voice commands.

The inside of the house was not very magical. It felt like I was in a museum. Everything here breathed with antiquity. Candles were burning on the walls in massive bronze candlesticks, but there was no wax under them. It seemed as if they had recently been lit, because the candles did not have time to burn out even a little.

- Come here, my boy, - came the loud voice of the old woman from the depths of the house.

Following the voice, Richie found himself in the spacious living room. The furniture here was from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with openwork wood carvings, but it seemed like it had just left the workshop of an artisan. The upholstery is brand new, dark green, the lacquer shines like fresh and polished. Richard had something to compare with, because he has a lot of rare furniture in his estate, and it certainly did not look so good.

The old woman was sitting in an antique armchair with thin armrests near the fireplace, in which a fire was burning. She was wearing a dark burgundy dress in the fashion of the eighteenth century: a fluffy skirt, puffy short sleeves, closed to the neck and toe-length.

"Good morning, mentor," Richard bowed in greeting. - Charming dress, it suits you.

- Oh, flatterer!

The old woman's lips parted to the sides in a semblance of a smile, showing an even row of snow-white teeth. Richard immediately had the idea that wizards have no problems with teeth. Either they use high-quality dentures, or they have some secret that allows them to keep all their teeth intact at the age of over two hundred years. And, apparently, the latter is more true.

"Today the youth are not the same as before," the old woman said grumpily. - You can see a well-bred boy right away. Would you like some tea, Richard?

"Thank you, ma'am, but I'm just after breakfast.

- Well, good. Have a seat.

Richard took the indicated chair opposite the old woman. Madame Marchbanks asked:

- What do you know about magic?

- Nothing, ma'am.

- As I thought! - stated Madame Marchbanks. "Remember, boy, magic is omnipresent and you can do anything with it. If someone says that something cannot be done with the help of magic, then he is deeply mistaken or deliberately misleading and probably did not even try to look for other ways, because magic is also multifaceted. Do you know about Harry Potter?

Richard did not begin to tell the whole truth, he told the official point of view:

- Ma'am, I know that name. I am engaged in charitable assistance to orphans and among my charges there is a boy named Harry Potter. He also has a lightning scar on his forehead and poor eyesight, which forces him to wear glasses.

- Oh! Poor fellow! Said Madame Marchbanks without pretense. "I forgot that you, like a Muggleborn, don't know anything. This boy is exactly the same Harry Potter. Curious where you could see him?

- Harry lives with his guardians, it seems, with his mother's sister and her husband.

- Yes, yes, it is quite logical, - said the old woman. - And then the whole world wondered where Harry Potter had gone.

- So what are you doing this, ma'am?

- Hmm ... Oh, yes! Harry is known for surviving the Avada Kedavra death spell you scared Millie and me with so much. No one had been able to survive this spell before, but Harry had. This I mean, let everyone keep repeating and be sure that it is impossible to survive after Avada, but Harry remained alive, although he escaped with a scar. Poor boy! I think that his parents came up with a ritual with which they were able to protect the child. It is a pity that they did not have time to share their achievement with the rest of the wizards.

- In general, magic can do anything. So ma'am?

- Exactly, boy! Exactly! Trust a woman who has seen a lot. You probably want to learn powerful spells right away?

"I rely on your experience, mentor," Richard replied politely.

"I know you, boys," the old woman said gruffly, "you always want something like that ... To bang, to blaze. And you, tomboy, love flying on a broomstick instead of lessons!

- I can't agree, ma'am. I love to study.

Richard found it difficult to imagine the possibility of flying on a broomstick. Possessing a rich imagination, he almost physically felt the shaft of a broomstick digging into the bells. The bells shrank from such a bright picture. If they knew how to speak, they would have shouted in a thin voice: "Master, well, he doesn't care for such entertainment! We will still be useful to you. "

"Well, just like Albus," said Madame Marchbanks. - As I remember yesterday, as a member of the ministerial commission, I took exams from this tomboy. Oh, what an OWL enchantment he did! Just a sight for sore eyes. Instead of playing games, he also spent more and more time studying. As a result, he has now become the director of Hogwarts - a respected wizard. And if instead of studying he flew on a broomstick, he would have beaten off all his brains!

Maybe not just brains, Richie thought. "A clever man, this Albus, the bells must have thanked him."

Madame Marchbanks took her pointer from her belt, waved it, and a large box appeared on a nearby table. After another wave of the pointer, the lid of the box swung open.

"And yet, Richard, we're going to learn the enchantments today, but let's start with the simplest ones. To do this, you need to choose a magic wand.

Richie realized that the magic wand meant a wooden pointer. Approaching the table, he found several magic wands in the box.

- Touch them and choose the one that you like best, - the mentor pushed the boy to action.

Richard touched all the sticks, and one gave a faint warmth. It was her that he took in his right hand.

- Wonderful! - the old woman admired loudly. - My father's wand. He was a great charmer. Now wave it, desire to evoke the light, and say Lumos.

Richard followed instructions. The first time he failed, he continued to wave his magic wand. Only for the tenth time, a yellow glowing ball appeared on its tip. It didn't shine that strong, like an electric camping lantern with circular lighting on three powerful LEDs. It's quite good if you don't have a flashlight at hand, but in general, Richard did not find much use in this spell.

- Not bad, - stated the mentor. "But it could have been better. Your problem, Richard, is unbelief. You have not yet believed in the omnipotence of magic. And you need to believe and desire. After all, the clearer the wizard wants to achieve the result, the faster he will get it.

Richie kept his gaze on the ball of light. He shook his wand, trying to shake it off. But the ball seemed to stick to the tip of the stick and was not going to go out.

- Uh-uh, ma'am ... How to extinguish it?

"Just tell Knox and wish the lights go out.

- Knox!

The light actually went out. Richard was delighted to learn a new way to use his superpowers.

"Now," the old woman began, "repeat this spell a hundred times. Then rest a little and repeat again.

- And then I will need to rest again and repeat? Richard asked apprehensively.

- Amazing shrewdness, young man! You will repeat the spell until you can perform it non-verbally. I think we can do it in a month. Otherwise, it will turn out worthless if suddenly someone finds out that my student is such a mediocrity that he cannot perform the simplest non-verbal charms.

- And we, I suppose, will learn quite a few spells?

"My boy," Madame Marchbanks said with cold severity in her voice, making Richard shiver, "a wizard doesn't need to know many spells. But it is highly desirable to perfectly master a small everyday set.

- Daily set, ma'am? - Richard raised his eyebrows in question.

"Spells that will make the wizard's life easier," said Madame Marchbanks. - Light up the darkness, summon and repair things, lift weights, cut something, or, conversely, glue, unlock the locked or lock yourself out of strangers, and so on. I will teach you the basic charms that every pureblood wizard in my youth knew by heart before Hogwarts. It is now the magicians who have gone cold-hearted. Even purebloods do not teach spells to children. Like, they will be taught everything at school, why spoil childhood ?! Ugh! Sissy! My friend has been teaching herbology to her grandson since childhood. I think - he does the right thing!

The mentor frowned at the boy and added:

- What are we waiting for? Or have you already done the first hundred lumos?

"No, no, ma'am," Richard shook his head. - You just told so interesting. Lumos! Knox! Lumos ...