Paragraph 7 - 72 : Owl-Ware

During the remainder of her years at Hogwarts, that is, one full year and three months, Eleanor compiled what the four friends had done and learned in a book. This wasn't a linear story, for Eleanor was reminded of more and more details that pertained to different adventures. But when she graduated from Hogwarts, she felt she had gathered most of the important elements of her friendship with Ann, Judith, and Sigismond. Judith and Sigismond reviewed the manuscript. Then Eleanor brought it to the Professor in charge of Muggle Studies, instructing her to give the book to Telly. Several years later, Eleanor and Judith had started, with Sigismond's funding, their company, 'Magarthy & Parry', headquartered in Leicester Court, not far from the Leaky Cauldron. Sigismond had, on his part, chosen to become, like his mother, a chaser of magical objects, though with a very different mindset than Apollina Candler's. On this day, Eleanor was welcoming a fresh Hogwarts graduate, for whom it was his first day at the company. The former Ravenclaw witch was clad in jeans, but had a white blouse. Nobody at the company was wearing wizarding robes. Eleanor explained to the newcomer :

Since you are Half-Blood, I suppose that you know how to dress like a Muggle. If you have a doubt, don't hesitate in asking someone at the International Information Collecting Department. There are four departments : the Management, who handle the paperwork for the Muggle administration and the Ministry of Magic. Since the company is a resident in a Muggle building, we need two accounting divisions. No wizarding robes, no wand visible or out unless there is imminent peril, no Disapparition or Apparition, of course no travel by broomstick to Leicester Court, the chimney here is definitely not connected to the Floo network, and no creation of Portkeys to commute. We are close to the Leaky Cauldron, so, if you need something in our world, you walk up to the inn, enter Diagon Alley, and do whatever magical stuff you need. The second department is the one I mentioned earlier, its purpose is to collect hitherto unknown magical knowledge, mostly abroad. This one works with the third one, which is the Registering Department. The knowledge collectors bring novelties to this service, where we save them on a Muggle computer. The last department is the one which deals with clients : people send owls with their request for worldwide information, we receive these requests, we retrieve thanks to the computer almost instantly the results, we print them on special Muggle parchment, we send back by owl the search results with an invoice, and if everything is fine, a week later, one of our owls collects the fee. Now, there are schools and other major clients, who use the service a lot. They get discounts, and we collect the fees in person. For a start, you will learn everything you can from all four departments. Don't forget : even if you neglect one department on purpose, because you prefer another, it doesn't mean that you will become a member of the department you are aiming for. Everybody must know the basics of the four departments, and be able to help if somebody is missing. Got it ?

The new employee answered :

Err. I think so

Eleanor went on :

Your first assignment, it's learning how to use the computer. Registering Department. Your trainer there will be Lily. Off you go

The young wizard nodded, and left the room. Then Eleanor opened a drawer in her desk, and looked at the enchanted cauldron that Ann had given her as present for Christmas 1984. Without Ann, neither Eleanor nor Judith would have had the idea of the company. Judith, on her part, kept the bewitched box from Ann, which was her present for Christmas 1984, at home. Eleanor thought again about Ann : sure, she now knew that wearing three-pieces suits didn't warrantee one would become a dreadful person ready to fire workers. However, she cautiously preferred wearing jeans and blouses. Just in case.