0504 Return (Bonus-chapter)

Bryan deliberately hung back from the factory entrance, knowing that his presence - given his reputation and influence - might inadvertently steal focus from Remus's pivotal moment. The two men stood at a distance from the imposing main gate as they watched Remus guide the assembled workers into the gleaming white industrial building.

The scene before them stirred deep emotions in both men's hearts, they both felt rather sentimental.

"I never thought I'd see this day—" Sirius managed to get out, his words catching in his throat as he sniffled, the sound carrying both unrestrained joy and a deep, lingering sadness for all the years of struggle.

Running a trembling hand through his dark hair, Sirius continued, his voice gruff in memories, "You know, Bryan, among our group back then, Remus always drew the shortest straw. He couldn't find work, landlords turned him away, and there were nights when he could barely scrape together enough for a proper meal. Yet—" Sirius's voice grew heavy with frustration and perhaps admiration, "—he constantly refused any financial assistance from James, Lily, or me, no matter how desperate things became."

Bryan turned to look at Sirius, noting how the man was frantically wiping at his reddened eyes with the sleeve of his robes. He suddenly felt a wave of sympathy at the sight; beyond Remus's personal struggles, Sirius's entire generation had been through storms that would have crushed weaker spirits. The First Wizarding War, betrayal, loss, and years of aftermath had left deep scars on them all.

"James and Lily," Sirius whispered, his voice barely audible, "they would be so relieved, so proud to see Remus today."

"Life isn't meant to be a mad dash to the finish line, The key is learning to appreciate and adapt to the new scenery that appear along the way." Bryan said with a smile. Then, his expression turned thoughtful. "Speaking of new scenery, I couldn't help but notice that Tonks seems to have developed quite an interest in our friend Remus."

"Tonks?!" Sirius's red-rimmed eyes widened comically, his mouth falling open in shock. "That girl and Remus?!" The realization hit him like a Stunning Spell, and he slapped his forehead in theatrical frustration. "Well, that certainly explains why she's been pestering me with endless questions about our Hogwarts days! I thought she was just being nostalgic!"

A spark of pure excitement ignited in Sirius's storm-gray eyes as his mind raced ahead to possibilities. "Does this mean..." he practically bounced on his feet, "Could Remus actually have a chance at having children of his own?!"

"Perhaps—" Bryan responded with an amused chuckle, shaking his head at Sirius's enthusiasm. Then, his tone grew more serious as he turned the conversation. "What about you, Sirius? Have you given any thought to your own future plans?"

The question seemed to catch Sirius off-guard. While he had been practically glowing while discussing Remus's prospects, his expression now grew complicated. After a pause, he released a heavy sigh that carried years of regret and determination. "My future is simple—I just want to be there for Harry, to watch him grow into the man James and Lily would have been proud of."

"You know," Bryan said calmly, "in that way, you and Severus share a remarkable similarity."

Both men, he thought silently, were bound by chains of devotion to Harry's parents, willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of old promises and enduring love.

"Oh, that git," Sirius grumbled reflexively.

Their philosophical discussion of life paths ended there. While waiting for Remus to come out from his first meeting with the staff, they passed the time in casual conversation about lighter matters. Bryan took the opportunity to warn Sirius that his position at the Ministry might become more difficult following Remus's incident, but Sirius appeared remarkably unconcerned.

Bryan also understood why—beyond his own considerable connections, Sirius had his own network within the Ministry. Many of his former Hogwarts classmates now occupied influential positions within various departments. More importantly, despite his complicated history, Sirius's status as Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black still carried considerable weight in certain circles.

Even if Rufus Scrimgeour harbored intentions of moving against him, he would need to carefully consider the political consequences of targeting someone with such deep roots in the upper echelons.

A full hour passed before Remus finally emerged from the office building, surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd of workers. Their excited chatter carried across the grounds as Remus bid them farewell, his usually reserved demeanor replaced by barely contained excitement as he jogged toward his waiting friends.

The excitement radiating from his eyes reminded them both of a young wizard who had just received unprecedented "Outstanding" marks on all his O.W.L. examinations.

"I see you've become quite the popular figure?" Bryan commented with a raised eyebrow and a knowing smile.

"The workers were caught off guard by the workshop's transformation!" Remus exclaimed, practically vibrating with excitement. "I assured them we'd resume production operations soon, and I even felt confident enough to promise them all a ten percent pay increase!"

While most adult wizards possessed abundant magical energy, Remus's lycanthropy had forced him into extended periods of inactivity over the past decade. Now, with the responsibility of managing this workshop resting on his shoulders, he seemed to have found not just purpose but a source of confidence in his abilities.

He eagerly shared his vision with Bryan and Sirius, his rapid-fire delivery of plans and possibilities making the prematurely gray-streaked hair on his forehead seem incompatible with his youthful enthusiasm.

"Time is of the essence—" Remus said, already mentally mapping out his next steps. "This afternoon, I'm heading to Italy with Ragnok. My goal is to have all the component cooperation agreements signed and sealed within the month. Meanwhile, we'll be renovating the assembly workshop to accommodate the production lines for the new machinery!"

The complexity of the tasks ahead—production scheduling, operational logistics, sales strategies—would have seemed intimidating to most, but looking at Remus now it was clear he couldn't wait to immerse himself in every detail of the business.

"I'm afraid I need to return to Hogwarts as well—" Bryan interjected, addressing both Sirius and Remus. "The delegations from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons are scheduled to arrive tomorrow afternoon, and I need to go back early to prepare. According to the official schedule, the first task is set for November 24th. If you have time, you're both more than welcome to come and watch—"

"The Triwizard Tournament," Sirius interjected, his face showing concern rather than the excitement one might expect. His gaze fixed intently on Bryan as he continued, "Surely you and Dumbledore have taken precautions? This kind of high-profile event... if anyone harbors ill intentions toward Harry, they'll certainly try to use this as an opportunity to orchestrate some kind of 'accident'—"

A deep, abyss-like light flickered in Bryan's eyes. "Don't worry, Harry won't be in danger."

With Bryan's assurance, Sirius seemed less worried, but he still couldn't completely relax. Harry was too much like his father; often, it wasn't trouble finding him, but him finding trouble.

"Oh, before I forget—" Remus suddenly exclaimed, reaching into his robes to withdraw a money pouch. He extended it toward Bryan explaining, "This contains a thousand Galleons for Fred and George—"

His expression turned apologetic as he continued, " I've realized that managing this workshop will demand far more of my attention than I initially anticipated. I won't be able to fulfill my promise to help them establish their shop. However, I made them a promise regarding this investment, and I intend to keep at least that part. So, could you please help me pass it on? I'll write to Fred and George explaining the situation personally—"

"Those clever little troublemakers seem to be quite adept at securing funding lately—" Sirius said with a grin, momentarily setting aside his worries about Harry. "During the Quidditch World Cup final, Fred, George, and even Ron participated in Bagman's betting pool. They all managed to predict the outcome perfectly. By my estimation, they must have walked away with at least a thousand or two thousand Galleons from Bagman!"

"Bagman's betting pool?" Bryan's eyebrows shot up in surprise before he shook his head with a knowing smile. Some things never change, and Ludo Bagman's fondness for gambling was apparently one of them.

*Scenebreak*

"Oh, thank heavens you actually remembered to return to us?"

When Bryan appeared directly in Dumbledore's office via Fawkes to report on Remus's situation, he found Professor McGonagall already there. After recovering from her initial surprise at his sudden appearance, she immediately expressed her displeasure. "Why didn't you simply wait until after the Triwizard Tournament to grace us with your presence, Bryan? Then you'd have had absolutely nothing to do!"

"As long as my salary continues to arrive punctually, I have no complaints, ahem—" Bryan chuckled, but seeing Professor McGonagall's stern look, he quickly transformed his laughter into a discrete cough. "I mean, Headmaster Dumbledore is the one who makes these decisions, Professor—"

"We always value diverse perspectives, Bryan—" Dumbledore said with a gentle smile. He had obviously already known that Remus was fine and seemed satisfied with Bryan's handling of the situation.

"We were just discussing tomorrow evening's menu, given that our guests may not be accustomed to Hogwarts food, we need to consider some dietary adjustments." Professor McGonagall continued quickly, determined to keep the conversation on track. "Also, I'm wondering if we should convince the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students to stay in the castle. They're coming from so far away, and Hogwarts must show proper courtesy and etiquette. Oh, and there's the Goblet of Fire!"

"The Goblet of Fire?" Bryan's tone sharpened with interest, recognizing this as far more significant than menu planning and sleeping arrangements.

"Ministry officials delivered the Goblet of Fire to Hogwarts just yesterday—" Dumbledore explained, his bright blue eyes fixed meaningfully on Bryan. "In your absence, we temporarily placed it in Argus's office. However, I believe it would be more appropriate for you to take custody of it, Bryan. Argus has been quite worried about potential tampering and he hasn't slept a wink since he began vigilantly watching his office."

"Ah, I see—" Bryan replied with a noncommittal smile. "You can leave it to me, then. I'll ensure our mischievous young wizards don't find any opportunities to meddle with it."

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