The following morning, Blake and I were seated in the living room of the Tonks household, having just finished the tea that Andromeda had prepared for us. The atmosphere was considerably more relaxed than it had been during our previous visit, and Blake seemed particularly comfortable now that the initial awkwardness of meeting her extended family had long since disappeared. Dora was still asleep upstairs, apparently having decided that the morning could wait for her, while Andromeda had gone to check on her.
Ted had excused himself a few minutes earlier to retrieve the contracts he had prepared, and before long we heard his footsteps returning from the direction of his study. He entered carrying a thick stack of parchment, which he placed carefully upon the table before taking his seat opposite us.
"I've prepared everything we discussed," he said. "There are several contracts here, so take your time going through them."
I nodded before picking up the first document.
Most of the contracts concerned employees who would be working in the potion shop. Those would eventually be forwarded to Uncle Snape, who would handle the hiring and management arrangements on that side of the business. I went through each document carefully, checking names, salaries, responsibilities, termination clauses, and the various conditions that had been agreed upon. Ted had done a thorough job, and I found no obvious errors in the paperwork.
The final document was the contract for the projector shop.
I read through it slowly, paying particular attention to the ownership structure and profit distribution. Once I was satisfied that everything had been written according to our agreement, I handed the contract to Blake.
"Take a look."
She accepted the parchment, but rather than reading through the entire document as I had, her eyes quickly moved toward the bottom of the final page. She stared at it for a moment before looking up with a confused expression.
"Why are there three spaces for signatures?"
Ted opened his mouth to answer, but I spoke before he could.
"That's because of a change I requested."
I pointed toward the relevant section.
"According to our original agreement, Blake and I divide the business equally, fifty-fifty. However, I asked Ted to include a clause stating that ten percent of my share of the profits from the projector and disc sales would be placed into two Gringotts vaults for Ron and Ginny. The money would be reserved as educational funds for them."
Blake's expression immediately changed.
"I can't agree to that."
I blinked.
"Wait, Blake."
I leaned forward slightly, genuinely confused by her reaction.
"I'm not giving them shares in the shop. I'm only giving them a portion of the profits generated from the projectors and discs, and even then, it would come entirely from my own share. You wouldn't lose anything."
"No, that's not what I mean."
She shook her head, and I could already see the misunderstanding being cleared from her expression.
"I'm saying that we should both contribute. Why should you be the only one taking ten percent out of your profits?"
I stared at her for a moment.
"We'll split it forty-five, forty-five, and ten."
She tapped the contract lightly.
"Five percent from each of us."
I leaned back, a mixture of relief and exasperation settling over me.
Of course.
I should have known.
Blake wasn't objecting to Ron and Ginny receiving the money. She was objecting to the idea that I would shoulder the entire contribution myself.
"Mrs. Weasley certainly won't accept anything more than that," Blake continued. "Even getting her to accept ten percent from both of us will probably require an argument."
She wasn't wrong.
The Weasleys might have struggled financially, but they had never behaved as though that gave them the right to take money from others. During my previous interactions with the family, I had already noticed how strongly they valued their independence. Charity would almost certainly offend their pride, particularly if it came without some way for them to return the favor.
"I know," I admitted. "That's why I'm planning to visit them after we're finished here."
I looked toward Blake.
"Why don't you come with me? Mrs. Weasley was asking about you during Christmas, and I'm sure she'd be happy to see you again."
Blake immediately shook her head.
"Don't even think about it."
I raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not going to get involved in your conversation with her. You'll have to convince her yourself."
She leaned back comfortably.
"Besides, you dragged us out here this early in the morning, and Dora is still sleeping. I want to spend some time with her and Aunt Andromeda."
I glanced toward the ceiling.
"She's just lazy."
Blake gave me an unimpressed look.
"Alastair."
"If we wait too long, it'll be noon before she gets downstairs."
I muttered the last part under my breath before turning toward Ted.
"Uncle Ted, can you make those changes?"
"Certainly."
Ted picked up the contract and examined the relevant section.
"It's not difficult. I'll alter the profit distribution and add the necessary wording regarding the educational funds."
He paused, then looked back at us.
"There is one other thing."
I waited.
"What is the name of the shop? I left that section blank because you hadn't given me one when we first discussed the contract."
Before I could answer, Blake spoke.
"Arclight Beacon."
Ted looked toward her.
"Arclight Beacon?"
She nodded.
"We want it to represent a beacon of light, innovation, and progress."
I smiled.
We had discussed the name several times during the previous weeks. The projector would be the first product, but neither of us wanted the company itself to be restricted by the invention that had brought it into existence. If everything went according to plan, the projector would eventually become only the beginning.
Arclight Beacon would be the name people remembered.
Ted considered the name for a moment before smiling.
"That's certainly grand."
He gathered the contracts together.
"I'll make the changes."
He turned toward the door leading to his study, and I immediately rose from my seat.
"I'll join you."
We walked through the hallway and entered Ted's study, where the familiar shelves of legal texts and carefully organized files surrounded his desk. He placed the contracts down before taking out a fresh sheet of parchment and beginning to make the necessary alterations.
While he worked, I waited for several moments before bringing up the other matter that had been on my mind.
"Have you looked into that other matter?"
Ted's quill slowed.
He didn't need me to explain what I meant.
His expression became more serious.
"Sirius Black."
I nodded.
Ted sighed and leaned back slightly.
"I looked into it, but I couldn't find much evidence supporting what you suggested."
I remained silent, allowing him to continue.
"It is true that no trial was held. The official explanation was that he pleaded guilty, and given how many other Death Eaters were still at large at the time, the Ministry considered the matter settled quickly so they could focus on finding the remaining suspects."
I shook my head.
The explanation still didn't sit right with me.
Too many things surrounding Sirius's conviction were inconsistent with what I remembered, and now that I had seen firsthand how differently people could behave when confronted with circumstances involving war, the official story seemed even less convincing than before.
"Can you get me a meeting with him at Azkaban?"
Ted stared at me for several seconds.
"That's highly unlikely."
"Why?"
"Unless someone within the Ministry speaks on your behalf, you won't be permitted to visit a prisoner like Sirius Black. Azkaban isn't a place you can simply request access to because you happen to know the person inside."
I nodded slowly.
"Ministry..."
The word lingered in my thoughts.
If I wanted to reach Sirius, I needed someone inside.
Someone with enough authority to open the door.
I leaned back slightly, my thoughts already moving ahead.
Ministry, huh?
A faint smile touched my lips.
I suppose it's time I finally introduced myself to him.
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