Last of The Fae

Evaline stared at Thane, now convinced he was an out-of-touch megalomanic, 'How did Daphne let herself get involved with this madman?' 

"And what makes you so confident in your abilities?" Cedric asked, speaking up for the first time in the conversation, "Is it this store? Your bold claim of inventing a new branch of magic? Or do you see yourself as a martyr willing to die for the cause you believe in?" 

Cedric's voice was neither scathing nor doubtful but genuinely curious. While his muscular frame and stoic attitude may have suggested that he lacked a sharp mind, the opposite was true. First and foremost, Cedric was a scholar. His wife handled the social and political affairs of the House while he ran the family's businesses. In his free time, Cedric would read and study any topic that interested him. 

So when he read Thane's interview, Cedric was skeptical at first. Inventing a new branch of magic was the feat of several lifetimes and required more than just a brilliant mind or sufficient knowledge. A certain mindset was necessary to invent and create, a drive that possessed a person's every waking thought to the level of obsession. It was a slippery slope that often led many men and women to unspeakable acts in the name of progress. One of the reasons why the Ministry of Magic was so restrictive and harsh on certain practices or developments. 

However, Cedric couldn't help but agree and sympathize with Thane, especially understanding his background. He was forced to hide and stifle his magic around muggles only to encounter the same obstacle in the Wizarding Community. As Cedric asked his question, he stared into Thane's emerald eyes, demanding a justified answer. 

After a tense moment, Thane dipped his head and let a smile cross his lips, "Forgive me. I tend to be rather passionate when discussing the future. Let's backtrack for a moment," 

Thane reached into his robe and pulled out a folder. He offered it to Evaline, who, after a brief moment, took it and began to examine the papers inside. 

"Within that folder, you will find a copy of a banking contract I hold with Gringotts listing me as one of their most trusted customers, meaning I receive the best interest rates possible and have access to their accountants free of charge for my business." Thane explained as Cedric leaned over his wife's shoulder to scan the documents for himself, "Gringotts has also invested one hundred thousand galleons into my business in return for 0.5% of all future profits of Fae Apothecary. After that, there is a signed proposal with Gringotts Bank for a prototype withdrawal and deposit system using the same magic I employed in my store." 

"What is GADS?" Cedric asked, pointing at the page while Evaline's eyes slowly widened with each new revelation. 

"It stands for Global Arcane Delivery System," Thane replied, "Imagine goods, commerce, and even people being transported from one end of the world to another in the blink of an eye, for a fee, of course." 

Evaline looked up from the papers with eyes the size of dinner plates. "You would create a monopoly on the transportation industry. Owls, Brooms, Flying Carriages, and the Floo Network would all be rendered obsolete." 

Thane nodded. "Yes, that's why I need the ministry out of my way before I can implement my plans. If they maintain their current reach and influence, they won't be able to resist trying to stick their grubby fingers into my pie under the guise of public safety and regulation." 

Evaline paused for a second, "How long would this delivery system of yours take to implement." 

"On a global scale, it's hard to say," Thane replied, "The system relies on a supported network of dimensional storage spaces linked to each other using pylons in the physical world. They need to be in specific locations relative to one another, meaning the most challenging part is obtaining the required land to build the pylons. Fortunately, here in Britain, Gringotts has been buying land assets for centuries, and they have been more than supportive of my business ventures. It's only a matter of time before foreign magical communities get jealous of falling behind and try replicating what I've achieved." 

"Can they replicate your work?" Cedric asked only for Thane to grin broadly, "Even if you gave them a century and all the resources in the world, they wouldn't even come close." 

Evaline stared at Thane, finally realizing that his bold proclamations were not those of an arrogant, immature boy. "What if they play hardball and refuse to negotiate your expansion?" 

"Let them," Thane proclaimed confidently, "The longer they wait, the more leverage it gives me when they finally succumb after seeing their foreign competitors flourish." 

"While sound, your proposition is a dangerous one. Some might question where your loyalties are if you become involved on a geopolitical scale." Evaline advised cautiously. 

"My loyalties are only to me and mine," Thane replied coldly, the smile vanishing from his features, "What I have revealed to the two of you is only a small glimpse of my plans for the future. And only because I consider Daphne mine, and she considers me hers. We will marry with or without your approval, but for her happiness and peace of mind, I hope it is with." 

After a tense silence, Cedric coughed as he put an arm around his wife's waist, "Yes, well, you've given us much to think about and consider. But you must agree we can not come to a decision without speaking to our daughter first." 

Thane nodded, "Of course not. I know she was looking forward to it, but Daphne wanted both of you to meet me before discussing it." 

"Of course she did," Evaline muttered, though there was a slight smile across herlips, "Come along, Cedric, we have another business to attend to." 

"It was a pleasure meeting you both," Thane said with a smile, stopping the Greengrasses just as they turned to leave, "And whatever your impressions of me are...just know that I love your daughter and would do anything for her." 

---

Amelia Bones sat in her office, staring off into space. Her desk was unusually clean of paperwork, but she would rather be buried in a mountain of files and reports than have to deal with the headache she had woken up to, 'I knew that boy would cause trouble, but not on this scale.' 

Amelia sighed as she picked up the lone newspaper on her desk and watched the enchanted picture play over and over again, showing Thane's interview with Rita Skeeter and the subsequent demonstration of the magic used in his shop. 

Just then, Amelia heard and felt the set of heavy footsteps marching angrily toward her office, and she braced herself, knowing that the growing headache was about to get worse.

"How could you let this happen!" Cornelius Fudge demanded as he burst through Amelia's door, red in the face with wide, bloodshot eyes. 

"Good Morning, Minister," Amelia replied with a sigh as she rubbed her forehead. 

"Don't give me that dribble, Amelia. You, of all people, should be concerned; we have a crisis on our hands!" Fudge, the British Minister of Magic, insisted, waving his sausage finger in the air, "This is a direct attack against the Ministry, and I won't stand for it." 

"And what would you do?" Amelia asked tiredly, "Lord Fae had broken no laws or statutes. Even if his politics are far-fetched, they are not a crime." 

"That boy is no Lord," Fudge snapped, "What about this so-called new branch of magic he claims to have invented? Surely you can interfere with that!" 

Amelia sighed, "The law says as long as magic is employed for personal use and does not pose a risk to muggle or wizard life, it does not fall underneath the jurisdiction of the Magical Law Enforcement. From what I read in the article, Lord Thane is only using his 'new magic' as a gimmick to increase the appeal of his apothecary store." 

Fudge growled, causing his jowls to vibrate, "Well there has to be something we can do; if the Ministry doesn't respond, we'll seem inept and weak." 

Amelia sat back in her chair, "I am not against you, Minister, if Fae's law were to pass it would affect my department most significantly. But as it stands right now, the best course of action is to ignore Lord Fae. After a week or two, people will move on, and this will be a thing of the past."