Harry Potter : Bloodraven

The sun had just slipped below the horizon, leaving the sky painted with the soft glow of fading light. Wisps of golden clouds stretched lazily overhead, while below, New York City stirred to life. Streetlights flickered on, the windows of towering buildings shimmered like distant stars, and the steady hum of traffic filled the air as the city embraced the arrival of night.

Just then, a sleek black Mercedes rolled to a gentle stop in front of a towering building overlooking Central Park. Outside, the city buzzed with the familiar hum of traffic and distant sirens, but inside the car, all was quiet except for the soft, soothing melody playing in the background.

"Thank you," said the young man in the back seat to the driver before opening the door with a click and stepping out.

He was dressed in a sharp black suit—elegant and business-like—blending seamlessly into the world of high finance that defined this bustling part of the city.

His gaze turned to the entrance, where a middle-aged, Middle Eastern-looking man stood waiting. Well-groomed, dressed in a tailored suit, and he looked every bit the high-ranking executive. As the young man approached, the man extended his hand for a handshake.

"How's the teaching life treating you, Maverick?" the middle-aged man asked, shaking Maverick's hand with a firm grip.

Maverick smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "It's good... noisy, but good."

Without wasting time, the two strode inside and made their way to the elevator. As they waited for the doors to slide open, Maverick glanced sideways at the man beside him, who looked completely different now—composed, confident—nothing like the desperate, opportuneless man he met in the Middle East two years ago. It was a remarkable transformation, and Maverick found himself pleased with the change.

His eyes flicked to the panel above the elevator, watching the numbers count down—10, 9, 8—and just before the doors slid open, he asked, "Ali, how's the other task I asked for coming along?"

Ding!

"The Stark couple?" Ali asked, raising an eyebrow as they stepped inside.

Maverick gave a slight nod.

Once inside, they turned to face the door.

"I did…" Ali said after a moment. "Want me to start sending you their daily schedule now?" he asked, pressing the button for their floor.

"Not yet," Maverick replied, his gaze sharpening as he watched the doors close from both sides. "Just keep an eye on them... But if they're ever driving alone to Washington, I need to know."

Ali gave Maverick a pointed look but remained silent. He had learned by now that Maverick's moves never made sense at first—until they did. But he trusted his boss completely, knowing when to ask and when to keep quiet.

The elevator hummed as it began its smooth ascent, the number 27 glowing softly on the panel. It wasn't as fast as the high-speed lifts of the modern world, so Maverick, sensing the stillness of the moment, decided to bring up another topic.

"Did Aisha make it?"

"No, she's still in Australia," Ali replied, adjusting his cufflinks with a quick, practiced motion. "The Magic Vision launch is in a week, so she's making sure everything's in place since it's the first branch on that continent."

Maverick nodded approvingly. "Good..." After a brief pause, he asked again, "Is everyone else here?"

"Yes," Ali confirmed with a nod, then chuckled at the end. "That fellow Harvey also came…" He glanced at Maverick. "Why did you ask him to come?"

Maverick smirked, glancing briefly at Ali before turning his attention back to the doors. "I want to see if he has any second thoughts. He'll be an important figure for the future if all goes as planned."

Ali raised an eyebrow. Once again, his boss seemed to be only half-explaining things. He sighed, and just then, the elevator bell chimed signaling they had reached their floor.

The doors slid open, revealing a spacious, modern office. This place served only two purposes for now, until he could buy land of his own. For the time being, it was where he gathered his managers from various branches across countries for meetings, and where the Muggle investment projects—still in their early stages—were handled.

As a result, the office wasn't crowded. Only about a dozen or so employees were present, all of them Muggle.

Without a word, they moved forward, passing the desks. The staff's curious gazes followed them briefly because they only recognized Ali as the big boss, and had not seen or even heard of his name.

They soon reached the briefing room, where a long, sleek table dominated the center. On one side of the room, the wide windows offered a breathtaking view of lush Central Park, now bathed in orange hues, stretching out just beyond the glass.

Seated around the large table were five men, ranging from middle-aged to those in their early thirties. As Maverick and Ali entered, they all stood up, showing respect. Each one of them had been handpicked by Maverick, and each had a story—so they all knew exactly who the big boss was.

Maverick made his way to the center seat, while Ali took the first empty chair to the right.

"Take a seat, gentlemen," Maverick said in a flat, professional tone, different from the more familiar one he used with Ali, who was both a friend and subordinate.

After everyone settled, Maverick's eyes briefly flicked to Ali before he turned his attention to the others.

"Brief me on everything. How ready are we for the Magic Vision launch?" Maverick said, keeping his voice steady and professional as he addressed the room.

The first to speak was of course, Ali, the general manager of Maverick's all businesses. He pulled out a few notes from his pocket, glanced around at the group, and then began speaking.

"The preparations are well underway. We've secured the venue in America with the green light from MACUSA. The setup for the live demonstration is complete, and the team's been rehearsing for the past few days. All the alchemical technology to be used has been tested multiple times. We've also finalized the marketing campaign, with ads going out next week to the wizarding newspapers, as well as to magical ministries all around the world,"

Maverick listened intently, glancing around the room to gauge the reactions of the branch managers as Ali continued.

"Everything is on track," Ali said. "The staff for the launch is ready. We've lined up a solid team to handle the live demonstration, and we've ensured that all technical aspects are covered. The VIP guest list is also set, and we've arranged press coverage from news outlets all around the world." he finished, looking satisfied with the report.

Maverick gave a small nod. "Good. Now, let's hear from the branch managers. How ready are we to begin sales?" he asked, turning his gaze to the man on his left.

The first manager, a man in his forties, leaned forward and spoke. "We're ready, sir. The stores have been stocked with the product, and our staff is fully trained to handle customer inquiries. We've already received interest from local businesses..."

Maverick nodded approvingly and looked to the next manager, who was in charge of overseeing production. "Any complications, Mr. Suresh? How many units can our team produce?"

The man, who also seemed to be in his forties and of Indian descent, replied, "No complications, sir. The production facilities are running smoothly at the secret locations, and we're able to supply around a hundred units of Magic Vision per day. For the other, less complicated alchemy products, we're able to meet demand easily. After the changes you requested are implemented next month, we should be able to produce ten times that amount in a day."

Maverick nodded approvingly and looked to the next manager, who echoed similar sentiments to the previous two before him.

After hearing from the rest, Maverick turned his attention to everyone collectively and added, "My teacher Edward will be attending, like before, but this time he won't be taking the stage. He'll be there to show his face, and some of Hogwarts' teachers will also be there as special guests. In addition to the launch, we'll also be announcing that Magic Vision will be used to broadcast the upcoming inter-school Quidditch tournament at Hogwarts. It'll be a big part of our marketing push."

The room buzzed with interest as Maverick outlined the next steps. He walked the team through the event schedule, going over it like a rehearsal, how each of them would take the stage to showcase specific features of the Magic Vision system.

This was something he recalled from his previous life, how modern keynotes ran in the 2020s. He had picked up on the strategy and shared it with the team, emphasizing how to highlight the product's key features and keep the energy high throughout the presentation.

The meeting went on for nearly two hours, with plenty of details covered and questions answered. As the discussions drew to a close, Maverick looked at two men who had been mostly silent during the meeting, only listening. He turned his focus to one of them.

"Harvey," Maverick asked steadily in a curious tone. "How's your daughter?"

Harvey, the man Maverick had recruited some time ago, looked up with admiration for Maverick clear in his eyes. "She's better, sir," he replied in a respectful tone. "Much better. The treatment you arranged… it's working. I can't thank you enough."

...

Harvey was a skilled political strategist, known for his silver tongue, and he had a promising future ahead in the political game, should he choose to pursue it. However, Harvey was always more comfortable behind the scenes and had no desire to run for any position himself.

His life took a devastating turn when his youngest daughter, only two years old, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer. The diagnosis was a blow to him and his wife, who had hoped for nothing but the best for their children. They tried every treatment available—every doctor, every specialist—but nothing seemed to work. Desperate, they sought experimental treatments, but time was running out. The doctors were out of options, and Harvey was starting to lose hope.

They ran out of options, and they ran out of money while trying to find an option. In a last-ditch effort, he had no choice but to work as a member of the campaign staff for a corrupt politician who cared little about the public good but knew how to manipulate the system. Harvey's abilities were of great use to this man, who didn't care much for ethics but did care for results. More importantly, the pay was good.

Maverick was attending a fundraiser with his mother while visiting her side of the family when he caught the attention of Harvey. Maverick had been in the crowd, listening to the thoughts of various political figures, picking up on their conversations and thoughts to see if there was anyone he could use for his future plans.

It was during this event that they met, and Harvey's life changed.

The meeting between Maverick and Harvey was no accident. Maverick had been observing the crowd, listening to the thoughts of various political figures, when he stumbled upon Harvey's troubled mind. After subtly reading his memories, Maverick quickly determined that Harvey was the perfect man for his plans. It may have seemed cruel or selfish, but in Maverick's eyes, this was a win-win situation for both of them. He saw an opportunity to help someone in need, while also gaining a valuable asset in the process.

Without hesitation, Maverick revealed himself as a wizard. If there were any unexpected thoughts from Harvey, Maverick could always use Lockhart's favorite spell to silence them, but fortunately, it didn't come to that.

Maverick told him that, with his unique magic, he could cure his daughter. However, the price was that Harvey would have to work for Maverick indefinitely.

Harvey didn't hesitate. In that moment, with his daughter's life hanging in the balance, he agreed without a second thought. He was willing to sacrifice anything to save her, and Maverick's offer seemed like the last lifeline.

...

Maverick gave a small, satisfied nod. "I'm glad to hear it. Now, how ready are you for the upcoming congressional election?" Maverick asked, leaning forward slightly tugging a smile.

Harvey's expression changed to one of confidence. "All is good. The campaign is going well. I've been gathering support, and we're on track. My family's backing me as well all the way."

Maverick's eyes held Harvey's for a moment, while secretly listening to his every thought. Then, seeing there was nothing to worry about, he turned his attention to the next man.

"Jackson, how are the investments I asked you to handle?"

Jackson, a sharp muggle marketing genius straightened his posture before speaking. "Everything is going well, sir. I've managed to buy shares in the companies you recommended..."

Maverick's gaze remained steady as he continued. "What other companies have you invested in?"

Jackson's expression remained neutral, but his mind worked quickly. "I've diversified the investments, as instructed. A few in the tech sector, a couple in the renewable energy market..." He then pushed a file across the smooth table. "The names and details of my personally selected investments are listed here... apart from the few you've asked to secure no matter what."

Maverick took the file, opened it, and gave it a brief look. Interesting, he thought, seeing some familiar names as well as a few he hadn't heard of before.

It only took a moment for him to skim through the list before turning his attention back to Jackson.

"Good work. Keep it that way," Maverick said with a small smile.

With that, Maverick turned his attention to the room as a whole. "That's all for today. Everyone will see each other next week at the Magic Vision launch..."

The men all nodded and began to rise, murmuring their thanks as they filed out. Maverick gave Ali, who stayed until the end, a short nod before saying, "See you next week."

With a final glance at the now-empty room, Maverick walked toward the window to take a last look at the darkened view of the park. After a moment, he Apparated back to London with a soft pop.

The Next Morning.

The sun filtered gently through the curtains of Maverick's room connected to his office at Hogwarts, casting a warm glow over the modern, sleek interior.

The early light brought a sense of quiet anticipation. Everything was proceeding smoothly, just as planned. Maverick turned, brushing aside thoughts of the future as he gathered his focus, preparing for the plans awaiting him at Hogwarts.

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Author's Note:

Just a quick update — up to Chapter 124 is already available on P AT r30n!

PAT r30n [.] com / RyanFic