Third Person POV
30 July 1990
The Hogwarts letters had been sent only a few days ago, and Diagon Alley had yet to experience the annual rush that came with the beginning of the school year.
Most families had not brought their children into London yet to purchase books, robes, potion ingredients, and the countless other necessities required for another year at Hogwarts. The shops were certainly open, but the usual crowds had not yet arrived, leaving the street considerably quieter than it would become over the coming weekend.
That quiet, however, did not extend to one particular section of the alley.
A crowd had gathered outside a newly established shop.
The name above the entrance remained concealed beneath an enchanted covering, deliberately preventing anyone outside from seeing what the establishment was called. Even without a name, however, the building itself was enough to attract attention.
Unlike almost every other shop along Diagon Alley, its exterior had embraced a distinctly modern design.
Large floor-to-ceiling windows stretched across the front of the building, allowing an extraordinary amount of light to spill onto the cobblestone pavement. The interior appeared brilliantly illuminated, almost like one of the Muggle showrooms that occasionally fascinated certain wizards who had an interest in the non-magical world.
Yet nobody could see what was actually inside.
The windows had been covered by a subtle magical enchantment that blurred everything beyond the glass, leaving only indistinct shapes and shifting lights visible to anyone standing outside.
That only made people more curious.
Every few minutes, another well-dressed witch or wizard would arrive at the entrance, present an invitation, and be escorted inside by one of the employees waiting near the door.
The guests were not ordinary customers.
Several were recognizable members of old magical families, while others were Ministry officials, prominent businessmen, and people whose names were familiar to anyone who paid attention to wizarding society.
The pattern quickly became obvious to the growing crowd.
Whatever was happening inside, it wasn't a normal shop opening.
"It must be some sort of private gathering."
"Then why open the shop today?"
"I heard the Salvius heir is behind it."
"Salvius?"
"Yes, the boy who returned last year."
"He's only twelve."
"Apparently that hasn't stopped him from creating something."
The whispers continued as more distinguished guests arrived.
Nobody seemed to know exactly what was happening inside, and the secrecy only encouraged speculation.
Then, from farther down the street, a family of eight appeared.
They were carrying several shopping bags, and unlike the other people gathered outside the mysterious shop, instead of watching they seemed far more interested in getting in front.
"Make way, make way."
"Excuse us."
The family carefully pushed their way through the crowd, attempting to avoid knocking into anyone while simultaneously trying to prevent their bags from being crushed.
The middle-aged woman leading the group glanced toward the shop with mild curiosity.
"It's a good thing we got our shopping done before the usual bustle begins," Molly Weasley remarked. "The alley will be impossible to walk through once everyone arrives for school shopping."
She looked toward the crowd.
"But why are there so many people outside Alastair's shop?"
A man who had just been pushed aside by the family turned around indignantly.
"Hey! What are you doing? Why are you pushing?"
He looked from Molly toward the rest of the family.
"Are you all here just to watch as well, or are you actually going inside?"
"Going inside, of course," Fred answered immediately.
The man's expression froze.
George grinned.
The attention of nearly everyone nearby shifted toward the Weasley family.
The difference between the Weasleys and many of the guests who had already entered the building was immediately apparent. Their clothes were clean and respectable, but they lacked the extravagant robes and expensive accessories worn by many of the old pureblood families who had arrived earlier.
Yet the family continued forward without hesitation.
The crowd gradually parted for them.
Several people exchanged surprised glances as Arthur, Molly, Charlie, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny approached the entrance.
Then, under the astonished gazes of those gathered outside, the entire family walked straight into the shop.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
The man who had complained about being pushed aside stared at the entrance.
"They're actually guests?"
Another wizard beside him muttered,
"Apparently."
The moment the Weasleys stepped through the entrance, the difference between the exterior and interior became even more apparent.
The ground floor of Arclight Beacon had been magically expanded, transforming what appeared from outside to be a relatively modest shop into a spacious showroom capable of accommodating a large gathering.
The ceiling stretched far above them, while elegant displays had been arranged throughout the enormous hall. Soft lighting illuminated the polished floors and display counters, creating an atmosphere more reminiscent of a high-end Muggle showroom than a traditional wizarding establishment.
Arthur's eyes immediately began wandering across the room.
His fascination with Muggle technology made it almost impossible for him not to examine every unfamiliar feature.
Before he could wander too far, however, one of the employees approached the family.
"Good afternoon, sir. May I see your invitation?"
Arthur reached into his robes and produced the envelope he had received from Alastair.
Fred and George immediately did the same proudly.
The employee carefully checked each invitation before giving a polite nod.
"Thank you, Mr. Weasley."
He turned toward another employee.
"Please escort Mr. and Mrs. Weasley inside."
The attendant immediately approached Arthur and Molly.
"Right this way."
Arthur nodded and followed, with Molly beside him.
The employee then turned toward the twins.
"Sir, the younger generation has gathered on the first floor. You can take those stairs."
Fred and George exchanged a glance before looking toward Ron and Ginny.
"Come on."
Ron immediately followed his brothers.
Ginny hurried after them.
Charlie and Percy, however, decided to remain downstairs with their parents.
The family separated, with the younger members heading toward the designated area while Arthur, Molly, Charlie, and Percy continued deeper into the main hall.
The twins had barely disappeared up the stairs when Percy glanced around the room.
There were considerably more people here than he had expected.
"Quite a gathering," he murmured.
Charlie smiled.
They hadn't gone far before Arthur recognized a familiar face.
"Amos."
The man turned and immediately smiled.
"Arthur."
The two men exchanged greetings before falling into conversation. Arthur appeared considerably more relaxed now that he had found someone familiar, and Molly soon wandered away when she spotted another person she knew.
"Excuse me."
She approached a woman standing among several other guests.
"Andromeda."
Andromeda Tonks turned around, and her expression immediately brightened.
"Molly."
The two women embraced warmly.
"I didn't know you'd be coming," Molly said.
"Blake's my niece you know," Andromeda replied with a smile.
Meanwhile, Percy had begun looking around the room.
There were many people here whom he had never met, and he quickly noticed that not everyone seemed to carry the same degree of arrogance as some of the more traditional pureblood families.
He approached a few of them and began introducing himself, carefully choosing people who appeared more approachable.
Charlie, meanwhile, spotted a familiar face.
"Tonks."
The young witch turned toward him.
"Charlie!"
Their conversation began almost immediately, leaving Percy to continue making his way through the room.
Around them, waiters moved between the guests carrying trays of appetizers and glasses of champagne and wine. The atmosphere gradually became more lively as more invitations were checked and more guests entered.
The event was clearly growing.
And the people outside were beginning to notice.
Not long afterward, another guest arrived.
Lucius Malfoy entered the building accompanied by his wife and son.
The arrival immediately attracted attention from several guests.
Lucius walked with his usual composed expression, his robes immaculate and his silver-blond hair neatly arranged. Narcissa followed beside him, while Draco remained close to his parents.
The moment they entered, an employee greeted them and checked their invitations.
"Welcome, Lord Malfoy."
Lucius handed over the envelope.
After confirming it, the employee turned toward Draco.
"The younger guests have gathered upstairs."
Draco glanced toward his father.
Lucius gave a slight nod.
"Go."
Draco obediently made his way toward the staircase.
Narcissa's gaze then wandered across the room.
She spotted someone familiar.
Her expression became noticeably colder.
"Andromeda."
The word carried no warmth.
Andromeda turned toward her sister.
"Narcissa."
Her reply was equally cold.
For several seconds, the two women simply looked at each other.
Neither offered a greeting.
Neither attempted to bridge the distance that had existed between them for years.
Eventually, Narcissa turned away and returned to her husband's side.
Andromeda did the same.
Their exchange had lasted only a few seconds, but several nearby guests had noticed.
Nobody commented.
Across the room, Cornelius Fudge had been speaking with the representative of another influential family when he noticed Lucius Malfoy's arrival.
He immediately excused himself.
"Please excuse me for a moment."
Without waiting for a response, he crossed the room.
"Lord Malfoy."
Lucius turned.
"Mr. Fudge."
The two men exchanged polite greetings before beginning a conversation.
Fudge maintained the appearance of casual friendliness, but internally he was considerably more attentive.
This event was already proving more valuable than he had expected.
The guest list was far beyond what one would normally expect from a newly established business, and more importantly, the people attending represented several different factions of wizarding society.
Fudge carefully observed the room as he spoke with Lucius.
If the young heirs had managed to bring all these people together, then Arclight Beacon might become considerably more important than a simple commercial venture.
Perhaps this was exactly the sort of opportunity he needed.
More guests continued arriving.
Eventually, the Hogwarts faculty began appearing.
One professor after another entered the shop, greeted by employees and directed toward the main hall.
Their arrival generated another wave of whispers outside.
Then came Dumbledore.
The moment the Headmaster entered, the atmosphere inside subtly changed.
By now, the room was already filled with influential witches and wizards, and his arrival added another layer of importance to the event.
Yet there was one thing that several guests had begun noticing.
Neither Alastair nor Blake had appeared to personally welcome any of the distinguished guests.
The hosts were nowhere to be seen.
At first, nobody thought much of it.
Then the whispers began.
"Isn't it rather arrogant?"
"Who invites Dumbledore and doesn't greet him personally?"
"Perhaps they believe their own names are enough."
"He's only a first-year student, isn't he?"
The murmurs gradually spread.
Some guests were amused.
Others were offended.
A few simply watched with curiosity, wondering what sort of entrance the hosts intended to make.
Dumbledore, however seemed entirely unconcerned by the delay.
After all, he knew Alastair well enough to suspect that if the boy had deliberately arranged such an event, there was probably a reason for every part of it.
The conversations grew louder.
The waiters continued circulating.
The younger generation gathered upstairs.
The older generation discussed business, politics, family, and the strange new shop that had somehow brought them together.
Then, without warning, the lights went out.
The entire hall plunged into darkness.
The conversations stopped.
For a brief moment, nobody moved.
A few guests instinctively reached for their wands.
Then a soft glow appeared at the far end of the hall.
A narrow beam of light illuminated a small section of the floor.
A moment later, several concealed lights came alive around it, forming a pathway toward a small stage that had not been visible before.
The stage began rising smoothly from the floor.
The murmurs died completely.
Everyone turned toward it.
As the platform reached its full height, two figures stood upon it.
A boy.
And a girl.
The boy stood calmly with his hands behind his back, while the girl remained beside him with an equally composed expression.
The emblem of Arclight Beacon appeared behind them, the intertwined A and B illuminated by a sweeping arc of light.
The boy stepped forward.
His gaze swept across the hall, taking in Ministry officials, noble families, Hogwarts professors, businessmen, friends, and potential customers alike.
Then he smiled.
"Welcome, everyone..."
His voice carried effortlessly throughout the hall.
"...to Arclight Beacon."