Chapter 25: Are You Using NDAs Here?
Leaky Cauldron
Ronald Bilius Weasley
July 15, 1989, Saturday
After Ron and Bill arrived at the Leaky Cauldron and placed their orders, Tom took less than 10 minutes to prepare two portions of fish and chips and place them in front of them, along with their drinks.
Tongue Tying Lemon Squash for Ron and a Butterbeer for Bill.
After quickly eating their lunch and chatting briefly, Ron, as promised, pulled out 2 sickles and 18 knuts from his pocket and paid for their meal.
A portion of fish and chips with a drink cost only 1 sickle and 9 knuts, and as Bill mentioned, Ron found the prices quite reasonable. In Muggle currency, this was equivalent to 3.9 pounds, which in the 2020s would probably be around 12 pounds.
In a pub in a place like London in the 2020s, a portion of fish and chips with a drink would normally cost at least 17-18 pounds.
Ron and Bill left Leaky Cauldron around 3 p.m. and, led by Bill, made their way down Diagon Alley to a relatively secluded building where Edward Tonks' solicitor's office was located.
This building was a three-story shop, the first two floors apparently selling supplies such as parchment and ink. Solicitor's office of Edward Tonks was on the second floor of this building.
[Author's Note: In the UK's floor numbering system, the floor accessed from the street is called the ground floor (G), and the floor above it is the first floor. Therefore, the top floor of a three-story building is the second floor.
The reason why The Room of Requirement is set on the seventh floor of Hogwarts in the UK editions and the eighth floor in the US editions is due to this.]
Bill and Ron entered the building through a private entrance and climbed the stairs directly to the top floor. At the end of a wide hallway on the top floor was a single door.
Ron and Bill approached the door and, upon reaching it, noticed a sign that read "Edward Tonks – Solicitor - Independent Legal Advice."
After confirming they were in the right place, Bill knocked three times.
-Knock, knock, knock
Then they both heard someone approaching from inside, and a moment later the door opened. The person who opened the door was a relatively young man. He had probably graduated from Hogwarts less than five years ago.
"Welcome. How can I help you?" said the young man.
"Hello. If possible, we would like to receive legal advice from Mr. Tonks," Bill said.
"Sure, please come in," the young man said, inviting them into what appeared to be a spacious waiting area or seating area.
But further down the room, beside a door leading to another room, stood a desk.
After Bill and Ron entered, the young man closed the door behind them and then invited them to the guest chairs in front of the desk.
As Bill and Ron sat down, the young man went behind the desk and took his own seat.
"I am Solicitor Tonks' clerk. My name is Reginald Foster. I don't see any appointments for Mr. Tonks on my calendar right now, so I assume you don't have an appointment. May I have your names?" Reginald Foster said.
"My name is William Weasley, and the person next to me is my brother, Ronald Weasley. Nice to meet you, Mr. Foster," Bill said.
"Likewise, Mr. Weasley," Reginald Foster said, glancing at Bill's hair.
That was a typical reaction from someone meeting a Weasley for the first time. After all, the Weasleys were famous for two things: their poverty and their red hair.
"Did you have a specific time you'd like to speak with Mr. Tonks, and what kind of legal support do you need?" the clerk asked.
This time, before Bill could speak, Ron acted quickly and spoke. "If possible, we'd like to see Mr. Tonks immediately."
"Mr. Tonks is currently working on something, but I may ask if he's available to see you. However, I need to gather some information beforehand and relay it to Mr. Tonks first," the clerk said.
"Certainly. But first, may I ask if you are a Muggle-born, Mr. Foster?" Ron asked.
At this, Clerk Foster's eyebrows furrowed. He had encountered the condescending gazes of some pure-blood wizards many times before because he was a Muggle-born, but this was the first time someone had asked him such a question directly to his face.
Moreover, he wasn't the only Muggle-born. Mr. Tonks was also a Muggle-born, and if those present were going to express their contempt for Muggle-borns so openly, it would be better if they didn't let them see Mr. Tonks.
"...Yes, I am a Muggle-born wizard. Does that pose a problem... Mr. Ronald Weasley?" Clerk Foster asked in a somewhat cold tone.
Ron knew from the start that the clerk hadn't taken him seriously and thought his intended recipient was Bill. That's probably why he hadn't bothered to memorize his name after jotting it down.
Most likely, he saw Ron as a kid, a relative who had come to listen out of curiosity.
Bill, who had been listening from the sidelines, seemed a little worried about where the conversation was going. He knew Ron didn't mean anything bad, but the question was still rude.
For a moment, Bill considered intervening, but then changed his mind, giving Ron a chance to explain.
"Problem? Why would there be a problem? On the contrary, I'm glad you're a Muggle-born?"
"You're glad I'm a Muggle-born? …Why?" The tension on Clerk Foster's face had now given way to surprise. This conversation wasn't going as he had expected.
"Yes. Among the things I wanted to get advice from Mr. Tonks on were some matters related to the Muggle world. So, I thought it would be easier to explain if you were a Muggle-born," Ron said.
"...I see. Could you please elaborate on your request?" said Clerk Foster. The conversation was definitely not going as he had expected.
"Basically, we want to discuss business. We have some items that we produce and want to sell. The main category is crafting, and the subcategory is currently games and toys. We're new to this and want some advice before venturing into it," Ron said.
"Business? And what were those Muggle-related topics you mentioned?" asked Clerk Foster.
"Oh. I wanted to know if, in the wizarding world, there are companies with different types of liabilities, such as Sole Trader or Private Limited Company, as in the Muggle world. I also have some questions about patents, copyrights, and trademarks," Ron explained.
But Clerk Foster, who was taking notes during Ron's explanation, paused at a point and looked at Ron in bewilderment.
After Ron finished speaking, seeing Clerk Foster staring at him in astonishment, he couldn't help but ask, "Is there a problem?"
"...No," said Clerk Foster, regaining his composure. "But you're right. If I weren't a Muggle-born, what you just said would probably sound like goblin talk to me. And I understand what you want."
Then he finished his incomplete notes and turned back to Bill and Ron, saying, "One last thing. It is about our fees. Mr. Tonks charges ten sickles per hour for legal advice, and we offer a discount of one galleon for two hours. But services requested outside of advice may incur additional charges. Would you have any difficulty meeting these fees?"
"We don't have a problem with fees. Do you want payment upfront or later?" Ron asked.
"We take our fees after the advice session is finished, according to the duration and any other services we provide. If you have no further questions, I will forward the request for a meeting with Mr. Tonks."
"Actually, I have a question. Can you tell me if there is a relationship between Mr. Tonks and Andromeda Tonks?" Ron asked.
"...Do you know Mrs. Tonks? Andromeda Tonks, Mr. Tonks' wife," said the clerk Foster.
"I had the opportunity to meet Senior Healer Tonks at St. Mungo's before. Could you tell him that one of the people who came to see Mr. Tonks was Ron Weasley? Mrs. Tonks may have mentioned me to him," said Ron.
"I see. I will pass your name on. Please wait here while I speak with Mr. Tonks," said the clerk Foster.
Then, Clerk Foster rose from his chair, walked a little to the door beside the desk, stood in front of it, knocked, and waited until he heard Mr. Tonks' permission from inside.
After Mr. Tonks gave his permission, Clerk Foster opened the door, entered, and then closed it behind him.
And after Bill and Ron waited about five minutes, Clerk Foster opened the door again, came out, and said, "Mr. Tonks is available to see you."
Then Ron and Bill rose from their chairs and walked towards the room.
As they entered the room, Ron thought it looked exactly like a solicitor's office. Besides the large wooden desk in the middle of the room, there were bookshelves on the walls filled with many books, as well as shelves and cabinets containing files.
And behind the desk sat a man with fair hair, green eyes, and a somewhat large belly, watching them.
As Bill and Ron entered the office and approached the desk, Mr. Tonks rose and said, "Welcome. I am Edward Tonks."
"Hello, Mr. Tonks, I'm William Weasley. Nice to meet you. And this is..." Bill began, but before he could finish, Mr. Tonks interrupted him and completed his sentence.
"...Ronald Bilius Weasley. If I remember correctly, that's how you introduced yourself to Andromeda, wasn't it? I must confess, when Andromeda told me she'd met a talented young man who had experienced an early magical awakening and whom she believed would do great things in the future, I thought it would take at least ten years. Not a week."
"Haha. I suppose Senior Healer Tonks told you about me. Please tell Mrs. Tonks I thank her for her kind words. But I don't have ten years to waste if I want to live up to her expectations," Ron said.
"Hahaha. You really do know what to say and where to say it. A talent that many adults today don't even possess," said Mr. Tonks, looking at Ron, then turning his attention to the two of them and saying, "Please sit down."
At Mr. Tonks' invitation, Bill and Ron sat in the two armchairs in front of the desk, while Mr. Tonks seated himself again in his office chair.
Then, turning to the clerk Foster, he said, "Reginald, could you make me some tea, please?" Then, turning to Ron and Bill, he asked, "What would you like to drink?"
"Tea would be fine," Ron said, and Bill added, "Same here."
After clerk Foster nodded, he left the room, closing the door behind him.
Once the door closed, Mr. Tonks turned his attention back to the two of them and said, "So, what exactly was the topic you wanted to discuss? According to Reginald, it was about business, but this is the first time I've seen a wizard seeking information about Muggle business when considering starting a business. Neither pure-blood, half-blood, nor Muggle-blood has ever approached me with such a request before."
Instead of explaining their situation, Ron responded with a question. "May I assume from your words that you are familiar with the business laws and practices of both the wizarding world and the Muggle world, Mr. Tonks?"
"Oh. I actively assist many people in the wizarding world with their businesses, and I am extremely knowledgeable in this area. Regarding Muggle World business, although I don't actively take on any work there, I still actively follow the laws and regulations. Therefore, I believe I can answer your questions in both areas," said Mr. Tonks.
"That's enough for me to move things to the next stage. But the information I'm about to share is somewhat sensitive, and I want to make sure it doesn't get out of here. Do you make any kind of Non-Disclosure Agreement here? I don't know… Maybe something like a magical secrecy contract?"
"Huh?"
End of Chapter 25.
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Next Chapters' Name:
Ch.26: Signing a Magic Contract
Ch.27: You're Good at This
Ch.28: Signing a Magic Contract