Chapter 74: 74. Boggart
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"That's easier said than done, Mr. Lestrange," Chris warned him. "The scale of what you want is unimaginable. How many people will we need? And to go against the interest of powerful nations will hurt us in the long run."
Happy rubbed his chin. "Hmm… I can manage as long as the pressure is coming from the United States or Britain. I know someone who can also persuade France to stay silent too, so that covers pretty much all interest groups. I'm not opposed to trade or resource extraction. I just want it to happen through the right channels, benefiting the masses—when that happens, our company gets more customers to sell to."
"So it's a long shot?"
"No, it's not." Happy said. "We'll see results if everything goes right. I know someone in Africa who can help me greatly, but that's only if they agree. Anyway, let's conclude this meeting for now. Did you get me the expensive wines?"
"I did. It's sitting outside in crates." Chris informed.
Happy swiftly rose from his seat, glancing at his watch. Hogwarts dinner was in half an hour, so he had to hurry. "Then, I'll speak with you on the phone later. I'll ask someone to go and investigate a few African countries and see how far we can push. You should just focus on earning money. Deal with those who can actually pay.
"Also, can you find me someone who can work for me in the field? Anyone with prior military experience, distinguished service, and also disgust with their past life. There ought to be a few from the Vietnam War."
That was a very strange and precise request. But Chris was used to it. "I will ask my assistants to look around, Mr. Lestrange. I should get going now, and have a meeting with the Indonesian President. If things go right, we might get our first five-year-long deal. They are an almost two hundred billion dollar economy, so I will try to squeeze out a few billion in the name of addressing food security due to their economic crises."
Happy looked at Chris sternly at that moment. "Chris, I hope you are not forgetting that we're not in this business as evil capitalists. I don't want to cause any nation harm by selling them too much at too high of a cost."
"Of course, I understand that."
"Great! I will see you later then." Happy bid him farewell and saw him leave the apartment. Then, Happy pushed the crates filled with wine bottles into the apartment and prepared to take them along.
"Koko, let's go."
Woosh!
With just a little jogging, he swiftly passed through the portal. It was a godsend, nothing less.
…
Happy returned and joined the others for dinner as usual. There wasn't much to do for him but eat, study, and train himself in magic. He also tried to take herbology seriously as well, so he slowly buttered up the Herbology professor to make her accept him as a special student. Happy honestly didn't care about herbs; he just wanted to see if edible plants could be enhanced.
Apart from that, regular classes continued, and business boomed as usual. The news of Sirius Black slowly faded away in the newspaper, and Happy's propaganda, spread through Rita Skeeter, continued to circulate. It was not always aimed at wizards, but often at the Ministry and their lack of transparency, as well as the inability to take timely decisions.
A few days passed, and Sunday arrived. Happy excitedly made his way to the seventh-floor room to receive training from Professor Snape.
"Lestrange." Snape stormed into the large room, his robes fluttering as he walked. "I don't have time to waste, so we shall begin immediately. Considering the threat of Sirius Black looming over this school, the Headmaster has advised me to teach you better defense."
Happy excitedly nodded. 'Is this what I think this is?'
"What I am about to teach you is a very dangerous spell that can take someone's life. So I advise you to think a dozen times before ever using it," Snape added and took out his wand. "You'll be practicing on this."
Woosh!
Thud!
As Snape flickered his wand, the body of a large-skinned pig appeared. "The effectiveness of your magic will be determined by how deep the wounds you inflict on it."
"What's the spell, Professor?" Happy inquired.
"Sectumsempra."
'YES! That's what I'm talking about! Does this mean he now officially sees me as his inheritor? I like where this is going.'
"Sectumsempra? I haven't read about it," Happy acted ignorant. "Who made it?"
"I did," Snape replied, a hint of pride in his words. "Now, follow my wand movements, for this spell, if misfired, can hurt your allies. The effect of Sectumsempra is akin to an invisible sword and is used to slash your enemy from a distance, resulting in deep wounds. The slashes follow your wand movements, so exercise caution."
Snape then began to demonstrate to Happy the initial wand movement and the incantation. "Focus on the target and prepare your wand before you. Repeat after me and throw a downward slash toward it."
Happy excitedly followed the man, "Understood, Professor."
"SEC-tum-SEM-pra!" Snape's voice followed.
Happy followed flawlessly. "SECTUMSEMPRA!"
Woosh!
Without a second thought, Happy made a downward slash towards the skinned pig suspended from the ceiling in the distance. All he thought of was to at least leave a deep wound on it.
THUD!
Happy's eyes widened. "I-IT…Split apart!"
Even Snape was speechless. No one learns spells that quickly, especially not ones as dangerous and complex as the one he made. However, he remained serious as ever.
"Good work, Lestrange. That's it for today. Refrain from attempting this curse anywhere else unless it's a life or death situation." Snape ordered him sternly.
"Of course, Professor. I never break rules." Happy smiled and chirped. Of course, he breaks the rules. He just never gets caught due to his sweet, sweet luck.
Snape didn't waste a moment and darted out of the room. He walked silently into the seventh-floor corridor and went to a secluded area. He stopped there and gazed out of the arched windows.
"Genius!" he murmured abruptly. "How does one master magic in one try?"
Woosh!
"Hmm?" Snape's gaze turned toward a strange noise he noticed in the distance below, near Hagrid's hut. "Lestrange?"
His heart shook a little after confirming the identity. "H-He learned Apparition and Disapparition?... This is beyond genius!"
The doubts of whether to pin his hope on a young boy was right, began to disappear. The line between what could be considered a young, naive boy and a competent wizard began to blur more than ever before.
Snape had found a treasure when he wasn't even searching for gold.
…
Happy remained oblivious to what had happened. He just enjoyed his time. He visited Buckbeak after training with Snape, so he could fly on the creature's back. With Koko along, they were a fine trio just messing around and having fun.
Dropping water balloons on students in the school courtyard was quite entertaining, but he never went so far that it became bullying, as each balloon also had chocolate candies in it.
The day progressed, and finally, the DADA class he had eagerly waited for arrived. He desperately wanted to know what his Boggart was, and, if it was something horrible, tackle it.
Thud!
Bam!
The Boggart blasted around inside the cabinet with the mirror. The class stood together in the classroom, terrified and confused, while Happy alone was smiling.
"...shape of whatever a person fears the most. That's what makes them so–"
"Terrifying, yes, yes…" Remus Lupin interrupted Hermione and continued on with the lecture. "Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a Boggart. Let's practice it now…"
After that, they all tried to say the spell correctly and neatly, without wielding their wands. After that, the Professor explained a few more things about Boggart and began with the practical experiments.
"Happy, why don't you join us?" Lupin suddenly voiced—a little mischievousness in his voice and a devious smile on his face.
"YES! I will." Happy, ruining all hopes and expectations of the Professor, jumped forward with his wand out as if he was ready to kill something. "Let it out, Professor—Let's see what I'm scared of."
"..."
At that point, not only Lupin but even his classmates were amused. But they didn't dare take Happy lightly as his track record showed he was a competent wizard.
"Wand at the ready." Lupin stood beside Happy. "One… Two—"
"Just open it." Happy barked. "I'm too excited to wait."
Lupin smiled. "You're the first I've ever seen so keen to face his horrors. Alright then, here you go!"
Lupin flicked his wand, and the cabinet opened up slowly.
Bam!
The door was pushed open with a slam, and something came out flying, aimed right at Happy's head.
"Holy Shiii…"
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