Harry did spend a few hours each week making sure that his first year friends were actually learning defense, and he was relieved to see Hermione relax a little and start to make some friends. Ron Weasley was still a pain in his backside every chance he got. Harry suspected that his own attitude only served to egg the other boy on. He and Dean Thomas had managed to organize pickup football matches in one of the larger courtyards on Saturdays two hours after lunch. Of course those games only happened on days when the weather wasn't horrible which now that winter had set in wasn't often.
Then came the morning that a large parcel carried by four owls arrived for Harry. Harry opened it wondering what Sirius has sent him. He opened it inside was a letter.
Hey kiddo,
Now that winter has set in, I imagine the pickup games are getting hard to do so here's my answer. ENJOY! Until we get Albus out we can't do the fitness center we talked about. I have lined up a goblin architect and one of the muggleborns' parents that is an architect to draw up plans for one. The construction workers will probably be a mixed team of house elves, goblins and wizards/witches.
Business wise MCP network here in the UK goes up next month and I have acquired contracting rights with all the cell phone companies so they should work anywhere an ordinary cell phone does. There is now a contract with the British Ministry of Magic with Potter Black Industries for us to supply cell phones, computers and training to the workers at the ministry. Isn't that great?
I've also lined up a network for the distribution of basilisk venom. I've decided that for liability purposes we should probably treat it the way we do controlled substances in the muggle world. Malcom and Mai Reynolds are heading it up stateside, and are helping with the controls worldwide. We should be ready to start distribution in three months give or take a couple weeks. Will Shreedevi be ready by then? I'll ship you more sheep next week. We've contracted with the Longbottom Nurseries for the dung. I've put it just under the price for dragon dung at least for the first year or two. If it's as imbued with magic as we expect we will probably be able to raise the price to match if not exceed in a year or two.
As for your idea for creating a cross-cultural database when we do a census, it is slowly catching on. It helps the muggle PM and the royals like the idea. Beth thinks it's a very sound idea to build trust and increase a safely monitored interaction between the worlds. Even Lucius and Lady Longbottom favor it. We figure it will also help us to keep tabs on the raft of candidates that we'll be seeing form up starting next month. The first elections are going to be held in May, and candidates have to announce by January.
The triplets keep asking how long 'til Harry comes back. They miss the weekends you used to spend playing with them something fierce. I miss seeing you too. I know we talk on the phone when things come up but it's not the same as seeing you in person I miss the hugs, and the way we bounce business ideas back and forth. I 'm trying to remember exactly how I started teaching you the business so I can do it with Jamie, but he doesn't have your attention span or your determination and work ethic and the girls aren't interested either. Oh well, maybe they'll be interested when they're older.
I'm very pleased with the reports of your progress from your tutors, and Rachel should start showing up next week. Jarrod and Miss Parker are both highly complimentary of your work with them. They've also complained to me about Dumbledore's attempts to either observe or stop their lessons with you. I think as a result Miss Parker is rather looking forward to the outcome of your prank. Be sure and get lots of pictures will you?
In the meantime enjoy the movies.
Love, Padfoot
Harry pushed the packing material away. When he saw the projector and DVD player he grinned. "Movie Nights here we come!" He thought. He looked up at the table where the teachers sat. He looked at his Head of House. He hoped to catch her eye. He would need a half day or more to get the projector and sound system up in place in the Great Hall. He really looked forward to introducing movies to the pureblood segment of the magical population.
Hopefully the creativity his fellow students would see, would inspire their own creativity, and revive the currently stagnating magical population. He checked to see what movies Sirius had sent. He laughed when he saw "Sword and the Stone" and "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" He knew both movies would garner mass amusement in the magical crowd. "The Star Wars Trilogy", "War Games", "Raiders of the Lost Ark", "Chariots of Fire", "The Right Stuff", "Ghandi", "Dirty Dancing", "Top Gun" Harry's eyebrows rose at the last two.
They were a touch racy in terms of sex, especially for first and second year students, but they would also raise awareness of what muggles were currently capable of and the more current muggle social viewpoint regarding sex. "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" while that one was a very funny movie Harry wasn't completely sure about showing it in a school full of teens.
Then again it might raise awareness of how magical or muggle, teens were teens. He noticed the intended screen was shrunken in the bottom of the box . It was the only part of the configuration that could be. The electronics- while able to use magic for a power source, and tolerant of magical surroundings- were too delicate to take shrinking or weightless charms hence the four owls to bring it.
"What do you got there, Harry?" Fred Weasley asked.