Molly Weasley's hand shot out and clamped onto Arthur's waist, twisting fiercely.
The joyful, ambitious expression on his face instantly contorted into a grimace of pain. The speed of the change was truly something to behold.
"Don't. You. Even. Think. About. It!" she threatened through gritted teeth. "You will not be doing dangerous things! Not on my watch!"
"But Molly," Aiden interjected gently, "if we let the goblins do as they please, won't that threaten us all in the end? Think about Ron and Ginny."
The mention of her children made Molly's resolve waver, her eyes welling with tears. "This is a matter for the entire wizarding world! Why should it be my husband and my children who have to bear this burden? Oh, those blasted goblins!"
"Molly," Arthur said, his voice soft as he pulled his wife into a tight embrace. "Remember what we promised each other when we married? When our 'destiny' calls, we will not hide from it."
The couple, who had weathered decades of turmoil together, stood silently for a moment, their love a tangible force in the room.
"Go on then, get out of here," Molly finally said, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand and giving them both a gentle shove. "It was my great misfortune to fall in love with a man who chases destiny."
The man and the boy, one large and one small, shared a knowing smile. With the blessing of their family, they stepped out of the shop and onto the path of rebellion.
Once outside, Aiden turned to Arthur with a curious look.
"Uncle, what was the Weasley family's role in the last Goblin War? The Prewetts could enter the goblin strongholds and fight them head-on. What did your family do?"
Arthur didn't answer directly. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Come. I'll show you."
He led Aiden back to the Ministry of Magic and into his cluttered office in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Department. Arthur began to rummage through the chaotic piles of junk, finally unearthing a worn leather suitcase from beneath a mountain of oddities.
"Remember that box with the Undetectable Extension Charm I asked you to help me with last year?" Arthur asked, a twinkle in his eye.
"I remember," Aiden said, tilting his head. "You said you needed a suitcase that could hold the entire Burrow."
"Come on, child," Arthur said, his voice filled with pride. "Let me show you the Weasley family's trump card."
He opened the suitcase and led Aiden inside. The space within was vast and cavernous. In the very center stood a magnificent, brand-new furnace, its metal gleaming with dormant power.
"A furnace?" Aiden asked, looking at Arthur in confusion.
"This, Aiden, is the secret to how House Weasley stood against the goblins," Arthur announced grandly. "This is the culmination of generations of Weasley alchemy. An automated, self-sustaining crucible."
Aiden drew a sharp breath. "You're telling me your ancestors created an automated device a thousand years ago with a smelting quality that could rival goblin-forged steel?"
"Of course," Arthur said, puffing out his chest. "Where do you think the mithril in our family vault came from? We certainly couldn't expect the goblins—a race that covets the very Sword of Gryffindor—to simply hand over their secrets, could we?"
"So, what's the plan?" Aiden asked.
"We bring back the old alliance, of course!" Arthur's ambition, long dormant, began to burn brightly. "The Weasleys will handle mass production, and the Prewetts will assist with sales and conquest. We will recreate the greatness of our ancestors!"
"This sounds absolutely wonderful." An unwelcome voice echoed through the space.
The two turned to see a man in a pristine white robe standing behind them as if he had been there all along.
"Tsk. You again," Aiden clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Now, now, my dear Dragon," the Director said in a playful, almost childish tone. "Can't we all be friends?"
"Aiden, who is this?" Arthur asked, looking warily at the newcomer.
"Oh, where are my manners? Director Weasley, a pleasure. I am the Director of the Department of Mysteries," the man said, extending a hand, which Arthur shook automatically. "As for my age and name… those are secrets I cannot tell." He gave Arthur a mischievous wink.
"Uh, hello, Director. It's an honor," Arthur replied with polite formality.
"Please, don't be so formal! The Department of Mysteries has already struck a deal with House Prewett. Since House Weasley is re-entering the fray, might my humble department participate as well?" The Director blinked, his expression one of pure innocence.
"Are you some kind of goblin yourself?" Aiden complained. "Why must you have a hand in everything?"
"Alas, what can I do?" the Director sighed dramatically, pulling out a handkerchief to dab at nonexistent tears. "When you eventually take over my position, you will understand the immense pressures of leading a department."
Arthur nodded with heartfelt understanding.
"Don't fall for it, Uncle," Aiden reminded him sharply. "We're not on the same side."
Arthur blinked, shaking off the Director's spell, and quickly stood beside Aiden with a look of shared solidarity.
"Fine, fine," the Director said, holding up his hands. "But your shops are already operating with our assistance. What difference does it make if this is a partnership between two families or three?"
"Alright, you're in," Aiden conceded, a plan already forming in his mind. "But when the time comes to act, we'll be borrowing your department's good name."
"That, I cannot allow," the Director replied smoothly. "However, I am here to offer you something in return for my inclusion. A secret channel for distribution."
"Oh?" Arthur's interest was piqued. "Do tell."
"We recently uncovered a certain network operating out of Knockturn Alley…" the Director began, but was cut off.
"Ahem! Ahem!" Aiden coughed loudly, shooting the Director a look that clearly said, 'Are you really trying to sell me my own network?'
The Director's eyes shone with the unmistakable light of a man who adores getting something for nothing. 'Yes,' his gaze replied.
Soon, the plan was finalized. Arthur and the Department of Mysteries began their covert operation, while Aiden remained in the Prewett shop, masterfully guiding the wizards of Diagon Alley against the goblins.
Over the next week, Arthur's crucible worked tirelessly, producing over a hundred thousand counterfeit Galleons, along with countless Sickles and Knuts. This flood of fake currency poured into the market through the shadowed channels of Knockturn Alley, quickly passing through the hands of unsuspecting wizards.
The crisis began on a sunny morning.
A young wizard, having just bought more candy than he could carry, was handed a silver Sickle in change. The coin slipped from his fingers and fell to the cobblestones. Instead of a metallic clink, there was a sharp crack. The Sickle shattered, revealing the worthless, compacted dirt within its thin silver plating.
That one, insignificant sound was the spark that lit the fuse. Wizards everywhere began to check their money, smashing coins on the ground only to see them crumble into dust. Panic erupted. With Gringotts being the sole issuer of currency, and with its doors still shut, a full-blown bank run began.
A furious mob stormed Gringotts, demanding their real gold. When the goblins refused to open, the wizards blew the massive bronze doors off their hinges. The Director of Gringotts rushed out to quell the riot, simultaneously sending urgent requests for aid to Gringotts branches across the globe.
But what he received was not support from his brethren, but their scornful ridicule.
The great run was on. The wizarding economy imploded overnight, the monetary system collapsing so completely that society regressed to a primitive state of bartering.
The turmoil in the British wizarding world finally forced the International Confederation of Wizards to act. To their horror, they discovered that the financial pillar of their world had been rotted from within.
On July 14th, an emergency session of the Confederation was held. For the first time in centuries, the global wizarding community was united. They put overwhelming pressure on the goblin nation. Faced with the threat of all-out war, the goblins had no choice but to compromise.
On July 16th, history was made. The first Wizarding Financial Anti-Monopoly Act was born. Witnessed by wizards from every nation, a new, unbreakable contract was forged, forever changing the balance of power between the two races.
[Chapter Complete]
***
Want more? Check out my Patreon for:
✓ Advanced chapters of all my stories
✓ Exclusive novels & fanfics
✓ Early access content [email protected]/meowthtl
💪 Community Goal: 500 Power Stones unlocks a bonus chapter!
Thanks for reading and supporting the story!