Chapter 413 - Checking In (2/2)
Sanderson slowly nods and says, ”Aye, he is. But he's no danger to the children as he resides in Hogsmeade. He's been keeping an eye out for them as instructed too.”
Some of Reginald's anger slowly deflates as he takes the seat across form Sanderson. ”My granddaughter said that something frightened her. That something or someone was watching her from the forest.”
”Well, that could be any number of magical creatures,” Sanderson said. ”I'm certain that one just got too close to the edge of the forest.”
”You don't understand,” Reginald said. ”Even Dragons like her. Did you not hear what she did at the First Task?”
”I heard,” Sanderson warily admitted. ”But surely it was a mere coincidence.”
Reginald shakes his head and says, ”Magical creatures tend to like her. She and her brother often played in the woods when they were younger. And she'd be covered in Bowtrunkle's and they're the shyest creatures of them all!”
Sanderson slowly says, ”Than if it was a person and the Hogwarts wards did not keep them out, what or whom might you suggest?”
”Your man can he keep an eye on the woods?” Reginald asked.
”Not until the tournament,” Sanderson confessed. ”I'd have to get one of my own to fulfill a teaching post. But as of right now there is not a single available post.”
Reginald nodded his head in understanding. He'd have Malfoy change that. And not even the rest of Hogwarts Governing Board would be able to protest if there were enough purebloods requesting said changes especially if they gave some rather generous donations.
Satisfied that the situation can be dwelt with in the future at least, Reginald abruptly changed the subject. ”And what of my request on what I have asked of you?”
”We'd found his hide out and as you well know, Alphard Black took care of that,” Sanderson sighed. ”We have to start from scratch again. There's no telling when we'll find their next hideout again.”
”Yes, I know,” Reginald said. ”Anything else?”
”There is something, but I need to find the Rain Man,” Sanderson confessed. ”I'll be gone by the start of summer. I don't know how long, but Bertram will handle business in my stead.”
”And what exactly are you going to ask the Rain Man?”
”Something that I'm not sure what it means. But whatever it is, it's somehow all connected.”
”Very well, I won't further pry,” Rowan said as he rose to his feet. ”But remember Sanderson, if I find that it was one of your own. I will not be kind nor as generous as in the past. I have stayed my hand twice for you, but I will not a third time.”
”I understand, Prince,” Sanderson coldly said as his wolfish eyes glinted in anger.
”I wanted to make things clear, where we stand,” Reginald just as chillingly replied.
Turning away, Reginald made his way across the empty pub floor, before pausing. ”Bertram, I still recall what you did and I nor my sister have ever forgiven you. You would do well to never appear before her.”
”I know,” Bertram croaked. ”I've not stepped out of this pub unless an emergency rises.”
Reginald doesn't reply as he goes out the door leaving the pub in silence as the door clatters after him. The brawny wizard with a large forehead indignantly says, ”Boss, how can you stand that man talking down to ya like that?!”
”Because he's much more powerful than I am,” Sanderson admitted out loud. ”And the fact that he so easily tosses it in my face is that I owe him more than one life debt.”
Hyde grunts in frustration as the beady-eyed, Floyd says, ”I'd rather know what exactly Bertram did that earned him the ire of the Prince's.”
Bertram is silent, before solemnly saying, ”I was young and foolish and took a job that I never should have. In the end, an innocent died because of me.” Then Bertram turned away and began to clean making it clear that he wouldn't speak any more on the subject. Whatever it had been, it was bad enough that the Prince's would kill him for it. And why they hadn't before, it was solely because of Sanderson.