White Island really is beautiful, with picturesque scenery and a pleasant climate, indeed a rare vacation destination.
Sirius had already spoken on the phone with Mr. Granger, who excitedly expressed the desire to spend at least a summer enjoying White Island.
"Mr. Granger wants to spend a summer holiday; what do you think?" Sirius asked Harry.
"I'm fine with anything," Harry said indifferently, "after all, the Dueling House is just a few people, we can practice anywhere."
Sirius agreed to Mr. Granger's suggestion. He communicated again with Mr. Weasley and Lucius, and after getting definite responses, they finalized the holiday plans.
It's obvious, Lucius now is as steady as an old dog, not flustered at all.
Malfoy Manor is now protected by the Sword of Loyalty Spell, with Harry as the secret keeper under oath.
This is where Lucius's intelligence shines, indeed much smarter than James.
Choosing Harry as the secret keeper is almost the most correct decision, even better than choosing Dumbledore.
After all, you can't just capture Harry and interrogate him, right?
After staying at 12 Grimmauld Square for two days, on the morning of the third day, the mansion welcomed guests.
The Malfoy family still maintained that pure-blood noble demeanor, dressed meticulously, looking more like attending a high-end meeting than going on vacation.
The Weasley family was much more casual, dressed no differently than usual.
Beside Bill was a new woman, her silver hair smoothly floating with the draft, it was Fleur Delacour, the warrior from Beauxbatons.
Once a warrior, always a warrior.
Seeing them holding hands, Harry knew these two were already together.
It seems Bill is quite skilled in love affairs, Harry thought to himself, truly a guy in the style of Sirius, invincible in the art of seduction.
Mrs. Weasley seemed vaguely displeased, apparently not very fond of Fleur, but she said nothing out of respect for her eldest son.
The Granger family arrived last, needing Mr. Granger to drive them over.
When men gather, something is bound to happen.
Sirius winked and beckoned the men to the yard to show off his new car, and even indoors, they could occasionally hear exclamations from the yard.
Clearly, they all really liked it.
Especially Lucius, who knew before that Mr. Weasley had tinkered with Muggle cars, but he had seen Mr. Weasley's version—cheap and a bit shabby, which completely didn't match Lucius's aesthetic.
But the Bentley Sirius tinkered with perfectly matched Lucius's taste.
"How much does it cost to get one of these?" Lucius asked, stroking his chin.
"About ten thousand Galleons," Sirius said with a smile, then lowered his voice, "That's the official channel, but through unofficial means, it can be done for a few dozen Galleons."
Initially tempted by the ten thousand Galleons, Lucius grew even more restless upon hearing the price of a few dozen Galleons.
"Are you suggesting?" Lucius raised an eyebrow, "Using some magical means?"
That's code talk; the reserved Lucius couldn't mention topics like stealing, but spoke indirectly.
"Not to that extent," Sirius chuckled, "You should know, wizard potions, some items are sought-after in the Muggle world, like magic potions that can cure some terminal illnesses, which can't be bought in the Muggle world—"
"You're suggesting?" Lucius became more interested, thinking not of cars, but the Malfoy family's path to greatness.
"What more can I say?" Sirius shrugged, "Anyway, I think this path is promising, at least has a sound development prospect... Though, as you know, the current Magic World, especially in the British Magic World, are full of stubborn old men, always scheming without considering how to improve the magic world."
"I understand, you're referring to Fudge." Lucius nodded, "I've heard Old Batty Crouch has been removed as the head of the International Relations Cooperation Department, to be replaced by someone else—"
"It's me," Mr. Weasley cleared his throat and said, "And the position of head of the Department of Prohibition of Muggle Item Misuse is being prepared to hand over to Sirius."
Lucius leaned back tactically, with a respectful expression.
Merlin, how should I put it?
One must admit, the Ministry of Magic's eye for talent is truly sharp.
In the position of head of the Department of Prohibition of Muggle Item Misuse, they've never chosen wrong.
You look at Mr. Weasley, a definite compulsive abuser of Muggle items.
As for Sirius... Lucius couldn't assure how crazily this rebellious guy might abuse Muggle items.
"So, I've decided these matters need long-term planning." Sirius chuckled, glancing at Mr. Granger and the other peers, "The Muggle World is a treasure waiting to be opened, and I'm sure Miss Grindelwald's Great German Ministry of Magic won't content itself with hiding wizards, so... we should follow the times."
"You're suggesting letting Muggles know about wizards?" Lucius furrowed his brows.
"No, of course not." Sirius laughed, "We definitely don't want to be the pioneers in that, but we can prepare early to expand our business among Muggles. We can't remain indifferent to future changes, can we?"