The chessboard clicked softly, shifting a white bishop into place. Maverick leaned back in his chair, letting the sunlight wash over him from the Diagon Alley skyline. It was mid-morning, clear skies overhead, and the breeze carried the distant hum of early shoppers. A cup of coffee stead on the table beside him, its surface trembling as he set his hand down.
Checkmate.
He watched the black king fall over by itself with a faint chanical hiss. A small smile tugged at his lips. This old enchanted chessboard wasn't his creation, nor particularly innovative—it had existed in the wizarding world for decades. Still, it had its charm.
His thoughts, however, were far from the board.
The first Horcrux was gone. Tom Riddle's diary—destroyed, cursed soul and all. And Dumbledore had already taken care of Marvolo Gaunt's ring years back, though at no small cost. That left five. Well—four, if you discounted Potter.
Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem was next.
From what he could recall of the original story, the diadem should be buried sowhere inside Hogwarts, hidden away in that ever-changing space called the Room of Requirent. He hadn't bothered to search for it before. In terms of benefits, it ant little to him. Power, knowledge, artifacts—he already had more than enough.
But this year, he planned to explore the place. Clear out the Horcrux. Inspect the space. Maybe even find sothing interesting.
As for the others…
Salazar's locket would have to wait. Sirius Black was due to escape that godforsaken prison next year—if the tiline stayed on course. And the man could be useful. Very useful.
Helga Hufflepuff's cup would need careful planning. Cumberso, but not impossible. A quieter approach—sothing smarter than busting into Gringotts like a madman.
And then there was the snake woman, Nagini, cursed by blood and fate. He had already set the search in motion. Sooner or later, she would be found. If there was a way to cure her, of course he would try. If not, well... he intended to leave Voldemort a rather explosive surprise inside her.
Finally, there was Potter himself. The most unpredictable piece on the board.
The plan remained the sa—for now. Let history play out. Let Harry face Voldemort and burn the shard out of his own soul, just like in the original story. Unless, of course, he found another way.
But that wouldn't be simple. Dumbledore—that old man—had spent over a decade searching for a solution and still had no safe thod. Regardless, Potter would be free of the parasite. Either through how things went in the story… or sothing else.
He took a long sip of his coffee.
A week had passed since his "friendly" visit to the Malfoy Manor. And today, it was ti for another visit. Purebloods, but a very different house.
The Weasleys.
He checked his watch.
It was Saturday.
He stood up from the comfortable chair and brushed a bit of dust off his dark coat. The eting with the redheads wasn't a random decision. If everything went well… they'd soon be part of the plan too.
---
With a soft pop, Maverick Apparated into the air, feeling the familiar weightlessness that ca with the travel. His feet hit the ground, and he found himself at the edge of a vast, sunlit adow. The wind rustled through the wildflowers as the faint sounds of birdsong mingled with the distant hum of a busy morning.
The Burrow lood ahead, an oddly charming, crooked house that seed to defy gravity in places, its crookedness making it seem as if it were built piece by piece with no real plan. Smoke rose from the chimney, blending with the afternoon sun as it cast a golden glow over the ho. The house sat like a warm, welcoming beacon amidst the open fields, surrounded by lush greenery and the distant hum of life in the countryside.
Maverick took a few steps forward, moving toward the front door, feeling the soft earth beneath his boots. He knocked firmly on the door, and it creaked open almost imdiately.
"Professor!" Percy Weasley greeted him with a formal but warm smile, stepping aside to allow him in. "Father's been expecting you."
"Good to see you, Percy," Maverick replied, offering a polite nod as he stepped inside.
The inside of the Burrow was just as warm and inviting as the outside, filled with mismatched furniture that sohow complented the hoy atmosphere. The walls were adorned with family portraits, so of which seed to move in ti with the conversations.
The scent of sothing delicious wafted through the air, a mix of herbs and spices. The wooden beams creaked overhead, and the floors were worn, showing the years of family activity within these walls.
As Maverick stepped further in, a voice called out from the back of the house. "Who is it, Percy?"
"It's Professor Caesar!" Percy called back, loud enough for his voice to carry through the house.
The sound of hurried footsteps reached Maverick's ears, and a mont later, Molly Weasley appeared from around a corner, wearing an apron and wiping her hands on it. Her face lit up as she saw him.
"Professor Caesar!" she exclaid warmly, her voice full of genuine kindness. "I'd love to give you a hug, dear, but I'm afraid I'm a bit dirty." She laughed lightly. "Welco to our humble ho."
Maverick chuckled, smiling. "I appreciate the offer, Mrs. Weasley, and I don't mind at all."
Before they could speak further, Maverick heard voices coming from the stairs.
"Professor!" The voices echoed through the house in unison, followed by the sounds of footsteps as Fred, George, and Ron Weasley appeared on the landing, their faces breaking into wide grins as they descended.
"Oh, and this is Ginny," Percy added, pointing to his younger sister as she joined the group.
"We've t," Maverick said, smiling and nodding at her.
The Weasley siblings gathered around Maverick, clearly excited to et him, and began bombarding him with questions right off the bat.
Fortunately, Molly quickly took control of the ruckus. "Don't just stand there surrounding him!" she said, eyeing her children. "Show the professor around. Show him so Weasley hospitality!"
Molly then winked at Maverick. "Arthur just went out to buy sothing, but he should be back soon. Oh, and I hope you like pumpkin. I'm making pumpkin pasties, pumpkin soup, and a pumpkin pie for dessert," she added cheerfully before returning to the kitchen.
Maverick smiled back. "Oh I love pumpkin, Mrs Weasley..." His mouth was already watering at the thought. He truly did, both in his previous life and in this one.
Not long after, Ron, Fred, and George eagerly took Maverick to show him around the house. Each room had its own charm, with mismatched furniture and the cozy chaos that only a large family like the Weasleys could create.
Soon enough, the entire family gathered around the kitchen table, and Arthur Weasley returned, his arms full of packages. He smiled warmly at Maverick as he set them down and took a seat at the table.
As the al was served, the room filled with the sound of laughter and conversation. Plates piled high with Molly's delicious creations were passed around, and Maverick found himself surrounded by the warmth of the Weasley family, their genuine hospitality making him feel more at ease than he'd expected.
"Dig in, dear!" Molly said, grinning at him as she passed the pumpkin pasties.
Maverick nodded, taking a bite. He had to admit, the food was everything Molly had promised.
Before long, the kitchen buzzed with the lively chatter of the Weasley children. Most of it was them peppering him with questions about Harry—his training, the places they had visited in Arica, and everything in between. Apparently, Harry hadn't kept anything a secret.
Well, Maverick thought with a wry smile, he hadn't exactly asked him to.
What amused him most was the way Ron looked—bright-eyed, eager, and just a little bit wistful. It wasn't the bitter kind of jealousy, just the simple wish of a boy wanting to be by his best friend's side on grand adventures.
Maverick had half-expected Harry to be here today, but Molly ntioned he'd gone back to the Dursleys two days ago, saying he had howork to finish. Maverick chuckled inwardly. He had, after all, loaded Harry down with a small mountain of books before sending him back. Smart kid — probably thought Maverick would quiz him about them when they t.
Molly also ntioned that they would stop by Harry's Muggle relatives' ho first, pick him up, and then head together to catch the Hogwarts Express. Hearing that made Maverick pause for a mont. He wondered about Dobby — that troubleso little house-elf.
Last week during his "visit" to Malfoy Manor, Maverick hadn't sensed any presence apart from Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco. Dobby must not have been there during the... incident. Which ant, most likely, Dobby would still follow the original plot and try to stop Harry from reaching the train.
Would that mad scene with the flying car still happen?
Maybe, maybe not. Either way, Maverick had plans to sort out Dobby's situation eventually. He intended to take Dobby's ownership from Lucius soon and pass it over to Harry. But that could wait. He wanted to see how things played out first.
Clearing his throat lightly, Maverick steered the conversation toward the real reason for his visit.
"Mr. Weasley," Maverick said, turning to Arthur with a small smile, "I've heard you're quite the admirer of Muggle inventions. After talking with you for a bit, I'd say the rumors are true."
Arthur straightened, face lighting up in excitent. "That's very true, Master Caesar! Every ti I visit Diagon Alley, I make sure to stop by your shop. The way you blend magic and Muggle technology... it's fascinating. I even have a little project of my own."
His eyes lit up with excitent, and he leaned forward to tell Maverick about his flying car.
As Arthur explained the alchemical principles he used, Maverick listened with genuine interest. It wasn't exactly ingenious — more like creative and unconventional. Out-of-the-box thinking, Maverick thought with a small grin.
After lunch, Maverick agreed to take a closer look at the car, but first, he had business to discuss.
"Mr. Weasley," he said, setting down his goblet, "the real reason I asked to et today... it's about your passion for Muggle innovations."
"You see, my company, Caesar's Magitech, is expanding rapidly around the world. Every year in November, we host a major product launch. Custors expect new, exciting creations... but between my duties at Hogwarts and the business, I barely have ti to oversee everything."
The Weasleys leaned in, listening intently.
"I'm looking for soone to lead the research departnt," Maverick continued. "A person who can dream up ideas and work with a team to make them real..."
He smiled. "When I heard about you, Mr. Weasley... well, I thought you might be the perfect fit."
For a mont, the Burrow fell completely silent. Ron sat with his mouth open, Fred and George frozen mid-bite.
Arthur fidgeted slightly, clearing his throat. "M-Master Cae—"
"Please," Maverick interrupted smoothly, "call Maverick."
Arthur smiled awkwardly. "Well then, Maverick... I'm honored that you would even consider for such an important position. But... I don't think I'm qualified."
Maverick wasn't surprised. He said nothing, and let Arthur speak his mind. He already had a good asure of the man — hardworking, humble, and honest to the core. And honesty, Maverick valued more than flashy credentials.
"It sounds like a huge responsibility," Arthur continued. "From what you said, the person in charge has to co up with ideas, work with a team... bring those ideas to life. I know a bit about enchantnts and tinkering, but I'm hardly an actual alchemist."
"I understand completely," Maverick said, nodding. "That's why, if you accept, you'll start as Deputy Director first... to learn the ropes. Also, you wouldn't need to handle the heavy alchemy yourself. I already have teams of experts for that. What I need from you, Mr. Weasley, is your imagination... your mind... your ideas, your passion."
"There are plenty of skilled alchemists in the world," Maverick went on. "But very few creators. It's not just knowledge. It's passion. It's thinking beyond what's written in a book."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Technical skill can be hired. Creativity and passion can't."
Arthur hesitated, picking up his drink.
Maverick smiled slightly, sensing it was ti to tip the scales.
"I'll pay you three thousand galleons a month."
Pfffft!
The effect was imdiate.
Arthur spat out his drink in a spectacular spray across the table.
Poof! Poof!
Ron and, rather surprisingly, Percy followed suit, both coughing and gaping.
Even Molly whipped her head toward her husband, eyes wide, lips pressed tight like she was barely holding herself back from physically shaking him into agreent.
Maverick chuckled inwardly. He knew well enough the Weasleys' financial situation. A hundred galleons a month was a comfortable living for an ordinary wizard—but with so many children, it stretched thin. Offering thirty tis that amount... well, he expected no less than this stunned reaction.
Arthur wheezed, blinking. "Three... Cough... three thousand galleons?"
"Dad, say yes," Fred blurted out.
"Yeah, Dad, please!" George added. "That's... that's a mountain of galleons!"
"You'll be famous, too!" Ron chid in eagerly. "Caesar's Magitech is all over the world now!"
Arthur glanced helplessly at his children, then to Molly. She was still staring at him, but she gave a small nod — calm now, trusting his judgnt.
"I trust your decision," she said softly.
Still looking overwheld, Arthur turned back to Maverick. "Can you... can you tell more? About what I'd actually be doing?"
Maverick smiled. Hook, line, and sinker.
He explained the role in simple, clear terms: how Arthur would oversee the innovation departnt, co up with ideas, guide the developnt team, and help plan product launches. Maverick also assured him there would be thorough training to prepare him for it, using examples from modern business practices he rembered from his previous life.
By the ti he finished, Arthur was almost convinced. But he didn't give an answer just yet.
"Maverick," he said slowly, "thank you, truly. But I'd need ti to think it over. And if I agree, I'd have to give notice at the Ministry."
"Of course," Maverick said warmly. "This is a decision that affects your whole family. Take your ti — a day, a week, even a month. I'm not in a hurry."
Arthur smiled, looking deeply grateful for the understanding.
The conversation afterward drifted back to lighter topics—Maverick's business, Quidditch, funny stories from the twins—and after the plates were cleared, Arthur excitedly offered to show Maverick the famous flying car.
And it was, indeed, a sight to behold.
It wasn't polished or refined—but it worked. And more importantly, it showed exactly the kind of creative thinking Maverick needed.
Later, after a cheerful afternoon of tinkering, laughter, and even a quick flight across the fields in the enchanted Ford Anglia, Maverick gathered the Weasley children and handed each of them a small gift — nifty gadgets from his company — earning delighted cheers.
With the sun dipping low behind the hills, Maverick finally said his goodbyes and headed ho.
There was only a week left before school started, and he intended to spend every mont of it with his family and loved ones.
—————————
Author's Note:
🔥 Drop those Power Stones! 🔥
I'm currently on a short one-week vacation with family, so updates will be a little slower than usual. I'll be back ho in four days, and while I'll still try to post chapters, it might not be daily. Thanks for understanding, and sorry for the delays, guys. 🙏
Eid Mubarak to everyone who's celebrating!
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