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A cup of tea appeared on the table next to Lady Walburga, and the lady immediately took it, and after taking a couple of sips, continued her story:

"If Delphine comes demonstratively wearing a ring, which is very unlikely, it means that she is already interested in you in absentia. There could be a variety of reasons. Hmm... Around now, the Greengrass girls, Daphne and Astoria, if memory serves me correctly, should be studying at Hogwarts."

"Yes, exactly. Daphne is in the same year as me. Astoria is a year younger."

"Then Delphine might be aware of your striking resemblance to Narcissa. She'll want to have a heart-to-heart talk, get all sorts of information out of the naïve Gryffindor, and draw a general picture from the reservations. It was then a matter of technique: a student, a fiancé for one of the girls, and the perfect heir to the Blacks. And it's not too hard for a group of wizards with master's qualifications to catch Sirius and shake out all the information. And if you consider that Lucius has not been seen for a long time, and perhaps he is terminally ill or dead, she can marry the second girl to Malfoy. The right accents and there's a powerful coalition of three far from last families ready. That's what I would do."

The drawn tea in Lady Walburga's cup seemed to come to an end, for she took up her cigarette again. But it was only for a couple of seconds that the lady succumbed to the pernicious influence of bad habits.

"Speaking of knowledge and other families," Walburga put aside the mouthpiece and cigarette. "Usually heirs and just those who will be involved in the affairs of the family are initiated into the intricacies of those very affairs and politics after Hogwarts. The only thing told 'before' is about enemies. So I'm extremely curious as to where young Draco will lead the family, given Lucius' such a sudden death."

"Couldn't Lucius have been teaching Draco something?"

"Hardly. The Malfoys, like us, are creepy snobs and traditionalists for that matter."

"It amazes me how easily and with such notes of irony you speak of our family, Lady Walburga."

"I am a portrait, Max," smiled the lady indulgently. "In my condition, it is much easier to be ironic about the important things in life."

"I get it, but how to defend myself if anything?"

"From Delphine?"

"Yes."

"No need."

" What do you mean?" the answer didn't satisfy me.

"You meet at Avalon, and you negotiate and sign the contract there if it comes to it. That place is very well-protected, and there are always witnesses. All in all, it's a pretty safe place. If it comes to a contract, be careful about the terms. But like I said before, Delphine is a reasonable lady. You see, Max, a possible apprentice for a master is very important. The training itself can be really tough or even cruel, but the master always treats the apprentice with care because that apprentice will not disappear from the world map after the training. It depends more on the master whether he will be able to forge another master, and later it may well turn out that the newly-made master will become a colleague and comrade. If you're worried about Greengrass's accumulated knowledge in various areas, dangerous and indeed unsettling, then you're wasting your time. Tell me, do you know any spells of the 'total destruction' class?"

"I have a couple in my arsenal," I nodded in response.

"A couple? You surprise me, young Lord Black," Walburga smiled kindly. "But tell me, Max, how often do you use them to solve problems?"

"Never."

"Exactly! It's the same with necromancy - there's a tool for every problem. Recruiting an apprentice is not a problem worth going against Ministry laws, guild rules, jeopardizing the rank of grandmaster, or anything else."

"Good. She's reasonable. That doesn't make it any easier, but okay. Thanks for the talk," I got up from my chair and nodded to Lady Walburga.

"Kreacher!"

Out of the shadows in the corner came the house-elf. I'd already forgotten he was standing there somewhere.

"Old Kreacher here..."

"Do you know how much spare money there is in the House?"

"Old Kreacher knows, respected Head," nodded the house-elf, as if everything was all right. "There are over one hundred and fifty thousand galleons in the vault of the House. The amount of money the House has invested in businesses and enterprises is not known to Kreacher."

"Then, give me three hundred," I held out the wallet to Kreacher, and he accepted it with a slight shiver, immediately disappearing.

"Lady Walburga. What about the family's affairs? Where is the money, where are they invested, income, profits, deposits and contracts that have not justified themselves?"

"Words cannot express my joy at your willingness to sort through this pile of papers, but it will take a very long time. Thanks to Kreacher, I am more or less aware of the current affairs of the magical world. I can assure you that no interference is required yet, and the money invested is working, even if not to the maximum, but quite effectively. True, mostly due to the rigid contracts with the goblins, but do not worry - increasing our money in their interests because of the percentages, and for the gold, goblins would strangle. Even if there's nobody left from the House, they'll continue to multiply our capital without being able to pocket the budget."

"So, so far, my intervention is not required?"

"Exactly. But it's worth examining all the documents before the end of the summer and make some decisions."

With a clap, Kreacher appeared and held out the purse with a slightly trembling hand. He adapts quickly. Taking the purse, I bowed to Lady Walburga, instructed the house-elf to keep an eye on the house and any personalities who might express a desire to come here. Told him not to answer Sirius' call. I did what I wanted and left the house, heading back to the Diagon Alley. I would have to study the apparation because these back and forth trips by bus were starting to wear me out. Oh, I should buy a car! Yeah! One of my half-brothers, according to John, is not the last person to work for BMW in Germany - there's a reason John has a BMW. Buy it, enchant it for anything and for reduction, and carry it around with me. I know how to drive, and my height allows me to sit comfortably behind the wheel.