You're a long way from home, Lucius. I guess Draco passed on the gossip in time.
"What brings you here, Mr. Malfoy?" Dudley asked, welcoming the man into his office.
"Nothing remarkable. Merely an investor in D&D Bank, intrigued by its affairs. I hear your American expansion has met resistance. I may smooth the way—my contacts are extensive."
Investor? Since when?
Dudley eyed the man in silence for a while. He used to believe that Lucius was an intelligent, smart man. But now, he wondered if Lucius really underestimated him because of his age.
Does he really think he invested in the bank? All he did was put money in the bank to earn interest, that's it. He owns nothing—Ah! He's probably confused by the contract lingo I made.
"I've had a word with the President of MACUSA," Dudley said coolly, gesturing to the chair across from him. "Have a seat. I could use the insight of someone more experienced."
It was hard to digest. He despised Lucius Malfoy to the core. He wanted to torture the man and kill him slowly like one of those cartel videos. He wanted Lucius to watch him destroy Malfoy House, a piece at a time. He wanted to see fear on that smug, proud face.
Soon… Very soon.
"Of course." Lucius waved his arm, gathering his droopy cape before sitting down, setting aside his cane. "Before I offer my advisory, we should perhaps re-discuss the partnership."
There is no partnership, you cross-dressing shit.
Dudley raised a brow, acting surprised and conflicted. "What do you have in mind?"
"I would like to invest more and hold a greater share of the bank. I see a great future with you leading it, and I'm willing to use my contacts to further our combined interest. Beyond fifty-fifty partnership, I'd like to increase it."
What? What fifty-fifty, ah! He's talking about the return on personal investments. Dudley sighed, finally understanding why Lucius believed he owned half of the bank. The contract he'd made before talked about investing the gathered money from nobles and the profit generated would be divided between the bank and the account holder. Sure, he did play word games, and there was a tiny, fine print at the bottom of the page that most ignored.
Dudley was no saint. He was in it to make money. More the better. And he had no love for the pureblood wizards.
"I… How much do you wish to invest, Mr. Malfoy? I won't deny, I do need funds," Dudley responded, struggling with each word. It was all a lie, he didn't need money. He had more than a dozen Malfoys combined.
Lucius smiled diplomatically, and waved his right hand. "All of it—I wish to acquire seventy percent of the bank."
"That's a lot of gold." Dudley reminded him.
"Naturally, I'm prepared to transfer all assets to the bank. The Malfoy estate, accounts, and businesses will ensure D&D commands greater influence. Gringotts is a behemoth—we must expand swiftly, lest they find time to strike back," Lucius advised while laying down his offer.
On the last part, Lucius was correct. Gingotts had remained silent until now because of their extreme pride. Once Gringotts started seeing D&D Bank as a threat, retaliations would ensue.
Still, Dudley had to act like he was flustered by that offer. Conflicted even. By giving 70% of the bank to Lucius, he was effectively giving it away to the Malfoy family. Of course, that was Lucius' misunderstanding. The man was no more than a simple account holder in D&D Bank. Now, all he needed to do was keep misleading him.
"If… If I agree, I want a clause added to the contract. Should the Malfoy family ever decide to sell their stake or change hands in D&D, I get first rights to buy." Dudley suggested; a simple tactic to make it more believable. "And I would like to keep on running the bank. D&D isn't just a wizarding institution. There's a Muggle branch under the same name, one that will bridge the gap between the Muggle and magical economies, creating vast wealth for us both."
This sly bastard. Smiling just at the mention of wealth?
Lucius inclined his head slightly, his tone crisp. "I see no need to replace competent hands, Mr. Dursley. Your achievements speak for themselves, your father would have been proud."
This bastard! Dudley controlled himself from punching his annoying face.
"Very well, your terms are accepted. Let us proceed."
Quickly, Dudley rang the bell and called for Penelope. Then, the contracts were edited, and Dudley ensured he kept Lucius busy talking, never giving him the chance to read the hidden fine print, the same color as the page. But it was there. He knowingly talked about the threat of Gringotts and how they might retaliate. He talked about pureblood status and whatnot to keep Lucius riled up.
Soon, right before his eyes, Lucius signed the papers, fifteen in whole. He deliberately made them too many to read, taking inspiration from those future internet applications agreements that nobody read and just clicked accept.
Hah! I pity you, Lucius. I pity what I'm about to do to you.
"Congratulations, Mr. Malfoy." Dudley extended his hand.
But Lucius haughtily ignored it, barely hiding the disgust on his face, and stood up, grabbing his cane before turning around to leave. "I have a meeting with several American families. I will address this matter with them. Expanding into America should no longer pose a problem."
What a disgusting man. Dudley pulled back his hand.
Every time he tried to shake hands with Lucius was a chance given. For Lucius to prove that he wasn't as rotten. Sadly, the man had proved his pureblood tendencies lavishly.
"I shall wait for good news, Mr. Malfoy."
The proud Malfoy patriarch nodded and left haughtily, robes fluttering like a woman's frock, hair straighter than a fashion model's.
"Hah…" Dudley leaned back in his seat. "This isn't enough… I need to have magical America under my thumb as well."
I have to make them dependent on me.
Feeling the urgency, he decided to prepone his plans for the UK. Quickly, he dialed for Edwin, who was outside in a different lavish cabin.
"Edwin, arrange a meeting with the Prime Minister for when I get back. I'll have only one day before I'm due at Hogwarts. Be straightforward. Mention a potential multi-billion-pound investment, but leave it at that. No need to over-explain."
How many men in the 1990s could pour billions into private sector investments? Not many. Swaying the magical world with just money was hard. But the Muggle side was entirely a game of money and connections.
"Ah, and tell him to meet somewhere else—his office is under wizard surveillance."
After a moment, Edwin gave a few options. "If it's secrecy you want, we can go ahead with the London mansion you bought. Or the golf course."
"No, not the mansion. It could stir up too much trouble. The golf course will do, and I'll have the entire clubhouse and course reserved for the day. My security will handle the rest." Dudley ordered and hung up, crossing his arms behind his back.
Quietly, he stared at the world map on the wall at the side.
Soon, my actions will make all my future knowledge useless. It's time I build a castle around me, one that I only can control.
With some free time, he started scribbling on a sheet of paper. Artihmancy was his cheat code, and the best thing about it was that it could be used on seemingly anything. Predicting a slot machine in a casino? Doable. Predicting the weather? Doable. Predicting the economy? Extremely hard, but doable.
I can't do all this alone.
####
Dudley received a call from MACUSA the next day, and instead of using the Portkey, he used the normal, Muggle method. He took his personal jet to New York. He used that time to read the materials that Penelope and Percy had gathered for him. It detailed the current wizard situation in America.
"It's almost like back home," Percy explained. "Most of the assets are owned and controlled by a few old families. While pureblood madness isn't that persistent, a class divide based on wealth and history is present. Squibs, as always, are at the bottom. Then there are the first generation No-Maj-Born wizards. Then there are Half-Bloods, and finally, the old wizard families who have consistently produced wizards for over two hundred years."
Dudley kept flipping the pages. "What's the employment situation for these lower class wizards?"
"Barely any. There aren't that many magical industries, and those that do exist belong to the old families. The No-Maj-Born and Half Bloods have to seek employment at MACUSA, or at these companies. MACUSA is the first choice as these companies don't really pay that much. If I have to draw a parallel, I'd say, Muggle America is in the 1990s, but Wizarding America is still stuck in the 1890s."
"Not much different from the UK," Dudley muttered softly. "It's good that the Wizards' Council is pretty much like US Senators or Reps. Representatives from magical communities all over North America are elected to MACUSA."
Confused, Penelope decided to ask the question. "What are you planning on doing?"
"Hah… What else, I'm gonna throw them some bait."
______________________
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