Grand Prix Wizard

CHAPTER THREE: MEET THE SPONSORS

Although he won no more races that year, Jimmy had no trouble securing the championship. Strong podium finishes in both China and Brazil let him easily protect his points lead, and by Brazil, he was just as satisfied to be standing on the third step with the championship trophy as if he had been on the top of the platform.

Since apparition only works in regional areas, it would have required a port key to use magic to get home. Jimmy usually preferred to travel with his Muggle friends on the crew. It was a long flight back home to England from Brazil, and an even longer two months waiting for the phone call that would determine his Grand Prix career. He spent the first two weeks back re-organizing his flat, getting all his laundry done, continuing his fitness routines, and making peace with the various family members who hadn't seen him for several weeks.

As it was now the height of the pre-holiday Quidditch season, there were a number of matches to attend. His brother Albus and his younger cousins still played at Hogwarts, and were the stars of the Gryffindor team. His father and uncle owned the Chudley Cannons professional team, so there were several important National fixtures to see. Meanwhile, his mother owned virtually every record worth having for the Holyhead Harpies, and had her number retired, so the family was frequently in demand at that pitch.

On his fifth week back, Jimmy decided he needed a break. After talking to his mum and dad, he contacted his best friend from school, Scorpius Malfoy, and the two began planning a holiday. They decided the pink sands of Bermuda would suit them best, so they booked connecting suites in the Pompano Beach Club, owned by the Malfoys. Scorpius had recently asked Jimmy's cousin, Rose Weasley, to marry him. They hadn't actually had time to celebrate the engagement, so Rose would come with them on the trip.

Jimmy asked Linda McKenzie, Rose's best friend from Hogwarts, to come along as well. Jimmy had never made much time for girls when he was growing up. Racing took most of his time. It was a sport where girls often threw themselves at him, but he had stayed very focused on his career. He had become friends with Linda through Rose, but neither of them considered it a romantic relationship. Once in awhile, they held hands, shared a kiss, or more, but it was an easy, comfortable relationship without sexual tensions or expectations. "Friends with benefits," Linda liked to call it.

The Club was set on a cliff on the southwest coast, next to the Port Royal Golf Club. Built of pink stucco, the campus featured ten buildings, and each suite had its own balcony overlooking the ocean. As the owners, the Malfoys commanded two special units set beside the swimming pool, as well as a private owners clubhouse built right on the beach. The clubhouse was separated from the guests' beach by a rock outcropping, and was very secluded.

"Wow!" exclaimed Rose, who had never visited Pompano Beach before, "this is really special. Is this where we're going to honeymoon, Scorp?"

"Unless you can think of someplace that would excite you more, I think this would be nearly perfect, sweetheart," Scorpius said. "This house has a master suite in it, plus private catering from the Clubhouse kitchen. We're going to be in the family suite up above this week, and Mum and Dad are flying in on Friday; they'll be down here."

"James, on Saturday, Dad wants to hold a small party for all of us and some of his business associates. I wouldn't be surprised if he wants to talk to you a bit about this Grand Prix opportunity. I think you know we have an agreement in principle with Phantom Racing, and that it's contingent on you wanting to be lead driver."

"Well, I've certainly been waiting for a phone call from someone," Jimmy said. "This sounds like a whole lot nicer way to work on the deal than buttoned up in a three-piece Muggle suit in dreary London."

"Oh yeah! A lot more civilized, wouldn't you agree, old sport?" joshed Scorpius in his best posh imitation.

Over the next four days, the four friends enjoyed themselves immensely. They alternated time on the pool deck, which sat on a spectacular cliff immediately above the guest beach, with time on the private beach and in the swimming cove. The weather was perfect. None of them were avid golfers, but all four had played, so they got in a round at Port Royal, a Robert Trent Jones classic course.

All three restaurants offered fantastic views of the azure blue ocean, pink sand, and royal blue skies; the dining rooms were built one atop the other on the ocean side of the clubhouse. They tried all three, and one night, took advantage of an exchange program to dine and dance at The Reefs; but they preferred the somewhat more casual atmosphere of the Ocean Grill, which also offered the most contemporary menu.

Jimmy had been to the hotel twice before, with Scorpius, on holiday breaks. He was very familiar with the hotel Fitness Center, which featured everything he needed for his regular routine. Scorpius wasn't as committed to exercise, but when he was with Jimmy, he always found himself drawn in. On Thursday, the two friends took a day off to go reef fishing, while Rose and Linda booked four hours in the Serenity Spa.

There probably has never been a more luxurious or spectacular place for massage, facial and body treatments. The Spa was located right on the guest beach, the lowest of the five main clubhouse levels. Salt water soaking and baking in the sun could be combined with a number of things the girls loved, most having to do with skin, nails and hair in various body locations.

When the boys returned with a nice catch of fresh fish for dinner, Scorpius ordered personal chef service in the owners' clubhouse, and the four friends watched the sunset from the patio. They played some music, danced a bit on the beach, and shared a Champagne nightcap. Afterward, the quartet walked back up to their rooms, rested, relaxed and decompressed. It was hard for any of them to imagine a more glamorous, yet restorative, way to spend a week.

Draco and Astoria Malfoy arrived the next day on Draco's private jet. It had taken a long time for wizards and witches to get used to Muggle air travel, and some never would, but there were times it simply suited the occasion better than brooms or port keys. This was one of those times, as the Malfoys brought some surprises with them.

"Mum, Dad!" squealed Rose in delight as Ron and Hermione Weasley walked into the lobby. Right behind came Harry and Ginny Potter, accompanied by Molly and Arthur Weasley. "What a great surprise," Rose said. "You guys are going to LOVE it here! Scorp and I have already decided this is honeymoon central. It's heaven; it really is. You have got to see the beach house. Just fantastic."

As Rose gushed to her parents, Jimmy welcomed his own mum and dad. "Pretty nice digs, I'd agree," Harry said.

The fawning hotel staff immediately descended on the VIP guests of the owners. Their bags were seized by every bellman in the lobby; an Assistant Manager practically sprinted from behind the desk.

"Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy...welcome back...welcome back! Everything is ready for you in the beach house. Draco and his guests have used it several times this week. If there's anything you want, I'm Roosevelt. Please don't hesitate to call me, any hour, day or night."

Draco was obviously amused. "Very good, Roosevelt. But I think Mr. Hopkins has surely told you my family and I expect to be treated like every other guest. And what I mean by that, is that I expect you to treat every other guest like the owners!"

"Oh, yes sir, yes sir!" said the embarrassed Assistant Manager.

"Make sure you get Mum to the spa," Jimmy said. "Mum, you don't get enough chances to be treated like a queen. You up for golf, tomorrow, Dad?"

Ginny giggled. "I think Tori, Hermione and I already had that in our plans. Will Linda and Rose join us?"

"I think Rose and Linda would like to live in the spa," Jimmy said, and Linda gave him a friendly whack on the shoulder.

"Draco said something about golf on the plane," Harry said. "I suppose you can guess he's brought us all here to talk business, as well as for fun."

"Figured, but that's a good deal. Maybe we can get this all sewed up on our end before Nickels gets back to us," Jimmy said. "How did Gram take the trip?"

"Oh, about like you'd expect," laughed Harry. "Pretty much the same way Arthur did the first time we made him fly Muggle air. Which is to say, terrified!"

"It was Gram's first time, wasn't it?"

"Yep. But Molly's a trooper, she is. We didn't have to drag her on the plane or tie her in her seat. We just let her grab Arthur and nearly break his arm, and we all put in cotton so her screams didn't bother us too much," Harry said with a grin.

"Actually, Arthur and I spent most of the trip at a table up front with Draco, looking over the contracts he is suggesting, and making a few minor counter-offers of our own. Also, I think you should know that Tori Malfoy seems to have made a lot of social progress with Ron and Hermione. I think they may finally be on the road to accepting that Scorpius and Rose actually ARE going to get married, and that we're all going to have a Malfoy in the family."

After a sumptuous catered dinner in the beach house, everyone was ready for an early turn-in. The men all needed rest if there was any chance of making their 8:00 AM tee time. And, since the Malfoys had planned a special reception for Saturday night, all the women had booked more time in the Spa.

Before he went to bed, Jimmy decided to spend some minutes standing on the balcony outside his suite, stargazing and dreaming of his future. For some reason, he now felt like he had the whole world near his grasp; he only needed to reach out and take it. A pair of slim strong arms wrapped around him.

"A Knut for your thoughts," she said.

"Hi Linda. Having a good time?"

"Pretty perfect, buddy. Thank you so much for having me along."

Jimmy turned in her arms so he was facing her. "You know why I like being with you so much, Linda? You never put any pressure on me. You seem to be so happy just being with us, and by that, I mean all of us...not just me. You seem to understand that my career doesn't leave much room for family life, or committed relationships."

"I can be very patient, James Potter! Besides, what girl wouldn't find this life, being with you and your friends, exciting?" Linda said. "I get the best seat in the pits, vacations like this, posh parties, and I can be a glamour girl anytime I want."

"Yeah, like you WANT to be a glamour girl! That's another great thing about you, my friend. I don't know if I've ever met another person who is more comfortable inside her own skin than you, Linda. Tell you what. The last thing I want in a girlfriend is one who just wants to be arm candy. But, it doesn't hurt that you are the most beautiful girl in my brother's class!"

"Flatterer! Are you after something tonight, Potter? And what's this girlfriend stuff? Last time I looked, we were unattached and wanted to keep it that way."

"No problem, Lin. You're a free agent, and last time I checked, I was in no position to ask anyone for more commitment than this. As for being after something, we're sharing a bed. What more could I possibly be after?"

They both had a laugh, spent a few more minutes staring out over the ocean, just comfortable being with one another. Then it was time to share pleasures and sleep.

"Eight o'clock is just way too early for a tee time!" groused Scorpius Malfoy. "Just whose idea was this, anyway? At least Jimmy and I started at a civilized time when we played."

The six men stood outside the pro shop at Port Royal, drinking coffee, and watching their clubs loaded onto carts. "It was my idea, Son. Any further complaints?" grinned Draco Malfoy.

"I suppose not, Father," said Scorpius, pretending to snap to attention.

"Good. Now, this is as much business as pleasure, but let's have some fun and keep it interesting. I've put up one thousand Galleons to the winning pair, and I intend to keep them. Harry, you will ride with me. Scorpius, I want you to get to know Ron Weasley, as apparently, he will soon be your father-in-law. Don't know how much either of us really like that, but there's no accounting for love, said the old woman as she kissed her cow."

"James, you and Arthur are the classic team, and I don't suppose there's a chance that even Dumbledore's Ghost could break you up. Just don't beat the rest of us too badly. Hopefully, you'll find it harder to lap someone on a golf course."

The first hole at Port Royal is a very long downhill par four, dogleg right, which means the fairway bends around to the right so shots cannot be hit straight at the green. It takes a 275-yard drive, pretty long for average golfers, to leave a good second shot. Spray hitters are in big trouble, with trees on both sides going down the hill. But anyone who can't reach the bottom of the hill will have no choice except play for a five.

Of all people, the two best drives came from Draco Malfoy, who seemed to be the most serious golfer of the group, and Arthur Weasley. "I knew you were a sandbagger Arthur, carped Draco. "All that talk about Muggle artifacts when we were growing up. I bet you've played this game all your life!"

"Not ALL my life Draco. Just forty-five years or so. But never fear. I'm only a fourteen-handicap. Doubt I'll give you and Harry much trouble."

As the round progressed, all the players had a chance to get to know each other better, and become more comfortable. There is nothing like golf, where each player is responsible to himself and the others for sticking to the rules, to get to know another person. They say seventy-five percent of the most important business deals in the world either start or finish on a golf course. Draco Malfoy would probably put it higher.

"So, Potter. Who ever would have expected us, as boys, to be out here riding together in a golf cart, enjoying this perfect Bermuda weather?"

"And who ever would have expected us to grow up to be casual friends?" Harry said. "It's amazing how much changed when your mum saved my life. You really were a git when we were teenagers! But I guess the things we do as children don't necessarily carry over when we become adults."

"Well, it helped a lot when I got away from that arse who called himself my father," Draco said. "Once I was able to be my own man, I not only found I no longer believed in the pureblood philosophy, but that it was to my advantage not to behave like that. I seriously doubt that Wizard Products would have become the economic force it is today if I had persisted in acting like I was better than everyone else."

"But the one good thing that came out of it is an appreciation for the finer things in life. How do you like the hotel?"

"Simply spectacular, Draco. James says the kids have had a great time this week. It's been a real relief for him to get away from silly season."

"Well, I hate to drag you back into it, Harry, but I'm sure you know the reason all of you are here is because I hope to Bludger him into accepting Don Nickels' offer. Day before yesterday, Hermione and I signed a major contract over her new propulsion technology. It's an important part of our marketing strategy to prove how effective that Voltron engine is through racing. Phantom wants to be our team, but in all honestly, I am going to go where Jimmy wants to go. I've let Scorpius convince me that's what will be best for all us, from both career and family standpoints."

"I have to admit it has its attractions," Harry said as they approached the seventh hole, a long par five.

"You want to be careful here," Scorpius reminded them. "The green sticks out on a little finger of land into the ocean. There's a cliff on both sides and the back. Remember, you were long here last time, Jimmy." Arthur and James were carrying a two-stroke lead over Draco and Harry.

"So, Scorpius. I'm going to have you in the family whether I like it not," said Ron Weasley after they hit their tee shots. "Look, boy, I'm doing my best to adjust to this situation, but it's not easy for me. To say our families have not been close is an understatement. Enemies going back many generations is closer to the truth. But Dad seems to have accepted you, Harry and Ginny say you're a great guy, and my wife is going to brain me if I give you a hard time."

"So, only one question. Do you really love Rose as much as it seems, or is your family just playing us now that it seems we have achieved as much or more status as the Malfoys?" Scorpius could tell from the tone of Ron's voice that a great deal depended on his giving the correct answer.

"I don't blame you for being slow to accept me, Mr. Weasley," Scorpius said. "I know all the stories about how Father treated all of you at Hogwarts. I know it was hard to accept that he was never really a Death Eater. But look...up ahead. That's Harry Potter, your best friend, riding in the same golf cart as my dad. They aren't hexing each other, and in fact, I guarantee they're talking about how Wizard Products is going to sponsor Jimmy's career."

"He and I are best friends you know, Jimmy is. I think you know your wife and Father just did a huge business deal. And you can be absolutely certain that I love Rose more than I love myself, more than I love life. This whole weekend is about relationship building, getting to know one another better, trying to see if we can all become one extended family. We want to do what families do. Look out for one another, help each other out in every way we can."

"So there's one thing I promise you. I will never ever hurt Rose. She owns my heart. She holds it for me. And if I ever do anything to break her heart, it will kill my own, and I will die. Do you understand?"

They sat in the cart, watching the others line up and take their shots. Ron silently followed the flight of each white ball. "Yeah, Scorpius, I get it. And I've decided that I'm going to try to give you the full benefit of the doubt."

"But...knock it off with the Mr. Weasley stuff. Arthur is Mr. Weasley. You should call me Ron until further notice. Shake?"

They smiled at one another and shook hands. It was the first time Ron had ever touched a Malfoy.

By the turn, James and Arthur had given back one stroke. James had sent his drive through the fairway on the ninth hole, and couldn't recover. "Looks like it's going to be close," he said, sending a three-wood down the tenth fairway, a shorter mirror image of the first hole.

"Just keep it in the short stuff, me boy," his grandfather encouraged.

"So, what do you think of this little get-together, Grandpa? A little too over-produced, or a sincere effort?"

"I think there's more than a Grand Prix career going on here, Jimmy. The Malfoys have a lot going on with our families, now. Your aunt and Draco are business partners. Scorpius is marrying into our family, just as much as Rosie is marrying into his. I think their offer to you is legitimate, sincere, reasonable, and makes a lot of common sense. You and I both know the only real risk is that Phantom won't be able to produce a competitive chassis. As far as the team goes, you and I have never had trouble working with outsiders, and I'll be there to protect your interests."

"So, you think we should do it?"

"Yes, boy. I think we should tell them it's a go, and I think we should do it before we get back to the clubhouse. Next tee, I'm going to ask Draco to change riding partners with me. Tell him I need to talk something over with Harry. You talk to him for a couple of holes, and if you don't sense anything wrong, give him the OK."

"This hole is way out my range for a par," said Jimmy on the tee of Number Eleven.

"Draco, Harry and I need to discuss some family business. Mind riding with my grandson the next few holes?" Arthur said.

"Oh, sure. Good idea Mr. Weasley. Wish I'd though of it."

"It's Arthur, boy."

"OK, thanks Arthur," said Draco as he climbed into the golf cart with Jimmy.

"So, James, having a good time this week?" asked Draco as they pursued their balls down the fairway.

"Marvelous, Mr. Malfoy. Thanks so much for having us."

"Think nothing of it, Jimmy. And by the way, Mr. Malfoy died in prison. I know it may seem a little awkward at first, but please call me Draco or Dray. I actually prefer the later on casual occasions, if it's all the same to you."

"OK...Dray...I guess I can get used to that, especially in the pits."

"Speaking of that, Jimmy, if life is just a bowl of cherries, why are you always in the pits?" They both nearly fell out of the cart, laughing so hard.

"That was a good one. I'm surprised I haven't heard it before."

"Thanks. So, not to abruptly change course, but have you given the offers some thought?"

"Are you really serious about sticking with us, no matter how slow a start we may get? There's a big risk with a new team, you know. A lot of good drivers had their careers greatly diminished by a lack of Grand Prix success. But if you guys are serious about sticking with us, Grandpa and I are ready to do it. The main reason he wanted to trade carts is so I could tell you myself."

"I don't think you'll be disappointed, Jimmy. We're all going to be one big family by the end of the year. I don't think staying power is an issue."

"Great. Dray, we've got a deal!" exclaimed Jimmy, and men shook hands on it.

At the sixteenth hole, the match was all tied up. Number Sixteen at Port Royal is the signature hole on the course. It is a par three, but the tee shot is over a deep ravine cut into the side of a cliff by the Atlantic. The green is slightly lower, but on the opposite cliff side. As if that wasn't frightening enough, the roar of the surf below was very distracting; the ocean seemed to be calling out to the golf balls like a siren to a sailor: "Here is peace. Come to me. Drown in me. They cannot hit you or hurt you again, once you come to me."

First to be hit, Ron's ball answered the call. "Well, that does it for us," he said.

After Scorpius hit his on the green, Draco stepped up and sent his shot straight at the flag. One bounce, a clang, and it rattled into the hole! "Hey...that's cheating," said Harry, suspecting that Draco might have "helped" his shot along with a little magic.

"Me? Cheat?" smirked Draco.

"Humm," said Arthur, stepping up and sending his own ball directly into the hole.

"Enough of that!" Harry said. "Play fair or don't play at all." And as he sent his own shot across the chasm, a little non-verbal spell dropped his ball in the cup, on top of the other two. "Up to you son," said Harry to James.

James could easily do anything the older wizards could do. But Jimmy Potter, race driver, was a sportsman. He struck his shot solidly and fairly, and landed it just inside Scorp's ball on the green. "Sorry, Grandpa," he grinned at Arthur. "You know I can't play like that."

When they returned to the resort, the men found the women had been polished to a breathtaking luster. "Great Merlin, Linda! You're enough to make me swear off friendship! You look sensational. How do you make your skin glitter like that?"

"A little magic, a little Muggle," she smiled at Jimmy. "You like?"

"Do I really have to share you with the others?"

Linda McKenzie was tall and slim. She had blond hair that fell down her back, all the way to the middle of her thighs. Her dress for the reception was Ravenclaw midnight blue, and bronze stars moved slowly and subtly through the fabric; just enough to be seen by wizards, not obvious enough a Muggle would notice. It ended at the same place as her hair, tantalizingly above the knee. She could have worn a high heel, but settled for a pair of bronze shoes with lower heels so that she and Jimmy were the same height.

Jimmy wore white, including a dinner jacket, white bow tie, and white Bermuda shorts. As usual, his cousin Rose wore a dress somewhere between scarlet and pink, with gold accessories. Rose was quite a bit shorter than her best friend Linda, but made up for it with lavish curves in all the right places. Scorpius also wore white Bermuda formalwear.

Even Molly Weasley had gone posh, her gold dress trimmed with burgundy satin and sequins. As hosts, Draco and Tori Malfoy had chosen black, although it was more usual to wear white in Bermuda. But Draco had given in to island custom, and wore black dress shorts.

The beach house had been romantically decorated for the reception. Throughout the rooms, white linen and gold tableware radiated elegance. Candles floated near the ceilings. A wizard orchestra played on the veranda, and the music wafted in through the open windows, or drifted down to the beach.

"Ah, Don, excellent to see you again. Penny, you're looking lovely as ever," said Draco as Don and Penny Nickels arrived. "I've got wonderful news. Jimmy and I shook hands on a deal this afternoon. He's all ours!"

"Fantastic news, Draco! I knew you could get it done. I've left him alone all fall for you to sort out. I was confident if you got him, the deal would be done."

"Ahh. Here's the young man of the moment right now. Jimmy, how are you doing lad?" Nickels said. "I hear you've decided to take on this new adventure with us."

"Sure have, Don. All the right pieces just seem to be in place. Really, it just almost seems like it was destined to be."

"Don and Penny Nickels, I'd like you to meet my very good friend, Linda McKenzie. Linda is Rose's best friend from school, and she and I hang out together whenever we can."

"Pleasure," they all told one another.

"Linda, as you probably have guessed by now, Don is the principal for Phantom Racing, where it looks like I'll be making my Formula One Grand Prix debut in March."

"We certainly hope you'll have the chance to see Jimmy race with us quite often," Nickels said. "Whenever you're planning to attend a race, make sure my assistant Vicky knows. We'll make sure you have all-access, and you should consider yourself part of the family. Make yourself at home in our facilities at the tracks."

"Thanks so much, Mr. Nickels. I am looking forward to a race or two, but Jimmy might not have made it clear; we're not really an item, so I won't be around bothering him all the time," she said with an award winning smile.

"Your loss, Jimmy," said Nickels with a laugh. "You really need to make some time for this young woman in your life. She looks like a keeper to me!"

"She certainly is all of that," Jimmy said. "But I can't ask her to wait around for me forever. She deserves a lot more than that. But as long as she wants to hang out, I'm all for it."

"Oh, here come Rose and Scorp. You guys know them already?"

"I know Scorpius, of course," said Nickels, and the couple walked up to the group hand-in-hand.

"Don and Penny Nickels, my cousin Rose Weasley. Soon to be the wife of my best friend, young Mr. Malfoy here."

"Nice to see you again, Scorpius. My, that's quite a prize you have on your arm there! Delighted to meet you Rose. This is my wife, Penelope, or Penny."

"I was already warned I was not to make any jokes about coins," Rose said with a laugh. "I'm just so delighted all of you could come, especially tonight when we have such good news to share."

"Looks like we'll all be one big happy family for the next few racing seasons, at least," said Penny Nickels. "I understand you and Scorpius will be with us on the road all season, looking after Wizard Products' interests?"

"Looking forward to it so much!" Rose exclaimed. "I've always envied Jimmy getting to see so much of the world. Now it looks like Scorp and I will get to share in some of his adventures. Who wouldn't be excited about that!"

"Right. Well, motor racing is a lot of work, but it is a lot of fun, too. In fact, if it wasn't so much fun, I'm not sure there's enough money in the world to make it worth the amount of effort you have to put in. But great success will justify it, and we expect great things of Jimmy Potter," Don Nickels said.

"And Jimmy...sorry to say, but the hard work begins at once. Next week, in fact. We'll need you at the shop to start fitting you to the cars. I'll send you an owl tomorrow to let you know the exact time on Monday. Do you know where to go?"

"I think so. You're in the old Jordan factory up at Silverstone, aren't you?

"That's right. We took over the Force operation. There's a long history there, going from Jordan to Midland to Spyker. It's kind of an outdated shop by now, so we're starting to look around for a more contemporary place, but I think we're going to be there this season."

"Well, you know, Dad and Grandpa said something to you about our place," Jimmy said. "We've got a state-of-the-art test track, but we don't have a building that would be up to Formula One standards. Not that we couldn't fix that shortcoming."

"One thing at a time, lad, one thing at a time," grinned Nickels. "Let's see if we can find room to fit your lanky frame into a car before we start worrying about where to build and test it. In the meantime, tonight is not for work. Let's have some fun!"

With that, the group broke up and began making the rounds of the party. Draco had invited most of the top officers of his corporation to attend, so James and Linda soon found themselves being towed around by Tori Malfoy for introductions. Harry had insisted on very limited press attendance, something his status as hero and holder of Order of Merlin First Class had always given him the ability to command. However, the writers that were there were the important ones, the ones who could be relied on not to sensationalize the Potter, Weasley and Malfoy families, or Jimmy's career.

"Hi, Aunt Luna!" Jimmy exclaimed, as he made his way over to Luna Longbottom, owner and publisher of the Quibbler.

"Hi, Godson," returned the old family friend. "Who is that delish gray man you were just talking to?" she asked with her signature dreamy voice. "Neville will have to lock me away in a chastity belt if I spend much time interviewing that one."

"Looks like I have new ride, Aunt Luna, and he's the team owner. Don Nickels. The team is called Phantom Racing."

"Ah. After the old Gaston Leroux tales, I suppose. You do know that Le Gaulois, where it was first published, is the French equivalent of the Quibbler, don't you? Daddy was close friends with the publisher. According to him, George du Maurier's "Trilby" was based on real events at the Paris Opera House, and Lerouz supposedly investigated them and only barely fictionalized the account. I don't believe the nargles ever played a role in the story, however. I believe it was gremlins.

"There are some who believe that Erik, the supposed phantom, actually existed, you know, and that he was a very powerful wizard. Those who believe in that version believe that he taught himself advanced magic without ever attending a school. But of course, if true, he also taught himself music and philosophy. In one version of the tale, Erik died in Paris in 1881, but in another, after the events in the Leroux story, he moved to New York City. There, he was one of the promoters who established amusement parks on Coney Island," Luna added.

"I saw the Muggle musical once in London," Linda said. "A beautiful and sad story of unrequited love. Could be a bit like us, Potter," she said with a wink at Jimmy.

When they finished working the room, Jimmy and his friends made their way down to the beach. The music easily reached them here, and they began to dance. Jimmy smiled when he saw his mother and father join the dancers, and soon he saw that even his Aunt Hermione had dragged Uncle Ron down to the sand.

"Well, it's sure been quite a week," Jimmy whispered to Linda. "I can't imagine too many other drivers have had such a pleasant time meeting the sponsors."

"The pleasures aren't over yet, Potter," Linda whispered back.