The next morning, Jessica contacted the Ministry of Magic again with very little patience left. She demanded that every part of the compensation agreement be put into effect immediately, especially the financial settlement and the promised property compensation.
By late morning, Percy Weasley, Minister Fudge's secretary, arrived at the ward with a Ministry financial officer named Thompson. Both of them carried heavy briefcases packed with documents, seals, and forms that looked as though they had been dragged straight out of a dusty department archive.
"Ms. Jessica, on behalf of Minister Fudge and all my colleagues at the Ministry of Magic, I would like to once again offer our sincerest apologies for the injustice and suffering endured by you and your child." Percy lowered his head, and Thompson quickly followed suit. The bow was formal, stiff, and painfully Ministry-like.
Jessica did not like the Ministry of Magic. She doubted she ever would, but she did not shout at them or throw their apology back in their faces. Eleven years in Azkaban had worn down the sharpest edges of her temper, leaving behind something colder, quieter, and much harder to shake.
She gave a calm nod and accepted the apology without warmth. "Thank you for clearing our names, Mr. Weasley. That was something the Ministry should have done long ago."
Seeing that her tone was milder than he had feared, Percy quietly let out a breath of relief. He hurried to open the briefcase, pulled out a neat stack of parchment, and placed the relevant documents before Jessica and Roger with both hands.
"You have already reviewed the general compensation plan. This version contains the full details, including the implementation procedures, repayment schedule, property transfer clauses, and supplementary protections." Percy kept his voice sincere and careful. "If there is anything you are dissatisfied with, please tell us directly."
Jessica read through the documents slowly, her expression unreadable. When she finished, she raised her eyes to the visibly tense Percy and asked, "We agree in principle, but when will these terms actually be carried out?"
"The sealed estates and lands belonging to the Travis family are still legally intact. We will complete the return procedures as soon as possible." Percy paused, then his expression turned awkward. "However, because the Travis properties have been left unattended for many years, some assets are scattered across different jurisdictions. Please understand that recovering them may take some time."
He gave a bitter smile after saying that. Those properties had not simply sat untouched in silence. Over the years, too many hands had reached for them, and not all of those hands belonged to Ministry officials; several old pure-blood families who had once called themselves allies of the Travis family had also helped themselves.
"Percy, what we care about most right now is the financial compensation and the London property offered by the Ministry." Roger stepped closer, speaking sweetly enough to soften the tension in the room. His smile was polite, harmless, and perfectly measured. "Please sit down and explain everything. There are quite a few clauses in this agreement, and we would appreciate a clear explanation."
Percy nodded at once, immediately understanding what Jessica and Roger truly needed. He relaxed a little, and Roger's friendly way of addressing him made the red-haired secretary look at the boy with noticeably more warmth.
"Considering Roger's special circumstances, the Ministry has approved compensation at five times the normal standard." Percy gestured to Thompson, who quickly removed another folder from his briefcase and passed it over. Percy accepted it and handed the file to Jessica with a small, apologetic smile. "However, due to legal restrictions, most of the compensation must be transferred under Ms. Jessica's name."
"We understand that Galleons cannot truly make up for the harm caused by the Ministry and Azkaban." Percy chose each word with care. "This payment is only an expression of apology and responsibility."
After that, he made a small request. "Ms. Jessica, would you be willing to accept the payment in installments? For example, the Ministry could transfer forty thousand Galleons each month for ten months."
Percy noticed the pause in Jessica's expression and immediately added, "Please don't worry. The Ministry will calculate interest using the highest available market rate for each month."
The other compensation terms were manageable, but the financial payment had given the Ministry's accounting office a vicious headache. Four hundred thousand Galleons was a crushing amount even for the Ministry of Magic, and the financial department desperately hoped Jessica and Roger would agree to installments, preferably with some room for concessions in other areas.
Jessica did not answer immediately. She had never been skilled at these negotiations, so after a moment, she turned slightly and gave Roger a nod, letting her son handle the discussion.
"Installments are acceptable, but the other compensation terms must be fulfilled as soon as possible." Roger did not waste time arguing over the interest formula in the supplementary agreement. Instead, he tapped the next section with his finger and looked at Percy. "Percy, could you explain the London property in more detail? This clause is a little vague."
The London property clause was the most flexible part of the entire agreement. It left a great deal of room for negotiation, and the quality of the property they could secure depended almost entirely on how hard they pushed and how much goodwill the Ministry was willing to show.
"Of course. The Ministry of Magic has been operating in London for a very long time, so we do have a number of suitable properties available for you to consider." Percy had clearly prepared for this part. He took a folded magical map from his briefcase, spread it across the table, then tapped it lightly with his wand.
A miniature three-dimensional map of London rose from the parchment. Streets, bridges, parks, and rivers appeared in delicate lines of light, and as Percy moved his wand across the city, available properties lit up one after another with a soft golden glow.
"We have two-hundred-year-old penthouses near Grosvenor Square, detached villas along the Thames, and several residences in protected magical neighborhoods." Percy pointed his wand across the map, quietly including a few choices that were technically beyond the Ministry's intended budget. "These are only the current options. Some can be transferred quickly, while others may require coordination with Muggle registration offices."
His personal goodwill was obvious. Percy wanted to give Jessica and Roger more choices, and if the final purchase went slightly over budget, he clearly intended to use his position to help push the deal through.
"These luxury flats near St. James's Park are close to Buckingham Palace and sit in one of the most exclusive areas of the Muggle world." Percy enlarged that part of the map with a flick of his wand. "The building is protected with Muggle-Repelling Charms, and the residents enjoy a very comfortable lifestyle."
He moved the wand again. "This is Whitehall House on the Thames. It has a private garden, a view of the river, and an excellent location. It is smaller than some of the others, but very convenient."
Another point of light brightened in South Kensington. "This Victorian townhouse retains a more traditional style. Many pure-blood families prefer this kind of classic architecture, especially because it is easier to layer protective charms into older buildings."
Percy continued introducing one option after another. There were small manor houses on the outskirts of London, larger properties with private lawns, and even a few that had enough space for small Quidditch practice pitches. There were also modern penthouse duplexes, the sort of home that belonged entirely to the Muggle world in appearance but could be quietly adapted for magical living.
"Roger, you choose." Jessica could not help being surprised by the Ministry's wealth, but the decision itself was simple for her. As long as her son liked the house, she was willing to accept it.
"All right, Mum." Roger nodded, then turned to Percy. "What is the general price range we can choose from?"
"Between five hundred thousand and eight hundred thousand pounds. These properties are all registered through Muggle channels, so the listed prices are in pounds rather than Galleons." Percy answered quickly, though he quietly raised the upper limit while speaking.
Thompson looked startled. That figure was one hundred thousand pounds higher than the Ministry's original bottom line, but considering Percy's position and the fact that the installment issue had just been solved, he swallowed his objection and pretended he had not noticed.
Roger looked at the magical map in front of him, and for a moment, a strange warmth rose in his chest. The hardest years were finally beginning to pass. Across two lifetimes, he had never imagined that one day he would truly have a warm home of his own.
"What about this villa?" Roger pointed toward a three-story property on the Thames. It was a modern, minimalist building standing above the riverbank, quiet and elegant.
The villa sat in an elevated position, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the water and a broad view of the Thames. Its spacious garden was planted with roses and wisteria, and near the riverbank, a wooden dock stretched into the water, large enough to moor a small boat.
"This one?" Percy frowned slightly. In the Muggle market, the medium-sized villa would cost somewhere between one million and one and a half million pounds, far beyond the budget he had just stated.
"This villa has an excellent view and would be very suitable for you." Percy hesitated, then gave an honest answer. "However, the price is well above the compensation range. Perhaps you could consider another property?"
"What if we use part of the Ministry's Galleon compensation to make up the difference?" Jessica was also staring at the map, and she clearly liked the villa as much as Roger did. It was secluded, peaceful, and perfect for the two of them to live quietly together.
"Really? That would be no problem at all!" Before Jessica had even finished speaking, Thompson sprang up with open excitement. The financial officer's eyes almost shone, as though someone had just removed a mountain from his shoulders.
Although the official exchange rate between Galleons and British pounds was one to five, no wizard with any sense would willingly exchange wizarding gold for Muggle currency at that rate. Since Muggle governments had abandoned the gold standard, Muggle money was no longer backed by gold. Whether pounds or dollars, to many wizards, it was little more than paper and numbers.
A Galleon weighed around eight grams, with most of it made from goblin metal and the remaining portion containing real gold refined by the goblins. Considering that the current Muggle gold price stood around seven to eight hundred pounds per ounce, plus the goblins' minting costs, the true exchange rate between Galleons and pounds was closer to one to ten.
Based on that calculation, the property Roger had chosen was worth roughly one hundred thousand to one hundred and fifty thousand Galleons. Considering the villa's excellent location, along with the cost of its interior decoration and magical facilities, a price range of one hundred and fifty thousand to one hundred and eighty thousand Galleons was more realistic.
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