Once Gangrene had left the room Mr. Juris sat where Gangrene had been sitting before and motioned Harry and Padma to take their seats from before.
Once they where all sitting Mr. Juris started talking. “Mr. Potter, the most important thing I have to talk to you about today is you name.”
“My name?” Asked Harry in response.
“Yes, Mr. Potter, your name. One thing that many people in the Magical World are unaware of is that one of the treaties that the International Confederation of Wizards requires member states to sign is one that when the Muggle government for a country creates a new law it also applies to the corresponding Magical country unless the Magical government creates a different law to specifically counter the new Muggle law. The reason for this is to make things simpler, Magical governments don’t have to introduce almost identical legislation to keep the Magical World up-to-date with changes in Muggle Laws and avoid things slipping through the cracks, makes it easier for Muggleborns to integrate with Magical society as they already know the laws and makes business across the Magical/Muggle divide easier.” Said Mr. Juris in reply.
“Now the reason this is important for us is that as a result copyright law in Magical Britain is the same as copyright law in Muggle Britain and thus Copyright law doesn’t show up on magical self-updating law books so many people in the Magical World are unaware that it exists, or at least unaware of most of Copyright Law. Thus when people started writing those ‘Boy-Who-Lived’ books and selling ‘Boy-Who-Lived’ merchandise they were unaware they they need your permission to do so and that they should be paying you for the use of your name, or rather your likeness and identity.” Said Mr. Juris, finally answering Harry’s question.
“Is this important, Mr. Juris?” Inquired Harry not understanding why he was being told this.
“Yes, Harry, it is.” Padma said. “Each of those books sold for a Galleon or more, Harry, you should have received several Knuts from the sale of each book, if not a Sickle, they’ve likely stolen thousands, if not tens of thousands of Galleons from you, and unless you do something about it their not going to stop.”
“So, why should I stop them or do anything about it? From what I understand it’s not like I need the money.” Harry replied.
“Those are very noble sentiments and ideals, Mr. Potter, but you are not the only person who those using your name are stealing from, many people buy things associated with your name thinking that what they are buying has something to do with you. Further more several people, notably Lucius Malfoy, have used your name to promote their political positions. There’s even a charity using your name, using it to promote Pureblood culture, ignoring the fact that your mother was a Muggleborn.” Mr. Juris informed them.
“I know there’s a charity that the Potter Family backs, shouldn’t that be the only one using Harry’s name?” Asked Padma.
“Correct, Miss Patil, the Potter Family Education Foundation, which provides finical assistance to people from less fortunate backgrounds in achieving Masteries, should be the only charity to use the names of any Potter, at least with out an agreement. As the Potter Family Business Manager I am Director of the Foundation in the absence of an adult member of the Potter Family willing to serve but I felt it would be rude to use Mr. Potter’s name without asking first. By the time I found out about this other charity using Mr. Potter’s name it was too late to do anything about it without something signed by Mr. Potter, it was too well entrenched. It’s the same story with those Boy-Who-Lived books.” Answered Mr. Juris
“See, Harry.” Said Padma. “You’ve got to put a stop to people using your name to this sort of thing and instead use it to make the world a better place."
“OK, I see your point, Padma.” Harry said before turning to Mr. Juris. “What do I have to do?”
“Nothing much, Mr. Potter, just sign this statement that says you never authorised anyone to use your name, the statement itself it charmed for truthfulness and will fade if it’s not accurate” Mr. Juris replied before sliding a piece of parchment over to Harry.
Picking up the parchment Harry examined it. It was much shorter then the contracts he had signed earlier, merely stating that he had never granted anyone permission to use his name commercially. Retrieving the Legal Quill Harry signed his name before sliding the parchment back to Mr. Juris who picked it up and examined it.
“Good, I was half worried that someone had tricked you into signing something that would allow them to use your name at some point, Mr. Potter, so I’m glad to see that it isn’t so. Now before I start explaining all the financial details that I need to go over with you is there anything else you want to talk to me about as I doubt we will have time for all the financial details.” Said Mr. Juris.
“If Harry were interested in acquiring concubines how much money would he have access to do so? Would he be able to draw upon the main Potter Trust or would he be limited to only his personal Trust or a portion of it? And who would he need to talk to about withdrawing money from either of those sources?” Padma asked.
This question seemed to shock Mr. Juris for a moment before he responded. “Can I ask why you are asking such a question Ms. Patil?”
“There is a complication in my sister’s and my past that may mean we have to marry the same man, as recognised by magic, I’m sure you understand the difficulties in fulfilling that limitation, Mr. Juris?” Padma asked in response.
“Yes, I understand your problem, even if Mr. Potter were also the Head of Family Black, and thus legally two people, they would still two different people, a most difficult problem, Ms. Patil. However if the two of you were to become someone’s concubine you would both be considered married to him.” Replied Mr. Juris
“That is what my sister and I guess as well, I can only pray we are right. However our father is dying, which imposes a time constraint.” Responded Padma
“And judging by you bringing this subject up I am guessing that Mr. Potter has agreed to take you and your sister no, Ms. Patil?” Inquired Mr. Juris
“Harry has agreed, but the parts of the custom that it inherits from it’s roots a system of slavery upset him from time to time, not that I blame him of course, I’m hoping that you will be able to reassure him some more. And I think he’s a little unsure that he will be able, well I think look after my sister and I, not physically or fiscally but rather emotionally, he’s worried about how good a husband he will make, especially one to two women.” Answered Padma
“Both are quite understandable, Mr. Potter. Now, the magic’s that are used to make a woman a Concubine do have their roots in a practice used to enslave women in ages past, but as time as progressed so to has the magic behind the Concubine Contract. Where once the magic could be used to force a woman to act a certain way or do certain things now it is normally a way of making a woman a man’s wife in a very special way, it offers magical protections to the woman that mere marriage can not, for magically the Concubine belongs to the man and magic will prevent anyone from intruding into that relationship. But, Mr. Potter, and this is important, you will have no more ability to tell Ms. Patil what to do if you took her as your Concubine than you would have the ability to tell any wife you may some day take.” Said Mr. Juris attempting to reassure Harry.
“And, Mr. Potter,” Mr. Juris continued. “Knowing that you do not know something is the first step to understanding it, so long as you work at your relationship with Ms. Patil and her sister you will be taking things in the right direction.”
At this point Mr. Juris paused and took a drink of water from a cup that Harry hadn’t noticed before. “Now as to your original question, Ms. Patil, as Business Manager for the Potter Family I am in charge of the Potter Trust and Mr. Potter’s personal trust. Now Concubines normally cost around forty thousand Galleons, are you and your sister identical?” He asked.
“Yes.” Replied Padma.
“I suspected as much given some of what you said. Now sisters and identical sisters cost more but a Concubine Contract for you and your sister would run to no more than two hundred thousand Galleons and while the money Mr. Potter will soon be making from the sale of the Basilisk will cover that I don’t think that will be a problem. I assume that you and your sister will one day want children?” He inquired.
“Of course we will, but I don’t know when, probably not soon but, all of us will want to adjust to life after leaving Hogwarts before we have children and I doubt either of us will be interested in being housewives.” Answered Padma.
“Good, than it will be possible to draw upon the Potter Trust the amount of Forty Thousand Galleons each to help cover the cost of Mr. Potter purchasing you and your sister, Ms. Patil, as its terms has provisions for provisions to cover the normal Bride Price of Forty Thousand Galleons in the event that the Heir finds a woman that is prepared to bear him children. And while that will only cover half the cost, at most, of Mr. Potter purchasing you and your sister it will make things easier on the three of you once the contract is signed, even if it does complicate the parts of the contract that handle payment, thankfully those aren’t magically binding parts of the Contract.” Mr. Juris explained.
“Now, Ms. Patil, what lawyer and law firm does your father use and do they know about this already?” He asked.
“My father’s lawyer is Integral Montague Laite of Delay and Howe and he already knows about this, I wrote to him a week ago when I realized that writing the Concubine Contract myself was not going to work, telling him what was going on and attaching what work I had managed to make on the Concubine Contract for my sister and myself so far. I received a reply yesterday, my father had already informed him of what was going on and my intent to write the contract myself. They both knew my attempts to write the contract myself would be unsuccessful but I had to learn that the hard way.” Answered Padma.
“I think it was more than just that, Ms. Patil. It’s quite possible they where also testing you to see how well you would do attempting to write the contract as well as allowing you to ‘get it out of your system’ so to speak. And as you and your sister will be most affected by this contract it is wise to have you heavily involved in it’s writing and getting your thoughts from your initials drafts would be very useful.” Mr. Juris replied
“Now I know Mr. Laite so I will be contacting him about this shortly, and I will be in contact with you Mr. Potter about how things are progressing and to explain why the contract is being written the way it is. Now I need to go over with Mr. Potter his family finances since his parents died, or at least attempt to in the time we have left, as a result of this I will be sending you several books on finance and related matters, including contracts, Mr. Potter, and I will include one on the concubines in the magical world. Now. Mr. Potter, I have to ask if you still wish Miss Patil’s presence at this meeting as what we are about to discuss is private Potter Family information?” Asked Mr. Juris.
“If Padma and her sister are basically going to become my wives I have no reason to bar her from this meeting, in fact I may still need her help.” Answered Harry
And with that Mr. Juris started going over the financial activities of the Potter Family for the last thirteen years Thanks to Yamaban for typo busting and all the folks at the Caer Azkaban and Seel'vor fan fiction Yahoo groups for all the help I can't keep track of