The Howard Family was valuable indeed. As an old aristocratic family, they were not rich enough to rival a nation, but they had formidable financial resources and considerable influence in Muggle politics.
If the Howard Family wished, they could sway Muggle politics. That much was clear from Edward, Will's biological father, marrying the London mayor's daughter the previous year.
Richard, a Conservative Party official, already ranked among England's elite. He lived in a wealthy neighborhood and moved in high society.
Yet in the Howard Family's records, he was only a third-tier resource. First-tier resources included members of the British Royal Family, members of Parliament, the prime minister's cabinet, and even the current and former prime ministers.
Third-tier resources were people the Howard Family could influence whenever they wanted, practically calling on them at will. The official had never even needed prior contact with the family; the terms they offered were ones most officials could not refuse.
Their second-tier resources were the ones they kept in touch with: Richard's superiors, such as the secretary of state for the environment.
That was how Britain's great families worked, not so different from those of ancient China.
Once he had finished, Will left the house under a Disillusionment Charm. He moved like a ghost through the streets of the wealthy Muggle neighborhood, where traffic streamed past without end. Yet he felt little connection to all that bustle. He preferred researching magic in the Tower.
Fifteen minutes later, Will emerged from behind a wall of trees in the park, his face flushed as though from exercise. With his running shoes and clothes, anyone could easily have taken him for someone out on a run.
He jogged back to the nearby Muggle hotel. By the time he pushed through the door, he was gasping for