Arthur Weasley had just Apparated to work and was heading toward his office. He was not in a particularly pleasant mood, for yet again he had been called in early due to some “urgent matter�. Nearing his office, he could hear some sort of noise issuing forth from his cubicle. Was it … music? It didn’t sound like any music he’d ever heard, but he was pretty sure that was what the strange sound was. Entering the small room, he found Perkins, his colleague, standing on a chair, swatting squeamishly at something on the desk with an old broom.

“Arthur, there you are,� Perkins spouted breathlessly. “I’m so glad you’re here. This thing –� he gestured to the object on the desk with the broom as he clutched a rheumy hand to his lower back “– was brought in, and I didn’t know what to do with it.�

“What is it?� asked Arthur, stepping forward for a closer look as Perkins ceased his futile fight against it – whatever ‘it’ was – and climbed, grunting moodily, down from the chair.

“I have no idea,� answered Perkins. “But, as you can obviously hear, it makes a lot of noise. Sounds a bit like music, but not quite, you know?�

“Yes, I did notice that,� replied Arthur. “You know what, though? I think I might know what this is.� With a final look at the object, Arthur walked across the other desk and reached towards one of the many filing cabinets and began searching through the files. “‘A’ … No, that wasn’t it…� he mumbled to himself as Perkins cast a rueful glance toward the humming object. “‘B’… might have been … ‘C’? I think that was it. Hold on.� He opened the drawer with some difficulty due to the rusty tracks in the archaic cabinet and began shuffling through the files inside.

Perkins swatted at the thing on the desk again.

After several minutes spent rifling through various files, articles and clippings, Arthur exclaimed in triumph. “Here it is!� he said, brandishing a tattered, dog-eared file in the air before throwing it onto the desk.

Hurriedly opening it, Arthur saw that it contained several sheets of stained parchment covered in messy handwriting. Leafing through the pages, he stopped at one that had a heading tentatively proclaiming it to be, “Mug e C layer.� There were smudges across the title making it nearly unreadable. Arthur turned his attention back to Perkins. “What did you do to cause it to make noise?� he asked somewhat urgently.

“Nothing,� answered Perkins. “It came in like that.�

“Hmm…� Arthur mused, scrolling his gaze down the yellowed parchment. There was a diagram, but with all the splotches on the page, it was completely useless. Nevertheless, Arthur continued reading what text he could. However, the messy writing combined with blotched ink and spilt coffee made most of the parchment illegible. Finally, after a few moments’ deliberation, he looked back at the ‘thing’. “Perkins, I think what we have here is a Muggle CP Layer.�

“What’s that?� Perkins questioned, an utterly confused expression on his kind, old face. He sunk into a chair, waiting expectantly for the definition of this bemusing object.

“It’s some sort of Muggle music contraption.�

“So … you don’t think the music is the result of a curse or something?�

“It doesn’t seem so,� replied Arthur. “But let’s take a look, just to be sure.� He looked closely at the unhelpful diagram before turning his attention back to the “CP Layer�. Picking up the strange Muggle device, he looked it over for a moment until he located a button labeled, “Power�. Suddenly, though, as if afraid the contraption would sting him, Arthur yelped and threw the “CP Layer� back onto the desk.

“What?� asked Perkins, jumping up from his chair, an expression of pain on his face as he clutched his back. “Did it bite you? Earlier I pushed a button and its mouth opened up….�

“No,� answered Arthur. “But it says “Power� on it. Do you think it contains some sort of powerful magic?�

Perkins was silent for a moment, before he said, “I don’t believe so. It was brought in by a young witch who didn’t know what it was. According to her, she pressed that button –� he pointed to the one labeled “Power� – “and that music began playing.�

“Perkins,� Arthur groaned, placing his balding head in his hands. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?�

“I didn’t think it was that important. Besides, you were busy looking for files, and I –�

“Never mind,� Arthur interrupted Perkins before he could burst into one of the longwinded explanations he was so famous for. Reaching out, Arthur picked up the “CP Layer� and pressed the “Power� button. Instantly the music stopped.

“Oh,� said Perkins, the quizzical look on his face replaced by one of acute embarrassment. “I didn’t think of that.�

“It’s all right,� replied Arthur, smiling benevolently at his coworker. “It doesn’t seem as if it’s cursed, but we’d better do a few tests, just to be sure.�

~*~

After a few minutes, both men were satisfied that the “CP Layer� was not cursed and that it was perfectly acceptable to return the object to the Muggle world.

“Did the girl say where she found it?� Arthur asked as he and Perkins bagged the “CP Layer,� preparing to drop it in the basket marked, “Outgoing Muggle Artifacts.�

“She said she found it on one of those train things the Muggles ride–the Underground. But, Arthur, they have quite a few of those trains.�

Arthur looked sideways at Perkins’s serious mien and thought about this. What Perkins said was true. How were they to find the exact train? After deliberating the matter for a few moments, he sighed and said, “I’ll just leave it at the station in London. Some Muggle will find it.�

“Sounds like a good idea,� responded Perkins, clearly relieved that he wouldn’t have to spend his entire day traipsing all over foggy, Muggle London. Then, by rote, he checked the clock. “Merlin! It’s my break time. I was thinking of Apparating over to the Leaky Cauldron. You want to come? We could drop off that CP Layer on the way back.�

“No, thanks,� replied Arthur. “I’ve still got all this to go through.� He ignored the pity evident in Perkins’s face as he glumly gestured to a large pile of paperwork on his desk.

“All right, then. Do you just want me to take that thing?� Perkins indicated the “CP Layer� as he shrugged on his overcoat and arranged his scarf closely around his white-haired head.

“No,� answered Arthur rather quickly. At Perkins’ surprised glance, he adopted a nonchalant attitude and yawned widely, dropping to his desk chair. “No, you get your drink. I’ll drop it off on my way home.�

“Suit yourself,� responded Perkins, heading out the door at a rather brisk pace.

~*~

That evening, as Arthur headed towards the Apparation point, he realized guiltily that he still hadn’t decided what he’d do with the “CP Layer.� Though he didn’t like to admit it, Arthur had avoided touching the “CP Layer� all day long because, well, he liked Muggle things and he didn’t want to have to dispose of it.

On one hand, he could do as he had told Perkins and return it to the Muggles, or he could take it home – illegally – and get a better look at it. Approaching the area designated for Dissaparation, he deliberately shoved the plastic bag containing the artifact deeper into his pocket. He had made up his mind.

~*~

Arthur Weasley arrived home that night a bit early and headed to his workshop located behind the Burrow. He quickly deposited the “CP Layer� under a bin of assorted gaskets and bolts before traipsing towards the house, sniffing happily at the soup-scented smoke puffing contentedly out of the leaning chimney. A casual observer might not have noticed it, but at that moment, Arthur Weasley had a small, nearly undetectable, spring in his step. He had finally found a Muggle CP Layer and he was home in time for dinner. Despite the early call that morning, he was pleased with the day’s proceedings; it was another satisfactory day at work.