PUDDLEMERE, England -- An old Muggle adage says you never get a second chance to make a first impression. But like so many wizarding sayings, including that there is no surviving the Killing Curse, it doesn't seem to apply to Harry Potter.
The Boy Who Lived went to a team dinner with his Puddlemere United Quidditch team-mates Saturday evening, expecting to meet his boss for the first time. He ended up with a highly unexpected reunion that left both parties with very different opinions of each other.
"It was quite a shocking evening," Potter said as he left Nimbus Arena on Monday following United's closed practice session.
Puddlemere owner Meredith Mason, 74, put on Saturday's dinner at her posh Eastbourne estate after her team's exhibition match against the Lourdes Miracle. The private, semi-formal banquet has been a part of club's calendar for years.
"I like to get to know the players," Mason told the Daily Prophet in an exclusive interview. "The team works together better with them knowing that we all, from myself down to the last reserve, share the common goal of striving hard towards success on and off the pitch. ...
"Of course, I was especially looking forward to a chance to meet Mr. Potter."
The rookie Seeker and the millionaire maven of the wizarding construction industry did have an enlightening conversation. But not a first meeting.
"As you know, some wizarding construction projects go on in plain view of Muggles and it is not always possible to charm the work to keep it hidden," Mason, the chairwitch of Fawcett Enterprises, explained. "So, on occasion, our workers use magically enhanced Muggle tools to make them look inconspicuous. Sometimes we even hire Muggles for the less-delicate parts of the work.
"Since (my husband) Richard is a Muggle and an excellent businessman, he makes the arrangements whenever the company needs Muggle equipment. As I recall, 1992 was a particularly busy year and we put in an especially large order of drills. The first company Richard contacted was Grunnings, and as it turns out, Mr. Potter's uncle, (Vernon) Dursley, runs it.
"This Dursley wanted to impress Richard, so he invited us to his home for what I'm sure he thought was a lavish dinner with his family. The conversation was rather mundane, of course, and I would have been quite bored had it not been for curious noises coming from upstairs and Dursley's outraged reactions.
"Then after we ate, there was a loud crack and a crash. We went into the kitchen and saw a skinny, black-haired boy completely covered with pudding. I should have recognized the magic at work immediately but Dursley was so keen to get us away and save his deal that I really didn't have a chance to think about it. Not long afterwards, an owl arrived -- from the Improper Use of Magic Office, I'm sure -- and I was so frightened we had to leave.
"Mr. Potter was the black-haired boy," said Mason, who later explained she has been deathly afraid of birds since she was attacked by a family owl as a girl. "To think, I first met him when he was 12 years old but did not know it until Saturday."
The Boy Who Lived seemed willing to put aside his usual reticence about speaking with the media and answered questions about both meetings.
"I recognized Mrs. Mason immediately when we were introduced before dinner (Saturday). That night is certainly not one I'm ever going to forget and I can still see the stunned look on her face when she saw me simply dripping with my Aunt Petunia's pudding," Potter said with a chuckle. "I imagine it was pretty similar to how I looked when I found out she's a witch."
"It was a house-elf who actually dropped the pudding," Potter added in explanation of the "disaster," though he declined to comment on why an elf was at his uncle's home, which according to Muggle records, is located in Little Whinging, Surrey. Ministry sources confirm Potter did receive an improper use of magic warning that night, 31 July, 1992.
Puddlemere's owner and her newest star seem to have moved past their inauspicious first encounter, however. When asked about each other Monday, both expressed a high level of respect.
"Until Saturday, if you had asked me what I thought of that boy with the pudding, I would have taken his uncle's word for it when he called him 'very disturbed,' at the time," Mason said. "I could not have been more wrong. Mr. Potter and I spoke extensively following the banquet and I found him to be most intelligent, respectful and humble. I am quite sure he will make a fine member of the Puddlemere United family, as well as an excellent player."
"When the shock wore off I was quite impressed with Mrs. Mason," the Boy Who Lived said. "She seems honestly committed to the success of this team and the betterment of wizarding society. It says a lot about her as an owner that she's more interested in fielding strong teams than she is in turning a profit. It would be an honour to work for her."
"I can't say I expected to see a 20-year-old athlete and a prim-and-proper businesswoman come to understand each other so quickly, but I suppose a bit of shared history will do that," said Puddlemere manager Glenn Watson. "I'm just glad they seem to be getting along well."
Earning a place on Mason's side remains Potter's primary concern as Puddle U's month-long training camp is into its third week. That's one area where the highly regarded newcomer's camaraderie with the team ownership won't matter as much as impressing Watson, the man who brought his rights to Nimbus Arena for 100,000 Galleons of Mason's money.
"Mr. Watson is an excellent manager and I leave the decisions about the squad to him, including those regarding Mr. Potter," Mason said. "I am quite certain he will do an excellent job."