Chapter The Second: In Which We Meet More Of The Cast, And Brilliance Is Brought To Some Who Never Conceived Of It "Obliviate!" "OW!" Bast stood stunned, staring at Syaoran, his face changing from blank to a pure vision of anger. "What in the name of all that is unholy was that! Did someone try to run a scrub brush through my brain!?" "No idea," replied Syaoran, "But I think it had something to do with these fine people in their fancy robes holding those sticks, seeing as our friend the enforcer seems to be standing with them. Oi! You lot! I'm not done with you yet!" With that, he sprung up, running along the alley wall to land in front of the group of black robes. "Where do you think you're going after pulling something like that!? You do realize someone could get hurt by that! Do you even stop to think what kind of damage willy-nilly memory reformatting can do!?" "Now, now, brother, as far as they know they just did us a service, seeing as apparently it would be Bad with a capital B if" Bast paused, mouth twisting around his words "Muggles found out about their 'special powers'. No, they're fine with just going around re-writing memories as needed to keep up some sort of 'Masquerade', and they are officials, of a sort. They're Obliviators, special members of the Magical Law Enforcement division of the British Ministry of Magic (whoever that may be). Our friend there is an Auror, some sort of magistrate and Eye agent rolled into one, with more or less a blank jade to do as he feels necessary to preserve the aforementioned fiction." That got a pause out of the group, and as one they turned and stared at Bast. "What? Oh, where did I get that? I felt it was fair turn-about to go into your heads, or at least Mr. Dawlish's over there, seeing as you saw fit to go into ours and re-write things. Brother, I think we need to teach them how to close their minds, their shields barely hold their thoughts inside much less keep anyone who wants to get in out." "Excuse me, but what do you mean?" One man stepped forward, lowering the hood of his robes to reveal a bald black head. "I, at least, am trained to detect and resist the best leglimancers known, and I didn't feel a thing. Who might you be, and how did you get that information?" "I am Bast, of Wallport, and that over there is my brother, Syaoran. As to how I got that information, Mr. Dawlish over there has terrible mental control, and so I took a stroll around. Nothing too invasive I promise, just a less damaging version of what you tried to do. "I think we should go with you, since I get the feeling this Amelia Bones seems like someone I would get along with, as do you Mr. Shacklebolt." Bast nodded towards Syaoran, who walked towards the group, wiping his hands on his pants as he did so. "Okay, now I'm lost. It seems like you know more about us than we do about you, and I'm not sure how comfortable I am with that, especially seeing how easily you are getting into our heads. Now-" "Head, singular event and singular head. All we had to do was a quick probe, and I swear we haven't gone in since, nor will we unless threatened or explicitly invited. That would be rude." Bast smiled, and the Aurors relaxed with that assurance, as someone with that kind of winning smile couldn't possibly be lying. "Shall we be off then? We'll come along with you fine fellows, if you don't mind too much. To the Ministry!" Bast smiled broadly at the Aurors, and walked over to touch the arm of one of the younger members. "After you, then." Shacklebolt, looking more than slightly bewildered, sighed and nodded at the rest of the group, grabbed Dawlish, and with that they disapperated. The Ministry was built to impress. Black marble walls and floors, halls full of busy staffers, memos flitting above the crowds, all flowing around and leading the eye to center on the larger than life statue presenting an obvious idealization of power- Wizard, robes flowing dramatically, clasping his Wife to his side, surrounded by adoring Muggles, Elves and various other magical beasts. Syaoran schooled his face into a practiced mask of polite interest, noticing the small signs of stratification- shabby, older robes keeping to the sides of the halls with eyes focused down or ahead, while down the center of the halls strolled well-kempt men, discussing various important bits of policy, passively ignoring the crush to either side. The group moved through the center of the halls with little trouble, passing entrances labeled as various sub-departments as they made their way through meandering halls and moving boxes he though were called 'elevators'. Each department was a study in contrasts- some were stiffly silent, supervisors centered in rooms of tiered workstations, while others were busy and bustling. Hey, Bast. This still works? Huh- I'd've thought that since we weren't- whatever. What's up? This place remind you of anywhere? Any office of the Thousand Scales? Or walking down the street of any Imperial city? Getting to know who's who'll be interesting. Usual split, then? Sure, though I'm not sure how well I can blend in here- don't have a good enough sense of the rules here, they seem different from the outside world. "Here we are- m'lad! Err, that's Magical Law Enforcement- Auror Division." "Finally, I can get this issue sorted out! I will not stand for this kind of treatment by muggles I'll have you know! I still don't think they should even be here, this is a violation of-" "Oh shut up Dawlish! Let Madam Bones deal with them, you go sober up at your desk." Kingsley turned to his 'guests'. "If you two will come with me, I'll introduce you to our director, Madam Bones. Right this way please, gentlemen." Nodding, Bast followed, Syaoran a half-step behind as they made their way through the desks and piles of reports to a door far in the back of the room. "Yet again Madam Bones, you have disrupted my evening with a search of my entire house, disrupting my evening plans, and have come up empty handed. This continued persecution of my family cannot be a good usage of Ministry funds, and I fully intend to broach it to the Minister at our lunch this Friday." "Be that as it may, Mr. Malfoy, I have another appointment coming in now, so if you will excuse me..." At that, the door opened and out stepped a tall man in impeccable robes with long, straight white hair. "Ahh, there you are Kingsley! Come in, come in." The woman's voice was confident and relaxed, and as the man walked out Syaoran noticed a concealed twitch of irritation, presumably at the abrupt dismissal. Once the door had closed, Syaoran leaned against it, content to let Bast take the lead. The woman behind the desk looked first at him, then at Bast, before turning to Kingsley. "I assume there's a good reason you brought these gentlemen in? Does it have anything to do with that stink I heard Dawlish making outside?" "Err, yes ma'am. They resisted an Obliviate, and asked to speak to you by name and title, after not recognizing Dawlish when he made clear his status as an Auror." "It's actually more complicated than that, Madam Director." Bast stepped forward. "We're, well, not from around here, and we've just been trying to blend in. I'm Bast, of Wallport, and leaning against your door back there is my brother Syaoran. We're travelers, of a sort, and didn't intend on causing any trouble. Your man back there was causing a scene at a club, and my brother asked him to leave before he offended any other customers. He then attempted to attack us, after which your men arrived and were quite rude in their assumption that we were better off not remembering any of our interaction with Auror Dawlish. This led to a conversation, where it was decided that we had better talk to you before any more unpleasantness occurred, and so here we are." Bast's face was as open as ever, projecting a degree of honesty and straightforwardness that would amaze any observer not caught by its power. "Not from around here, eh? Where, pray, is Wallport then? I've never heard of it, and you seem to be able to do things I thought impossible, and coming from me that's saying a lot." At this , Syaoran pushed off the door. "That's, err, rather more complicated than we want to get into right now, but rest assured we have no desire to make life any more complicated for you than it already seems to be. As for what we can do, Show us yours and we'll show you ours." Bast glared back at his brother. "Not, quite, how I was going to put it, but it would be nice to get a demonstration of what you, err, Wizards are capable of doing. Not everything, by all means, but some idea would be welcome. In return, of course, we'll provide a show of what we do, though how we do it is not really my specialty." "Well then, I think I know just the place! The exams for promotion to Auror are occurring right now, aren't they Shacklebolt? Isn't that daughter of Andromeda's in that class?" "Yes, I do believe so, ma'am." "Good, then we'll go watch, so these gentlemen can get a grasp of what we do, and then maybe they'll grace us with a demonstration once the exams are over." With that, she got up from her desk and headed to the door, pulling the rest along behind her. "Since we'll be in an elevator for a while, go ahead and makes things a little less 'complicated' for me, will you?" She looked at Syaoran and he shivered, swearing his existence as a mouse facing her hungry cat. "Yes'm!" _ "You're right, that is complicated, and I bet that's not the half of it. Well, this should be enlightening for all of us!" The Director led the way out of the elevator after a good six minute trip where she demonstrated just how good she was at getting pertinent information from a long story. Syaoran followed her into a large, open room with various circles and training areas marked out via patterns in the hardwood floor. He had the feeling Director Bones could get any kind of information out of anyone, given enough time in an elevator. "Attention! Director entering!" "At ease everyone! Commandant, how are the exams progressing?" "Well enough, ma'am. No deaths yet, and I hope to keep the injuries below 50% this year!" "Ambitious! Well, carry on, and once these are done I want your best upcoming duelist for a quick exhibition match." Syaoran and Bast watched, impressed, as the exams for Auror continued. Throughout the room, there were trainees taking written exams, dueling each other, dueling teachers, stirring cauldrons, and in general making a racket of noise and light. Syaoran pulled out a pair of sunglasses and put them on, and seemed to look closely at a few particular students, and one of the duelists. She had a carefree arrogant air about her, one that only lasted as long as she didn't move and demonstrate her innate clumsiness. Bast noted that her hair couldn't seem to decide on a color, and would bounce between purple, pink, and various reds depending on how the duel with the student was going. After a time, Bast had wondered over to one of the cauldrons to chat quietly with the proctor while Syaoran stayed watching the duels. Finally, the trainees finished up their exams, and presented their results to the proctors, and the man who Director Bones had introduced as the Commandant made his way over to where she and Syaoran were standing. He was accompanied by the young woman they had noticed earlier, her hair having settled on purple with pink stripes. "This here is Rookie Tonks, ma'am, sir. She does seem to be my best duelist; thanks in part, no doubt, to that training you and your guards have been providing her during her rookie year. Who will she be up against?" I got this one brother. You sure you know what you're doing? We agreed to let me take care of impressions. I know what I'm doing- This will be very beneficial for all of us, if I'm right. If. Syaoran stepped forward, offering his hand. "I have the pleasure of this, Miss Tonks." Tonks took his hand and paused, looking intently at and through him. "Now, I don't want you to go easy on me. In fact, don't hold back at all. I want to see what you can do." Brother? Relax, I got this. If you're interested, open your eyes and look at her. "First to three touches? Any contact, be it spell or otherwise, counts as a touch?" Syaoran looked inquiringly first at Tonks, then at her teachers and mentors. "Just one thing, sir. Rookie, nothing lethal, you understand? I expect you to demonstrate what you've picked up on all that time I let you have at the Director's house with your cousin!" The Commandant looked eager to see the duel regardless of the strictness of his tone. "Any objections?" "When you put it like that, sir, no sir!" A casual grin erupted on her face, a much better fit than the stern look she'd affected for the exams. "Do well or I start running laps until I collapse, I understand sir!" Seeing her grin, Bast settled back with Shacklebolt and the Director. He didn't quite get what Syaoran meant by look, but he figured he'd see soon enough. All he had to do was watch and make sure his brother didn't accidentally kill this mortal, regardless of her talent. Syaoran rolled up his sleeves and strolled out into the middle of the floor before turning to face Tonks, who made her own way out to the floor, leaving a generous amount of space between Syaoran and herself. They turned, and bowed as one. Tonks pulled her wand out, double checked her laces were tied and her hair out of her eyes, then nodded to the Commandant. He looked at Syaoran who nodded, eyes barely leaving Tonks. He watched as she dropped into a ready stance, body turned so as to present a smaller target, wand extended but arm flexed, ready for anything. Her eyes were intense, focusing on nothing and everything, trying to watch his eyes and his torso at the same time- she had figured the distance well, he realized- her shorter stature meant that she had to stand farther to get a good view of him than he would. "Begin!"