Death in a Dog-Collar

by Argonaut57

Diocesan Conferences are not meant to be fun, but the murder of a vicar on the first day, followed by a total lockdown, makes this one worse than usual! Fortunately, Draco Malfoy, Agent of SHIELD, in on hand. Also, whether Draco likes it or not, his investigation is going to be assisted by the Reverend Sandra Granger-Whitston, cousin to Hermione and occasional psychic investigator!

1. Chapter 1

Death in a Dog-Collar

Chapter One: The Fallen Priest

Diocesan Conferences, the Reverend Dr Sandra Granger-Whitson believed, were intended as training for Purgatory. Not that she, as a Church of England vicar, believed in Purgatory – it was the other lot that did that. But all things considered, three days in a mediocre hotel, listening to dry as dust presentations, breakout sessions which invariably ended with circular arguments between conservatives and liberals, bland food and awkward 'socials' where nobody felt able to get even slightly tipsy, should have been worth the remission of the odd peccadillo! Even the arguments were carefully polite! What made it worse was that Peter, who occasionally attended Banking Conferences, came back full of stories about five-star hotels, riotous paint-balling matches, jacuzzis, fine dining and getting noisily hammered in the evening with like-minded number-crunchers!

Not that this one was quite as bad as previous ones had been. This hotel boasted four stars, a gym and a swimming pool, and if Sandra chose to utilise the times set aside for 'private prayer and meditation' to make use of these facilities, that was her way of meditating! The change might have been because their elderly, male and conservative Bishop had recently been replaced by a younger, liberal, female one. This had the effect of making Sandra and the, still relatively small, cohort of women priests feel a trifle more comfortable and a trifle less like so many pork pies at a vegan wedding!

Anyway, this mornings' 'ice-breaker' exercise, involving exchanging two of her funniest clerical experiences with a stranger, had gone well enough. Fortunately her randomly-chosen 'partner' for the exercise had been a jovial old fellow with a keen eye for the dafter side of their vocation. Then the opening address, outlining the themes and aims of the event, had been delivered by the Bishops' Chaplain, a husky young man who was almost an incarnation of 'muscular Christianity'. The themes themselves ran on the lines of renewal, regeneration, outreach, social justice, equality and diversity and the dangers of the 'new and militant strain of atheism being promoted by public intellectuals'. Not a word about doctrinal purity, uniformity of Christian teaching and tradition. The Bishop was due to give her keynote address the following morning, and for the first time in years, Sandra was looking forward to it. But now, pleasantly full of smoked salmon sandwiches and blackcurrant cheesecake, and fortified with a glass of Chardonnay and a very good cappuccino, Sandra was coming into the atrium. People were already there, milling about, preparing for the first of the afternoons' two breakout sessions.

It was then that the man caught her eye. She and Peter had agreed from the first that while both were married, neither was blind – there was no harm in looking. This chap was certainly eye-catching; about six-two, slim, blond hair receding at the front but long enough for a ponytail at the back, handsome in a cold way. But he carried himself with an air of confidence and authority that was at once obvious but not overbearing. He wore a dark blue suit over a pristine white shirt and a tie the pattern of which Sandra recognised at once.

Definitely not a priest, but then there were several lay people here. Mostly guest speakers or facilitators for the breakouts; academics, finance people, Equality and Diversity experts and, this year, security consultants. Apparently the number of break-ins and the amount of vandalism affecting churches had ramped up to the extent that it was thought wise to hold some sessions on security measures. This man was too smartly and expensively dressed for an academic or a trainer, and lacked the energy and excitability of a salesman. One of the Security people then. But the tie…!

Then there was a loud, but strangled, scream from above and a body plummeted down to land with a sodden thud on the floor near the middle of the room. Amid the shouts, screams and general chaos, Sandra made use of her height and athletic build to make her way to the spot.

The man lay spreadeagled on the floor. Average height and build, perhaps in his forties, dressed as a vicar in a dark suit and dog-collar. The once pleasant-looking face was distorted in an expression of fear and agony. There were no visible wounds or injuries, but even as she knelt to check for a pulse, Sandra knew he was quite dead. She stood up again and held up a hand -people were beginning to approach.

"Stay back, everyone, please!" She said clearly and firmly. "You mustn't come too close or touch anything near here!"

XXXXX

Draco Malfoy had little time and less patience for religion, on the whole. Traditionally, wizards held that all life came from the One, who lived outside the Material Realms, and that the souls of mortal beings went back to the One after death. The One required no worship, sacrifice or temples, and made no laws or rules. It was not even clear whether souls were judged after death. Beyond that, all other gods, including the Abrahamic God, were deemed to be emanations or fragments of the One, but as immortals, they were bound to the Universe and must remain there until it ended. These gods were limited, often capricious and occasionally downright unpleasant, but could be petitioned for favours in a variety of ways. Like many Pureblood wizards, Draco took the view that if he left them alone, they would leave him alone!

But religion was a powerful force in muggle life, even now. The events of 2008 had had a 'swings and roundabouts' effect on muggle faiths. Confronted with the truth of extraterrestrial life, many had abandoned their faith, while an almost equal number, faced with the unremitting evil of the Daleks, had turned to faith in the hope of protection against further attacks. Unfortunately, some of these new converts took the view that the Dalek attack had been ordained by God as a punishment and a warning for a humanity that had strayed from the proper path. On the one hand, some of them were harmless types who wanted nothing more than for humanity to abandon its cities and technology for a simple, Amish-like pastoral life. Others were, predictably, obsessed with sex and sexuality and how to control and preferably suppress it. But there were others; those who had decided that humanity had been punished for allowing Devil-spawn to live among them.

By Devil-spawn, they meant Mutants and Metahumans, by and large, but of course most of them also believed in witches and wizards. In the old days, of course, the White Council and the various Ministries had been able to employ relatively simple methods to keep such people off the track of real wizards. But nowadays, things were different. The internet, and the rather over-dramatically named 'Dark Web', had now made it possible, if not altogether cheap or easy, to piece together a pattern which might lead to unwanted discoveries. Especially since some wizards had taken to using the technology to tout for business among muggles. Not just selling potions or good luck charms, but actually hiring themselves out as 'consultants' or 'specialists' in 'paranormal', 'psychic' or 'spiritual' matters. Wizard secrecy was in greater danger now than it had ever been, and the White Council, unsure of how to deal with a threat rooted in muggle technology, had turned to SHIELD.

Which was why Draco was here. To meet with the Bishop, who like all Anglican Bishops was 'in the know', and a select few clergy affiliated either with SHIELD, the Ministry of Magic, or both, to see what could be done.

That was, of course, before a dead body dropped into the middle of the atrium! His first reaction was to get clear – this was not a SHIELD matter. His 'security consultant' cover was as thin as tissue and he would inevitably be identified as a SHIELD agent by local law enforcement. As one of the 'funny people', he would be automatically a suspect. The idea of spending several hours in a police station saying "No comment." until someone from SHIELD arrived to verify him did not please Draco, so he made for the exit.

But someone was there before him, an angry middle-aged couple, surrounded by luggage, the husband berating the manager.

"We've paid up, we've got a train to catch!" He was saying. "So you can damned well let us out!"

The manager spread his hands. "I assure you, sir, we are not deliberately detaining you. Our system has somehow been overridden and gone into a full lockdown. We're trying our best, but the phones are out as well!"

Dracos' smartphone had begun to vibrate. He slipped into the cover of a large planter and took it out. It was a SHIELD model, built by Stark International, magic compatible, and Draco had added several charms to the already impressive array of apps it carried. The screen informed him that the lockdown was not only physical, but magical as well. He frowned, then pulled out his wand and made a couple of changes. Then he went over to the group by the door.

"Excuse me!" He interrupted. "I am afraid it was I who overrode the system. My name is Draco Malfoy and I work for SHIELD. Here are my credentials.

"We have reason to believe that a person of interest in various acts of cyber terrorism is currently in this hotel. He is an extremely dangerous individual and we cannot afford to let him leave. I am afraid I must rely on your discretion, can you please maintain, at least for now, that the lockdown is a system malfunction of unknown origin? I am sure that Mr Symons here will allow you to return to your room and continue to use the facilities. SHIELD will of course reimburse the hotel and yourselves for any inconvenience.

"May I take your names?"

The man was now looking at Draco keenly. He was a big man, and fit-looking, but his face under the flaxen hair was gaunter and more lined than it should have been, and the blue eyes were those of a man who has met his demons. Those same eyes that had focused on Dracos' tie for a moment before meeting his.

"I'm Dudley Dursley, and this is my wife, Judith." He said, then put out his hand. "I've got a cousin in the same kind of line as you, Mr Malfoy. If you need an extra pair of hands, or a former boxing champion, give me a shout!"

Draco shook the hand firmly but briefly, and nodded.

"Thank you, Mr Dursley.

"Mr Symons, tell your staff to keep everyone calm and as far as possible to carry on as normal. Should I need anything, I will let you know, but for now, all I require is a pass key."

"Take mine." The manager said. "It has full access."

Draco nodded and made his way back to the atrium. It was almost certain that the incident there had something to do with the lock-in. As he walked, he tried to recall where he had heard the name Dursley before.

He had to gently push his way through the crowd there until he came close to the body, which was lying where it had fallen, in a ring of clear space commanded by a woman vicar. She was tall and athletic-looking, dressed in black trousers, jacket and sweater, with a dog-collar and a silver crucifix. But there was something about the mane of bushy brown hair, and the oval face with its direct, fiercely intelligent brown eyes and slightly prominent front teeth that Draco found naggingly familiar.

"You can't come any closer." The voice was a pleasant alto that nonetheless carried a certain friendly authority. "Not until the police get here. Has anyone called them?"

Draco held up his ID, then raised his voice and spoke to the crowd in general. "Ladies and gentlemen! This is now a SHIELD operation. This hotel is now in a state of lockdown until this unpleasantness has been satisfactorily resolved

"I advise that for the moment you return to your rooms and remain there until further notice." He lowered his voice and spoke to the elegant Black woman who stood near the front. "Your Grace, I will meet with you when I have competed a preliminary investigation here, and we will discuss further steps."

She nodded to him, then turned to the crowd. "Come along, everyone!" She called. "We are in the hands of the Lord and SHIELD! The Lord may be loving and forgiving, but SHIELD agents can be a bit more cranky!"

The brunette made to follow her colleagues, but Draco held up a hand.

"I think we need to speak, Reverend…?"

"Sandra Granger-Whitson." She replied. "You can call me Sandra, everyone does."

"I see." Draco replied. "You may call me Agent Malfoy. Everyone does."

The grin with which she greeted his response indicated a certain independence of mind.

"So," she asked, "how come a wizard is working for SHIELD?"

"I beg your pardon?" Draco was nonplussed.

She pointed to his tie. "I wasn't sure until I saw it close to, but that's an Old Hoggian tie. At least it has the Hogwarts crest on it. The only other one I've seen has red and gold stripes, though, not green and silver. My cousins' husband has one."

"Your cousin…?" Things fell into place; name, appearance, awareness of the wizard world. "Her name is not Hermione, by any chance?"

"You know her?" She seemed pleased.

"Everyone knows Mrs Hermione Weasley." Draco said heavily. "But, for my sins, I attended Hogwarts at the same time she did!"

Sandra frowned. "Wait, wait!" She said, half to herself. "Green and silver, that's Slytherin, right? Agent Malfoy…you're Draco!"

"Guilty as charged." Draco replied. "I assume your cousin has told you a great deal about me, much of which will have been less than complimentary?"

She giggled. "You might say that!" She replied. "The story goes you were a stuck-up pain in the bum for the first few years. Then when the trouble started – Hermi doesn't go into details about that -your folks dragged you along with them into some nasty stuff. But in the end, your Mum at least realised you were all on the wrong side and helped Harry Potter out. Since then, you've turned your life around and become one of the good guys. Although Ronnie says you're, quote, 'Still enough of a bastard to be useful!'. Nobody told me you were with SHIELD, though!"

"No reason why they should." Draco allowed. "An admirably succinct summing-up of my career to date, Reverend. You appear to be blessed with a memory and intelligence equal to your cousin."

"More or less." Sandra said. "But I'll admit to being a bit more scatty than Hermi."

"I have known Cybermen that were 'a bit more scatty' than your cousin." Draco declared. "Also, Daleks who were considerably less opinionated and strident."

Sandra laughed. "You definitely know her!" She replied. "She was only like that to cover the insecurity, you know! Since Ronnie took her in hand, she's been so much better."

It occurred to Draco that anyone who would refer to, and presumably address, the formidable and occasionally irascible Ron Weasley as 'Ronnie' must be possessed of considerable courage. That or be completely barking mad.

"Quite." He said. "So, now that we have exchanged credentials, as it were, we should proceed with business. Would you be so good, Reverend, as to relate your perceptions as to what occurred here?"

"Call me Sandra." She told him. "I'm going to call you Draco, so you may as well.

"So, I was coming in here just after lunch -for the record, I'd only had one glass of wine – heading for that big screen so I could see which room my session was going to be in. I heard a scream, and then this poor chap landed on the floor here. Everyone started running around like headless chickens, so I came over to look at him. He was quite dead, so I was trying to keep people off him until the police arrived."

"I see." Draco considered. "You seem to have retained your composure remarkably well, unlike others."

"Panicking doesn't help anything." She pointed out. "Besides, I've seen worse."

"Quite so." Draco acknowledged. "You are sure that life was quite extinct?"

"Oh, yes!" Sandra stated. "I mean, I checked for a pulse and everything, but I already knew he was gone." She glanced around, then spoke in a lower tone. "I'm a low-level Psyker -there was no brain activity. I think he was dead before he fell."

"Interesting." Draco said. He looked up. "I suspect that he fell from the mezzanine, as there is little or no evidence of damage from the fall itself."

Sandra followed his gaze. "Makes sense." She agreed. "If he'd fallen from anywhere higher, there'd have been more splat than thud!"

"Elegantly put." Draco replied drily.

Sandra giggled, then sobered. "I suppose we'd better find out who this poor bloke was!"

"No need." Draco said. "He was one of the people I was here to meet. The Reverend Michael Greensmith, Vicar of All Saints Church, Upper Stylingham. His half-brother, Alan Greensmith, is a Newblood wizard employed at the Ministry of Magic.

"I think we need to examine the primary crime scene. It is unlikely that the perpetrator is still in situ, but I strongly suggest you stay behind me until we are sure of that."

"Ronnie would've just said 'I'll take point'." Sandra told him. "Don't worry, Draco, this isn't my first rodeo!"

"Yipee-ki-ay!" Draco murmured sourly, then went up the stairs, noting that Sandra remained close enough to assist, but far enough away not to get in his way.

The mezzanine ran round three sides of the area, and was the location of the breakout rooms used in conferences. At various points, corridors let off it to allow access to the service areas, while in the middle of the longest wall was a large recessed area containing the stairs and lifts giving access to the upper and lower floors. It was close to this area that the dead man had fallen. Draco examined the balustrade.

"He definitely fell from here." He reported. "The rail is sturdy, but there are fragments of fabric from his jacket caught on these decorative studs. He must have been either struck with some force, or lifted and thrown, as the rail is quite high."

He turned. "I surmise that his assailant must have emerged from here. Either the lift or the stairs. Probably the latter, since they will be less well-used and provide fewer witnesses. Certainly the stairs will have been used for egress.

"Are you well, Rev…Sandra?"

She was standing near the balustrade, facing the stairwell door, eyes closed, face blank. When Draco spoke, she opened her eyes but didn't focus on him.

"Green." She said. "I'm getting green. Not nice grass and leaves green. Poison green. And pain, lots of pain, but not lasting for long…." She shook her head as if to clear it, then looked directly at Draco again.

"Traumatic events leave echoes." She said. "If they're strong enough or recent enough, I can sometimes pick them up. There was something green, and that poor man was in a lot of pain, but for a very short time!"

Draco nodded. "The Killing Curse." He said. "You confirm my suspicions."

"You're not sceptical at all?" She asked. "How sweet of you, Draco!"

"I am never sweet." Draco told her firmly. "SHIELD employs Psykers in a variety of capacities and I have always found them to be reliable, if occasionally eccentric. As to yourself, you are of course a Granger, a bloodline which is also reliable, if invariably eccentric.

"Well, this seems to be what the woodentops would call the primary crime scene. There is little to be gathered here, even if we had a forensic expert. The place is too well-frequented.

"I think we had best speak with the Bishop before proceeding further."

XXXXX

The Bishop, of course, had a suite rather than a room, because the suites had a workspace, the one they were sitting in now. She seated herself at the table, flanked by her brawny chaplain, the Rev John Craddock, and a stocky man with iron-grey, short-cropped hair and a weathered face who despite his canonical dress had a military air.

"This is the Very Reverend Stephen Sillitoe," the Bishop introduced him, "former Major in the Second Parachute Regiment, now Dean of the Cathedral Chapter and, as such, my mortal enemy!"

"Only," Sillitoe replied in a gravelly tone, "when you try to turn the Cathedral into a party venue rather than a house of God!"

"Stephen doesn't think people should enjoy themselves in Church." The Bishop explained.

"That's what the fetes and garden parties are for." Sillitoe countered with a wry grin before turning to Draco. "We've not had the opportunity to meet so far, Agent Malfoy. I'll admit I was none too pleased at having a SHIELD operative here in place of our usual Ministry of Magic liaison officer. That said, the current situation makes your presence a stroke of luck.

"But who's your friend here?"

"This is the lady we were discussing last week, Stephen." The Bishop told him. "Sandra Granger-Whitson from St Judes' Alfstonleigh. The one with the important connections and interesting talent she neglected to divulge to us!"

"My talent, if you want to call it that, is very minor, Your Grace, but I don't know about important connections!" Sandra said.

"Ah!" This was Craddock. ""So you don't consider being first cousin to the Head of Research and Records at the Department of Magical Enforcement to be an important connection? Even if her husband is Head of Aurors and her brother-in-law Director of Magical Enforcement?"

Sandra held up her hands. "Whoa, there!" She said. "I'm still just a muggle vicar! Your Grace, Hermione almost never talks to me about her work! I knew she was a civil servant of some kind, and that Ronnie is a wizard policeman, an Auror. But beyond that, they don't tell and I don't ask. We're family, we have a lot of other things to talk about. Besides, I thought I wasn't supposed to talk to people about wizards and so on!

"I didn't know you even knew about the Ministry of Magic and all that!"

"Touche." The Bishop allowed. "My predecessor was a traditionalist who was at best reluctant in his engagement with the Ministry, and less than zealous in background checks on the families of clergy, at least in that regard. We had a lot of catching up to do."

"Why bother?" Sandra asked. "In fact, why be in contact with the wizards at all?"

The Bishop shrugged. " Certainly, most Pureblood wizards are by no means religious, are they Agent Malfoy?"

"Not in any conventional sense." Draco agreed. "Most of us believe in a Supreme Being or creator, but do not regard them as being in any way concerned with human matters."

"Quite." The Bishop replied. "However, there are a certain number of Half-bloods and a rather larger number of Newbloods who were raised in a faith and continue to practice it. Many of them are members of the Anglican Communion. Given that, we felt it important that some level of communication with the wizard government be established and maintained. These people remain, after all, our communicants and parishioners, we have a duty of care as much as the Ministry does."

"What happened to burning witches?" Draco enquired. "It used to be quite a popular pastime among the faithful!"

"That was mostly the other lot." Sillitoe told him. "The verse most often used to justify such actions was "Maleficos non patieris vivere". Which was often translated as 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live'. A more accurate translation, however, is 'Thou shalt not suffer an evildoer to live'. While the Old Testament inveighs against familiar spirits, interpreters of dreams, augurs and necromancers at various times, there is little or no Biblical authority for the persecution of actual witches and wizards.

"In any event, now we've done our due diligence on Sandra, we were planning to draft her into our 3M Working Group."

"3M?" Sandra asked.

"Magic, Mutant and Metahuman Working Group." The Bishop clarified. "Our cure of souls is not restricted to normal humans, muggles if you prefer. Whatever people may think, Gods' grace and mercy, as well as Jesus' message, extends to these others as well. As someone with wizard family and who is herself a Mutant, albeit low-level, you'd be a considerable asset, Sandra.

"Speaking of which, you were here to speak to the 3M meeting today, Agent Malfoy. We should all have been settled into our sessions three-quarters of an hour ago. What have you found and what should we do?"

"I believe," Draco said, after a brief recounting of what he and Sandra had discovered, "that the best course would be to carry on as normal. I can arrange storage of the remains in a few minutes. Finishing the sessions late should not prove difficult, as there is an extended period of free time between them and dinner.

"I have every reason to suspect that the perpetrator remains on-site. I would have been aware of any disapparation in the vicinity, as the action is both physically and magically noisy. I am also aware that there were no active Portkeys in the building, it is something I habitually check on entry. I have made certain…arrangements…which will preclude anyone leaving by magical means. For now, we are still locked down. It is my hope that whoever is responsible will be forced to come for me if they wish to escape. Being in harms' way, as the saying goes, is an integral part of my occupation. That said, you would be wise to advise your people to remain together or at least in sight of each other for the time being. There is safety in numbers."

XXXX

On finally consulting the meetings board, Sandra discovered that she had indeed been co-opted into the 3M session rather than the Mothers' Union one she'd signed up for. Cheeky gits! She thought. But by now, of course, she was interested. The group, including the Bishop, her Chaplain, the Dean, the Diocesan Archdeacon and herself, was only a dozen or so strong, even though the diocese was a large one, and Sandra didn't recognise any of the other clergy there.

The Bishop, as Chair, began by explaining the situation.

"As we all know, there has been a resurgence, across all faiths and denominations, of certain intolerant attitudes. Specifically, a school of thought which regards all empowered humans as inherently evil and, dare I say, Satanic in nature. While these remain a minority as yet, they seem to be acquiring an undue degree of influence in some quarters. Why that is, we're not sure. But we think that external influences are involved. Not politicians or cults. Something a little more clandestine. Something we're not equipped to handle alone.

"So we decided to call in a little assistance. I'd like to introduce Agent Draco Malfoy from the Strategic Hazard Intervention and Espionage Logistics Directorate. We're hoping he can tell us what support is available, and what to look out for. I'm also hoping he can tell us a bit more about SHIELD and dispel a few myths and legends for us. Agent Malfoy?"

"Thank you , Your Grace." Draco said. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. The Strategic Hazard Intervention and Espionage Logistics Directorate was formed in 2009 from the remains of a United States government organisation which had been in operation since the 1950s. This new iteration was, however, formed and run under the auspices of the United Nations and the White Council. The White Council being, for those unfamiliar with the term, the worldwide governing body for wizards and Magical Creatures.

"SHIELDs' primary remit is liaison between and oversight of a number of organisations concerned with the detection and removal of global threats. SHIELD acts as an information exchange as well as coordinating joint operations and ensuring that the various other organisations do not act at cross purposes. We also provide strategic analysis and logistical support as needed.

"We oversee several organisations. The United Network Command for Law Enforcement deals with international organised crime and terrorism. Nemesis is primarily a counter-espionage agency but also pursues war criminals, professional agitators and those guilty of crimes against humanity. The Strategic Homeworld Alien Defence Organisation monitors for potentially hostile extraterrestrial activity. Any necessary military action is undertaken by the Unified Intervention Taskforce. Project Pegasus is a global research and development task force looking at new and safe ways to generate energy as well as methods of preserving and restoring natural environments. The Xavier Institute conducts research into Mutant and Metahuman genetics and origins, detects, contacts, classifies and trains newly-emergent Mutants and Metahumans but also maintains X-Force teams to contain or neutralise dangerous ones.

"SHIELD also maintains cooperative relations with several privately-run and funded operations such as the Knight Foundation for Law and Government, the Phoenix Foundation, International Rescue and the Pacific Rim Defence Corporation.

"Finally, SHIELD itself has three active Divisions. The best known of these is Avengers Division, an elite strike team of extraordinary individuals who can be deployed worldwide in exceptionally dangerous situations. Then there is the Wizardry and Necromancy Division, which deals with supernatural threats that lie outside the remit or capabilities of the magical authorities. Finally, there is Special Operations, of which I am a member; specialists in various fields, operating as individuals or teams, as and when needed.

"I myself am a wizard, but have spent several years as part of an SO team investigating the involvement of wizards in muggle terrorist or criminal organisations.

"Does anyone have any questions before I go into specifics?"

"I do." The Bishop said. "This may sound silly, but I'm sure I'm not the only person here who isn't sure of the difference between a Mutant and a Metahuman? Isn't one automatically the other?"

"By no means." Draco told her. "As I understand the matter, Mutations can range from simple polydactyly – the possession of extra fingers and toes – to Omega-level Psykers and Elementals such as Charles Xavier or Ororo Monroe. By far the majority of Mutants have no 'powers' at all, and their mutations are things which can be dealt with by simple surgery or even ignored. Many others have only minor talents, such as a low level of telepathy, the ability to see in the dark, or a faster metabolism.

"Of course, the other major difference is that Mutants are born with their abilities, though these often do not manifest until the onset of puberty, while Metahumans acquire theirs by various means. Such means include, but are not limited to, experimentation, accident, the discovery of an ancient or non-terrestrial artefact, or even the design and construction of a device.

"So to put the matter simply, the abilities of Mutants are innate, whilst those of Metahumans are acquired.

"Any other questions?"

"Just one." A petite blonde vicar asked. "Where do wizards and witches come into this?"

"That remains something of a mystery." Draco allowed. "We have certainly been around for far longer than either Mutants or Metahumans. This despite the theories of some historians and archaeologists that both Metahumans and Mutants have been present for longer than many think. They base this, rather fancifully, on the tales of various heroes and demigods that are part of many mythologies

"Wizard history is certainly as long as muggle history, and in many places more complete and continuous because we have not suffered from the destruction of records which causes the gaps in muggle accounts. But there is no record of wizards inventing writing any earlier than anyone else. The most common, and most logical, theory is that wizards are simply a sub-species of humans. On the other hand, some of our oldest legends speak of a race called the Star-Folk who came out of the west, some of whom married 'children of men'. The offspring of these marriages are deemed to be the ancestors of wizards. A not unusual ethnic origin myth. There is an ongoing, and occasionally acerbic, debate between the Xavier Institute and the White Council regarding the possibility or propriety of mapping the wizard genome. I do not expect agreement to be reached in my lifetime!"

There was a general chuckle at this -clergy are accustomed to the notion of generations-long debates. In the absence of further questions, Draco continued.

"It is unfortunate that while organisations such as the United Nations and SHIELD strive to protect and foster the rights and freedoms of all people, there are other bodies and organisations, equally wealthy, powerful and sophisticated, whose aims are entirely different. One of the largest of these is the fascist group known as HYDRA, which continues to bedevil us. Advanced Idea Mechanics is a cabal of technocrats intent on replacing democracy with a hierarchy of intelligence, guided by logic and science. There remain a number of wizard and Mutant supremacist groups, though these spend more time fighting among themselves than anything else. There are the Royal Families, a loose alliance dedicated to restoring various overthrown monarchies and bloodlines to power. Then there are numerous terrorist groups, representing different religions and ideologies. Of course, we have organised crime; the Mafia, drug cartels and the rest. Finally there are certain mercenary groups, the largest of which is SPECTRE, who for a sufficient fee, will undertake tasks for anyone with little regard for their legality or morality.

"It is the belief of the White Council, and SHIELD, that the fomentation of divisions between muggles and empowered humans is part of a deliberate policy by at least one of these groups.

"As by far the largest and most secretive group of empowered humans, wizards will be a prime target. Mutants and Metahumans are what might be classed as low-hanging fruit. They are already known to the public at large, and though powerful, they are relatively few in number and their abilities have been extensively studied by muggles. Wizards number in the millions, and have never been studied in the same way. This makes us an asset, a valuable one. To reveal the existence of wizards to the general public would cause disruption enough. To present them as a threat would cause widespread panic and hostility. We would be forced to defend ourselves, which would make matters worse. The resulting chaos would be a great opportunity for extremist groups to seize power by throwing their considerable weight behind one faction or the other.

"In order to prevent this coming to pass, the White Council has requested that SHIELD, with our greater resources and expertise, look into the matter. The churches are clearly being targeted, so I am here to formally request your support in the investigation.

"This is the plan of action…"