Chapter 10: What I do for a Living

I woke when warm sunlight fell across my face. Mister was sleeping by my head, purring loudly and making the whole bed vibrate.

For a moment all was right in the world. All was quiet, sound, perfect.

For that moment I didn't need to get up, rescue someone, save the day.

Except I did. I needed to.

So I sat up, curious why no one woke me in the middle of the night, bringing the supplies needed for the spell.

Curious and suddenly very worried I bolted out of bed, tripping over my duster which I had apparently failed to take off before passing out. Quickly I righted myself and burst into the other room, finding all the things I needed and a couple of notes on the table.

The first was in McGonagalls' handwriting, the other in one choppier and more akin to chicken-scratch that was trying to be calligraphy.

I picked up the letter from the Headmistress first and opened it.

"Commander Dresden,

I send this letter along with the supplies requested by your spirit. Please keep him under tighter reign, he appears to have taken a few "detours" to get to my office and caused quite a stir in most of the women's lavatories along his way here.

I have also received word from Captain Luccia that you are required to be in Oklahoma during some time over the month of October, I will arrange with Potter to have him take over your classes for the time being. It is not unusual for our Defense against the Dark Arts professors to take care of their main jobs during their course of stay here at Hogwarts.

Please alert me once you have awakened and are ready to perform the spell.

Headmistress Minerva McGonagall"

I felt taken aback, she knew I had passed out. I also was rather angry that Bob had taken a few liberties on the assignment I sent him on, but I wasn't overly surprised that he had. I'd have to spell out exactly where he was or wasn't allowed to go every time I let him out it'd seem.

I picked up the next letter and opened it.

"Commander,

We knocked on the door and broke in when you didn't answer. Teddy discovered you sleeping and unable to wake, so we just left some of Viccys hair in an envelope on the table next to the items you were collecting.

We'll let you sleep, let us know when you're ready to go.

Ronald Weasley"

I noted the aforementioned envelope simply marked with "Viccys Hair" in Rons sprawling handwriting. I set the letters down together on a different table and yanked Bobs skull out of my room.

"Bob, I swear after this I'm sticking you in my sock drawer." I growled, still in a bad mood from yesterday.

"Oh comon Boss, you know I need to have some fun now and again. Plus I've already read through everything you brought for me like twenty times. I'm BORED." He whined.

"That's no excuse, they're minors."

"Not all of them."

I put his skull down a little too hard on the table, his orange eyelights widened in mock pain for just an instant.

"My word, you do have quite the temper this morning." He complained.

"Oh be quiet Bob and tell me about this spell."

"Fine." He said the word like it was a curse. "It's simple. I'm assuming they've traveled further out of your normal range, so this will show you where they are the instant you cast the spell, so let's hope they're not on the move."

"By now they probably found a spot to hole up in and hide." I pointed out.

"That would be a wise guess." He agreed. "Using Ways or any of the cheats this little Amish community has they could travel to where they wanted to work their nefarious plots out of relatively fast and easily."

"Now, this spell?"

"Oh right." His skull clunked as he spun around on the table, looking at everything we had to work with. "Good, looks like it's all here. It's more ritualesque than you're used to, Boss, so do be careful so you don't muck it up."

"I'm always careful, Bob, you know this."

He laughed and just wouldn't stop. "You know you're not THAT careful." He pointed out. "But, luckily, there's only one part where you really need to focus on." His eyelights again scanned over the items we had. "Looks like the maps are just of Europe. Let's hope he didn't jump ship and go off the continent."

"Can you pin-point from this map?" I asked.

"Not exactly, but she should be in the exact center of what's left. From there once you get in that range you should be able to use your normal tracking spell just fine for her exact location."

"So you're telling me this is just a general spell?"

"With how big an area we need to potentially work with, you're lucky I didn't ask for a world map." He swung his gaze back to me. "As is there is a pretty good chance we might still need one."

"You think he could have jumped to Chicago?" I rose an eyebrow. "He'd have to go to the Headquarters for that route."

"Not exactly." Bob pointed out. "Remember, they have spells in this community to bypass some of the more dangerous parts of the Ways. The wizards think it's akin to teleportation, though they call it different names, but they still can come across trouble when they pass through the Never Never to use the spell. They call it "splicing" but I call it getting your ass kicked without you knowing."

"Which means that they could be anywhere in the world. Especially if Fenrir knows how to navigate any of the Ways."

"Now you're getting it. So, let's do this spell and hope he decided to stay relatively nearby."

I took one of the maps and laid it fully flattened on the table. "So, what do I do?"

"First take that pane of glass and put it over that map you laid flat. The second map and the glass are not really needed, but it does help knowing exactly where your little burn circle ends up."

"Will they be able to know I cast it?" I asked as I gently moved the glass to cover the page.

"This spell? Undetectable. Unstoppable."

"How?"

He rolled his eyes at me. "Because it's a general spell, Harry. It doesn't tell you exactly where they are, but rather gets you in the ballpark. You still have to do all the legwork when you get there."

That worried me, a tracking spell that couldn't be blocked or in some ways altered. Even if they still had to track you down with a close in enough map that'd be rather easy. "How many people know about this spell, Bob?"

"Oh loads, it's been used on television for years. Only they do it wrong."

"And you can do it right?"

"Of course I can, what do you take me for?" He scoffed. "The actual spell is far easier to cast then what tv shows. It just takes a little bit more timing to get it right. Next lay the other map on top, make sure they're even so you can best read it when we're done."

"Keeps rolling back up." I growled, losing my patience.

"Then find some way to hold it down. Honestly, you'd think I was the brains of this whole operation you have going. I really should be paid more if I am."

"Tell you what, you behave during the rest of our stay here and I'll give you a full twenty four hour leave when we get home."

His eyes lit up, fully engulfing the sockets, at that idea. "A whole day on the town?"

"A whole twenty four hours. Find whatever brothel or strip club intrigues you."

"Ooohhh, Harry, you don't play fair."

I smirked, though it was a touch forced. "I even hear that Laura is funding a new porno that she's staring in."

I didn't think his eyes could get any wider, yet they did. "There's some small, loose stones by the fireplace, use those at the corners." He was trying to keep a more formal tone of voice, but he couldn't hide the crackling excitement from squeaking through.

I went over and grabbed them, placing them to hold the map down as there was a knock at my door.

"Hush, Bob." I whispered under my breath as I walked by him to get to the door.

Ron, Potter, Teddy, and little Molly were outside.

"Good, you're awake." Ron said, forcing a smile.

"Yea, was getting ready to do the spell." I said, stepping aside so they could come in.

"We just came from Professor McGonagalls office." Potter said as he walked by.

"How's Mouse?"

"No better nor worse than last night." His voice dropped, as if he too was saddened by hurt Mouse was.

"So, how's this spell work?" Ron asked.

Potter looked at the table. "Simple light the map on fire spell?" He asked.

"Exactly!" Bob chirped, his eyelights shimmering.

The kids jumped at the skull talking, Potter and Ron just slowly looked at the skull, then to me. They didn't need to voice the question on their faces, of how I came to have a spirit in a skull helping me.

I shrugged. "Saved him from being killed in a fire, now he serves me."

"Well that's a simple way of stating things, Boss." Bob complained. "But you are technically correct, and that is the best type of correct after all."

"Now, what's the next step?" I asked him, drawing his gaze away from the young girl.

"Ahem, right. Next you want to light the candles, thinking of whoever you want to track. Everyone in the room for that matter should have an image of her in your minds while the candle is being lit." He swung around to face me fully. "Next step is just as mentally important. You, Harry, CANNOT let the image of her drop from your mind as you transfer the flame to the map. You also have to drop her hair onto the map and the candle at the time of contact. They have to touch each other at the same time."

"And if I screw up?"

"Whole map goes up in flames, need to start over."

I sighed, regarding him and the stuff on the table. "Well, everyone focus, and let's make sure we get this done right."

They all nodded but didn't say a word. I noted Potter and Ron were both wearing a similar stone-faced expression I've seen Murph wear when she's working.

I found myself thinking of her, wishing she was here. She'd enjoy taking a break. I shook my head briefly to refocus.

I set a candle on the table next to the hair. Taking in a deep, slow breath like I had spent so many times practicing, I put my focus and will on finding Victoire.

Steadily, I picked up the candle and bent down by the fire, lighting the wick without burning myself or losing focus.

Then I brought it back to the table, lifting the corner of the map with my left hand, keeping the hair in some of my fingers from touching it just then. The whole thing was awkward, but was working.

I dropped the hair, letting it come in contact with the page as soon as the flame touched it. I dropped the hair and the map before I could be burnt.

The flames moved like wildfire, faster than they should have done on their own.

"Good job, Boss, looks like you did it right." Bob noted.

The flames circled the map, then moved inward steadily and with purpose.

Finally, an area in the north of France was left untouched.

"That… that looks like Normandy beach." I noted.

"Then you're going to have one hell of a time finding her from there." Bob said.

Potter and Ron looked at each other. Ron was obviously confused, making me wonder how much he had learned of the World Wars here at Hogwarts. Potter was giving him that "I'll tell you later, don't you dare ask about it now" look that parents would give children.

"Guess we should tell Professor McGonagall and begin preparations." Potter said, moving his gaze from Ron to me.

I gathered up the maps, putting the burnt partial over the intact map to carry it better. "I'm coming with."

He nodded. "Good, and the spirit?"

I set the maps down and picked up the protesting skull. "Bob, told you what I was doing. Now behave and be quiet till I get back."

"But… Booossss." He whined.

"Nope. Not gonna hear it." I shoved him in my sock drawer and closed him in. I gathered the maps back up and took off out the door, my duster making me look drastically epic.

The others followed behind me, Ron pausing only to shut the door.

"I've started gathering the Order of the Phoenix." Potter said, walking abreast with me. "Though it will still be a day or two before they're all here."

"Not sure if we can wait that long." I growled.

"Do we have a choice?" He asked "I'm not sure we have the manpower to storm Normandy."

"Assuming that's where she is." Ron chimed in from the back. "There's plenty of places near there, could be a stop on their way to Paris or something."

He did have a point. Twelve hours to go from Scotland to Normandy Beach would take about that long going by car and boat. But they had magic. Something seemed off.

I froze in my steps, Teddy barreling into me from behind. Potter stopped and turned to face me. "What is it?"

No, it couldn't be. "What's all still at Normandy Beach?" I asked him, wide eyed in realization.

His brow furrowed, hiding his pale scar. "The Nazi…." His eyes widened as well in the sudden thought. "No…." He trailed off.

"I think our Loup Garou was Werwolf." I whispered.

"Well yea, he's a werewolf, we kinda already knew that." Ron pointed out.

Potter shook his head. "No, Ron, Operation Werwolf was a Nazi attempt to get forces behind enemy lines. Our history shows that he used actual werewolves, specifically hexenwolves, to infiltrate and attack from behind. The wizards fighting in the wars is what stopped it from becoming a highly successful maneuver."

"I still don't understand what's so important." Ron shrugged. "The Nazis were defeated."

"Not really." I muttered. "But they have tunnels all over the place in Normandy and Omaha. Fenrir would know them, even the ones we haven't actually seen. The place is a labyrinth."

His eyes widened. "You think he's holed up there."

I nodded. "Maybe it's best we don't wait for the whole Order, a smaller group might be able to get in there faster and without as much notice."

Potter nodded. "I actually agree. We should leave some of Viccys' hair and instructions with Professor McGonagall and be off."

We got back to walking to her office, circumventing Filch and his cat who sat and hissed at us. The man simply glowered as per usual.

Things just kept getting worse and bigger than I wanted them to. And this was supposed to be a simple teaching assignment.