Chapter Twelve – Finding Hope
For the first time in many years Robert O'Leary was actually nervous about a meeting with Lady Aydin. In the two weeks since Dawn's revelations six other Slayers had reported dreams similar to Faye's. Two, not unexpectedly were based in London. The other four, however, were on freelance teams working in various areas on the continent. From the imagery in their dreams they found several other enclaves. Several in Paris and a large area in Albania that could fit a small village.
Giles sent out an order that under no circumstances was a Slayer to penetrate these enclaves until they had better information on the people living inside them.
It was becoming clear the Powers that Be wanted the Slayers involved in whatever conflict was happening between the various groups of wand wielders. Convincing Lady Aydin and MI5 to give them the information they needed was critical. Hopefully Willow's method for determining whether a compulsion spell was placed on Lady Aydin would work.
Dawn also acted on her suspicion about the location of the first enclave in Scotland, dispatching two Slayers to make charter flights crisscrossing the area where Dawn figured D'Karsh settled. They managed to find a nearly one thousand square kilometer area of Scotland cut off behind one of the barriers. Everything inside was covered by a powerful concealment spell. One that was completely invisible to the best detection spells Willow and her team could throw at it.
From that information Dawn was forced to revise up her estimates of the wand wielding population to the tens of thousands. She also concluded that groups had obviously migrated back to Europe over the twelve hundred years of their isolation. Robert was fairly certain her estimates were still too low.
Thus far the Council had maintained only passive surveillance on the enclaves discovered in London. Noting people moving in and out the entrances but not following them. Many seemed to wear the same robes as the shopkeeper in Buckland's. The number of people using the entrances they found was too low to account for the numbers that had to be inside. The current theory was that the wand wielders had some kind of mystical means to move between their enclaves. It made sense. Every time they left the enclaves they risked discovery so they obviously developed alternatives.
It was the secrecy surrounding the group that made Robert nervous. It was one thing to point out a dangerous demon cult that MI5 missed. It was quite another to come in with evidence of what had to be the British government's biggest secret regarding the supernatural world. He had no idea how Lady Aydin would react. After hours of discussion the Council finally came up with a strategy for the meeting. Shock and awe. Give Lady Aydin no chance to deny the truth.
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Lady Aydin was equally nervous about the upcoming meeting. The principle function of the Covenant was to keep the Wizarding world isolated from other magic groups. Her belief that the Slayers had discovered that world held very dangerous implications.
She truly hoped they only stumbled on something small. One of the Wizarding estates in London perhaps or an odd magic wielder they'd never encountered before. Something small that she could explain away with ease. Her own talents told her it was foolish hope. But just maybe she would get lucky.
She was reasonably certain the Slayers had not penetrated any of the larger enclaves. At least the Ministry had not come running to her about mystery muggles assaulting Aurors stupid enough to try and wipe a Slayer's memory. And since there were no smoking craters where an enclave used to be, she could assume no one had tried to mess with Willow Rosenberg's memory.
MI5 had no real idea just how powerful Willow Rosenberg was. But many of the magic groups they talked with spoke of her with mixtures of fear, respect and outright awe. That made her someone to tread lightly around.
The intercom buzzed and again Lady Aydin met Robert O'Leary at the door.
"Robert," she said. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?"
Robert took his usual chair in front of her desk and waited for her to get seated. "Lady Aydin, we've encountered some rather strange phenomenon here in London. We were wondering if perhaps you or MI5 could shed some light on them."
"Of course Robert. You know we have always been willing share information when it does not conflict with any existing agreements."
Robert smiled. Here's where the fun begins. He took a folded map out of his satchel and laid it out on the desk. "We've discovered that the areas marked out on this map are all surrounded by mystical barriers."
Lady Aydin looked at the map and froze. Virtually every enclave in London was marked. She saw Diagon Alley, the Ministry, St Mungo's and many of the smaller estates. She felt the binding magic of the Covenant. She simply could not tell him the truth. So how to find a plausible lie to satisfy the Council. She decided to delay. Not a good strategy but it was the best she had.
"How did you discover these barriers?"
"That's unimportant now," Robert could see the tension on her face. He glimpsed down at the ring Willow gave him. Nothing yet. He needed to keep pushing. "The real shocker was encountering these same barriers elsewhere."
He proceeded to pull out a couple of more maps. One showing the prime enclave in Scotland and then a map showing locations found in Paris.
Lady Aydin was stunned. How could they have discovered so much in such a short period of time? The binding magic left her speechless.
Robert continued to press. "There are people living inside these enclaves. They use wands to focus their magic by the way. We know members of this community killed the guard in Wales and were involved a series of murders going back at least twenty years. We know a powerful mage used the Dagger of D'Karsh to revive himself after thirteen years. This killer and his followers are threatening to destroy their world and that destruction is seeping into ours."
Lady Aydin just stared at him. How? It simply wasn't possible for them to learn so much. The binding magic continued to hold her speechless. She could do nothing to confirm or deny what Robert was saying. Finally she found her voice.
"Robert, this situation does not involve the Slayers," she knew that wasn't going to be enough.
"That is where you are wrong," he replied. "We know we are needed to help save these people. We also know that around twelve hundred years ago your family crafted these barriers for them to hide behind. This group was involved in some kind of shadow war with other magic groups. They came to England for protection," he again glimpsed at the ring and saw the gem begin to faintly glow. "As part of this Covenant your family agreed to be placed under a compulsion spell that prevents you from revealing the existence of these enclaves."
"Robert I don't know where you are getting you information but I assure you this situation is under control," she didn't believe her own words but it was all the magic allowed her to say.
Robert held up his hand. She saw a ring. The gem was glowing brightly. "What is that?" she asked.
"Ms Rosenberg created it," Robert replied. "We've been examining some of these peoples' charms and we've encountered examples of the spells they use to wipe peoples' memories. This was created to detect that kind of magic. We assumed if I pushed you hard enough with the truth the spell would have to push back and therefore become easily detected. Hence the glowing gem."
"Impressive," it was the only thing she could say.
"So here's the dilemma as we see it," Robert leaned back in chair. "There is killer and his followers loose inside these enclaves. The people charged with controlling him are either not able or not willing to the job to stop them. That means somebody outside the enclaves is going to have to step in and do it for them. For reasons I won't discuss now, we know we're needed to stop this killer. But we can't just go charging in without potentially disrupting the protective magic. The implications of which we don't know."
Robert paused for a second to collect his thoughts. "You on the other hand have the information we need and we suspect would like allies. The only problem is you can't tell us what we need to know. Have we guessed right so far?"
"I really can't say Robert," which was as close to a confirmation as she could give.
"We looking for a way to free you from those restrictions," Robert replied.
"I'm afraid that's impossible."
At that Robert let out a genuinely warm smile. "Sophia, if there is one thing I have learned in the last five years it is this. The word impossible holds no real meaning for the Scoobies. Oh yes, they will listen politely to what you say. Nod their heads at your explanations for why something cannot be done. And then they will just go and do it anyway."
Robert got up from his chair. "I believe I have taken up enough of your time Lady Aydin. I understand you have a great deal to think about right now. I will just show myself out. When you decide you want our help just give us a call," he turned to leave and stopped short. "One other thing. We have a picture of the man we're looking for in the enclaves." Robert reached into his satchel and pulled out a picture that represented a compilation of the man seen in the Slayers' dreams.
He set it down on Lady Aydin's desk then turned and left.
Lady Aydin found herself looking down a picture of Tom Riddle. It was a less exaggerated image then the one provided by Lovat. Probably more accurate. The Council even knew the face of their enemy.
For one of the few times in her life Lady Aydin found herself literally paralyzed and unable to think a coherent thought. She wondered if the Council even knew what it had accomplished in learning so much about the Wizarding world. Individual enclaves had been breached from time to time over the centuries. Individual or small groups of wizards caught outside the enclaves. But those instances were easy to control and explain away.
The Council had detailed information on the locations of dozens of enclaves and had managed to determine that they were all connected by the same root magic. They learned of the Covenant and its connection to the Crown and her family. Someone from the Council had to find the common threads among dozens if not hundreds of disparate sources. Many of those sources in the possession of groups that, prior to their contact with new Council, would never have agreed to share such information with outside groups.
Lady Aydin knew her own mistake in dealing with this new Council. She kept viewing it through old lenses. She still saw it as a small group devoted to the Slayer and one part of the war. A group that jealously guarded its secrets and did not work well others. The new Council was far larger and far more willing and active in forming alliances between various magic communities.
What they've done here should have been impossible. And yet they did it. Maybe they could find a way out of the Gordian knot the Covenant placed her in. The knowledge that only real leverage she had over the Wizarding world was destroying their protections. A simply unacceptable option.
For the first time since learning of Riddle's return Lady Aydin felt that this could end in something other then mass slaughter in the Wizarding world and magic war on a level never seen before. She found hope.