The characters and locations in the world of Harry Potter are the property of J.K. Rowling. My original characters just get to play there.
Chapter 7: Pawn To D5
Benson had been overhearing a lot of grumbling from the residence wing of the embassy. Apparently the Ambassador's son had gotten into a scrape a school last week and the Ambassador and the Missus were still disappointed it had happened. The owl they had gotten from the headmistress at Ilvermorny was a shock, that's for sure, although James sent a letter of his own explaining his side of things.
Benson and the rest of the Aurors were providing tighter security and protection since the original incident at the welcoming dinner and with the beginning of the Muggle war in Europe it got even tighter. Luckily the staff was still getting a day off from duty, rotating of course, and today was his turn finally. There were too many errands he had been force to put off until today.
"Mind yourself out there, John." His boss, Amanda Griffin, had called to him across the Auror's office at the Embassy.
"Don't you worry Griffin, I'm only going for a quick shopping trip to Gossamer. Might even be back before lunch."
"Watch your back, okay? I've had a bad feeling ever since the Muggles started their newest shooting match."
"I will. No flunky of Grindelwald is gonna get the drop on me." He shrugged with a sigh. "We wizards always seemed to get dragged into the thick of it whether we want to or not."
Moving off to the Floo room, Benson traveled to Devlin's and began the walk to the fashion district. Not for new dress robes but for Auror gear, the protective vests and gloves that were the required uniform when on guard detail. His were old and still serviceable but they had taken a beating during the firefight at the welcoming feast. A black scorch mark on the left shoulder of his protective vest was mute testimony to the viciousness of the intruders, who were playing for keeps. At least the cost wasn't going to be out of his own pocket. Equipment like this was part of the Embassy budget and Benson had a voucher to pay for a new one.
Crossing the street, he was too interested in buying the new vest and getting back to Devlin's for a pint. Benson failed to see a shadowy figure in the mouth of an alley a few blocks before the rows of clothiers and never saw the subtle wand movement by the figure, casting silently so there would be no spell to overhear. The irony was that had Benson been wearing a protective vest, there was a chance the spell could have been blocked by the defensive charms of the garment. Instead he was caught under the influence of the Imperious curse.
The wizard controlling Benson had him march past the clothiers and to the restaurant frequented by MACUSA Aurors. The overnight shift of those keeping the No-Maj repelling charms active and functioning were all here getting breakfast after a long night along with a crowd of witches and wizards grabbing a meal before starting their day. The stranger pulling the strings chuckled at the thought of the perfect target. He was a master of this particular Unforgivable and did not need to be in close proximity of the victim to exert his control. Still safely in the shadows across the street, he instructs Benson to raise his wand and attack.
"Bombarda Maxima!"
The outer wall and doors blew inward from the force of the spell. Benson had a grimace on his face as he tried to fight the Imperious but the assailant's will was too strong to overcome. The spells continued to fly and more explosions rocked the restaurant until the whole structure was engulfed in fire. A stoic Benson stood in the middle of the street in front of the carnage, a silent harbinger of vengeance. One last spell sent a whirlwind through the blazing structure, whipping the flames higher into a tornado of destruction. Sharp screams of agony punctuated the eerie silence of the scene on the street but quickly faded away as the owners of the voices perished to ash. Minutes passed as the flames grew and began to roar out of the roof, a counterpoint to the fearful utterings from bystanders. Then the only sound was multiple pop of several witches and wizards apparating into the area. They were MACUSA Aurors and they soon had Benson surrounded, their leader demanding he drop his wand. Before any of them could react, the puppet master had Benson raise his wand and place the tip under his jawline.
"Avada Kedavra."
Benson crumpled to the ground, his last words barely audible over the noise from the fire. The Aurors swore and cursed their luck and began the difficult task of getting the fire put out. Shouts of Aguamenti Maxima competed with the crackling of the burning timber of what was left of the structure. At this point the restaurant was a lost cause; their focus was now keeping the fire from spreading to and destroying the surrounding buildings. The remaining team members were controlling the crowd that was beginning to form, witnesses to the horror of the morning, a mass of humanity that could hamper efforts to put the fire out if they got too close to the scene.
Half an hour later the ruins of the restaurant were nothing but wet smoldering ashes. The Aurors had succeeded in keeping the damage confined to the original building, always a good thing on the densely packed streets Americans preferred in their cities. The dark wizard had been watching the whole thing from the shadows across the street and although he was disappointed the Aurors had stopped the fire he was not surprised. It was their home after all and they would do anything possible to protect it. Benson's body had lain forgotten this whole time. Instinct had made him want to spirit it away while the Americans were occupied but the Master had forbidden it. MACUSA people had to find and examine the body, especially since the Master had instructed him to put his mark on the Brit. The shock of the attack being from a trusted ally would spread suspicion between the two countries. That was what the Master needed if he had any hope of drawing MACUSA to support his side. Poliokov had failed to scare away the British Ambassador's son, although he had thoroughly enjoyed torturing the foolish boy. He would have to settle for ruining the reputation of the boy's father. A disgraced Ambassador would have no standing to dissuade MACUSA from supporting the Master when the wizarding world once again involved itself in a Muggle war. One last look and smile and the Bulgarian disapparated, leaving the plan to unfold.
Ambassador McCrea rubbed the bridge of his nose as he sat roughly behind his desk, well aware of the headache that was forming. It had been a grueling morning talking with the other magical ambassadors about the situation in Europe. The German Muggle army had finished its conquest of Poland and the Chancellor was in talks with his Soviet counterpart to divide it up. William had the full authority of the Minister of Magic to negotiate any treaties between magical communities and England regarding mutual aid and neutrality, but those meetings had been gradually devolving into shouting matches. It was enough to give anyone a headache. There was usually strong cooperation to keep the Muggle world oblivious to the magical one but now nationalism ruled over logic. The bickering would drive any sane person to drink.
"Begging your pardon, Ambassador. You have a Floo call from the MACUSA Secretary of State."
McCrea looked up to see his aide standing in his office doorway. "Let her know I'll take the call here." That left William puzzled, as MACUSA was one of the few representatives not fighting or arguing with a neighbor. Soon the woman's face appeared in the flames of his office fireplace, her features as sharp and stern as the night of the welcoming feast. Had it really been over a month already? "Hello Madam Secretary. I don't suppose this is a social call."
"I'm afraid not Ambassador." Even through the fire her expression was very grave. "I've received word of a tragedy on Gossamer Boulevard. A restaurant frequented by many Aurors of my government was savagely destroyed. The culprit then proceeded to kill himself in full view of the Auror team that responded to the disturbance."
"Quite a tragedy it sounds like, but why are you telling me this Seraphina."
"Preliminary reports indicate that the perpetrator was one of your people William, specifically one of your Aurors. Please tell me all your people are accounted for."
"Everyone is here except John Benson. That's not unusual because it is his day off today and Amanda Griffin, my head of Security, mentioned he had errands to run. I find it very hard to believe he's the one."
"There's another problem. That body in our morgue had the same mark as the ruffians that crashed your party so you better hope that it isn't your missing man."
"A Grindelwald supporter? Now I know it couldn't be Benson. I assume you need someone from our office to come down and identify the dead man? I'll have Griffin stop by this afternoon. You'll make sure they're expecting her?"
"Of course, William." Ms. Picquery paused before continuing. "You realize this will damage relations between our two countries."
"Let us hope 'tis but a wee bump in the road Madam Secretary. A very wee bump." Much like his wife and son, his Scottish burr became more noticeable when the Ambassador was stressed or emotional. He stared at the fire as the Secretary's face disappeared, leaving only a few glowing embers. William McCrea didn't want to believe it but he had to make plans in the event it was Benson's body in MACUSA custody. There would be a lot to answer about to the Minister of Magic and to the MACUSA representative. It was a conversation he was beginning to dread.
James was sitting with Tora and his friends at breakfast the next morning when the post owls began arriving. The majority were carrying newspapers while the rest had the usual post deliveries. He began to notice other students look his way after they had read the front page. It was starting to make James a bit self-conscious. "What's in the news that everyone has to be gawking at me?"
"Don't you get the New York Ghost? Much better than any of the small local papers," Mario said between bites of toast.
"Sorry. Never was much of a news hound," James replied. "So what's the big deal with the headline?"
"Says some Auror went crazy and blew a restaurant to bits," Mario said before taking a bite of his bacon. "Uh oh. A British Auror," he said softly.
"And that's why everybody is staring? Because they think all English are nutters at the core?"
"No James." Tora had begun to read the article over Mario's shoulder. "It says the Auror had the mark of Grindelwald on him. It was that Mr. Benson that was with you when we first met in Gossamer Boulevard."
"Benson? No bloody way he's a Grindelwald supporter. I saw him take out three or four of the sassenachs the night of the welcoming ball! He's a great Auror!"
"Was." Tora whispered.
"What do you mean 'was'?"
"I'm sorry James, but the article said he killed himself when MACUSA Aurors showed up at the scene. The body wasn't identified until late yesterday, otherwise we would have already heard about things."
Numbness washed through the young wizard, a cold inertia that froze him to his seat. He hadn't known Benson long but James refused to believe the man supported a foreign Dark Wizard, one that already had a dangerous reputation on the Continent. What would Grindelwald gain by stirring trouble here, an ocean away from where the real conflict was playing out? He pushed his breakfast around on his plate, lost in thought and motivation to move. But move he must. There were too many things to cover leading up to next exams in Anatomy and Potions. Begrudgingly taking a mug of tea with him, James followed Tora and the rest of the Mediwizard class to their first lecture of the day. He was too wrapped up in his own thoughts to see the brooding look the DADA professor was giving him, a look that would not be out of place on the normally dour Janus Balto. James was too lost in disbelief to see the professor rise and follow him out of the meal hall.
Professor Balto motioned at Edvard to come with him, a sure sign that the Master's next move was to happen. The British Auror was but the opening move, the first to probe the defenses. This one was the feint, the misdirection that would make their opponent careless. Because the Master knew the British Ambassador would do anything to protect his son, even if it meant crossing the Americans. Especially crossing the Americans. The hot tempered Scotsman had a long but unassuming career in the British Magical Foreign Service, held back by his less than calm demeanor. It was a miracle for him to have gotten this posting, at least according to the information Balto had received at the start of the Master's plan. Grindelwald smiled as he said it would not take much to push this McCrea over the edge. Janus smiled to himself now, confident this part of the plan would not be a simple push but a hard shove over the edge of an emotional cliff.
"McCrea."
James turned toward the voice and grimaced when he saw who had spoken. "What do you want Kaiser?"
"Could I speak to you alone? Please?"
"Why should I? After what you did to me this summer?"
"That's exactly why we need to talk. This school only looks big but it's not big enough for us to avoid each other the rest of the school year. We need a truce, and not that crap one the Headmistress forced on us. A real truce."
"You know I have class in a few minutes."
"You won't be late. Are you going to continue to be, what is the English word, a tosser?"
"Fine words from someone who took the first swing,"
"Actually I was the third swing, I did not want to be there but my countrymen had me committed to the plan. They were trying to take you down; I was trying not to be taken down."
"An irrelevant distinction now."
"True, but it is the only apology I can give. Truce?"
James gave Edvard a hard look before grudgingly extending his hand. "Fine. A tru…." The boy crumpled to the floor in a jet of red light before he could grasp his rival's hand. Edvard looked up in shock. He didn't think Balto would be taking so direct a hand in this part.
The professor stepped out from nowhere, dropping a disillusionment charm. "Well done, Edvard. Easy target for a Stupify." Bending down, he plucked a few hairs from the downed boy's head and dumped them in a small, opaque flask. Edvard gasped when he realized it was Polyjuice Potion.
"Are you going to masquerade as McCrea, Professor?"
"No fool," Balto said with a sneer. "You are."
Edvard gulped hard before taking the flask from the Master's Servant, a trickle of nervous sweat running down his temple. Professor Balto had said that an order from him was the same as an order directly from Grindelwald's mouth. Closing his eyes, Edvard took a long swig of the potion, the only way to guarantee the full hour effect. He began shaking as the Polyjuice took hold of him, gradually shifting and shaping him into a doppelganger of the young man on the floor. Satisfied the disguise was perfect, Professor Balto transfigured Edvard's Wampus robes to that of Puckwudgie.
"Quickly fool! We must get McCrea out of sight."
The pair dragged James's unconscious form out of the hall, tucking it out of sight in a seldom used Arithmancy tutoring room. Before closing the door Janus took McCrea's wand and tossed it to Edvard. "You know what to do." Kaiser-James nodded and strode off to look for the pre-arranged target, the daughter of a MACUSA Auror whose mother had been one of the Gossamer Boulevard victims. She was not in the Mediwizard program but in a potions class across the hall. And she was about to be attacked by James McCrea, a British national. Edvard would need to time things just right though, because He wouldn't be able to avoid capture if he were still wearing McCrea's face. So just before the hour was up was when he would perform the deed.
It was difficult not to run towards the potions wing of the school, to override the nervous energy that was screaming for him to run the opposite direction. But Edvard would not fail. Not if he wanted to live. The Master abhorred failure and no one, except in the extreme rarest of instances, lived to fail him again. He was sure Professor Balto had instructions to eliminate Edvard if he failed. As long as he succeeded and remained useful, Edvard hoped he would remain alive. It was a lose-lose situation but it was still better than the alternative presented by an outright refusal to perform the task. A slim chance of staying alive was always preferable.
Before long Kaiser-McCrea was standing in front of the door clutching McCrea's wand, a door that would seal his fate and that of the silly English boy. He had about five minutes before he would begin changing back so it was now or never. The target was not picked randomly. There were many American students here whose family worked for MACUSA but few that were Aurors and fewer still that were in an advanced class with a very limited number of students taking it. Edvard didn't even remember the girl's name, only that she was the only female among a small handful of students expected to be in this particular class room.
Wanting to keep the element of surprise, Edvard opened the door slowly and was rewarded with the sight of the entire class clustered around a table at the far end of the room, every student paying attention to the professor and none to the door. Stepping in, he silently cast Petrificus Totalus on the entire group. He wanted them all awake as witnesses to McCrea's treachery. Walking once around the table, slowly enough that none of them would mistake his face for anyone else's besides James McCrea, Edvard drew his wand and cast Crucio at the girl. She was clearly in pain but couldn't scream and the eyes of the remaining students went wide as they realized they couldn't stop the assault. Four times total, each for about ten to fifteen seconds and the girl's eyes closed, passed out from the pain but unable to fall down because of the binding spell.
Edvard knew he had no time for a fifth Crucio, he could feel the was Polyjuice close to wearing off, so for one last measure he spit in the girl's face and growled "Kill all the Yanks" in a way that the witnesses would not be able to say the accent was anything other than English. Then he bolted from the room and sped to the nearest empty room to let the rest of the change happen. He closed the door and by the time he caught his breath it was once again Edvard Kaiser standing. Quickly casting Reparifarge with his own wand, his robes reverted back to their usual Wampus colors, allowing him to slip back into the hall as the alarm began to spread down the hall. Students stuck their heads out of doorways while Professors rushed towards the potions classroom where he, or rather James McCrea, had just committed the vilest of acts of anarchy. Edvard smiled. He would live another day.
Professor Balto was trying to remain calm, knowing the classroom he had selected for the demonstration was quite a ways away from here. He had hit the cursed English boy with a very strong Stupify and McCrea had still not made any move to wake up. Not that Janus wouldn't have hit him with another Stupify if he did begin to stir. Finally the door opened and the Kaiser boy slipped in, his robes back to their usual house colors. "Good. You remembered your robes."
"Yes. And remembered to use my own wand," quipped the boy in return.
Balto nodded. This Kaiser boy was not a hopeless incompetent after all and might still be of use. The Master had given Janus orders but he was not specific on when he had to carry them out. Edvard was much too valuable to throw away. Yet. Janus would milk him dry before then. Good help was hard to find after all and he deserved a henchman follower as much as the next villain. "You have done well, Edvard. Now we must leave and let this buffoon wake up to all the chaos he has caused."
Author's Note: Chapter extended 8/25/18