Author's notes: When I said the main bad guys would appear, that was what I had originally planned. But unfortunately, there was way more stuff that had to be made happen before it. But it goes on surprisingly well and Hermione is now also pulled into action and events. And this chapter's name referees to John Constantine.
Wandless Warlock
Ministry of Magic, Auror Office, Interrogation rooms
John Constantine had no idea how long he had been there. After that old geezer had made the Aurors attack him and framed him for his bomb, Constantine had been petrified and rendered unconscious. He had just regained his senses in this room when the Auror-guard had lifted the petrification off him and told Constantine to wait for his interrogator while been tied to the table with magical bindings. His coat and other belongings had been taken off him and that was bad because right now Constantine felt like he needed a smoke.
''It was about bloody time,'' John Constantine muttered as someone finally stepped into the interrogation room.
From the dim lighting, he could make out that it was a woman, someone in high position, judging by the clothes and the look on her face said she meant business, not nonsense.
''Say, luv, if you went through me stuff, mind handing me a smoke?'' Constantine said reaching his, still cuffed, arms at the woman. ''And again, that wasn't my bomb.''
''Evidence to the contrary, Mr. Constantine,'' woman, or Granger as it read in her nametag, said. ''You were discovered threatening another visitor of the Ministry with a home-made bomb, something magic couldn't have detected.''
''Correction, something your magic couldn't have detected,'' Constantine shot back cautiously. ''Well, that didn't probably help my case, but the bomb wosn't mine. It belonged to that old guy.''
''Your victim?'' Granger asked.
''Bollocks!'' Constantine said hitting the table. ''That man wos your bomber and your thief! I caught 'im speaking to someone on 'is mobile.''
''There is no phone reception down here and we know you were here stealing magical artifacts,'' Granger told Constantine showing him parchments of information. ''Mr. Pennyworth was here to collect heirlooms and you may as well try put the blame of what you stole on him-''
''Wait!'' Constantine said rising his arm at Granger. ''Pennyworth? That's whot that guy's name wos?''
Granger tilted her head. Constantine assumed this was because she probably assumed everything he had told her to be rubbish and not involved with what she wanted him to tell her. But that wasn't what was important. If that old man was who Granger had told Constantine he was, that meant someone knew too much and would only do bad things with that information.
''Mr. Constantine-'' Granger said beginning her question.
No, that would have been stupid.
''-what were you-''
No way Bats' servant would have been here and done all that.
''-planning to accomplish-''
Must have been an identity theft.
''-by attempting to bomb the-''
But why Batman's butler?
''Ministry of Magic and-''
Never mind that, Bats needed to be warned.
''-steal from the Department-''
And Constantine had to get out of here.
''-of Mysteries?'' Granger finished her question.
''Can I have a smoke?'' Constantine asked looking past Granger and behind the glass. ''You got my stuff there? Left inside pocket has my lighter and a pack of-''
''MR. CONSTANTINE!'' Granger said raising her voice.
''Just the one,'' Constantine said making a begging gesture with his hands and eyes, ''and I'll sing.''
Granger kept giving Constantine the evil glare, but Constantine remained in his begging, puppy eyed posture. After few seconds of playing the staring down game, Granger knocked the glass and an Auror-guard came in carrying Constantine's coat.
''Left inside pocket,'' Constantine reminded as Auror-Guard handed the coat to Granger. ''That's where the smokes and lighter-''
''You wanted just the one smoke,'' Granger said giving Constantine his one cigarette and drew her wand, ''that all you get.''
Constantine put the cigarette in his mouth and Granger lit it with an Incindio spell. Constantine inhaled the fumes, relaxed and grinned to be able to be back in control.
''Right,'' Constantine said taking the cigarette out, ''you know the fascinating difference between old, wandless magic and the younger, wand used magic? The learning difficulty.''
''Your bombing?'' Granger demanded.
''Getting to that, luv, patience'' Constantine said pointing at Granger with the cigarette, but not looking at her. ''The thing with wands is that the're easy to master and that's why that form of magic is kept secret from the common people.''
Constantine took another inhale from the cigarette before continuing.
''Compared to the older magic, the one more difficult to master, it's basically just dilly-dallying, but just still if used wrong dangerous. That's why the older magic is more commonly allowed to be known to the muggle populace. You count on our laziness to not bother to learn it.''
''That doesn't have any-'' Granger said, but the went silent. ''Your laziness?''
''Why do you think I didn't have a wand on my belongings?'' Constantine asked slyly, before throwing his cigarette at Granger.
She flinched as Constantine suddenly ripped his arms free from his binds and begun to spin the binds as if they were his whips. It was just for shows, as when Granger and the Auror-guard drew their wands at Constantine, he threw the binds off at them and disarmed them.
''Thanks for bringing my stuff back,'' Constantine said grabbing his coat and putting it on, ''and Portus!''
A.R.G.U.S. Headquarters
''We do not know what could possibly happen if the skulls were to be reunited,'' Waller told as Wonder Woman put it back in it's container. ''And to keep that from ever happening, this skull goes back into the Black Room.''
''Suppose that's for the best,'' Harry said agreeing with Waller. ''But we would need to know how it's connected to the new Death Eaters.''
''Answers to that are not in here,'' Waller said as an A.R.G.U.S. worker came take the skull back to the Black Room. ''However, if the skull is over thousands of years old, your magical government should have some information about it as well. Possibly even about the other skulls. Good day to you.''
And with that, Waller told them to leave.
''Thanks for the help, Steve,'' Wonder Woman thanked Colonel Trevor as the League member and Aurors left A.R.G.U.S.
''Have you guys invented a phone yet?'' Superman asked Ron as they walked out. ''So you could call the Ministry about the other skull?''
''No, we just use the DA tokens and in extreme situations patronuses,'' Ron answered digging his pockets. ''Harry, check your DA token. I have 4 missed alerts.''
''Same here and the're all about Unforgivable Curses,'' Harry said looking at his token too. ''Imperitos Curses and they all were done in Cardiff.''
''Cardiff?'' Superman responded surprised. ''That's where the Rift is located. Who did them?''
''It's not said here, but since they were 4 unforgivable curses in a row,'' Harry said looking at his token, ''could be those Death Eaters.''
''I'll have a League member to go check it out,'' Cyborg said as the light on his left eye and forehead blinked. ''Aquaman is nearest. He'll oversee what it is and assist your Aurors if he has to. Flash is on his way there too.''
''Thank you, Cyborg,'' Harry said before turning to Superman. ''This lead was not very helpful.''
''I know,'' Superman said nodding. ''Sorry if this was a waste of time.''
''Batman found this lead from the Death Eater's tooth,'' Wonder Woman reminded. ''He wouldn't have brought it to our attention if he didn't think it was important. And Victor, if you managed connect Black Room's skull to the tooth filling, then there has to be a reason for the connection.''
Wayne Manor
''Sir!'' Alfred called out following his master through the hallways. ''Where have you seen that skull before?''
''Yeah, I'd like to know too,'' Zatanna said following Bruce to the Study.
The nightmare had revealed everything Bruce had needed to realize what the skull was. He had immediately jumped off his bed and begun to march towards the Batcave entrance wearing his sleeping wear and robes with his bandages. At the Study, Bruce stopped walking and turned to his servant and friend.
''Back when we raided the Ministry back in '98, we had to split up in order to find Madame Xanadu and Kent Nelson. My side of the JSA went to the Department of Mysteries for Nelson, but it was a trap.''
''Both our ends were traps,'' Zatanna muttered. ''How can you remember everthing that well?''
''I wrote a case file on it,'' Bruce said, ''I write case files on everything. Before we got to the trap, we had to search out every room there and that is where I saw the skull.''
''So, if the skull is in the Ministry, they would know what it is,'' Alfred suggested.
''Or not,'' Zatanna said. ''I mean, why do you think they call it Department of Mysteries?''
BLIMB-BLOM-BLIMB-BLOM-BLIMB-BLOM the Manor's doorbell rang like someone was repeatedly pushing the button.
''Who the hell could that be?'' Bruce said angered turning to look at the direction of the entrance hall. ''Alfred, go tell whoever that is that I'm unavailable and then meet us at the cave.''
''Right, sir,'' Alfred said and turned to answer the door.
He had himself armed for whoever it was at there, in case it was someone hostile. Bruce Wayne was believed to be a target of hostile intentions, so the annoying ringer of the doorbell had to approached with caution. As Alfred opened the entrance doors, he was faced by a blond man in brown trench coat.
''Cheers, mate,'' John Constantine said lighting a cigarette. ''Been to London lately?''
Cardiff Bay
Old man kept on working on the machinery LexCorp had still left at the Bay, but now for the first time during the operation, he felt nervous. The Imperiatos Curses had been necessary in order to get all this back in action, but those curses were also heavily monitored by the Ministry. There were bound to be Aurors coming here soon.
''What?'' old man said as his earpiece buzzed.
''Change of plans, old man,'' Rhonda's voice said. ''They didn't take the skull, but I have it.''
''What?'' old man asked. ''How?''
''You have your ways and I have mine,'' Rhonda's voice answered, sounding like she was in a hurry. ''I'm on my way to you and I contacted our allies to arrive with me.''
''They won't be our allies unless we can use the skulls to bring my master here,'' old man responded looking at the tripod holding the other skull. ''Bring your skull here. The Court of Owls should protect me after we gave them the upgrade to their serum.''
''If they have cells in Britain, they should be there before the Aurors,'' Rhonda's voice said. ''Try hanging on.''
''Hey!''
Old man turned around to see his Imperiated slaves knock down on the ground and the Flash standing on top of them.
''What do you think you're doing here?'' the Flash asked demanding answers and pointing his finger at the old man. ''And what did you do to these guys?''
Old man moved very slowly as he removed his earpiece. The Flash looked back at him with caution as the old man gestured him to take his earpiece.
''It's for you.''
The Flash snatched the earpiece to his hand and looked at it, still ready to fight.
''So, who's-''
SMACK!
When glancing back at the old man, the Flash was sucker punched by a fist that came out of the earpiece. Recoiling from the punch, Flash attempted to recover as fast as he usually did, but then
''Stupify!'' The old man said pointing his walking stick at the Flash and he fell to the ground stunned. ''
''There will be more of them coming soon,'' Rhonda said as she climbed out of the earpice and grew bigger in size. ''Cyborg put out a mission adjective to assist the Aurors on their way here.''
''Did you bring the other skull?'' old man asked and Rhonda presented it to him. ''Perfect, now I just need to put them together.''
Outside Wayne Manor gates
As soon as Hermione and the Auror-guard had managed to grab their wands back, Constantine had used his wandless magic to turn the interrogating table into a portkey and transport himself away. The magical protections put in the Ministry should have kept anything like that from happening, but apparently Constantine's knowledge wandless magic was more advanced. How that was possible, neither Hermione or her colleagues knew, but thankfully they were able to track down where his portkey had taken him.
But after alarm about 4 unforgivable curses had been noticed in Cardiff, it was taken as possible new Death Eater activity. So, because of that, hunt for Constantine was put aside. Hermione would have put it aside too, but when she saw where Constantine had transported himself to, Hermione knew that Constantine had to be followed. Even if she had to go herself.
''Homenum Revelio,'' Hermione said pointing her wand at the large mansion and glanced at the interrogation room's table Constantine had left behind himself. ''Four people.''
Thank's to Clark, Hermione knew that Bruce Wayne was in Justice League's protective custody. So if there were four people inside, those should have been Wayne himself, his protector and either the house staff or Constantine and accomplice.
''Big house for one or two servants,'' Hermione noted before apparating herself through the gates inside.
Author's Notes: Next, Hermione steps into the Wayne Manor and finds out more about Bruce Wayne's attack. The Flash is down and the two skulls are almost united. Justice League and the Aurors are about to meet the real bad guys. I really try to write and edit the next chapter to be the real deal.
Replies to Reviews:
Wonderbee31: Don't know what else to say, but Rhonda is Atom and Atom is traitor working with the old man, whose name is also revealed when he greets his master.