CHAPTER 16
Bill and Ellen had gone on ahead to scout the town of Las Cruces, New Mexico out because of the recent out breaks of crime that had been happening. Adam had asked them to check out the area because a cursory investigation had found mass obliviations had occurred.
Bill checked them in to Old Barter town the magical community in the middle of the city. Ellen and Bill settled in and decided to go for lunch at the cantina just down the street. One of the changes they had made was to place the magic dampeners in their boots and with a click of a remote they could activate it to cover a sixty meter area. If two were activated it would cover one hundred meters.
Ellen and Bill also had necklaces they wore under their clothes to negate the muggle repelling charms. As Hermione and Harry had found out over the last nine months, her parents could be very creative in how they handled themselves in magical areas. With the personal shields they found that magicals couldn't hurt them if they tried.
What convinced Harry that they were capable on their own is when a wizard had attempted to imperious Bill. Ellen, having recognized what was happening, activated the dampener and the curse was lifted. Bill pulled his gun and shot the wand out of the wizard's hand. Bill asked if anybody else thought it was smart to mess with the mundane's?
Three witches and a wizard stood up with Wands out and pointed at them. "You muggles have no place being here and will leave now or I promise you a lot of pain." The oldest witch told them.
Ellen chuckled at hearing this and retorted back "You and what army bitch!"
The youngest witch enraged screamed "How dare you address your betters in this manner?"
Ellen rolled her eyes "I see nothing better than me in this establishment. You are under the impression you can do something about us being here…you can't, so sit down and shut up little girl."
The younger witch yelled back "Reducto!" The only thing that happened was a small light fizzed out of her wand. Ellen got up and walked to the young woman. She deftly removed her wand and snatched it from the girl's hand before she snapped it.
Ellen then slapped the girl hard across the face "How dare you use a curse that could have killed me. I would think that someone should have taught you better manners."
The young witch sat on the ground stunned and looking up at this woman. The older witch then tried to send a stunner at Ellen but got absolutely nothing out of her wand at all. She was staring at her wand when Ellen snatched it from her and then punched her in the head with a closed fist. The older witch ended up sitting on the floor looking very confused.
Bill had came to stand by her side as the remaining witch and wizard looked at them stunned. Bill whispered to them "If you don't put those stick away very quickly I will disarm you as it is not polite to point at people." Both quickly put them away.
The wizard asked "How is this possible?"
Ellen smiled "We are a new form of mundane human that can detect and dispel magic on anyone we choose. If you act rudely towards us we dispel your magic." The entire room was quiet as everyone was listening intently.
A wizard across the room said "That is not possible and something I have never heard of." Ellen didn't reply just waved her hand in the air.
She turned to the man "Well then go ahead and try I bet you that you can't cast a simple Lumos spell."
The wizard raised his wand straight up and said "Lumos." absolutely nothing happened and he looked deathly afraid.
Another witch from across the room "Please ma'am give me back my magic I have done nothing to you and I don't deserve this."
Ellen went back to her table and sat down. She gestured to the young woman "Please have a seat and let's get to know each other and then we will talk about it. I will even buy you lunch." Ellen turned to address the rest of the room "I have nothing against wizards or mundane that treat me with dignity and respect. I am as friendly as you treat me."
The girl seemed to smile and then moved to their table. The bar keep said in a rough and gruff voice "We don't serve muggles in this establishment."
Bill pulled his gun and without looking shot it barely missing the barkeep "You know what I hate? That disrespectful term that magicals call people without magic." Bill turned to the bar keep "The next time I hear it from anyone I won't miss and without your magic there is nothing you can do about."
Bill put his gun away "My wife asked for a drink and a meal. Do you wish to really keep irritating me?"
The bar keep who was shaking badly from fear answered "No, sir I will have your order right up."
Bill sat down "Thank you, sir."
The girl was very unsettled and tense until Ellen touched her hand. She asked her many questions and watched the girl finally begin to relax a little. When the woman began to ask questions of them, then she realized that everything was going to be ok. Where they had gotten everyone's attention with their stick approach they had also gotten through to one with the carrot approach.
The next morning at breakfast they had a little surprise at the hotel as the magical law enforcement showed up to try and arrest them. Bill and Ellen automatically tripped their dampeners and then walked by the Aurors like they weren't even there.
The senior auror stated in an authoritative voice "I said your under arrest."
Bill turned "I heard you the first time and I choose to ignore it. Just for humor sake what are the charges?"
The auror seemed to puff up "Violation of the statute of secrecy. Breaking two wizard's and two witches wands, and the final charge attacking magicals without provocation."
Bill chuckled "First the statute of secrecy only applies to magicals and not mundane. The reason we broke those people's wands yesterday is that we were attacked by one of the wizard's using an unforgivable on us and then the other three out right attacked us by throwing lethal spells at us."
The auror looked at them "How do you know the magical world so well?"
Ellen spoke up with a smile "Our daughter and son-in-law are both magical and that is another reason why your violation of the SOS is baloney, even by the SOS we are allowed to know. You can tell your superiors and this community if we are treated with respect then you will have no problem with us." Ellen then gave him a very hard look "Treat us badly and you will pay for it dearly. Now go away as we are going to breakfast."
The second auror came with his wand out "That is complete bullshit and we can treat you anyway we want and there is nothing you can do about it. You are in our world and we will apply the laws as we see fit." The auror waved his wand and cast petrificus totalis. When nothing happened the auror looked stunned and didn't know what to do.
Bill walked up to him and slapped the wand out of his hand. "It seems that the playing field is level between you and I. Care to try to arrest me without magic?" The auror looked mad as he then took a swing at Bill. Bill easily blocked his attack and then dodged the next few. The other Auror attempted to go after Bill from behind.
Ellen pulled out her handgun and fired a round into the air. When the second Auror looked over he found a muzzle inches from his head and knew what it was. Ellen looked at him "Move or flinch until they are done and this will be your last day on Earth." The auror raised his hands and backed up.
Bill allowed the auror to wind himself as his arms kept getting lower and his attacks slower. The Auror bent down and rested his hands on his knees and took big gulps of air. Bill was watching with his hands on his hips and looked down at him "You know I could wipe your ass all over this floor but as you are a pathetic excuse for a human without your magic I feel pity for you."
Ellen addressed the gathering crowd "We are very easy people to get along with and your worst nightmare if you cross us. So don't act like you have a magical chip on your shoulder or we can and will remove your magic and without magic we are superior to you."
Ellen holstered her gun and then walked to the dining room with Bill behind her. "You know Hermione and Harry have prepared us well to deal with magicals."
Bill smiled "Yes they have and we owe them a hug when they arrive. We have left this community stunned at what we can do. We put them on their heels and they have no clue what to do." Ellen laughed as they set down.
The next morning Bill and Ellen had set down for breakfast when an older gentleman came over to their table. "Excuse me but may I join you for Breakfast?"
Bill and Ellen looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Bill replied "You are more than welcome to sit with us. I am Bill and this is my Wife Ellen."
The man chuckled "I am more than aware of who the two of you are. I am Mortimer Hensdale and the head cop in this magical enclave." He raised his hands "I am not here to cause you any trouble, only to satisfy my curiosity."
Ellen smiled "I like curious people because they tend to ask a lot of question and not rush to judgment." Ellen gave him a smirk "As long as you give us respect, then we will do the same after all, we are all human."
Mortimer looked at her "Unlike many of my kind I tend to agree and I was not happy with my men for trying to arrest you. I found it most interesting when you quoted our laws back to Aurors that are suppose to uphold that law. Then I went over the complaint the wizard's and witch's made against you and pointed out that by their own admission they had thrown curses at you first." Mortimer picked up his cup of coffee.
After taking a sip he stated "By the way the wizard who attempted to use the imperious curse against you is in custody and facing charges."
Bill looked up at Ellen "Dear I find the day shaping up rather nicely already and thank the kind gentleman for his informed consideration."
Mortimer chuckled slightly "Yes, this was not always so but as time has passed I have taught myself to be less impassioned and more compassionate." Mortimer then brought out a news paper that had a picture of Harry, Hermione, Bill, and Ellen on the front page. It was from a town they cleaned up four months ago.
Mortimer smiled "I have learned to speak to people from knowledge and not from ignorance. I found this in my quest to learn about who you are. My curiosity came when I discovered the famous Mr. & Mrs. Potter were not with you and you alone were able to dispel other's magic. Clearly you are mundanes. So, how did you do it?"
Bill smiled enigmatically "Why with a different sort of magic and a magic that mundane can control and wizards cannot."
Mortimer seemed confused and then a slight smile came across "You mean technology. Have mundane's improved so much that their technology can control magic?"
Ellen gave a small smile and allowed her pride to show through "I have a daughter and a son that understand more about magic than anybody on this planet. It is they who took the time to apply mundane technology to defeat and eliminate magic in all it's forms, with a snap of their fingers."
Ellen looked down at the tea in her cup "That young man carries such a burden, even after all that he has done and it's unfair to him. He doesn't deserve it because in his heart he only wishes to be left only. Hermione follows him because of love and we follow them both because we love them too."
Mortimer seemed perplexed "I don't understand because Mr. Potter seems to choose the path he is on. It is his own actions that bring him into dangerous situations."
Bill replied quickly "It is not his choice at all. Within a month after he defeated the dark lord they began to come out of the wood work. My wife was kidnapped in broad day light so that a petty man could use her to gain reputation."
Mortimer gasped "Is that the story from Australia?" Bill nodded to him.
"Two weeks later a man tried to kidnap my daughter to use against Harry. Hermione caught that one and both of them handled him before he could even get started. Harry greatest fear is that he will relax or miss a clue of an attack and one of us would die. The man never gets a break."
Mortimer looked almost ill "He is under constant pressure from people who have no morals and no qualms about hurting others."
Ellen looked at him "Exactly and he was never given a choice of a different path all because of arrogant petty people who think they are better than everyone else and can do whatever they want."
Bill snorted "Frankly I am amazed that he hasn't snapped and killed someone yet."
Mortimer looked up "After what I just heard I believe I would not blame him or hold him accountable for it."
Ellen sniffed and let a tear roll from her eye "It is not so glamorous being Harry Potter."
From behind Ellen a male voice said very softly "I have always considered it a curse."
Ellen wiped her eyes quickly "Potter I am going to kick your arse for standing behind me and listening."
Harry wrapped her in a hug "Just remember that Harry Potter has something that nobody on this planet has, a family that is behind him all the way." Harry kissed her cheek "and a mum that won't allow him to wallow in his own self pity."
Ellen said through sobs "Oh shoot their goes the water faucet." Harry just held her until she was able to get her emotions under control.
They spent more time with Mortimer who briefed them on the local situation. He also spoke of Bill and Ellen's adventures for the last two days. Harry feeling much better about Bill and Ellen venturing out on their own, split up into teams and began tracking down the various bad elements. Of particular note was one name that kept coming out was Valens. No last name but a definite impression that they were somebody you didn't want to mess with.
Harry and Hermione ran into various elements or groups that were on the fringe of Valen's group. They were able to piece together a crude outline of his hierarchial structure.
On the outside were various groups who had branched out on their own and had the closest contact with both muggle and magical societies. It appeared that Valen's inner groups used this as an information and distribution networks. Valen's inner groups used them to distribute products usually drugs, prostitutes. and stolen goods and in return they shared news with their distributors which fed back to Valens.
Valens inner groups also offered protection for those few that were deemed worthy. The structure was just enough that many people made money from it and hard enough to cause people not to ask questions out of fear of being targeted. Another benefit was that it was hard to locate or track the inner groups.
Harry was getting frustrated by their lack of ability to find this Valens. Hermione delved into in from a different direction. She decided that someone was making a lot of money from this somewhere and all they should do is find somebody that was rich but had no apparent means of income.
It took Hermione two days of research to put the pieces together. She had a short list of three people and Harry was surprised that a witch was on the list, a woman named Kathleen N. Hargrove. The other two guys were Jesse A. Kosovich and Gregory B. Janison. Both men had purchased properties worth more than the normal market prices.
Hermione search out any records for the three over the next three days while Harry carried out limited surveillance on their homes. Hermione gathered records that revealed that Janison had inherited his wealth from his father and was not magical at all. This pretty much excluded him as a suspect.
Harry watched Hargrove while Bill and Ellen tagged along with Kosovich. Kosovich lived a semi-lavish lifestyle and further reports that they discussed were leading them to believe he was the prime suspect.
Harry on the other hand watched the Hargrove woman who live modestly and spent little money on frivolous items. Harry thought, for many days, that this couldn't possible be Valen. For the amount of money that Valen brought in, if she were Valen, she could afford so much more.