Chapter 8: The Most Wanted Wizard in America

Tod leapt from the bed despite the lingering nauseous feeling he had. Daisuke was already in motion, a swirl of swear words muttering from his mouth as he grabbed proper clothes and threw them at Tod, who dressed immediately.

"Daisy, go help your Dad get your sisters. We need to leave now," Tod rushed.

David looked perplexed, "Where are we going?"

"I don't know yet, but I don't want to face Madison here. There's too many people and you could get hurt," explained, grabbing his wand from the dresser and throwing his black leather jacket on. Glancing at the orb he could make out Madison's figure and face, but who was the blond-haired bloke, not long behind her? He couldn't make out the face. He didn't have time to think about it.

"Side-along apparition?" questioned Daisuke as the family flew down the stairs.

"We'll have to," Tod responded, grabbing sneakers for each of the girls.

"Should we grab anything?" David asked. "How long will we be gone."

"I don't know. You'll have to do without," Tod answered, earning an incredulous look from the father.

"You could always grab some stuff man, but you won't survive long enough to use it," Daisuke reiterated, trying to cut the tension of the moment.

With his recent illness, Tod was sure Madison had been waiting until his magic and he had been too weak to hold the many protective charms he had placed on the house, and as they stepped outside into the twilight, Tod was sure it was true. This was further confirmed when a curse flew over his head, splintering the wood above the door frame to a chorus of shrieks by the girls.

"Protego!" he shouted, parrying another curse, this one with better aim.

Daisuke put up his own weaker shield, having never been as gifted in charms as Tod, while he rustled around in his pocket for something. Madison appeared before them in the street, a wicked grin on her heart-shaped face, and her eyes hungry for a duel. It was then that he realized that they would have to fight. There was no way he could safely apparate the family away while shielding them. Despite any lingering effects of the poisonous potion, Tod steeled himself against the impulse to flee, and out of the corner of his eye, saw Daisuke reach the same conclusion. It was going to take both of them to duel her.

"Hide behind the car," Tod commanded, descending the steps to the street shoulder to shoulder with Daisuke. If they couldn't protect the family, the car might, and he could keep an eye on them in case Gertrude was not far behind her partner.

Entering the street, wands raised, the opponents stared at one another, an eerie fog beginning to roll in.

"I suppose it's a good thing that this Kray is better at potions than he is at charms," Madison hissed, gesturing to Daisuke. "Come to save you, did he?"

Neither Tod nor Daisuke said a word. From the time he had last seen her at graduation, she looked sharper, meaner, and all the effects a disappointing life can have on the body. Even with Daisuke, would he be able to beat her?

In a sudden flurry of movements, all three wands swung, a flurry of jinxes spilling from lips. Jets of light flew about, setting off car alarms, stopping a single car coming down the street and breaking several neighbors' windows. So much for a statute of secrecy. At least the fog was hiding most of their actions.

"Confundo!" Tod shouted, but Madison expertly deflected, and it hit Daisuke instead, who fell back and began to look very confused.

"This is pathetic! How did you become the most wanted wizard in America?" his opponent taunted.

Down to the two of them, Tod ducked and parried to the best of his ability, but found himself backing up, the cold metal of the car eventually reaching his back. Fear gripped him; he couldn't leave the girls defenseless!

That fear heightened however, when Tod quickly realized that it wasn't just him. The rattling breath of several dementors reached his ears as several slid out from between the buildings, and he heard Madison say, "Even the most wanted wizard in America is no match for me anymore. When I'm done with you and this job, I will finally teach those Silver Spears that you don't need an Aspen wand to be the best duelist in the world! Even the man known as death was no match for me and my power!"

How could she be controlling them? Had she turned to truly dark magic? The hooded figures slid past her, and Tod shivered, feeling the weight of every crime, ever fight, every misdemeanor. No! He would not allow it to end here. The girls, he had to keep fighting for them. The way Daisy laughed and giggled, lighting up the room; the quiet moments of gardening with Fern, teaching her what little of herbology he knew and watching her soak it up like a sponge; how Hyacinth had opened up to him, seeing him as a teacher and older brother, the only one she could confide in since her mother died. No. This would not end here. He would protect them!

Thinking only of them, he held his wand up and roared, "EXPECTO PETRONUM!"

Instead of the thin, wispy shield he could only conjure previously a shining silver bat erupted from his wand tip, flying with gusto at the dementors, driving them successfully away.

Madison looked infuriated, and raised her wand to fire off another curse, but was hit from the side by a jinx, sending her flying along the pavement. Looking up the street, Tod saw Takeo, out of breath and running toward Daisuke, firing spell after spell at her with his usual flamboyant technique.

"Sorry I'm late," Takeo breathlessly called, joining Tod's side. "I couldn't remember exactly where the house was. Thankfully someone managed to get off a patronus in the fog. What's wrong with my brother?"

"Confunded," Tod answered, joining him. "And that was my patronus."

"Really? Nice one," Takeo grinned and they approached Madison, who was desperately trying to rise from the ground.

"Crucio!" Tod spat, watching as Madison screamed and writhed on the street. Pausing, he demanded, "Why is Victoria Shaw trying to kill the last of the Graves'?"

Madison panted and looked up at him, a scowl on her face.

"Crucio! Answer my question!"

Giving her a break in his torture to answer, Madison lay on the asphalt, a grin appearing on her face. "You're all going to die," she began to laugh maniacally. "If Victoria doesn't kill you, HE will."

"Who is he? Who is he!? Crucio!"

As she began to scream, two things happened simultaneously. Tod felt a blow from behind him up the street that sent him sprawling. At the same time, he saw Takeo hit from the front, and the visage of Gertrude James appear, just behind her partner. Giving him a scathing look, she grabbed hold of Madison and disapparated from the area without saying a word.

Sitting up, he felt dread crawl into his stomach as he saw several figures from up the street running toward them, yelling. The most prominent was a tall, handsome blond man with a square jaw, the sight of whom made Tod want to vomit.

"Stop!" The man cried. "MASCUSA! Drop your wands!"

Looking over at Takeo, who was lifting himself from the ground, prepared to fight, Tod rushed, "Grab your brother and go! I'll cover you."

"Man, you can't do this to us again! We're not going to leave you!"

"You're more use to me looking out for the Graves'. I know what I'm doing! Now go!" Standing, Tod threw his powerful shield charm, giving Takeo just enough time to grab his brother and disapparate before an anti-disapparition charm could be cast on the area. Seeing that the Watanabe brothers had successfully escape, Tod glanced over to the Wilson-Graves family, and found all of them unharmed, peering with awe and shock over the protection of the now much dented car.

Looking back at his opponents, he dropped his wand and held his hands up in surrender.

"Grab the wand," the blond commanded to one of his team members, pulling out a pair of magic handcuffs and roughly pulling Tod's arms behind his back.

"Nice to see you too, Wyatt," Tod smirked, a certain venom in his voice as he was shoved to his knees.

MACUSA was exactly as Tod remembered it: Imposing. All the might of the wizards of America lay within the concealed entrance of the Woolworth Building. David and the girls were brought along as witnesses and to be checked for magical injury before being obliviated, and out of the corner of his eye, Tod could see them looking around in wonder. They had apparated multiple times in order to get from San Francisco to NYC, the floo network being out of the question for a no-maj and three little girls. He noted with irony that the great clock had ticked over to the section that read 'Unexplained Activity'.

The old art deco decor remained in some places, while other things had been updated in the grand space. The old iron-gate elevators, for one, had been replaced with beautiful glass, so that one may observe the floors as they travelled up. Tod was placed in one with Wyatt and two Aurors flanking him, should his hand so much as twitch in the thought of his wand. Several of the other Aurors had been left behind to clean up the mess that had been left on the San Francisco street, and to obliviate any no-maj's who had seen a little too much.

A soft voice spoke to them from above as the elevator slowed, "Level E: Law Enforcement and Auror Offices."

Down the corridors of little offices the party travelled until they came to a heavy metal door at the end. Inside was a very bright room, the illumination making it so that nothing could be hidden, and Tod vaguely remembered its mention from time to time in parts of his childhood. His parents had usually referred to it only in the same sentence with the worst of criminals.

He was sat on a heavy wooden stool, and from there he watched as the Wilson family were huddled onto one of several benches laid out in front of him. A few more Aurors filed in, but he noted that his aging parents were not among them. He assumed they did not wish to further their embarrassment by being present for what he was sure was to be a mock trial.

Wyatt, flanked by two other Aurors, one that Tod recognized as the wizard who had accompanied Mallory in trapping him, stood a few feet in front of him. Their towering presence was a formidable wall to keep the wizard from trying anything off hand. Tod watched them speak among themselves briefly, a bored look on his face, carefully emptying himself of emotion should they try any Ligillimens on him. When they finished, the young man to Wyatt's right produced a small vial of clear liquid from the breast pocket of his leather jacket and handed it to Wyatt. Potions was not Tod's strong suit, but he knew exactly what that was, and a shiver ran through him.

"You will drink this, and answer every question we ask," Wyatt commanded, but as they made eye contact, Tod could read the apprehension there. Wyatt did not like using this, even against his wayward brother.

"I would take it from you, but you have left me no hands with which to do it," Tod said, trying to maintain his bravado.

With caution, Wyatt stepped forward and took the dropper from the vial. Tod stuck out his tongue, and three drops were places upon it. It didn't taste like anything in particular, neither bad nor good.

After waiting a requisite amount of time, Wyatt began, "Please state your full name."

"Tarian Wilhelm Fischer," Tod said, trying to empty his mind of emotion, to block off all the parts of himself he did not wish to shed light on. The potion was like dragon fire, however, burning the truth through him.

"What year were you born?"

"1958."

"Were you the most wanted wizard in America?"

"Yes, until September 18th of last year."

"What was your most embarrassing memory as a child?"

Everything in him tried to stop the words that bubbled forth, "I was terrified of thunderstorms. I hid in a closet. You accidentally locked it and I became so scared of never being able to get out, that when father had opened it, I had wet my pants."

Wyatt turned and looked at a young woman sitting in the front row of benches, who then began to scribble furiously.

"Did you murder Abernath Winkle in your heist of the blue diamond of Zeriph?"

"No. Abernath was his killed when one of his own hexes rebounded on the diamond itself. His accidental death was not premeditated."

After several names, and several similar answers, Wyatt asked, "Was it because of these instances that you became known as Death, or Tod among the guild you joined?"

"Yes."

"When did you join that guild?"

"Shortly after being disowned by my family," Tod answered, feeling as though the breath was being ripped from him. His eyes pleaded with his brother's, begging him not to dig up that particularly painful skeleton, but he saw no mercy there. Only duty.

"And why were you disowned?"

Tod clamped his mouth shut, feeling sweat drip down his temple with the effort.

"Give him another drop," suggested an older wizard to Wyatt's left.

Pulling out the vial again, Wyatt held up the dropper expectantly, to which Tod held out his tongue obediently.

A squeezing sensation formed around his middle, and despite his efforts, the words tumbled out. "I was disowned because I could not live up to the Fischer standard. I thought I was helping a man apply for a wand license when I was a clerk in Auror department. Instead, I helped him smuggle dragon eggs for a terrorist plot to destroy the no-maj seat of power in Washington DC. In my effort to try and conform and be useful, I had tried to do a job I was unsuited for, and had very nearly broken the Statute of Secrecy. I was disowned for my incorrigible dark ways, and inability to meet the standard of courage and strength to which I was raised."

After pausing for a moment, Wyatt switched topics abruptly and asked, "Did you kill Mallory Graves."

"No."

"Did you have a hand in her death?" Wyatt tried again, looking a bit disconcerted by the answer.

"No."

"Do you know who did?"

"A woman by the name of Victoria Shaw. She has some sort of grudge against the Graves."

"How do you know this?"

"The Krays have been observing her for me."

The wizard to Wyatt's left spoke again, "The Krays of the Crystal Coyote guild? What are their real names."

Tod ground his teeth, trying to hold it in to the point that tears leaked from the corners of his eyes. "Takeo and…Daisuke…Watanabe."

A murmur rustled like leaves among the Aurors sitting on the benches.

"Did you threaten Mallory to allow you to leave?" Wyatt asked a bit louder, silencing the murmurs and pressing on with the interview, his piercing eyes observing Tod.

"No. She had captured me after setting a trap for me, then released me."

"Why?"

"She cut me a deal."

"What sort of deal?"

Tod hesitated again, trying to keep it in, but found that he was weakening as the interrogation went on. "We made an unbreakable vow."

Another murmur flew through the Aurors.

"What was the nature of the unbreakable vow?"

"She agreed to allow me to go free if I made it."

"What was your alternative? Execution?"

"No. Mallory knew I wouldn't mind dying. The alternative was life imprisonment for my crimes. She knew I feared a cage more than death," he answered.

"And what was the unbreakable vow that you made?"

"To protect her children from the person who had cursed her, upon her death from said curse. In return, she would erase my record and release me."

"Mallory didn't have any children!" an Auror blurted out.

"She did," Tod countered softly. "In fact, they're in this room right now," his eyes flicking to the family for the first time since entering the interrogation room. Benches creaked as the various people of the room, even the young witch fiercely taking notes turned to look at the three little girls and the tall Italian man with them.

"She had children with a no-maj?" an older Auror croaked.

"She married that no-maj. She loved him, but she knew that her family and most of the wizarding community would never approve, so she hid him, and all three of the girls as each of them were born."

The room erupted into chaos, the little family looking bewildered as half the Aurors came up curiously to them, shaking their hands, while the others shouted about not buying it, about Tod's powerful Occlumency skills.

"Enough!" Wyatt shouted over the din, effectively silencing it once again. He rounded on the family. "Do you know who we speak of?" he asked them, his tone even.

"Mallory was my wife, and I loved her very, very much," David answered, holding the girls close to him, his voice quavering just a bit from emotion. "She never told me about all…this…" he said gesturing to the room and the people in it, "but she is the mother of my children. Tod is telling the truth."

"Thank-you," Wyatt said, and turned back to Tod. "So, under the pain of imprisonment, she forced you to make the unbreakable vow, the most wanted man in America. She could have easily called upon any of us. We are still loyal to her. Why you?" Tod noted the jealous edge in his voice.

"I am unsure," Tod admitted, his brows furrowed.

"You sorted into Horned Serpent. You're supposed to be smart. Enlighten us with your speculation."

"She didn't need a warrior. She needed someone who could hide her daughters effectively until they could attend Ilvermorny. Who better to hide things than a thief? And what better thief than the most sought after one in the country?"

Wyatt frowned at him for a moment, and Tod could see the regret and jealousy springing up in his eyes. He had been close to Mallory when he joined the Aurors, and for her to have chosen his wayward brother over him was hurting.

"Perhaps we shall go discuss with the delegate what to do," the older Auror from before suggested.

A murmur of ascent grew within the room until Wyatt said, "Alright. In a half hours' time we will come back and decide what to do with Tarian and the children."

Wyatt and the majority of the other Aurors left the room, leaving only two guards and the secretary witch in the room with he and the Wilson family.

Apprehensively, David looked around and approached Tod, the girls shielded behind him. "Are you still under the influence of that stuff they gave you?"

"Yes," he answered, feeling a touch of fear in his breast. What more could they want to know? He wanted so badly wanted to wipe his face from the tears that had formed earlier.

"So, I trusted a criminal to watch my greatest treasures?" he inquired, a certain steel in his voice.

"Yes."

"I cannot remember why I chose you. Every time those first few weeks, when you destroyed the toaster oven and burned every dinner, I thought of firing you, and then for some reason forgot to. Did you use magic on me?"

Tod could feel another drop of sweat roll down his temple, his chest once again constricting to force the truth from him. "Yes. I was unfamiliar with no-maj cooking, and I couldn't use magic in front of you, so I used the Imperius Curse to make you hire me and keep me on. I stopped after the first few weeks."

One of the guards looked sharply at Tod, as if he wanted to spit at him, but said nothing. Performing unforgivable curses on no-maj's evoked that sort of response he supposed. Though he had needed it at the time, he felt ashamed of doing it now, and wished he had found a better way to convince David.

"So, you're really a bad guy?" Fern asked, her large eyes searching his own.

Tod didn't want to answer that. It was too complicated. Yes, he was commonly on the wrong side of the law, but he never asked to be. He never asked to be so different from his family. But bad had a lot of spectrums. Grindewald was bad. That bloke in England who had been killed a few years ago, who had been massing an army called Death Eaters, was bad. Tod had no grand political uprising scheme. He was no dictator. If anything, he was an anarchist. He didn't set about to break the law; he simply ignored it to achieve what he needed to in order to make a living since his disgraceful dismissal from MACUSA and his family.

Thus, he answered, "Sometimes."

"So, Mom didn't even like you? You just got caught by her?" Hyacinth asked, righteous anger in her voice.

"I am unsure, but-"

A door to their right opened and the Aurors returned, followed by a very prominent looking witch in shining black robes. Her brunette hair was tied up in a business-like manner, and she was neither thick nor thin. After waiting for the group to re take their seats and quiet, she began, "The forms and referrals made by one Mallory Graves, former head of the Aurors, are all genuine. Mr. Tarian Fischer is relieved of all charges. After review of the what witnesses have discussed today, it is clear that the law was also on his side today, as those he was protecting were aware of the magic, and he was forced to use magic to protect them. All other witnesses have been obliviated, and the following Witches and Wizards have been moved up on the most wanted list: Madison Ruthway and Gertrude Elizabeth James. Any news or capture of them will be rewarded handsomely.

"As for the children, it is in our best interest to defer to their living guardian, despite his being a no-maj. Sir," she said, rounding on a surprised David, "Would you prefer to continue your wife's wishes to employ the former criminal Tarian Fischer, or would you prefer to have trained Aurors to protect the last of the Graves' until this threat can be nullified. To help you with this decision, I can tell you that it will be an all volunteer team of highly trained professionals who are highly talented in defensive spells, as well as tracking dark witches and wizards."

A jolt of realization flew through Tod. They weren't letting him off the hook. He was still under the unbreakable vow. If he did not protect those children from the Shaws, he too would die. It was MACUSA's way of seeming amicable to the Wilsons. They would trust the Aurors, and they would be disappointed. Those Aurors weren't infallible, and they didn't know Gertrude or Madison like he and the Krays did. His heart clenched as he thought of Fern, Hyacinth, or Daisy having the Cruciatus Curse or the killing curse used against them. He was soiled, dirty, and likely deserved to die for all the pain he had cause, for being born a stain upon his family's long mark in American history, but not those girls. He could not allow them to suffer because he had failed to protect them. They didn't deserve that. They deserved long, happy lives filled with magic.

He locked eyes with David, willing him to not fall for the obvious trap, to keep Tod with them, despite the lies and tricks. There was a reason his wife had chosen Tod above any one of her Aurors. Let her reasoning make sense to him.

The words out of the man's mouth made Tod's heart break. "We will take you up on your generous offer, if you would be able to protect my girls," he said, looking back up to the prim witch in front of him. Worse yet, was that none of the girls made a peep in protest.

"That's settled then," the witch said in a pleasant tone. "Tarian Fischer, you are hereby evicted from the Wilson's home. Upon release from MACUSA you will have 24 hours to remove your things from their property. Failure to do so will result in their confiscation, as they will be infringing on a working Auror zone. David, if you and your family would come with me, I will show you our team of volunteer Aurors…"

Watching the little family depart, only Daisy glanced back at him, a confused look on her small face, and so absorbed in it, Tod didn't feel his wrists finally free from the handcuffs. His freedom, his life, and the lives he cared about above all others disappeared through the heavy metal door, which shut with a screeching thud behind them.