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Edited by the MIGHTY pazed!

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Chapter 21

"Sirius!" said Keighven, as he crossed the garage pulling off a pair of work gloves. "I'm glad you could join me for lunch." Turning his head he addressed a man under the hood of one of the cars. "Sam I want that done by two, then get it loaded. I want that as a secondary car for Harry today, I want him to at least put twenty laps on it as a shakedown."

"Not a problem, Keighven," said the dark haired man, turning back to his work.

"Come with me Sirius." He led him to the side door outside. "I think Joe has got some BBQ ready for the garage's lunch today."

They filled their plates and sat in a spot in the sun. "Not many days left like this before winter sets in this year," Keighven said looking up into the almost leafless trees. "Sorry we did not have more time to speak yesterday, but Harry had to take priority."

Sirius nodded as he tried a bite of the ribs. "This is very good." He swallowed. "Are you sure that was what he needed?"

Keighven smiled. "Definitely, it served several purposes. First the track is where he lets off steam, second it started getting him back to his routine - that is important as it reinforces his sense of normalcy. Finally it wore him out. Between that and his talk with Dr. Martin he slept." He picked at his food. "Truthfully though, I wish this week was not so busy. The championship, school, and his other training, I'm worried that he will push what happened in England to the side and not deal with it as well as necessary."

"I can't say I know much about raising children, but I'll help however I can."

"I'm sure Harry will appreciate it." He swallowed another bite. "Go ahead, ask..."

Sirius obliged. "How did you all get here? Why did your people leave?"

Keighven sighed, he knew the question was coming, it didn't mean he had to like it. "Because of your people."

Sirius was stunned. "My people? We weren't a threat to you!"

"Yes, you were," he began. "Your people never understood..." he rubbed his hand through his hair. "No that is not quite fair." He began again. "Long ago, a rift began to form between the magicals and the non-magicals. One made worse by arrogance on the side of the wizards and ignorance on the side of the non-magicals."

"It was a hard time for us. We didn't want to take sides in the conflict so we felt it best to remove ourselves along with the influence of the Seelie Courts." He held up his hand before Sirius could ask the next question. "You need to understand something. Something we had a hard time admitting to ourselves let alone explaining to your lot at the time. We magicals are reliant on the Humans."

He took a bite of the coleslaw and continued. "Especially, we Elves. We will stagnate… stop moving, stop learning, stop moving forward without them." Sirius looked confused. "We lack a certain creativity… We can use, and even improve what others create but, the spark that allows the Humans to make that initial intuitive jump is sadly lacking in us."

"Lacking creativity?"

"Yes," he replied sadness in his voice. "Without others we tend to become complacent… We no longer strive for anything, we become lost. Lost in our songs and stories, it would lead to us becoming much like some of the lost ones, either sealing ourselves away unwilling to change or we would fade away."

He waved his hand. "That is why I created this place and our other businesses, it keeps my people in contact with the world. We grow and prosper like this. When Camelot fell, we saw your people start to pull away, then the tragedy that struck Salazar's family… It became apparent that you were going to separate from the outside world. So we moved west, along with others."

"Here in the west we became part of the people." He laughed lightly. "We learned that as a group, people are amazing in their ability to rationalize things. Especially the effects of magic."

"I and the other leaders contacted those creating the governments here, and entered a partnership with them. On the lands we own that are not open to the general public, those under the banner of Fairgrove in my case, we are the final word. For this privilege we provide our services when required, and mainly police ourselves and deal with those from Underhill."

"Provide services?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, we quietly protect the voting process of their government against magical tampering, as well as other forms of protection. Many from Underhill have even joined their law enforcement in different capacities."

"You see there is no Statute of Secrecy here. So the magical community are asked to police ourselves, for the most part." He grimaced. "And there are some things we wish them to not discover, that we deal with. Although there are those law enforcement agencies that do deal with magical crimes... the FBI, US Marshals, the Rangers, and most cities have at least a few groups that are capable of dealing with magical cases… Special Operations in Chicago… SWAT in LA… Hell Seattle has an entire Special Operations team that are all Weres."

"S-Seriously?" He was stunned by that fact.

"Yeah, they are exceptional too, they have never lost a suspect." He took a sip of his drink. "Over the years we have found that people have an amazing capacity to rationalize away the unexplainable… like magic. So as long as it is not blatant it is generally overlooked."

"B-but that makes no sense!" Sirius said angrily.

"Not really. Most think it was a trick or they mis-saw… or it was some tool they had not seen before... You see, many things that can be done with magic can be done equally well with technology, some even better… and mix a little magic with tec-"

"But that's impossible! Muggle things don't work around magic!" Sirius half yelled.

"Hate to tell you but you are being lied to." Sirius's eyes grew wide." We mix the two quite often, like the foamed aluminum we use in our engines. Originally it was made with magic, although one of our… associates, found a way to do it without magic and now we are poised to take them to a public market."

"Really, but the..." He trailed off.

"Have you ever looked at a map of London Sirius? And really thought about it?" Sirius shook his head. "Your magical shopping area..."

"Diagon Alley," Sirius provided.

"Yes, Diagon Alley, is in one of the more heavily populated areas in the city, and your Ministry Building is near several non-magical government buildings. Do you think that the people and offices around those places do not use any devices?"

"I-I never thought about it," he answered.

"I can guarantee that there are no issues unless it is something meant to destroy, and it is aimed at it." Keighven smiled. "Our defenses even use a mixture of magic and technology, but that is something we can speak of at length later." Sirius nodded numbly, "I suspect that you would like to see Harry this afternoon."

Sirius shook himself from his thoughts. "I would, yes."

"Well, if you would like, Sara has volunteered to take you out and find you some clothes to help you blend in a bit better," Sirius smiled at that, "but first I need to take you over and see if we can find you a pit suit. If you want to learn about what Harry does that will be essential, can't have his Godfather get burned up in the pit." He laughed as he stood, throwing away his trash, Sirius following in his wake.

"Harry, Principle Dix would like to see you, before school is over." Said his Chemistry teacher, Mr. Albert, handing him the note. "You may leave fifteen minutes before class ends." Harry nodded then looked over the note, then flipped open his book and began taking lecture notes, keeping an eye on the clock.

After passing through nearly empty halls he entered the office, "Ms. Arbukel?" He asked as he entered. "Mr. Dix wanted to see me."

The elderly woman looked up from her typewriter, "He will see you now, Harry." She pointed toward the door, next to her desk.

He knocked once then entered, "Mr. Dix? You wanted to see me?"

"Come in Harry, and have a seat." Said the man behind the desk. He was older, maybe sixty or so, with thinning grey hair and wore a blue suit that it looked like it was two sizes too big. Harry shut the door and sat in one of the large leather chairs in front of the desk.

"Harry, what m I going to do with you?" He asked, a smirk growing on his face. "Another absence…" He held up the letter that Harry had delivered to the office this morning. "and if this is to be believed, you had to go to England. Why?"

"It had to do with my adoption." Harry said quickly, not a lie but only part of the truth.

"And this could not have been taken care of over the Christmas break?" He asked.

"It was sudden… but important." Harry replied.

"I need more Harry," He shook the page. "You have already scheduled the maximum days you would be allowed to be absent to do your racing." He almost spat the word, leaving no doubt how he felt about it. "You can not neglect your schooling, Harry. It is more important than your… hobby."

Harry growled under his breath. "My grades…"

He was cut off, as the man stood and walked around the desk. "Your grades are not the only issue here! It is also your participation and your attitude! You are not a member of a single club, nor team! You have little to no interaction with your classmates! My predecessor may have been happy with the arrangement that was made to facilitate your little hobby but I am an educator! No mater the.. arrangements made with this.. Fairgrove and your parents, it is my responsibility to see that you leave this school prepared for your future! You can not be prepared if you are not here to participate in class!"

Harry wanted to scream, this was an old argument with this man. When he had taken over his position he had tried to stop the arrangement that had been put in place with the help of the old principle, and approved by the state board of education. "The absence was excused, it-"

The man cut him off again as he sat on the edge on his desk. "Maybe it was maybe it wasn't that will be up to he board of education." He smirked, "It will be forwarded on to them, and till such a time as this can be verified and a decision made… your arrangement is suspended."

Harry was stunned, it took a moment for it to register. "You can't…"

"I can and I have!" He stood and looked over him. "You will no longer run willy nilly over the rules! You will be here! IN CLASS like the rest of the students! You will no longer receive special treatment!"

Harry stammered, "Th-the championship is this weekend!"

"Not my problem!" He walked toward the door.

Harry sat still for a moment, he could feel his control cracking, his magic bubbling under the surface responding to his anger and agitation. He fought to regain control, he was failing. "H-how long…." He whispered.

"What was that Harry?" Asked Mr. Dix.

"How long till a decision is reached?" Harry stood slowly ramrod strait, turning to face him.

"The board will meet in January, after the Holidays." His smirk growing into a gruesome vindictive smile.

"Why?" Harry asked next, "Why are you doing this? Why go after my carrier like this?" He could feel the power rushing through him.

"You are not better than anyone else here!" Dix spat, "Just because you have a relationship with Fairgrove and race your little cars! That does not make you special! You should not get special treatment!"

Harry, thought he was close to bursting he knew he had to get away before he lost control. "Am I excused?"

"Of course, Harry. You mustn't be late!" He opened the door, "I'll be watching!" He whispered as Harry passed.

Harry moved stiffly to the closest restroom and entered the last stall, the leaned against the wall sweat beginning to form on his brow from the effort of holding his magic. He reached out with his senses and focused, allowing the magic to seep out into his personal shields, light danced in his eyes even from behind his closed lids, power crackled around him.

He narrowed his focus and rearranged the power shunts in the shields to bleed the power off into the ground. The pressure inside of him drained away, he realigned his shields and pushed away from the wall, exhausted.

One thought moved him forward, 'I need a phone.'