Chapter Eight.

The procession soon found themselves sitting within one of the cavernous halls of The Pillar, many of the Ministry officials could not stop gawking as they walked through the ornate halls of his father's home. He had listened to their exclamations with a sense of pride, he knew his father had worked hard to restore the standards of his people to what he had known in his youth. After the fall of Kar Vaneth, the Stormanvil Clan had suffered greatly. Many had been adopted by the other Clans that dwelt within the British Isles, but the Dwarves were a proud race and as the last surviving Lord of the Clan Belor had refused to let his name die with him.

Several long tables had been arranged for them before a raised dais at the end of the hall, Yet Calliann's eyes could not fail to note the carved stone throne that sat looming over them. It was not the beautifully worked stone of the throne that sat in his father's court, but something else altogether.

The stone was the colour of coal and looked slick to the touch. There was a presence to it that exuded a sense of power and authority, and he had seen more than one eye sending wary looks towards it. In the old tongue of the Dwarves, it was called Sagav Bavga, The War Throne. It had been reclaimed nearly two centuries ago by Belor and his grandfather when the armies of the Dwarven people had marched on the Goblin Kingdom of Bodmar to the south. The swords and axes of the Dwarves had made the rivers run black with Goblin blood, and their victory had finally put an end to the Goblin Rebellion that had lasted for years.

When they had stormed the warren of tunnels and caverns the Greenskins had called a city, they had discovered many of their peoples' looted treasures. Among them had been the War Throne, upon which the Goblin Witchqueen had ruled.

Belor had had the throne cleansed in a great pilgrimage that had seen it hauled from one Hold to another until it had been blessed by every High priest within the Isles and anointed with spells and holy brews until the thing no longer felt tainted by the Goblin's foul magics.

Now it stood as a reminder to all who stood in the hall that the Dwarven people were not like the other races that bowed to the whims of the Magi but instead were a power in their own right.

He turned his attention back to the posturing going on within the Hall, the toadies of the Ministry were blustering about the great respect and ancient alliance that had stood between them. Even to Callian's untrained ear, he could hear the contempt in the man's words, and he could see that it was wearing his father's patience thin.

It appeared it was not just his father that was growing tired of the thinly veiled insults of the Ministry official as a thunderous boom echoed throughout the chamber causing several to start violently and more than one Auror to draw their wands.

Callian watched as his Grandfather slowly stood, the very air seeming to grow heavy as a flick of the man's fingers caused those wands that had been drawn to shoot towards him before coming together in a neat pile upon the table.

"That is enough of the posturing I think."

His cold gaze swept the Ministry party and more than one found themselves unable to meet his gaze, the Ministry stooge who had been speaking so eloquently only moments before was left a stuttering mess as he backpedalled so quickly he nearly tripped over his chair.

"We are all aware of why you have come here today. The escape of Sirius Black following the return of the Dark Lord Voldemort."

The chorus of shrieks, squeals and arm flailing that erupted at the mention of the Dark Lord's name brought more than one raised eyebrow from their side of the room.

Callian noted only a few among the Ministerial party that did not react, among them Amelia Bones and several of her Aurors. The woman seemed to find her colleagues' reactions just as ridiculous and wasted no time in taking command of the situation.

"Lord Blackwood, I feel I must apologise for the abrupt visit to your lands. Under different circumstances I would follow protocol and send an emissary to arrange a time to visit, however, events are conspiring against us and I felt that we needed to meet as soon as possible."

Denevan offered the woman a slight nod of his head in acknowledgement of her words. "I take it that you are referring to the escape of Sirius Black from Azkaban."

Callian did not believe that eyes could look so cold as she sat straighter in her chair, and she looked at them all with a sense of wary caution. The news of Sirius' escape had been a closely guarded secret, and he could see the wheels turning in her mind as she tried to discern just how much his grandfather knew and more importantly if she had a leak within her department.

Her posture did not ease even a little as her gaze swept over them all. Her eyes lingered upon him for only a heartbeat longer, before they shot to land upon Harry. Callian had to fight a grin as Harry met her eyes, his stubborn cousin refusing to look away much to the Head of Magical Law Enforcement's surprise.

Eventually, she spoke once more, her tone revealing none of the tenseness that lingered in her body. "I was not aware that word had spread beyond my office that Black had escaped, how is it that you know of such things Lord Blackwood?"

Denevan smiled widely at the woman, and Callian could see the true amusement dancing in the man's eyes as he spoke.

"A little doggy told me."

He had just taken a small drink of water and had nearly spat it across the table as he heard his grandfather's words, he had to duck his head as he struggled to gulp down the water in his mouth. Beside him, Belor and Harry were grinning widely and he even caught the slightest sense of amusement from his mother.

Madam Bones did not seem to appreciate the inside joke and shot them all a warning glance. "Would you care to explain Lord Blackwood?"

It may have been phrased as a question, but all in the room knew that it was order. Callian watched as his grandfather's face hardened in response. It was a subtle thing, a slight furrowing of the brow and the man's eyes losing some of their cheer but everyone seemed to hold their breath as his grandfather leaned towards the woman as he stared her down.

"No."

The woman flinched and quickly nodded her head in acceptance, and Callian knew that the woman was skirting very close to the edge of insulting a Lord in his own land. That was folly at the best of times and with the current situation as it was, Madam Bones was well aware of the repercussions that could befall her and the Ministry if she pushed too hard. That was the delicate balance of their society. The Ministry begrudgingly let the Houses rule their own realms as they wished, with them only paying the most token of respect to the Ministry and its laws. The Wizengamot, the ruling council of Magical Britain was the true power behind the Ministry, and while the Minister and his varying multitudes of officials appeared to lead and proclaim the laws it was a well-known fact that the Houses ruled behind the scenes.

Despite her position as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Callian knew that her words would have carried more weight with his grandfather if she had come to them as a Lady of House Bones and acting as its Regent until her niece came of age.

His mother had claimed there had been rumours spoken behind closed doors of Amelia Bones's dislike for the politicking of the Houses and had made efforts within the Wizengamot to bring them more in line with the Ministry and its laws. He knew that despite the backing of many of the more common Houses, she had met with very little success.

The oldest and strongest among the Great Houses had managed to counter her proposals at every turn. If the gossip were to be believed and Amelia Bones was Minister in all but name, then it would be interesting to see how she fared against the Houses. More importantly, with the return of the Dark Lord, how long division within the Wizengamot would last?

Callian eyed the gathering before him, no one seemed willing to speak and upset his grandfather. His mother however stood, drawing every eye to her as she looked between the Minister and Lady Bones.

"You have come to our lands with the purpose of ensuring that Our House is informed of the potential threat to my Son and those in our care." She finished with a gesture towards both him and his friends. He shared a look with Harry and grinned at his cousin. The boy did well to control his facial expressions but he still looked like a deer staring down a wolf.

"For that, I offer you my heartfelt thanks, but I feel there is more that you wish to discuss with us?"

Callian watched as more than one pair of eyes turned towards the Minister, among them those of Lady Bones. He watched as the man squirmed in his chair looking like he wished desperately to be anywhere else but there at that particular moment, and he shot a pleading look towards the rest of his party. Eventually, when it became obvious that they were all waiting for the man to speak, he reluctantly heaved himself from his chair.

"We, at the Ministry, feel that it would be prudent to offer you the protection of an Auror guard. Purely for the safekeeping of those under your care of course…"

Callian watched as the man's resolve began to falter as his father slowly stood, Belor's face a mask of cold fury. The Minister hastily carried on, looking more and more like a rabbit about to bolt from the hall. "With the return of the Dark Lord we…I… The Ministry-"

"The Ministry be damned!"

Belor's voice was like a hoarfrost, so cold it threatened to freeze the marrow in your bones if you lingered too long.

"Yer Dark Lord has already been here and sent runnin' with his tail tucked! What do yeh think yeh and yers can do that Den, his lads and the might of Kar Zurant can't do!"

He was leaning forward across the table now, his deep-set eyes under thick black brows seeming to pierce the Minister as the man stumbled backwards, collapsing into his chair.

"Explain to me how a bunch of wet behind-the-ears Aurors can possibly help to keep my Son safe, huh?!"

In a flash of movement, Belor had his axe drawn and it thundered downwards burying itself deeply into the table between them. More than one gasp sounded as the blade was buried only a hair's breadth from the pile of wands on the table.

Several of the Aurors had run forward at the sight of their foci so close to being chopped into kindling, but a snarl from Belor had them halting mid-step as he pulled his axe free once more.

"Back. Up."

The Aurors did not move, but as the Axe came down once more on the other side of the bundle of wands they back-pedalled so quickly Callian found himself staring in disbelief at their panicked wide-eyed stares, these men who were so quickly brought to heel over the loss of a mere foci were the men that the Ministry wanted to post as guards against the Dark Lord and his servants. More than one of the Ministry party had jumped to their feet in fear, surprisingly Callian found himself disappointed when he noted out of the lot of them only a handful had drawn their own wands.

"I do not think we will need the aid of the Ministry in guarding our lands, Minister."

His mother's calm voice was the complete opposite to the apparent fury of his father's, and it took the room a moment to realise that she had even spoken. No one dared to move as Belor continued to glower across the table.

Lady Bones, however, was not so easily deterred and slowly stood. Her back was straight and proud despite her earlier blunder and she calmly reached across the table and grasping the head of Belor's axe pulled it free. He watched as she tossed the blade into the air, easily catching the haft as she held it out towards Belor. "I fear you have damaged your table beyond repair, My Lord."

Callian could see the flicker of respect kindling in his father's eyes as Belor took his axe without a word. Without waiting for permission she reached across the table once more and scooped the wands into her hand, she eyed them with a contemplative look before she reached behind her and held them out for one of her people to take.

"I assure you, My Lords and Ladies. I will only provide the best of my Aurors for your protection, regardless of the animosity between us, I believe that Sirius Black will make his way here sooner or later. I do not want to risk the lives of you or your children if I can help it, and hope you will reconsider."

Callian looked at the woman in a new light, out of all those who stood across the table from them, she was the strongest by far. Not just in terms of Magical, but also resolve.

Few had the stomach to stare down an angry dwarf, let alone the formidable and looking presence of his grandfather and mother.

His grandfather however was not so easily impressed and with a feral grin he leaned towards the woman.

"Your warning comes too late, Lady Bones."

A flick of his hand had one of the heavy bronze doors of the chamber slamming open to reveal the gaunt frame of Sirius Black. The years he had spent within Azkaban had stolen much of the handsomeness and strength that had graced his face, yet, there was still a hint of the aristocratic face that had stolen more than one lady's virtue in his youth.

Callian watched as many among the ministry party screamed and cowered away, terrified at just the sight of Black. Those Aurors' who had lost their wands were now desperately scrabbling to retrieve them from the young aide who stood rooted to the spot, Callian would not be surprised to find a puddle about the young woman's feet as she stared in abject horror as Sirius stepped into the hall. If Black was nervous he showed no sign of apprehension as he calmly walked towards them, the cocky half smile that twisted his lips only seemed to unsettle the Aurors more and more the closer he came.

Amelia Bones was also on her feet, and Callian watched in interest as the stony-faced woman drew her wand in the blink of an eye. However, what drew his attention was the coil of black iron links she had pulled from within the folds of her leather coat. With a flick of her wrist, the chain uncoiled and Callian felt himself instinctively pulling back as it began to writhe like a snake with its tail caught in a trap. His second sight revealed the truth of the chain as he watched the very magic in the air behind drawn into the chain, beside him he saw his mother snarl at the sight of the chain and watched as dozens of Weaves bloomed into existence about her. She was not alone, however, as his grandfather and several of the apprentices who stood within the room all reacted at the sight of the writhing chain.

"YOU DARE BRING A BINDER INTO MY LANDS!"

His grandfather's voice was like the boom of thunder and he watched as more than one person buckled and collapsed as the weight of the man's Magic pressed down upon them all in his fury.

For her part, Amelia Bones ignored him as she moved until she was at the head of a line of Aurors that had moved to form a line between the Ministerial party and the former resident of Azkaban. She continued to ignore his grandfather as her eyes refused to leave Sirius, for his part the man only looked back at her with undisguised contempt.

"Sirius Black, by Order of the Ministry of Magic you are under arrest. You are to be Bound. Your Magic severed and returned to your cell within Azkaban. You will submit -"

Whatever she had been about to say was cut off as his grandfather moved, in a brilliant flash of purple light he disappeared only to reappear a heartbeat later mere feet behind the line of Aurors' as a wave of Magic shot outwards scattering the line as they were sent skidding across the floor.

With a shouted command from Belor, armoured dwarves with blades bared streamed into the hall from hidden doors about the room. The glint of lantern light off of oiled mail and bared steel was a sight to behold, as score after score of Belor's guard formed a bristling wall of steel about them all. Those Aurors that had not joined the line found themselves coming face to face with either a grey-robed Apprentice or staring as the sharpened tip of a sword placed at their necks.

Callian stared at his grandfather in terrified awe as the man lashed out with Weave after Weave, Aurors that had stood ready to defend the Minister only moments before were now lying sprawled on the floor unconscious or those that had managed to regain their found themselves being hoisted into the air by a power they had no hope of resisting.

Callian watched as more than one grasped at the invisible hands that held them off the grounds by the throat, the desperation in their eyes as they struggled to draw in a breath was terrifying. With a flick of his wrist, Denevan sent them flying away to land before the feet of the Dwarves, who wasted no time in disarming them of their wands and any other weapon or enchanted items they possessed.

Yet, it was the sight of the woman being held spread eagle in the air that stole the attention of the room.

The fury upon his grandfather's face as his eyes bored into the woman made him break out in a nervous sweat, as the woman was yanked forward until she was hovering before the man as he seemed to tower over everyone in the room.

"You dare to bring that Abomination into my lands!" Callian followed the man's pointing finger to where he could see the writhing chain wriggling ever closer towards the downed form of one of the Aurors, the man seemed to be held at bay from moving by some spell from someone in the room as only his eyes stared in abject terror as he watched the chain moving towards him. No one moved to help the man, and Callian began to hear a strangled keening coming from the Auror as the chain reached his boot. "By every custom and law, I know I could have your head! The Binder was outlawed for a reason."

The tremor of power that laced his words gave them an otherworldly quality as they seemed to bore their way into the minds of everyone there.

The man upon the floor only keened louder as the chain began to move up his leg, Callian watched as the dense Weave of arcane energies about the man broke apart at the touch of the enchanted chain and the man began to kick wildly in the hopes of dislodging it. The rest of his body however remained under the effects of the spell and was utterly immobile. Callian had never heard of a Binder before, but watching as the chain ate away at all the Magic it came into contact with was utterly wrong to his mind.

For her part, Amelia Bones looked desperately towards her man upon the floor. "Please! Release me and I can stop it. The Binder is linked to me, only I can stop it. PLEASE!"

She screamed the last word into Denevan's face, but the man looked as if he was carved from stone as he stared back at her with cold unfeeling eyes.

This was the iron hard core of his grandfather, he had seen glimpses of it throughout his life but now the Ministry had come to their lands with objects designed to steal away the very magic of a Magi. No longer was he staring at Denevan Blackwood, the kind and loving man who had raised him to be the best that he could be.

Before him now stood Lord Blackwood. A Lord, whose very lands and more importantly Magic were being threatened.

The spell holding the Auror on the floor finally collapsed, as the enchanted chain devoured the majority of its energy. The Auror desperately tried to fight off the Binder that even now was coiled upon the man's chest, its heavy hooked tip rearing up like a snake as they all watched in horror as it darted down. The hook embedded itself into the man's breast, just above his heart as the remainder of the Binder worked its way up and around the Auror's neck.

The metal links of the chain's tail seemed to form a solid noose about the man's neck and Callian watched as he tried in vain to pull it free. To his mundane eyes, the man looked fine and whole but to his second sight, it revealed the vile truth.

He could not sense anything from the chain itself, whatever Magics had gone into its creation were somehow obscured to him. It was as if the Binder was a hole in the very world, and the effect was spreading to encompass the Auror. It was gradual, but Callian began to watch as the ebb and flow of light that made up the core of the man before him was slowly dwindling, until after a few agonising seconds the light of Magic within the man was gone. With one last futile struggle, the man fell limp upon the floor.

For an instant Callian thought that the man had died, but he could see the man's chest rising and falling rapidly as if he had just run a marathon. Yet, even that was quickly slowing as the Auror seemed to become still and devoid of life and emotion.

With a growl, Denevan turned away from the woman as she suddenly dropped to the floor of the hall with a yell of pain.

"Attend to your puppet." The words seemed to have a physical effect on the woman as she reared back as if slapped. With unsteady movements, they watched as the once fearsome woman quickly crawled towards her fallen and chained Auror.

"Thompson, can you hear me?"

There was no response and Callian watched as Amelia Bones took a fistful of the man's thick coat and shook him desperately.

"Thompson?!"

The hoarse, pleading cry, seemed to reach the bound Auror and he jerked slightly upon the floor as the hooked head of the chain seemed to drive just a little deeper into his chest.

Callian watched as she pleaded with the man's lifeless form until the Headmaster's strong voice spoke into the silence that had fallen. His words were full of contempt as his eyes bored into the Minister and the back of Bone's head.

"You know he will not answer you until you finalise the connection."

When Amelia did not move the Headmaster, for the first time that Callian could ever remember seeing snarled at the woman. His face was twisted with disgust as he stormed across the chamber and seized her shoulder, jerking her around to face him.

"Do it! Finalise your crime and end the boy's pain."

As if in answer to his words the head wormed its way ever deeper into the Auror's chest.

With tears in her eyes, Amelia Bones reached into her coat once more and pulled forth a thick band of bronze. He watched as her trembling fingers worked over its carved decals until they found the clasp worked into the twisted visage of a man's screaming face, the image's mouth opened wide in some agonising howl. Callian senses screamed at him as he felt the vile Magic weaved into that band, his eyes widened as he felt the taint it left in the air as Lady Bones snapped open the bracelet and with faltering movements placed it about her wrist.

With a last look at the Headmaster, a man who once proudly helped her through her OWL and NEWT exams to become the Auror that she is today. A man who now looked down upon her with open contempt upon his face as she spoke in halting words.

"Thompson… Ca-Can you hear me?"

Abruptly the Auror's head jerked towards her as if yanked by some invisible chain, he stared at the woman with empty, emotionless eyes.

"I hear you, Mistress."

Amelia Bones, the head of the Department for Magical Law Enforcement and the acting regent for the House of Bones broke then.

With a cry she flung herself at the Auror, she clung to him like a drowning man to flotsam before she turned wide, tear-filled eyes up at the Headmaster.

"He's in so much pain. It's as if his Magic has turned to fire in his blood, it burns like acid and he can do nothing about it" With a pleading look she turned to those about her. "Make it stop! Please make it stop!"

Callian looked to those in the room, his grandfather seemed to be working to get control of himself. He seemed to be faring better than the majority of the room, though he could feel the boil of emotions just below the surface. Many among the Aurors were still picking themselves off the floor, and those who had recovered enough could only stare in horror at their colleague clutched in their leader's arms.

The Headmaster's eyes softened as he looked down at the Auror upon the floor, for an instant Callian got a glimpse of the ocean of guilt and anguish that resided within the man. He sensed but a drop of that sea of turmoil and he felt his eyes sting with brimming tears, it was only a fraction of an instant before he felt the Headmaster's mind close off to the world behind walls of barbed iron. He caught a flicker of surprise before he found the man's hard blue eyes shooting towards him, the Headmaster's face an unreadable mask as he stared hard at him.

Eventually, the whispered pleas of desperation from Amelia Bones pulled the man's attention once more. "You know as well as I, there is only one way to set him free."

Amelia shook her head in denial as she looked once more at the Auror lying on the cold floor of the chamber. "I…I can not. There must be some other way…I can not Sever him."

His grandfather stormed across the chamber then, what little control he had managed to gather, fraying rapidly. With one hand he grabbed the woman's jaw and he forced her to stare down at the man before them. "It is too late for that now you foolish girl! You brought a Binder with you. You knew the risks when you pulled that thing out of the Ministry's Vaults, do not baulk now because you must get your hands dirty to free an innocent! You brought this into my lands. You broke one of the oldest Laws of the Wizengamot by digging this thing out of whatever dark hole it was buried in, now I want you and your men gone."

A gasp went through the room as more than one shot worried glances at the supposed safety offered by the Aurors in the room.

The Minister looked like he wanted to be as far from here as possible and Callian could not blame him. His grandfather looked like he wanted to burn all those associated with the Ministry to a cinder and it was apparent that there was not a damn thing any of them could do to stop him. What was more, the Headmaster at his side looked just as ready to lay into them. The man seemed a far cry from the genial figure he often portrayed, and the sight of the two of them standing shoulder to shoulder staring down the Aurors who had climbed back to their feet with only contempt in their eyes was truly daunting.

"What of Black? You can not stop us from taking the murderer into custody!"

Denevan turned his furious gaze onto the man who had spoken. A young Auror, who looked fresh out of Hogwarts and seemed to not grasp the fact he was poking the proverbial dragon.

"Black is no concern of yours. It has become apparent that the Ministry has overstepped its bounds, I will call a meeting of the Houses and inform them of the false imprisonment of the once heir of a House older than the farce of a government you serve."

The Minister looked like he was about to faint, he had paled such that it looked as if he had been drained of blood.

"A Wizengamot can only be called by the Chief Warlock, you do not have the autho-"

His grandfather did not bother with words, instead jabbing a fist towards the Minister as he snarled at the man sending him tumbling into his chair with a panicked whirling of his arms.

Eventually his grandfather spoke, his voice full of nothing but contempt as he looked at those

in the Ministry party.

"You have until the midday bell to be gone from my lands. Anyone left within my borders after that will be considered a threat and will be dealt with as such."

As if to emphasise his point the loud chiming of a bell could be heard echoing through the hold, Callian listened to the ringing chimes denoting the hour and watched as men and women scrambled to flee the chamber.

Once the room was clear, Callian found himself staring about the room in shocked disbelief as he thought back over what had happened in such a short amount of time.

He found his eyes meeting those of his father, Belor looking just as baffled as himself and said the first thing that came to mind.

"What in the name of all that is good just happened?"


Harwyn Mckinnon moved with all the grace of a hunting cat among the milling flock of panicked bureaucrats. He was one of the few Aurors who had not made a mockery of their office, and he shot a dark look towards the scared faces of the junior Aurors as they tried to maintain a perimeter about their party. These were boys pretending to be men, and had never known the true horrors of the Dark Arts and its most adept practitioners. He had been like them at the beginning of the last war, fresh out of school and thinking you were invincible. He knew the feeling well, he had been at the top of his year and thought he knew everything there was to know about the Dark Arts. He had remembered the grim faces of the Aurors who had been at the fore of the fighting against the Dark Lord and his followers, they were shells of men and had seen more horrors than anyone should have. That had been when he had felt the first trickle of uncertainty creep into him. He had been trained by Alistair Moody himself, the old man had been a legend even before the War and it was only thanks to that mad bastard that he had survived the first few months. Yet, the things he had seen haunted him even now, there were few enough of the old guard as it was and he knew they were even close to being ready for a full-scale war to break out once more.

He shot a look at his younger colleagues, these boys had no idea what was coming. The Auror office was only now being funded properly to bring their numbers up to a wartime footing, and those who needed to teach the new trainees were being dispatched to play guard dog for anyone who oiled the Minister's purse strings.

He waited until their party was nearing the great lift that would take them out of the Undercity, he desperately needed to find a few minutes to himself as he thought of the artefact he had tucked into his belt. He spotted his opportunity as their party milled about waiting for the lift to descend, a large overhang from what looked like a merchant's house hid the entrance to an alleyway. With practised ease, he slipped behind the small mountain of rolled rugs and woven geometric wall hangings that offered him plenty of space to hide as he cast several simple concealment spells.

It was nothing overt, several spells that blurred his outline and removed scent and sound from his body, yet they worked wonders in letting him blend in with his surroundings. That had been another lesson Moody had drilled into him, simplicity far surpassed the intricate and power-heavy spells when it came to concealment. It was why he stayed far away from the more complete Invisibility spell, while useful it was Magically very loud. While it worked to hide your presence once completed, it made very distinct ripples during its casting that all but drew the eye of the wary.

It was something that had always amazed him, Alistair Moody was a foul-tempered Veteran of nearly every conflict that sprung up within the British Isles for the past forty years. He was a peg-legged cripple that should have stood out in any crowd, yet, the old bastard knew their craft better than anyone else alive. He could move as quietly as a mouse when he wanted to, the man would often sneak up behind you and scream "CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Just to prove that point.

Making sure that no one had noted his slipping away, he moved quickly into the shadows of the alley. His luck was with him as it led into another row of shops and storehouses behind the rug merchants that were thankfully free of and would be witnesses.

Still clinging to the shadows he reached under his thick overcoat to the wide belt he wore, his fingers working along until they came to the secret pocket that he had sewn into it.

With one last look to see who was about him, he pulled forth a small worn black leather book, roughly the size of his hand. He quickly pulled forth a specialised silver stylus that was tucked into the spine of the book and with only a heartbeat of hesitation, took it in one hand as he jabbed his thumb down hard in the sharp nib. He felt a sudden rush of cold in his digit as the stylus stole a portion of his blood to activate its enchantments, it was what made the book so valuable. A protean enchantment upon the book allowed what was written in one to appear in its twin which resides with his father, but all of the enchantments were keyed to the stylus and required blood to activate. It had cost his father a small fortune to have them made, but it enabled him to report everything that he gleaned from standing guard at the Minister's side.

With a hurried hand, he penned a missive detailing all that had unfolded, the dark red of his own blood seeming to gleam in the dim light that reached him.

The angular marks of the code he used were known only to him and his father, it was another safeguard in case the book was found. The fates seemed to favour him, however, as within seconds the book's cover grew hot to the touch before it quickly faded and he could see his father's words clearly upon the page.

The message took him a few seconds to decode in his mind, but the message was short and simple.

Make contact.

Harwyn frowned slightly, but he knew where his loyalty lay.

House McKinnon had been a minor player in the political arena under his uncle's reign, now his father had turned it into a powerhouse that had gained a good deal of control over many of the minor Houses. His father's reach was growing and he knew he sought to make an alliance with the powerful Lord Blackwood, if for nothing more than the trade connections that would only grow his family's coffers.

The madness that had unfolded less than an hour ago had proven that the ancient wizard was more formidable than what many truly understood, the fact he had decimated the Auror line with barely a care had proven that to him. He just had to hope that his father realised the viper he sought to reach his hand out to.

With only the barest look behind him, he took off. He had to manoeuvre through a city of Dwarves that had already proven they had no love for the Ministry or those in its employ. He had thought about discarding his coat, but the protections the heavy leather offered him may just be needed when he reached his destination.