More Than Just A New Beginning
Chapter 15
The moment Harry and his team entered the property, a hail of bullets rained down upon them. With magic though, the bullets slowed down and fell at their feet, before they were shot Harry making sure that at least one of them was stunned. He needed at least one person to question what was going on here.
"Clear,"
"Clear,"
"Clear,"
Then out of an additional door another round of bullets left another man's gun. Zane shot him in the forehead, and he arched back, and the sound of a body tumbling down the stairs was all that was heard.
"Clear,"
"Everyone alright?" Harry demanded, checking himself over, just to make sure that none of the bullets had gotten by. "Sit-rep!"
"Fine boss," Will stated, as he turned into the kitchen giving Harry a nod.
"Fine, boss," Zane commented, "I'm going down into the basement."
"I'm going with him," Jerry commented through the ear piece.
"First bedroom to the left clear," John reported, using a spell to track anyone in the room and then checking under the beds and cupboards. Just in case they were cloaked from magic, one never knew so they checked regardless. It had been drummed into them to take every and all precautions. No matter how inane it seemed, it was always best to be on the safe side.
"Second bedroom to the left clear," Adam declared.
"First bedroom to the right clear," Daniel's crisp voice came through the ear piece.
"Second bedroom to the right, clear," Harry informed them, as he used a spell, then physically checked every single hiding place possible. Including the wardrobes, bathroom, cupboard and under the bed.
"Oh, Merlin!" Zane murmured in horror. "We need to get them to the magical hospital now! Adam….Is it even safe to move them?"
"I…I think…I'm going to be sick!" Jerry gagged before footsteps were head as he came up the stairs, making a beeline for outside before he was spectacularly sick.
Daniel, Adam, Harry, Will and John inhaled sharply, steeling themselves for whatever they might find. The 'Them' in his statement alluded to more than just Sara down there. As always, Harry was first to go, going as quietly as he could so not to disturb whoever was still down there. They must be terrified out of their wits.
Adam was quick to go next, someone needed him, he blanched when he saw the scene in front of him. A dozen cells, all containing children of various ages, all of them unconscious or feigning it at any rate. The youngest he could see looked to be about four-years-old or there about. The oldest perhaps ten? He honestly didn't know who to go to first… "Make the call, get them here." Normally it was served for a life and death situation…and honestly, Adam didn't think the healers would mind when they saw the situation and probably think they did the right thing.
Adam unlocked the cell containing the youngest child – or just smallest – and ran a diagnosis while Harry was talking curtly on the phone to the healers. Warning them of the scene they would be walking into.
"Five-years-old, shapeshifting DNA, potential to be a werewolf," Adam informed the room as he did his diagnosis. When he said 'potential' to be a werewolf, everyone began changing at different times in their lives. They didn't come out of the womb with the ability to shift. "Gillian Lowrey, Merlin, what the hell have they done to you?" sickened to the core.
"Here," Jerry said, handing over a cover, the children were all as bare as the day they were born. Scars and horrific burns adorned their bodies, especially around their wrists and ankles. Suffering from electrocution, knife wounds, still imbedded with wolfsbane judging by the subtle glow.
They'd been tortured severely, for an undetermined amount of time.
"Jerry go and greet the healers," Harry ordered, "Bring them down, they'll be here within minutes." They were just collecting their emergency kit, so they could begin treating the children here if need be.
"Yes, Sir," Jerry said in relief, as he left once more, having handed out the covers, there weren't enough people to see to the children.
Harry watched him go thoughtfully, out of all the people he'd expected to react to this scene he would have put all his money on Will. Yet here he was, strong, stubborn and angry at what had happened. Or Zane, who had children the age of these kids.
"Adam, John, take the bodies and prisoner to MACUSA," Harry ordered, fury thrumming through him, not that you'd easily be able to tell. "Book him, I'll be taking to him soon enough."
"What about the mother?" Will questioned, placing a warm cosy conjured blanket over one of the kids. He didn't move him, too afraid that the little boy shouldn't be moved. The healers were taking forever to get there.
"I'll send her to the hospital when I get back," Harry replied, she wasn't exactly high on his list of priorities right now. No, getting those kids to the magical hospital, identified and families found were most important. The cell doors were all open, which would enable to healers to get right to work. Merlin, he hoped they survived, he didn't dare touch them for fear of hurting them. They were skin and bone, starved, would be added to the list.
They all heard through the earpiece as Adam arrested the guy for multiple counts of kidnapping and torture. He must have silenced the bastard, since he didn't make a single sound, as he was escorted out of this torture chamber.
"I'm bringing the healers down," Jerry informed them, moments before they heard the sound of footsteps coming into the properly, then downstairs.
It didn't take long for the flood of healers to get to work, Harry was grateful no apprentices had been called in. This was a pretty grim sight, the last thing they needed was overwhelmed and emotional wizards and witches.
Harry and his group left the cells, waiting for their verdicts as they calm and collectedly spoke to each other. Stretchers were immediately called for, as they spoke of numerous broken bones and permanent damage due to the length of time left unhealed.
They didn't need to take pictures; their memories would suffice as evidence.
"Give us time to do our work, I'll call you the second I have a free moment," Head Healer Philip Mason informed Harry. "We're going to Portkey them to the hospital."
"Alright," Harry agreed, "Just give me their names so I can begin looking for family,"
Immediately every healer gave him their diagnosis spell, which had the name of each child along with their long list of injuries. Using magic to do so, not even leaving their patients for a second despite being secured to a stretcher.
"If they even have family," Zane said bleakly, watching as the Healers in their lime-green robes (a world-wide recognition of healers regardless of which country you were in) disappear with the victims. He couldn't recall any of these children being 'missing' and surely the MCD would be doing their level best to publicize their profile in order to get leads. If they weren't listed as missing…well they obviously didn't have family that had reported them so.
Harry gritted his teeth, "If the bastard had just done his job…these kids would have been found a year ago and this operation shut down."
"Don't do anything you'll regret," Zane squeezed Harry's shoulder, he didn't know exactly what he was talking about but it had to be bad if Harry was laying the blame elsewhere other than the culprits.
"Let's get this place packed up," Harry ordered, giving the basement one last over, to make sure they weren't missing anything, even little nooks or crannies where things could be hidden. Breathing evenly, the urge to force Auror Amicus to face what he had caused by his shoddy, sloppy work. He'd never felt this level of disgust and rage at anyone. His earlier protests made it worse.
They completely turned the building upside down, looking for every scrap of paper that might prove useful. Overturning beds, collecting all guns, journals, ammunition, phones, laptops.
Every single thing was spelled, then carefully put into bags so that nothing was compromised. Including finger prints, they would be running everything through the database and anyone who's fingerprints come up that's used it would be dragged in. Every available surface was spelled for prints, all attached to a piece of square parchment. Full prints or half smudged ones, they would put them all into the database.
"Hunters," Zane sneered, hair prickling just thinking about their kind. "Looks like their own Bestiary. They've got quite a lot of information here, not novices, but considering how limited they are…first generation for sure."
"They wanted to see if they could prevent them transforming into werewolves at puberty," stomach churning, his food making a grand effort to make a reappearance.
"Or if they could force the transformation early," Will said reading one of the books.
"Multiple experiments, nothing about magic…I don't think they knew her mom was a witch and she could have the capacity to be." Zane commented, "They're lucky, if she'd just been a year older…"
"Her magic could have killed anyone within the vicinity," Harry agreed, right now it was still in its adolescent phase. Magic went through a few phases, before you were considered an adult. When it reached its pubescent phrase the magic and emotions caused flare outs, the kind of terror a child would feel? The flare out would be…horrendous.
It would have also alerted MACUSA to something going down, a huge blast of magic with the Mundane alerted.
There was no point to thinking on 'what if' that would not change the circumstances.
The Aurors trudged out of the house, looking as though they'd aged a decade since going inside. Zane automatically flicked his wand, and spells went up. Preventing anyone from going inside, a proximity ward if anyone goes near the property – additional hunters – and made it invisible to the Mundane. Those that know where it is, would be able to get to the surrounding area. Enough to trigger the ward, but they wouldn't be able to find it.
"Not often you find places as secluded as this is New York," Will admitted, it was a small island crawling with millions of people. It always amazed him that anyone could commit a crime without at least someone seeing something. You couldn't even walk in a straight line without having to zig zag by someone.
"No," Harry admitted, it probably at one point had been a farm house, the fencing was all still surrounding it. "You don't." rubbing his jaw, feeling off kilter. They'd went into this with a simple missing child/abduction to finding fifteen children in total.
Fourteen children they needed to identify, to find their families. Merlin, he was grateful he wouldn't have to explain to the families. No that would be entirely up to the discretion of the healers in the hospital.
Squeezing the paperwork in his hand, "Let's get going," he stated, all of them had their hands full of at least a half a dozen items before they apparated back to MACUSA.
Leaving behind the walls positively dripping with pain, terror and fear.
"Jerry get everything down to Heather," Harry demanded, handing over his box, "Stay with her, get her to do the tech first so we can get it down to Clara for examination. I want to make sure we have every single one of those sons of bitches. I want to know everything before I question him." He still didn't know his name, but Adam and John would no doubt.
Heather would get all the DNA and fingerprints of everything and run them through the system. Clara would get through everything on the phones and laptops and keep them up to date.
"Rush order?" Jerry asked, as he piled up all the boxes filled with sealed bags on top of each other, and levitated it.
"She has no other cases," Harry informed him, "Now go,"
-0
It took twenty minutes for everyone to get back to the bull pen. By then the names of the fifteen children was spread across the board. Including Sara, during that time, it was becoming increasingly evident that not all of them were potential werewolves. Also that they had been kidnapped from various states, only one in New York.
Timothy Redfern – 8 years-old – Ohio
Jason Williams – 9 years-old – California
Steve Craig – 7 years-old – Texas
Sara Reed – 8-years-old – New York
Sammy Locklear – 8 years-old – Arizona
Billy Gibbs – 10 years-old – Minnesota
Richard Marchland – six years-old – Missouri
Jessica Laurent – 7 years-old – Wyoming
Alexander Spencer – 9 years-old – North Carolina
Wade Burke – 6 years-old – Oklahoma
Nathanial Adams – 9 years-old – New Jersey
Jorge Gonzales – 10 Years-old – New Mexico
Loretta Shaw – 4 years-old – Louisiana
Claude Ellis – 9 years-old – Kansas
Blake Hamilton – 6 years-old – Maine
"A lot more boys," Jerry commented, two girls out of the lot, "I wonder if that was by design?"
"What kind of design? That it's more likely that boys will turn? There's no proof of that, perhaps they had some semblance of conscience and felt bad about abducing the girls?" Will said.
"I have no idea, it just popped out," Jerry grimaced.
"Okay, Zane, you ready?" Harry called out, typing away at an impressive speed on his keyboard. Before standing and making his way over to the printer, waiting on the printer printing out pictures which had the dates they were taken written on them.
"Last one taken was Loretta Shaw, five months ago, 2nd of January 2008," Harry went on to date each of the kidnappings, when their parents had called. Zane marked the dates as he moved along.
Timothy Redfern – 8 years-old – Ohio – October 19th 2007
Jason Williams – 9 years-old – California – December 2006
Steve Craig – 7 years-old – Texas – May 7th 2007
Sara Reed – 8-years-old – New York – April 3rd 2007
Sammy Locklear – 8 years-old – Arizona – January 10th 2006
Billy Gibbs – 10 years-old – Minnesota - October 27th 2005
Richard Marchland – six years-old – Missouri – February 12th 2007
Jessica Laurent – 7 years-old – Wyoming – September 2nd 2005
Alexander Spencer – 9 years-old – North Carolina – November 30th 2007
Wade Burke – 6 years-old – Oklahoma – May 4th 2007 (No Star Wars jokes Will!)
Nathanial Adams – 9 years-old – New Jersey – August 19th 2006
Jorge Gonzales – 10 Years-old – New Mexico – June 10th 2006
Loretta Shaw – 4 years-old – Louisiana - 2nd of January 2008
Claude Ellis – 9 years-old – Kansas – 5th March 2006
Blake Hamilton – 6 years-old – Maine – 12th September 2007
Harry divided the paperwork between his group, dropping them on their desks. It didn't take long for Zane to finish up and go back to his own desk. Dread squirming like a living thing in his stomach at what he was about to do. He had to remind himself that it was better than the alternative.
"Are the families all Shapeshifters? We can't just tell them were to come if they're not…" Will pointed out.
"They all have family that's alive, unfortunately…they did lose someone in each individual attack. Mothers, sisters, daughters, sons, nephews and fathers…only three were lucky enough to survive. I'm sure they are living with a great deal of guilt." Adam explained, "All the numbers are cell phones, no landlines, there's no guarantee they'll still work."
"Oh, they'll work, they'll know their children are still alive, even humans have pack bonds." Harry explained, "It won't come as a fully fledged Beta bond until they shift for the first time and be accepted as part of the pack. They'll have the familial bonds, although…I'm not sure they'll still be strong." He admitted, he assumed Peter still felt the bonds to Laura and by extension Derek due to the weak pack bond they had together before Laura culled him from the pack. None had felt Cora though, and Cora thought everyone had died…it had to have had something to do with the trauma…but he honestly didn't know.
"They'd keep that phone powered up, no matter what the circumstances on the chance of a call." Zane agreed, he knew he would, he'd get a different phone so he never had to use that one. It would remain available for every moment of the day.
"Exactly," Harry said, moving to the desk he used while in the bullpen. "Alright, let's get them informed. I'm sure the children could do with a familiar face after…all this time." They'd probably take a few days to come around, maybe a week so there was no immediate rush. Still, the families deserved to know.
Picking up the phone, he dialled in the first number, straightening up, it was time, the wait was over.
"Hello?" came the near enough immediate reply, voice filled with so much hope that Harry swallowed thickly.
"Hello?" it was a woman's voice, there were a few male voices in the background.
"Is this Mrs. Shaw?" Harry questioned.
"Yes, yes, this is she," she almost blurted out as fast as possible.
"I'm Auror Harry Potter, calling from the Magical Congress of the United states of America, MACUSA for short. I'm part of the Federal Bureau Covert Vigilance Taskforce." Harry informed her.
"Magical?" she questioned in disbelief.
"We were working on a missing child in our state, jurisdiction, when we came across a dozen other children missing." Harry continued to explain as if she hadn't spoken. He was used to the doubt that came with proclaiming who and what he was.
"Loretta," she cried out hoarsely.
"Yes, she was amongst the children found, how quickly can you make your way to New York?" Harry asked.
"How do we know you're telling the truth?" someone else took control of the phone.
"Your daughter has the capacity to be a Wearbear, she won't shift until she's a little older. She's currently getting the medical treatment she needs to recover in a magical hospital in New York."
"Don't trust him, he's a hunter!" another male in the background proclaimed vehemently.
"There is nothing I can do or say to you that will convince you I'm telling the truth." Harry commented, then an idea struck him. "I am the mate of Derek Hale, if it comes to it, we'll come to you when she's recovered. Right now, though, I think she can do with a familiar face."
"What…what was done to her?" it was the mother back on the phone again.
"I think that's best discussed by the healers when you get here," Harry said soft and apologetic, "What was done to the children isn't something to inform you about when you're going to be traveling the emotions will bleed through the pack bonds. She's alive, she'll recover…this is good, bring some things that are familiar to her, clothes and toys or a stuffed animal." If they couldn't, the hospital would be able to transfigure something so it wasn't vital, but having her smelling like pack would help the family.
"Where?" she croaked.
Harry told her the exact address for the hospital, before adding, "I know it comes up as a shop, but Mundanes cannot perceive it, it's magically concealed to protect magic at all costs. You will be able to see it, as shifters, and shifter DNA you'll be able to get in. If you're having trouble trusting me…contact the packs in Mexico and New York, they will all confirm we are genuine." Irritation getting the better of him, but understanding wholly why they're cautious, he could be a hunter after all.
Harry relayed the packs he had worked for that would confirm the authenticity of his job.
Harry could hear the others were having similar troubles, but they were handling them like professionals, he was proud of them. "You'll have my number; it will take you right to my department if you have any further questions."
"We'll see you in twenty-four hours," came a calm and collected voice, sounding much older than the ones he'd heard before. "You've become quite highly regarded by the Garcia Pack."
Ah, so one of them had taken his suggestion and asked around. Good, it meant less time wasting on everyone's part. "Yes, I've helped the Garcia pack, and pack adjacent as well, let me give you my cell number, you can call me any time." With that Harry carefully gave out his number so that if they needed him, they could call.
"Thank you," he replied, before hanging up.
"We'd probably be better actually just Apparating to them and informing them," Adam sighed, as he put the phone back down on the cradle. "Bringing them back with us."
"We have enough on our plate without doing that," Will sighed, rubbing his eyes, between the two cases they had going on. Two big cases, all starting from a single case, and just cascading out of control. "At least this one is over…until we catch Kate Argent, she's at the risk of repeating her actions."
"We've done what we can, warned the packs we know, given them pictures so they know who to look out for regardless of what name she uses." Zane reassured the youngest Auror. "They'll give them out to their allies, hopefully that will prevent any tragedies, and get us closer to capturing her."
"Yeah, I just want to get her off the streets," Will confessed, she was…one of the worst hunters they'd ever come across.
"We all do," Harry told him, him more than anyone else, if only to give Derek peace of mind. "Right, let's get the second round over with."
It took them over forty-five minutes to finish off the phone calls, and during that time Heather had emailed them all the information gleaned from the electronics. Which she then reassured them were up at the tech department now being overseen by Clara.
"Not unexpected, there were five different sets of fingerprints of the culprits," Zane spoke as he went through the messages. "Four have been confirmed to be the ones we currently have in custody dead or alive. So there is only one unaccounted for."
"Any pings?" Jerry questioned.
"Not as of yet," Zane confirmed that nobody had tried to get into the area.
"Is he or she in the system?" Adam queried.
"Negative," they didn't know who it was, "Our only hope is if they return to the crime scene."
"Oh, no the bastard will give up all his co-conspirators," Harry bit out, kidnaping children, it was disgusting and sick. He would see that all of them were taken off the streets and never to harm another child again. Even if it meant raiding the fuckers mind to do it, quite frankly he didn't care if it meant breaking the law in this case. Just thinking this made him realize he really needed to calm the hell down.
He was going down a hole in which there would be no returning, he couldn't think like that. He was tasked with handling vigilantes, which was just another word for what hunters were. He couldn't become one himself, he didn't need to, he had the law on his side.
"They think they can get away with it, they always do," Will said in bitter amusement. "Makes them very talkative doesn't it? I'd love to see their faces just once, when they realize they aren't going to be broken out by the head of whatever family they're hunting for."
"Most of them use fake names," Zane snorted derisively, "Thankfully with magic we can get to the bottom of it…the Mundane law enforcement wouldn't stand a chance. It's little wonder they're able to get away with it so long."
"Yeah, but I didn't expect to have to deal with stuff from the Major Crimes Department though…" Danny grumbled in complaint, boggled down with information. He was tired, he'd been at it nearly twenty-four hours.
Harry looking around the room, noticing how exhausted his people were. "Go on and head home, there's nothing more that can be done this evening. I'll call Chad in to see…Kevin Payton and speak to him so that I can question him." They're more likely to talk if they were tired.
Every single one of them looked over at him, knowing without asking that the boss wasn't going to be heading home any time soon. They were reluctant to leave Harry on his own to deal with this mess…on the other they were tired and wanted to see their families/significant others.
"Seriously, go on, head home," Harry said more clearly, "I need you all at your best tomorrow, we'll be dealing with a lot of parents and getting statements from children. Not easily done with a group of overprotective Were's. We're going to need our wits and more importantly patience to deal with it."
Just then the phone went, "Go," he stated sternly, "I won't be putting you down for any more overtime." He added, but they didn't need super senses to know he was lying. Giving them all a look, he wasn't playing around.
"Hello?"
"All the children have been seen to, healing and recovering, they've been given a Dreamless Sleep draught, they won't be up until tomorrow afternoon." Healer Mason explained, "They will likely be very traumatised, I'd be very surprised if you're able to get a word out of them."
"Yeah, it's going to be a difficult task for all of us," Harry sighed tiredly, "You'll have parents coming to the hospital tomorrow at the earliest, they've all been informed. I don't envy the conversations you'll be having either."
Healer Mason laughed a little, without humour, "It's not the first time, certainly won't be the last."
"You can say that again," Harry murmured to the silent room, devoid of human company. The others had done as he asked and headed home, he was grateful they had listened. He hadn't been lying, it was going to be a difficult day tomorrow. "One of the downsides of the job," something Mason would understand more than anyone else.
"Yeah, you have to take the good with the bad," Mason agreed wholeheartedly, he loved his job, helping people, saving people…but when he couldn't…it felt like a piece of him died with them.
"Will they recover?" Harry asked after a few minutes of silence between them.
Mason remained silent for a minute, before he spoke, "They might, children…are very resilient. Bounce back like we wouldn't believe. It could cause a whole lot of problems down the line if it is ignored. I will be suggesting that they go see a child's therapist, because talking it out does help. Especially an outsider, someone not pack or family."
"It will need to be someone in the know, they need a magical or supernatural therapist." Harry realised, "I'll speak to Roger Anderson, he's attached to MACUSA, he will know a list of people we can use." At least he hoped so anyway, he needed to talk to him about getting Derek and Peter into therapy and maybe group therapy for all the Hales, including Cora. Laura would already be getting therapy at the camp. Something she desperately needed, hopefully she'd take that on board while there.
"It's a good idea," Mason agreed, well aware of Roger Anderson, he had recommended him quite a few times over the years. A few times was disingenuous really, he recommended him at least three times a week. He was one of the therapists that was local and in the know, so it was quite natural for him to do so. These kids were from out of state. All except for one, according to the background checks the hospital had done.
"Yeah, I'll let you get going, I'll talk to you tomorrow," Harry said, hearing a subtle knock on the door and Mason's call for them to enter.
"You will, goodnight," with that Mason hang up.
Harry sighed, picking up his mobile, he called Chad Dunn, only to receive a message 'This is Chad Dunn, I cannot get to the phone right now, please leave a name, number and message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible.' Groaning softly, he leaned back, well, apparently, he wasn't going to get through to the lawyer tonight. He left a message for the lawyer to get back in touch asap before hanging up.
"Sir?" a voice interrupted his ruminations.
"Yes?" Harry asked, straightening up.
"These are the case files you asked for? They're the originals," the girl said.
"That's great, set them over there," Harry asked of her, pointing towards the wall of information on the children spread out for everyone to see. He hadn't spoken to Sally Reed; he was surprised not to be accosted when he returned…which meant one of the others had spoken to her. Perhaps Adam and Jerry? Someone had been busy collecting all the boxes of the original cases. Thank Merlin for Apparating otherwise it would have taken days if not straight up a week to get them all. "Did you collect them?"
"Yes sir," she replied.
"Thank you, your hard work is appreciated," he commented.
"You're welcome, Sir," she said beaming in delight at the praise.
"Excuse me," he murmured, when his phone went, giving her an appreciative smile, he knew how difficult it was starting out and how underappreciated they sometimes felt. "Everything okay, Mike?"
"Just a quick update to let you know that the Chaos Demon has been dealt with," Mike explained, sounding as tired as Harry felt. "I'll be cleansing the Nemeton tomorrow which should prevent such an influx of supernatural's drawn to the area. Jordan already feels like the territory is cleaner, although he didn't explain it like that." He chuckled a little.
"Some things are said by instinct but not exactly all that explainable to someone new to the supernatural world." Harry said wryly, unsurprised Jordan found it a little difficult to express his feelings.
"Not so new anymore," Mike replied, "Um, Drew and Roger are going to be back in New York tomorrow to drop of their reports in person. They've asked that you send them the address they're to pick Mr. Hale up from if he's up for the trip back to Beacon Hills?" aware Harry wanted someone to bring Peter Hale to Beacon Hills to collect everything belonging to the Hales.
"He's significantly improved," Harry revealed honestly, "Surrounded by pack, and healed magically…" cutting off before he continued on to say 'the only real concern I have now is whether he will go see a therapist' that was private. Whether Peter did or not…well, not everyone needed to know people's private lives. He wouldn't like someone going around saying stuff like that about him.
Mike sighed, clearly relieved to hear Peter was doing well. He had been the one to save him, to notice something was seriously wrong. It's not often one got closure, in knowing the one you rescued – of sorts – was doing well and recovering. Because once they were off your hands that was it, short of hiring a PI there was not much else you could do. "Good, Taylor and his group are sticking around for a few days, on their own time" he added hastily as if worried Harry would think they were skiving.
"Oh? The town history got them curious or are they just curious about the magical concentration surrounding the town itself?" Harry queried sounding tiredly amused.
"How did you know that?" Mike aske curiously.
"It's not hard to deduce, the Hales have been there since before it was a town. Each generation added to it, sparks, magical users, Druids," Druids weren't really magical users so he would insult nobody by including them in the magical user category. "The alphas and Beta's sacrificing themselves. Yeah, from a magical standpoint, not including the Nemeton it's a hell of a powerful place. Go figure it would be in the back of nowhere. Having grown up next to a Nemeton, the budding spark is going to be extremely powerful. Can Druids sense wizards and witches magic?"
"No, not unless they've recently cast something," came Mike's immediate reply.
"Perfect," Harry murmured, it means he could look through the cadets for the perfect candidate to go undercover and find out information on Deaton. "How recent?" since they'd be using magic after all.
"Very, the power will vanish within a minute or two." Mike answered.
"Thanks," Harry murmured, "Get some rest,"
"Are you planning on informing the Spark about his magic?" Mike asked before Harry could hang up on him.
"He probably already knows," Harry pointed out in confusion.
"I'm not sure he does, he's never cast any magic whatsoever, his father is Mundane…his mother has passed on already. If she was in hiding, she might not have told them." Mike pointed out, "I mean his magic isn't even active, if I didn't know any better I'd honestly think he wasn't told and had some sort of dampener put on him…by his mother perhaps?"
"Well, he was born on the full moon," Harry said, "Might have made him more magically inclined especially if he actually attended school with any of the Hale pack…"
"Being in the same building is enough!" Mike laughed, "They're drawn to those with magic in them."
They were naturally unaware of Stiles being drawn to a budding Banshee, Lydia Martin.
"Well it won't be our kind of dampener; you'll need to figure out a way to get close and check yourself." Harry pointed out. "If he is, you can talk to the family if you like, see what they want to do. Whether to keep the dampener on until he's an adult…or whether the father will allow him to practice magic."
"There aren't many who's going to be able to teach a spark," Mike said slyly.
"You want to do it in your own time?" Harry deduced wryly, not at all surprised.
"Well, he'll need to be taught, and it's not like he needs full time training at his age. An hour after school, will be enough, I can give him books about his kind that he can read…once he's finished with school, he can focus full time on the intricates of magic."
"It's not me you need to convince," Harry chuckled, Mike was actually looking forward to it by the sound of it. Hopefully he wouldn't be too disappointed. "Make sure the kid is somewhere he can hear it or there for the meeting if you want it to go your way. Most parents cannot deny their kids anything. Plus, with his father being a cop, he'd be glad of an adult making sure he's preoccupied…instead of having to get a babysitter to look after him after school."
"Rather devious," Mike said, in mock aghast.
"Well, some parents would prefer the kid never knows," Harry replied, "What they don't know doesn't hurt them they think. Unaware of the chaos it later leads to…and the betrayal they can't get over. So, yeah, best if the kid knows even if he doesn't agree. Leave your number with him, so if the father says no, the kid has someone to contact when he gets older." He knew how it felt, he'd grown up unaware of what he was, thanks to the Dursley's.
So, sue him if he was a little more leaning towards the kid getting his education and knowing what he was over all else. Regardless of what a parent wanted. He was biased, based on what happened to him.
"Yeah…I'll think of something," Mike said, taking on board everything Harry had said.
"Good," Harry said, feeling discontent through the pack bonds, now what was that all about?
"Shit it's nearly one o'clock in New York! I hope I didn't interrupt your sleep," Mike swore when he realized. It was ten o'clock here, three-hour time difference between the two states.
"No, you didn't, but I think I best head home for some sleep before I fall sleep at the desk." Harry said wryly, wouldn't be the first time he'd done it, but he made an effort not to. It didn't look like Dunn would be available tonight now anyway, he'd just interrogate the ingrate tomorrow morning.
"I'll let you know how it goes," Mike said easily, "Goodnight boss," with that he hung up before Harry could retort that he wasn't Mike's boss.
Shaking his head, he stood, grabbing everything he'd need for tonight, before making his way out of the silent room. Closing and locking the door behind him, nobody would be getting in the room again until he got there in the morning. Not even a cleaner.
Yawning tiredly, he made his way though the silent hallways, with murmured voices of the clerks and those working late the only sound. Using the elevator feeling a little lazy, yawning three times in the process before he was out in the cold fresh air which woke him up a little.
Shivering, Harry Apparated back home, he grimaced at the sight of the claw marks all over the floor, windows and chairs. It was clear an attempt had been made to stop it, judging by the blood droplets. Shaking his head, thank Merlin for magic, flicking his wand, and the damage little Malia had caused was gone as if the entire incident had never occurred. He also got rid of the blood droplets, but didn't using a scrubbing spell, werewolves liked their own scent in their territory.
It would make them feel unwelcome, Harry knew, for their scents to be so entirely scrubbed from the house.
Glancing at his fridge, his stomach rumbling hungrily, but the thought of eating made him feel sick. Whether it was a hunger sort of sick…or after the day he'd had, he couldn't exactly say. Instead he grabbed a packet of cheese crackers from the cupboard, and made his way to his bedroom. Trying to make as little noise as possible, but he had no doubt his house guests knew he was back.
Once in his room, he shoved his bag on the bottom of his bed. Sighing softly, he sat down and undressed tiredly. Merlin, what a bloody day, he felt like he'd been put through the wringer. A knock on the door startled him, "Come in," grabbing his vest he pulled it over his head and on. "Hey, what's up?" speaking lowly, exhaustion written on every line of his body.
"You should eat," Derek murmured, backing out of what he'd originally intended to say.
Harry blinked tiredly, shaking his head, "I'm going back to work in five hours, I need to get some sleep." Hooking his charger into his phone, which was low, making sure it was turned on full. So, if anyone called, he'd hear it. "I'll make us all breakfast." He promised.
"Um…Peter said set your alarm later, he'll do it." Derek stated, standing at the door awkwardly.
"No take-backs!" Harry said doing just that, before sliding into bed, staring at Derek patiently, waiting for him to find the words for what he wanted to say.
"Ididntmeanwhenisaidbreakthetraditionalcourting," he blurted out in one breath, he hadn't meant what he said when he told Harry he didn't want him.
It took Harry a few moments to decipher what exactly Derek had just said. Then he smiled, "I know," he said softly, he understood now more than ever why, and he knew it would be a long road for Derek before he was comfortable with a relationship even if they were mates. He was content for them to be friends first, pack first, before they moved onto something more romantic. "We will go at your own pace, Derek, even if it takes months…years, in the long run it would be better than pushing yourself. That would just cause a lot of damage that would make our relationship suffer."
Derek nodded curtly.
"The future isn't right now," Harry murmured, "What do you want at this exact moment, Derek?" there was something on his mind, something he felt unable to ask for. Merlin, his sister really should have gotten him into therapy, instead she'd ignored the problems and Derek was now paying for it. Inability to ask for what he wanted, accept what he wanted, live his life, or even able to express himself.
Derek's gaze became intense, as if he could will out the words through his eyeballs. Which just wasn't possible, he did eye the bed just for a second giving Harry a good idea of what Derek wanted. Smiling a little, "Turn off the light and join me," he gave him the option, not making a massive deal about it, he cuddled in, it was down to Derek now, he'd made the offer.
At this point Harry was half asleep, he had no idea how much time passed. He did feel the bed dip and Derek join him, with a rippling rumble in his chest. Contentment and happiness rumbling through him, through the pack bonds. Harry tested the waters by wrapping one of his arms around his chest. The delight deepened, he knew how loneliness felt, and for a werewolf it was probably worst, it was one of Harry's last thoughts before sleep claimed him.
There we go! Another chapter so will Stiles begin training from Mike? Meeting Peter years later when they're both older? originally the idea was to make it Peter/Stiles but I'm not sure if that will remain the case...bringing in Stiles means Scott...to some element anyway unless he died of a severe asthma attack before Peter and Stiles meet or something...similar either way I've ZERO interest in Scott being in the story...although I suppose their relationship could begin after Peter perhaps reclaims BH territory? what do you think? R&R please
