The Choice

Angus was the first to step out unto the streets with James following close behind him. James took in New York City for the first time in his life. His head kept turning looking at the mixture of buildings and construction sights every where. What he found the most strange was the open show of the magical world being shown around them.

It was in the buildings that had ward marks on them and projection spells on the side of the buildings that took framed along side non-magi technology for news adds and information being transmitted.

Every once in a while he would see a wizard walking around in non-magi clothes or outright with wand viable or with an old school wizard staff. James moved closer to Angus.

"Dad. Is this legal?" James asked carefully.

Angus frowned looked around them as they crossed a side walk. "What's that?"

"Ah you know. I see a lot of our world and non-magi cultures mixed into together out in the open. What about the magical code of order."

Angus snorted in laughter. "I should have taken you around the homeland of the magi more. What better way to keep something hidden then to have it in plain sight. The non-magi have evolved their world to a point with technological advances that their coming pretty close to achieving some semi on par to what the magi have got going."

James frowned. "It's still strange though and I can tell the difference though the lines are crossed and seem to be blurring things."

"Yeah. It's cool isn't it?" Angus said.

"Cool?! It seems more dangerous to me of exposing us the non-magi. Where are we going?" James asked.

"Hawk Landing building. We're going to be taking a port key short cut to the main building. Let's go."

Angus walked up to a construction site mobile portapotty. He knocked on the door on the side and then opened it a crack to threw some flew dust inside from back before he went inside waving James to follow him.

James frowned and then followed his father inside and then he stepped outside in another part of the city outside where Angus was waiting for him. He frowned closing the door behind himself.

Angus grinned. "Let's go." He said walking down the street toward an old bookstore front.

James hurried to catch up as he held the door open for him and waved him inside. James walked inside the old bookstore. Angus was quiet as James took in the room a man with dark hair and silver blue eyes in a blue suit at the welcome desk staring at Angus and ignoring James altogether.

"Sir. You are Mr. Potter." The man asked addressing Angus in a stiff English accent.

"Yep. You can pretty much guess the reason I am here. I met one of his employees yesterday. I'm here to talk with your Boss."

"Talk? I was given the impression from Mr. Wells that you were here to take something that belongs to him currently."

"Yeah. Well. A bit of change of plans. I did send Mr. Wells a note to see if I could get an audience with him. So we could talk a bit and skip all this fighting violence stuff." He said and smiled.

The man didn't return the smile. "Indeed. Mr. Wells asked that you leave your weapon here? You son of course would be free to keep his wand but can remain here while you conduct your meeting with Mr. Wells."

Angus sighed. "If I leave my weapon here. You have to promise not to touch it or allow anyone else to do so. It would very dangerous for anyone to do so."

The man at the desk started sweating. "Mr. Potter. I have been well informed about the weapon you have crafted is dangerous. I can assure you I would not think to touch it or look at it or allow anyone else the ability to do so. Mr. Wells assures me to tell you that no hurt or harm would come to you or your heir if your intention is peaceful."

Angus slowly reached for his weapon putting it in his bag and handed the bag over to James and then looked at the man. "If my son is not here when I get back or any harm has fallen to him for any reason I will hold you to an accounting. I'm will destroy you and make you wish you had chosen a better profession before you died here in this room and then I would burn this whole damn building to the ground. Have I made myself clear?"

James' heart beat against his chest as the quiet lasted for far longer then he liked. There was a strange. Angus sighed. "I thought you were informed about me. Do you know who I am?"

The man nodded. "I do. You are the Dragon of the West. The future grand magi of the magi community."

Angus nodded and laid a hand gentle on James shoulder.

"This young man. Do you know who he is?"

"He is your heir to your family legacy. If anything were to happen to him your future would come to an end. No.

I can not promise you his protection physically or mentally. It would be best that you take Young Mr. Potter home with you Sir." He said.

Angus stared at him and then he smiled. He took his pack from James. "Honesty, that is refreshing. Tell Mr. Wells. He can keep the rock for however long he wants or can. I don't give a damn. No. I'm not joking. I don't get paid enough for this type of shit. All I wanted was a conversation. I don't associate with men with no honor. I'm taking my son and I'm going home and hopefully Mr. Wells and I will never meet each other or encounter one another. Please tell him however that if he crosses the President or the safety of the magi community then I will be called upon to neutralize him otherwise I say let live. I took an oath to protect and safe guard our people here. If he cannot respect that then he is unfit to be apart of the magi community here and the magical wizard world at large."

Angus turned to go but James looked back at the man. "Sir. What is your name?"

"Timothy Zane Oswald. Mr. Potty. Please have a safe trip back. Sir. It was an honor to meet you and your father." He said with nod and serious face.

Angus nodded to him taking James' shoulder they world shifted away into darkness twisting between time and space and then they were back in Angus' workshop. James frowned as Angus set his bag down and looked at him.

"That's it. Your just going to let Wells keep the mystic stone? What about your promise to the Count?"

Angus shrugged. "Of course. I failed. There is on way in hell I'm going to get that stone without putting down a lot of guilty and innocent bodies on the floor and Wells has proven himself to be a fool willing to test me by attempting to touch you."

"Dad. I am an adult. We have a job to finish. I can take care of myself and we have a job to do. We have to get the stone."

Angus shook his head. "No. We failed. I tried to be reasonable and discuss thing with the man peacefully even so there is something you have to learn quick. Know when to walk away if you can from a situation that just isn't worth dealing with or a damn rock. Wells is old school. I talked with him to try to saddle the situation privately. I can't even leave my seventeen year old son in his establishment so we can talk. No. I felt something wrong with this damn case from the job. I'll explain the situation to my boss and send a message to The Count and that will be that."

"Your just going to let Wells go. Because your afraid he's going to do something to me?"

Angus shook his head. "We're not letting him go. It's just a matter of time before we'll have to put him down. It ain't now though. It's going to be like this son. You don't get them all in one go some times. You win some, you lose some but the name of the game is to keep living on to fight against the darkness. You have choice son."

James stared at Angus. "What do you mean?"

"This isn't a battle son, this is a war our family has been fighting sense Grandpa Harry faced Riddle on his first year at Hogwarts. I drafted into this war when my Grandfather died because I didn't have a choice. I had to get stronger and my friend had enemies on all sides and needed just one person willing to stand with him and not stab him in the back. I accept my fate but you can choose different. I'll teach how to get stronger and how to gain your own power but the choice to step into this war is one I want you to think about it first but hopefully you can avoid it altogether when I get done laying down the law and laying down my sword."

James sighed feeling his heart hammering against the inside of his chest. "Why do they keep calling you the Dragon of the West?"

Angus snorted. "It's because your old man is a bad ass cowboy that lays down for no man, wizard or beast."