Fire and Shadow

James watched in shocked surprised as the club Angus held started to turn into black flames and smoke. Archer glared at Angus.

"You should have stayed out of my business Potter. Now you and your nosy son won't be leaving." Archer said in a voice that sent a cold chill down James spine.

James noticed that he could see his breathes in the room. His heart hammered against his chest as he realized who the real enemy was in the room. He heard movement behind him.

James turned raising his wand.

"Expulso!"

James roared firing off the spell and hitting the man coming up behind them. Three wizards appeared. James put his back to Angus. "Dad. Where the hell is Mom and Neville!"

"James! Whatever it takes. Protect this family. I'm counting on you!" Angus' calm voice said and went into an Apparition along with Archer.

James brought up his wand. "PROTEGO!" A shield of light and energy appeared as a wall as the wizards shouted out their spells. A rebounding of spells stroke the shield head on striking back at the casters with a violent force knocking into the bodies and sending them down to the floor and James stared as he realized what had done. He stared at the bodies.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"AHH!"

James dove away as the spell nearly took him out as the spell destroyed the wall behind him. He rolled to his feet and aimed his wand. "Expelliarmus." He roared.

The wizard was pushed back sending the wand out of his wand but lifted up another wand smiling as his took aim at James. "Avada Kedavra!"

James leaped into Apparition and appeared behind the wizard. "Expulso!"

The spell sent an explosion into the wizard's back and sent him flying forward up into the air and crashing into the table and over the side to the floor.

The wizard started to get up still but Marcus finally got up picking up a chair and knocking it down onto the wizard's body.

Someone grabbed James' shoulder from behind turning him around quickly. "PROTEGO!"

"Avada Kedvra!"

Time seemed to slow down in that instant. James watched the horror on the wizard's face. The wizard realized what he had done to himself.

It was to late as he knows his own death has come.

The spell rebounded at his attack sending flying down the floor. James looked up and stared at a wizard that stared at him. James lifted his wand only to see the other wizard turn and run away.

James blinked as he felt his heart hammering inside his chest. He looked around and saw River Song on the floor her sons hovering near her singing softly. He started to go over to them but watched as their singing brought magical notes that made River Song's body begin to glow.

"She's going to be alright. Cannon and Rhythm will heal her." Marcus said.

James turned to the old man. Marcus stared back at him. "Your a natural duelist and you've got the right instincts. I have to tell you I wasn't expecting as much when you and your father showed up."

"What happened?"

Marcus sighed. "My son got into a lot of debts with a couple of high lords because he liked to gamble a lot. He got jammed up and then got himself and my grand daughter killed when he refused to sell the staff before you showed up. You came to late. The death dealers took over our tribe and my daughter and grandchildren."

"Why?"

Marcus shrugged. "They wanted to learn the secrets to my family's magical channeling technique."

James stared at him. "You still wanted to take a chance though getting your daughter and Penny Jenny to help you?"

Marcus shrugged. "Not really. It was either going to work or I was going to kill myself or get what's left of my family killed."

There was a loud explosion outside. James looked to the front door. Marcus nodded. "Go on. You took out the last one of them. Father would be busy dealing with the rest of them."

James started to nod and head to the door and he noticed one of the boys glance at him in alarm. He stepped into Apparition and appeared behind Marcus aiming his wand at his head.

Marcus had a wand in his hand aiming it at the boys and River Song.

"Drop the wand."

The wand dropped from his hand. The older man snorted. "You are impressive. I-"

"Stupefy!" James said.

Marcus fell to the floor and Penny Jenny appeared giggling and kicked the unconcise body with her foot. She grinned up at James. "Your a sharp one Potty Boy. I like you. How did you know the old fart was lying?"

James shrugged. "Liars lie. You can't trust em."

Penny Jenny nodded. "Your right there Potty Boy. The old fart is a backstabbing thief in every way possible. He turned against his family and sold them out to his no good gang. River Song sent for you. I was her assistant. I didn't think you and your handsome big strong strapping father would figure it out what was going on."

"What about the little girl?"

Penny Jenny shrugged. "She didn't wake up after her encounter with the thief. The old fart buried her with the father when the real Archer tried to get her help from the authorities."

"What about the Staff?"

"It's Momma's Staff." Cannon said.

James looked at him. "Really."

Rhythm nodded. "Grandpa took it from Momma and sold it to the high lord."

James nodded his head and he shook his head and looked at Penny Jenny. "You could have made it more easy on me Miss-"

"James!"

James looked up as the door was kicked open and Angus and Eva rushed inside along with Neville who was bleeding from the mouth. Tan Tan took in the surroundings and went over to the a few wizards that were still alive on the floor starting to rise and knocked them out with swift kick to two wizards heads.

Ava rushed over to James' side and hugged him tightly. Angus hung back going over to the wizards on the floor and started searching their bodies. "We finished the ones outside and the rest ran away. What you find out!"

James pointed his wand down to Marcus. "The old man is behind all this. The thief killed the girl accidentally. She didn't wake after the attack."

Angus stared at him and then he nodded his head. "Okay. We'll call in the Aurors to handle the paper work on the old man and the rest of these yahoos. Looks like the job is done son. You did good."

James just shook his head. "No I just did what you told me to do. I did my job."

A slow smile spread over Angus's lips. "Damn straight."