The Briefing

Aurors arrived to take away the dark wizards and write down the full story of what happened from River Song while James, Angus, Ava and Neville where allowed to leave the crime scene. Tan Tan waited for them outside the Walker lands standing next to a tall wizard in a cloak. The man's face was hidden because the of long hood over his face.

Angus greeted him with handshake and fist bump. "What's going on bro? What the hell you doing out here?" Angus asked in greeting.

"The fellas called a meeting because the events of the last forty-eight hours. James should come to sense he's your partner." The man said and nodded to James. "You performed admirable well in your duty to your country, Mr. Potter if you work hard and become proficient at your job at your mother's company then you'll make a fine engineer as your mother."

Angus frowned but looked at James. "You want to go with me for a short briefing. It won't be that exciting as the last couple days but I promise you it will be educational." He said.

James nodded. "Yeah. I'll go." He said.

James turned his mother. "I'll be careful and I will be at work in a couple of hours with some ideas to present to you for the seasonal period."

Ava stared at him and then sighed giving him one last hug. "Be careful and remember to keep your shield up during your meeting with the owls." She whispered close to his ear.

James hugged her back. "I will. Thank you for reminding me."

Ava finally stepped away from him Neville saluted Angus and James before Ava took his arm and they disappeared along with Tan Tan.

James is left with Angus and the stranger in the field. Angus holds out his arm. James takes Angus' arm. They shifted into apparition and then when James blinked they were in an office room facing a long office desk. James glared straight ahead as he felt a pounding of his internal mental walls.

The owls were all masked and standing in greeting to them. James turned as the man put his hood up revealing his face of President of the Congress of wizards Nice Cole. James stared at him and watched him walk around to James over side.

James stood in the middle between James and Nick while the Owls stood on the other side of the desk. Nick sat on the edge of the desk half facing him. "What happened?"

Angus shrugged his shoulders. "A shit storm. A bunch of clowns and upstarts were running a gang and things got out of hand after awhile. A lady connected to the family got hung up and wanted help out of it."

A spike of discomfort hit James inner walls. He started to concentrate on pulling up his inner walls as the meeting started. He glanced at Angus. Angus was a silent wall of power.

Nick reached out and bumped James shoulder lightly. James jumped a little as he felt the pain ease out off his mind. "What is your estimation of Mrs. Walker? What do you believe her?"

James turned to him. "I believe she's the only honest person or decent adult out of that wolves in the pack. Her children are closer to her then rest of those assholes. Hmm."

Nick frowned. "What is it?"

James could feel everyone's attention on him. He felt uneasy though his headaches were gone for the moment. "The staff belonged to River Song. The old man stole it from her and made it seem like it was robbery and he killed his own son and grand daughter accidentally in the process. I'm not sure if she or her kids have any real connection to them by blood at least."

Nick was quiet started to say something but someone else cleared their throat. James looked toward the wizard.

The man was average height his face hidden behind a mask of clouds and he was dressed in a black suit. James felt him trying peer into his mind but he was unable to.

"Why do you care about the Staff so much even now? Do you know of it's history and power?"

"I don't care about the Staff. I just mention it as a clue to how much he hates her and the children. The Staff is old very old and connected to her bloodline and power. He couldn't use it himself so he planned to sell it off at a high price knowing whatever sucker bought it wouldn't be able to use it but he enjoyed outsmarting the one he sold it." James said and blinked as he realized what he was saying. "Hmm. Marcus Walker is a truly evil man."

Nick nodded. "Can you see who has the staff now?"

James shook his head. "No and I can't I wouldn't be able to anyway."

Nick smiled folding his arms across his chest. "Why is that?"

James shrugged. "The job is done and at this point it doesn't matter. The Staff will be useless to whoever has it but as a trophy for the wizard that got cheated and caused a shit storm. The thief is still out there and he's searched my mind and he will sell what he knows about my family and the visions I've seen about the Owls to our enemies. He's also grown an interest in me for business concerns."

Nick nodded his head looking sober. "I hear you. But, that may not be a bad thing."

James frowned at him. "He's a powerful wizard and thief and now a murder that has an interest in me. How is that a not a completely bad thing? He's also stronger then I am currently."

Nick shrugged. "Depends on how you look at. Eventually you'll have to face him. But for now he's stronger then you are. It would better for you not to get into any sort of battle with him at your current state. It might better for you to maintain the illusion that your up to using him to be useful to you in the future."

James looked at Angus. Angus shrugged. James stared at him. "Really!"

"Son. Do you know what I do if I crossed path with this jackass that's caused you and me this amount of trouble?"

"You would burn him to dust." James paused in thought. "What would happened afterward."

Angus smiled. "Well. That's the thing. I don't know. This idiot would have been wiser to leave you alone and stay hidden but he started to feeling his own importance and getting greedy to sell information about us to his clients. Getting rid of him I suspect would greatly upset his clients who then would come looking for us afterward. Then that would make things very complicated for Nick."

James turned to the President. "Why would it make things complicated for you?"

Nick held up a finger. "One, Angus is like a brother to me indeed many of the gentlemen in this room are close knit friends to me. I am honor bound to protect every man in this room from the kind of danger that comes with this job. The thief has a vast number of power political clients now that would be upset to lose their valuable asset. Still of course I am will to go to war for my owls however if that can be avoided then I would like to avoid it."

James stared at him. "Your saying the thief is untouchable?"

Nick waved a hand and made a face. "I'm saying we have a mandate to protect the wizards and magi of this country from foreign threats of dark wizards and other realm influences. We pick our fights carefully because things become unpredictable in cases of war or keeping the balance of peace between our nations and other communities. Anyone that knows your father knows how he will react to given situations and people that threaten the magi and his people well it's up after that. Your father above all else is a reliable man in temperament. James. A person of keen intelligence, will and power can plan to set the world on fire to obtain power would use this situation to his advantage." Nick said thoughtfully and lapsed into calm silence afterward staring at James.

James stared at him as he realized something was beginning to occur to him. "Sir. Are you saying this event was step up by a powerful wizard to get my father to react like he has or worse?"

Nick smiled. "Go further back. Use your powers and connect the pieces to the puzzle as best as you can."

James went back in his mind and using and seeing the strangeness of the events and saw a pattern. "It started, wait a minute. Has my father's actions or character been questioned before you sent him on the mission for Dementors?"

Nick grinned shaking his head. "Never. Not a single day until now. Suddenly out of nowhere. What reason would you wager that to be?"

James stared at him. "How is that possible?"

Nick nodded motioning with his hand. "You tell me. Come on James. Just look at the pieces of what has happened. Think of this as a game of wizard chess or political game of power."

James shook his head. "It would. Damn. If...if I wanted to go to war against a strong player. I would take out heavy hitters first. I learn about their natures and use whatever skills or Oracles of the future or back sights to line the events to." He paused and looked at Nick. "Another Dark Lord is rising. Isn't he?"

Nick grinned at him and nodded his head. "You will do well James. You will do well. Chip off the old block. Now. Seeing all these pieces and the keen mind behind all this what do you understand? Do you know what you need to do?"

James sighed nodding his head. "I have to get stronger for what's coming because this is just the beginning."