The phantom

James looked toward Ava and Mara to see them both frozen in place as well. He got to his feet putting his wand in his pocket and keeping a firm hold on staff. He felt the tower shake as it came under attack. James frowned and then looked at Angus going over toward him. James lifted up Angus' sleeve and touched the owl tattoo on his forearm until it glowed. James smiled and then he stomped his staff down on the floor sending a shock wave of energy into the tower.

There were a hundred screams that followed outside the tower as the protection swords around the tower were activated. James walked outside the apartment and he appeared inside the library. He saw a man standing over Dago's body on the floor. The man turned and a bolt of lightning stroke him down killing him instantly without a sound. James rushed past the body to Dago.

James looked down at Dago seeing a his face frozen in thought. A knife was buried in his chest. James placed his staff standing straight up and then reached down to place his hand on the wound and then removed the knife with his other hand. He threw the knife aside and then took his wand in hand he pointed it at the wound. "Restorationallo Regeneration." He whispered.

Dago's wound remained bleeding. James focused on Dago putting all his focus and energy in his task ignoring everything else. James breathed a sigh of relief when the wound finally started to heal up. James checked Dago's pulse to see he was stable and then he lifted Dago up appearing in his tower apartment and placed Dago on the bed gentle.

Lightning bolts once again started hitting the tower shaking it badly. James appeared outside as lightning storms shook Hawks Landing all around him. What was left of the invaders were bodies on the ground either burnt or dust. He stared at the stormy black skies. "You planning on facing me. If not get the hell off my land."

A second later a black bolt of lightning hit the grey stones in front of him. A wizard in a leather jacket with jade green eyes stone before him.

The man bleach blond hair a gold ear ring on his right ear. He nodded to James. "What's up? The name is Spike. My boss sent me to kill your boss. I figured making a fuss here would bring him out. If he's not here yet I might as well have some fun with you. You ready for a real fight boy. Nice staff. You got any use for it besides making toys and dumb animals." Spike said with mouth filled with fangs.

James froze in place as realized what type of creature he was staring at. "Your a vampire." He said in quiet voice. His heart beat against his chest painfully now. He realized his hour had come. It was second mistake. He had not expected his enemy would send a powerful vampire like this to kill them.

Spike laughed making James shake. "I can make it easy for you just ask me to kill you now or you bow now and become a slave to me and my master. You got a little power in you but nothing compared to me nor my master. Your still just a boy. But I can offer you real power. What's your choice? You really only have one choice. Bow!" He in echoing seductive voice.

James stared at his killer. He felt this was it. The moment. Angus told him this moment would come. He was wasn't and he was going to die. He had to bide time for the Owls to arrive and save his family. He just needed time. James smiled accepting his fate and he was ready to meet his grandpa Harry soon enough.

James held up his staff. "Screw you and your master. Let's go asshole."

Spike attacked James only to be blocked by a wall energy. James shook at the force of the power in the vampire but he held his ground. Spike battered at the wall shaking the foundations of Hawks Landings for several minutes while James held the shield up and then something broke.

Spike grabbed James by the throat choking him. James grasp for breath as his staff dropped from his hands. A second later a fist landed in Spike's face swiftly sending him flying away. James blinked and stared at strange dark figure moving extremely fast ramming toward Spike like a phantom monster.

The phantom moved in a blurry speed and punched into Spike's body causing an explosion to go off. Spike screamed attempting to fight back with lightning and fire but the phantom evaded the attacks and started knocking into Spike slicing into his body. Spike roared as his body and clothes were being cut leaving long marks on his body and ripping away his clothing. Spike's fight was quickly being drained away from him as the phantom systematically humiliated him with speed and deadly power. Spike cried out as he was taken down to his knees unable to fight now until he lay on the ground face down crying begging for the phantom not to kill him.

Two wizards dressed in black suits suits appeared their faces were masked in a spell making their faces blurry images. James nodded to them in thanks. They stared at him and then they nodded back before they took Spike up by his jacket and they disappeared.

James waited nothing else happened so he turned appeared in the tower. Angus and the others were waking up as they started to get up. Dago gasped grimacing as he came up from the bed. James rushed over and gentle pushed him back down to the bed.

"Hold up there bro. I need you to rest a bit. We had a bit of a scare." James said smiling at him.

Dago frowned but grimacing as he felt his chest where the knife had gone in. He frowned at James. "What happened it feels like-" He started to say finish but the look James face made him stop and lie back down. "Thanks mate."

James shook his head. "No thanks needed. I was almost to late. You're going to have to rest in bed for a couple of days until your healed up fully properly."

"Son." Angus spoke.

James looked at Angus. He looked pale and angry. James smiled. "Your friends showed up and handled the intruders. They showed up fast and handled invaders swiftly."

"Did they get the one that put us to sleep?" Angus said.

James nodded. "Yes. One of them moved fast like a ghost or storm. He took out a vampire named Spike and then your friends took him away. The man that defeated the vampire saved me. I helped out a little but they saved the day." He said smiled.

Angus didn't return the smile. "How did they know to come? How did you call them?"

James sighed and pointed at Angus' arm. "I used your tattoo. I saw how you called them once. They took care of-"

Angus disappeared. James sighed and looked at Mara who looked pale.

"Mara. I need you to go make Dago something to eat. I'm not a good healer and the spell will take awhile to completely heal him. So we need to take care of him."

Mara got up quickly shaking herself and she nodded her head. "Yes. I'll go make him something to eat." She said blinking and then hurried out of the room.

James turned to Ava she sighed and she had a pen in hand that was over an open blank page. "Tell me what happened so I can record it for your records. Just the bare facts."

James nodded. "It happened when dad was mid talking when the spell was cast. I don't know why I wasn't put to sleep to but I felt the strangeness in the air. They were attacking the tower quickly. I called dad's friends to come help then I activated the sword guards around the tower. I think Hawks attacked them with lightning as well. The shield was up on the tower so I went over to the library and found someone standing over Dago." James paused for a few long minutes.

"What happened next?" Ava asked him gentle.

"I-I killed the man that was standing over Dago with lightning and then I used regeneration and a combination spell to heal up Dago's wound once that was done I sent Dago here. I met a powerful vampire outside. He came down on lightning and attacked. I defended myself but he broke past my shield and he almost killed me but then dad's friend protected me. They took the vampire away and that's it." He said on a sighed tired rubbing a hand over his face.

"James." Ava said calmly.

James looked up. "I just acted and I wasn't-"

"You did what had to do nothing more. He was going to kill you. You were defending yourself and your friend. If there could have been another way then you would done it right?" Ava said.

"Yes." James said. "I knew I would have to. I just didn't think it would feel this way. I don't regret doing it. I just wished he hadn't come here and hurt Dago." He said.

Ava nodded her head. "I know. I know. I wish the same thing and don't understand why they keep coming. It doesn't make sense but I promise. Your father is going to make sure it comes to an end soon enough."

Mara came into the room with sandwiches on a breakfast tray. She smiled nervously. James took the tray and turned to place it on Dago's lap only to be hugged by Dago.

"Thank you mate. I'm not sorry you killed that asshole that tried to kill me though. I would have kicked him in head if I had a chance."

James snorted in laughed and patted his friend's back but pulled away to force him to pick up a sandwich to eat. Dago nodded to him and started eating. Mara hugged James neck from behind.

"Hey, love." James said with a smile.

"Hey honey. Thank you." Mara said. "We're going to be okay. We're going to be okay."

James snorted in laughter. He opened his mouth and then stopped taking his staff in hand and waved Mara aside.

Angus appeared. He stared at James and nodded his head. "Easy son. Easy. I asked my friends and Nick to start giving you lessons in combat. You impressed them with your defensive spells but you need to improve on that too. The defensive spell you used was strong but you didn't have a strong counter for when it would be blocked and he would have countered by simply stabbing you with his knife."

James looked down. "Damn. I hadn't even seen that he had a weapon on him. I should have. I wasn't ready. I did my best. I really tried to do my best dad. I'm sorry."

Angus grimaced and he shook his head. "It's alright, James. It was your first real duel. They understand how scary it would have felt for you. Nick was the one that saved you. He didn't want me to tell you that but I thought you should know. Calling them was the smartest thing you did. They took care of the rest of them. Your a smart man."

James looked up and smiled. "I'm not surprised. I had no idea what magic he used. But he was pretty scary and bad ass."

Angus nodded. "Yeah. Nick can be pretty bad ass. That's why he's the President and known strongest wizard right now of the magi. My friends are only going to train to protect yourself. It's not to be warrior. We all agree your talents are best used in creating and doing what your doing here."

James nodded. "Yeah. I don't think I want to be a warrior. I just want to be able to protect myself and my people. That's all I want. I don't want to kill people." He said.

Angus seemed to relax and he nodded his head. "That's good. That's good. I'm proud of you son. I'm very very proud of you son. You proved yourself today."