Madam Bones jotted notes down as she read the blackmail material that the Black family had collected along with the information Malfoy had paid for with the money granted to his wife. Occasionally she would jot something down in the Muggle notebook.
“So that’s how that bastard did it,” Bones mumbled to herself. “All these years and I would never have expected Abraxas Malfoy to dress in women’s clothing to avoid arrest. I wonder where he…” Bones turned the page and stopped talking to herself as she read over the information. She tuned the page back and reread the report again before breaking down into a girlish giggle. “He was a cross-dresser. Abraxas Malfoy liked to dress in women’s clothing! Oh! Oh, that explains so much about Lucius! It really is true the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Still giggling to herself Madam Bones continued reviewing the documents until she was interrupted by a knock on her office door. Touching her wand to the picture of her niece Susan, Madam Bones watched as the door to her office became see-through. She growled softly when she saw that the person on the other side of the door was Dumbledore.
As he knocked again, Bones stared at the much respected older man, her brow furrowed in thought. When Dumbledore knocked a third time, this time more forcefully and impatiently, Bones wrote a note and placed it in her out-box. As soon as the parchment touched her out-box it vanished with a puff.
Bones watched as Dumbledore scowled at the door separating them, knowing full well that the man could not see her. She studied him carefully as one of her newly graduated Aurors came up behind him.
“Excuse me, Headmaster,” the Auror said respectfully, “But Madam Bones has asked not to be disturbed.”
“Ah Timothy,” Dumbledore said as he turned to face the Auror. “I see congratulations are in order. I knew you would become an Auror.”
A slight blush came to Timothy’s face. “Thank you, sir, but it was your good word that gave me the chance to get into the academy. I doubt they would have accepted me without it.”
Bones’ eyes narrowed as she took in what was being said.
“Nonsense, my boy. All I did was make sure the right people saw the reports on you,” Dumbledore replied. “It was your hard work that won you your spot.”
“That may be, sir but I’m still sure that your recommendation made the difference,” Timothy stated.
Dumbledore nodded his head with a grandfatherly smile on his face, the type of smile one sees when a grandson follows his grandfather’s instructions exactly and the results are as the grandfather predicted.
Dumbledore glanced over to the door that led to Bones’ office. “I need to speak to Madam Bones about some important business,” he said. “Do you think it’s possible for you to help me my dear boy?”
Auror Timothy glanced at the same door before shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Headmaster but Madam Bones left strict orders that no one, not even the Minister was allowed to interrupt her while she reviews the information that Black family had collected. She wants to separate the information that might be important to the Ministry from that which is simply embarrassing for some family.”
Dumbledore nodded his head. “A noble effort to protect the innocent in such matter but I need her aid in an important matter, one that could be the deciding factor in the war against Voldemort and his followers.”
Timothy flinched at the name of the Dark Lord. “And…and what’s that, sir?”
Dumbledore sighed wearily as he took a step closer to the young Auror. “Son, what I am about to tell you must be kept in strict confidence.”
Timothy nodded his head. “I understand, sir. I promise not to tell a soul.”
Dumbledore smiled kindly at the young man as he patted him on the shoulder. “I know you won’t, son,” he said. Taking a deep breath, Dumbledore told him, “Harry Potter is missing.”
“Missing!” Timothy gasped.
Dumbledore nodded his head. “He was kidnapped and spirited away from our fair land. I need Madam Bones’ help…I need the help of the Aurors’ to rescue Harry from the grasp of his kidnappers.”
Timothy glanced over at the closed office door then back at Dumbledore. “I…I can send a message to Madam Bones telling her that you’re here and the reason why, sir.”
Dumbledore nodded his thanks. “If you would, it would be a great help.”
Timothy nodded his head before hurrying off to send the message to Madam Bones.
Madam Bones sat at her desk watching Dumbledore pop a lemon drop into his mouth with a satisfied expression on his face. When she heard a pop she turned her attention to her in-box. Picking up the folded sheet of paper she unfolded it and read over the message written on it.
Picking up her quill she wrote a quick message on paper before tossing it in her out-box where it vanished with a puff.
Leaning back in her chair Bones waited patiently for Auror Timothy to return to Dumbledore’s side with her reply.
“Headmaster Dumbledore,” Timothy nervously clutched the paper that had the Madam Bones’ reply on it.
Dumbledore turned towards Timothy with a grandfatherly smile. “Timothy, so when did Madam Bones say she would see me?” he asked.
“Umm…she hasn’t,” the Auror replied. “Madam Bones replied that she trusts Sirius Black’s choice of guardian for Harry Potter. She also says she can not speak to you due to the ongoing investigation into your misconduct as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and as the Headmaster of Hogwarts. She doesn’t want anyone to claim she showed favoritism to you or denied you a thorough investigation, sir.”
The sound of the lemon drop being crushed could clearly be heard. After a moment Dumbledore replied, “I see.”
“Uhh…sir…May I ask what Madam Bones was talking about? The misconduct, I mean,” Timothy asked.
“It’s nothing, my boy. Just a misunderstanding, that’s all,” Dumbledore replied.
“Yes, sir,” Timothy replied with a nod of his head, however the narrowing of his eyes spoke of his doubt in the Headmaster’s words as his Auror trained instincts kicked in. The young Auror watched as the Headmaster walked quickly towards the exit, his every movement expressing the anger he would not voice.
A small smile tugged at the corner of Madam Bones’ lips as she watch her Auror learn the first rule in police work; question everything and believe nothing without proof and even then question the proof.
Madam Bones continued to stare at her one-way door after Dumbledore and her young Auror had left; her brow furrowed with thought. “Too many secrets,” she commented softly as she looked at the piles of paper on her desk that she had been reviewing then at the door to her office. “Dumbledore wants Potter for some reason. And Black had him spirited away but where do you hide someone…”
Madam Bones allowed her eyes to wander around her room mumbling to herself, “Where in the world do you hide someone who’s being hunted. Where do you hide…” Bones stopped what she was saying as her eyes centered on the picture of her niece Susan. “In plain sight.”
“If Potter is no longer in the United Kingdom and is still practicing magic then he has to have registered with the ministry of magic for the country he is now living in,” Bones said to herself. “Which means they would have reported that our Department of Magical Registration.”
With a determined stride, Madam Bones left her office and headed in the direction of the elevators. Auror Shacklebolt soon joined her matching her stride easily.
“Dumbledore was here,” Shacklebolt said. “He wanted to speak to you about Harry Potter.”
Madam Bones nodded her head in reply.
“He’s requesting our help in locating Potter and returning him to his home,” Shacklebolt explained.
Bones snorted. “What Dumbledore wants is irrelevant after all the man is not Potter’s guardian. In fact Potter’s legal guardian arranged for someone he trusted to become the boy’s guardian in the event of his death.”
“Yes…well…” Shacklebolt stammered.
“Which reminds me Auror Shacklebolt, when did you learn of Black’s innocence and when were you planning on informing me?” Madam Bones demanded, stopping and turning to face Shacklebolt.
Shacklebolt took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I was informed of Black’s innocence shortly after his escape from Hogwarts.”
“And how did you learn this?” Bones demanded.
“The Headmaster informed me,” Shacklebolt answered.
Bones nodded her head. “And you were told not to inform anyone of this fact.”
“Dumbledore thought that if we kept it a secret that it might lull Pettigrew into a false sense of security so that we could capture him easier,” Shacklebolt replied.
“And as a result we have at least one child murdered by the man who really betrayed the Potters, the return of the Dark Lord who has had a year to consolidate his forces,” Bones snarled, “And on top of all that, the man who you were assigned to capture, a man who you knew was innocent of all crimes, is now dead when he tried to defend the Ministry from Death Eaters.”
Shacklebolt cringed at Madam Bones’ words. “In my defense, Madam Bones, Dumbledore wasn’t sure who he could trust with information about Black’s innocence. He felt it was better that we have Pettigrew in custody before we announced Black’s innocence.”
“Of course,” Bones replied. “What better way for Dumbledore to have everyone ignore his part in sending an innocent man to Azkaban than to parade around the real criminal.”
Shacklebolt’s jaw muscles tightened at Madam Bones’ harsh words. “I’m sure that is not the real reason, Madam Bones,” he snarled.
Madam Bones stared at Shacklebolt for a moment studying him before saying, “Tell me Auror Shacklebolt, who do you work for?”
“Pardon?” Shacklebolt replied in confusion.
“Who…do…you…work…for?” Bones spoke slowly as if to a child. “The people or Dumbledore? You see I’ve discovered some things recently and I realized that Dumbledore is the mirror image of the Dark Lord, just in the Light instead of the Dark. So tell me are you a servant of the people…or one of Dumbledore’s version of Death Eaters?”
With his hands clenched, Shacklebolt glared at Madam Bones. “I am not a Death Eater.”
“True but you did put what Dumbledore wanted before the rights and needs of the people, namely Black,” Bones replied. “If you had done your job and brought me this information, Black could very well be alive right now and as a free man. Instead he died as a wanted man for crimes he didn’t commit. I suggest you should think long and hard about your actions Auror Shacklebolt and about where exactly your loyalty lies.”
And with that Madam Bones left Shacklebolt behind and entered the elevator.
Shacklebolt stared at the elevator door with a blank expression on his eyes. Slowly his eyes drifted up to the arrow that indicated what floor the elevator was at.
Blinking a couple times, Shacklebolt cocked his head to the side. “Why would she be on that floor?” he mumbled to himself. “All that there is on that level is the Department of Registration and the Department for regulation and Control of Magical Animals.”
Shacklebolt suddenly inhaled sharply, his eyes widening in surprise. “Of course!” he gasped
~*~
“What do you mean they won’t allow bail?” Vernon snarled at the person on the other end of the phone. “This is my son we’re talking about!”
Vernon grounded his teeth together as he listened to the reply
“Well they’re lying! My son would never do anything like that,” Vernon stated with a firm conviction. “It’s police entrapment, that’s what it is! They needed someone to pin a crime on, to show people that they were doing their job instead of lolling around and they picked on my son. Well I can tell you I won’t stand for it! I’ll fight them and prove my son innocent. And I’ll see them hang for what they’ve done!”
Vernon nodded his head in agreement with whatever the person on the other end of the line said.
“Yes. Yes, that would be fine,” Vernon answered some unheard question from his caller. “Just do whatever it takes to get my son out of that prison. Thank you. Good-bye.”
“Vernon?” Petunia asked softly as he hung up the phone.
“They denied him bail,” Vernon said softly.
“My baby,” Petunia sobbed.
“There, there, Pet.” Vernon gathered his wife in his arms. “It will be alright, you’ll see. Dudley will be home soon, where he belongs.”
Petunia sobbed into her husband’s chest. “But my baby… They have him locked up with all those…criminals! Who knows what they’ll do to my baby.”
“He’ll be alright, Pet. They won’t lock him up with adult criminals; he’s under age after all. Besides Dudley is a strong boy, he’ll be able to survive until we can get him out,” Vernon tried to soothe his wife. “I’m more worried about who set him up.”
Petunia raised her tear stained face to look at her husband. “What?”
Vernon wiped the tears away from Petunia’s eyes with his thumb. “We both know that Dudley is a good boy and would never do anything like what they’re claiming, so someone had to have set Dudley up.”
“But who,” Petunia said as she pulled away from her husband. “Who would do such a thing?”
“The boy or one of his kind,” Vernon answered.
“But why? Why would they do such a thing?” Petunia demanded.
“Why do they do anything?” Vernon replied. “They’re not good people, Pet. I mean what type of people leave a child on someone’s doorstep like a bottle of milk in November. They never asked if we would take him in, they forced him upon us. No. The only explanation is that they used their…abilities to make it so Dudley was arrested.”
Petunia nodded her head. “They probably did it to make sure we took Harry back once they find wherever he ran off too.”
Vernon nodded his head, his eyes not quite meeting hers. “You’re probably right. They are the type to blackmail good hard working people into doing what they want. Either that or using their magic against them.”
“So what are we going to do, Vernon?” Petunia asked as she chewed on her bottom lip.
“What we have to,” Vernon replied.
Petunia wiped the tears from her eyes with the palm of her hand. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right.”
Just then the mailman slipped some letters through the mail slot.
“Oh, that mailman!” Petunia snapped. “I wish our old mailman hasn’t retired, this new one just does it completely wrong. He starts at the wrong end of the street and we don’t get our mail til nearly lunch. I don’t know what is wrong with him after all everyone knows to start with our end of the street first.”
Petunia knelt down and picked up the mail. Sorting through the letters she stopped to stare at one of them. “Vernon,” she said with a slight tremor to her voice.
“Yes, Pet,” Vernon answered.
“I think this one is for you,” she held out one letter to her husband.
Taking the letter, Vernon looked at the return address and said softly, “It’s from the Inland Revenue. What do they want with us?” Vernon looked up at Petunia in confusion.
“Open it,” Petunia ordered with dread.
Vernon opened the envelope and read the letter. “We’re being audited.”
#####
“Unauthorized Stargate Activation!”The computerized female voice warned over and over again.
O’Neill and Hammond quickly headed for the control room that was situated above the gate room as Special Forces soldiers raced into the gate room readying their weapons, in case they were needed.
The event horizon of the wormhole whooshed out and back, settling into a rippling pool of light.
“Do we have an ID coming through?” Hammond asked Carter and Harriman who were monitoring the computers that would receive the GDO code and for activity through the wormhole.
Walter rechecked his systems. “Nothing as yet sir.”
“Anything registering on your systems, Carter?” O’Neill asked.
“Not yet, sir.” She told him
The soldiers in the gate room kept their weapons trained on the gate as they waited for someone or something to come through the wormhole; while up in the control room, Hammond and O’Neill watched as the techs continued to type commands into their systems in an effort to get an idea of what if anything was coming through the gate or why nothing had yet. After a few more minutes passed with nothing coming through and everyone watching it getting more and more edgy, the wormhole suddenly shut down.
Jack looked at the now empty Stargate and quipped. “I would’ve thought we would’ve at least gotten whatever the galactic equivalent of a bag of flaming dog poop is, thrown through so they could watch us try and put it out. Instead we just get someone ringing the doorbell and running away.”
Hammond just gave Jack a look that shut him up without another word. The Special Forces troops didn’t relax their guard though. If anything a few of them clustered more tightly around the doorways in case something invisible had come through the gate.
"Major Carter, do we have any idea why the gate activated or where it was activated from?" Hammond wanted to know.
Carter typed in several strings of commands and waited for the results. Hammond and O’Neill stood nearby.
“Just before the gate shut down a short message came through and it appears to be from the Tok’ra sir. It’s in one of the codes they gave us.” Carter told them after nearly ten minutes of work. “It was sent on a very low frequency band. If the frequency band had been any lower, we wouldn’t have gotten it. They want to arrange a meeting and specifically requested SG-1 be the contact.”
“So instead of pranking us, they are asking us out on a date?” Jack crossed his arms over his chest. "For some odd reason the theme song from Jaws just started going through my head. da duh da duh da duh da duh da duh da duh."
Carter gave him a sour look. “The gate address for the site they want to meet us at is for a location we’ve already been to, sir. The only things on the planet are the gate and some ruins.”
“When are they wanting to meet with SG-1?”Hammond asked.
“About two days from now, planetary time which is about sixty hours from now.” Carter told him.
Jack sighed and looked up silently toward heaven even though he couldn’t see it. Does somebody up there hate me? This was going to complicate things. He had just gotten his godson back and now even though he didn’t have anything in place for his safety yet, he was going to have to leave for lord knew how long.
The big problem he had was that if the Goblins had held the will reading as they should have then both Bones and Dumbledore knew about an unknown person named Jack who should have Harry in his custody and neither of them were stupid. It wouldn’t take them long to think of checking the Department of Registration.
“Sir, can I speak with you privately for a couple of minutes?” Jack asked. “It’s about that item Daniel is currently working on.”
Hammond nodded. Conversations about Harry Potter were not something that should happen in the control room. Wild rumors were already making the rounds of the base since SG-1 had brought Jack, the boy and Maybourne back. The rumors ran the gamut from the Potter boy being Jack’s child by a previously unknown woman, an alien that had been placed in Jack’s custody but then was kidnapped by the NID, or that the boy was really O’Neill’s previously thought deceased son Charley, though that one was not being spread anywhere near O’Neill or a member of SG-1. While some of the people on the base might be gossips, they weren’t suicidal.
Once they were in Hammond’s office with the door closed, Jack told him "Sir, I would say we have a couple of problems."
Hammond turned and looked at his second in command "You mean Harry?"
“Among other things,” Jack agreed with a nod. "Given how I had to get him out of Britain, I don't think it's in his best interests or the base’s, if I leave him. As far as I know I'm the only magic user on base aside from Harry and he's not fully trained yet. While Harry is a little more skilled than your average fifth year, he wouldn’t be able to stand up to a number of wizards given he is injured and neither would anyone else on the base. There is also something a little odd about how the Tok'ra asked us out on this…date…it’s got my spidey sense tingling. Why would they ask for us specifically instead of going to their own people? I mean except for Jacob, I think most of the others view us as the children who should be seen and not heard."
"So you think the message is a trap?" Hammond asked.
Jack shrugged his shoulders. “I don't know. If it wasn't for the fact that non magical British government didn’t know about the Stargate program I would suspect that it was a wizard trick to separate Harry and me."
Hammond eyes widened. "Could they do that? Influence the gate like that?"
Once again Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Yes. No. Maybe. There is a department in the Ministry of Magic called the Department of Mysteries. Along with the Hall of Prophecies, it’s where all the unusual, dangerous, or not fully understood magical items are kept once they’ve been confiscated by the Unspeakables.”
“Unspeakables?” Hammond asked.
“They are kind of the magical version of Special Ops and the NID.” Jack told him. “The Dept of Mysteries is also where the Veil room is. In my other life as Sirius I fell through the veil and through a round circle that looked an awful lot like the Stargate. I have no idea, if it was one or not. If it was it wasn’t a typical gate, because I don’t remember it having any glyphs for the gate addresses."
Hammond ran his hand over his bald head. "Then we need to figure out an alternate way to protect Harry and ourselves." He went on before Jack could interrupt. "I know you want to stay and protect Harry but I need you to go especially if it's a trap. Your team is one of the best at getting out of traps, not to mention thinking outside the box. I have a feeling we are going to need that in the next few days."
Jack shoulders slumped as he nodded his head.
"You said that when you were taking care of getting Mr. Potter registered at the Dept of Magic, a Dame McKnight told you there were people with magic serving in the regular armed forces?” Hammond paced a little “Could she put you in contact with someone who might be serving near here or someone we could contact directly?"
Jack shrugged, “I don’t know. She gave me an address to write to if I wanted to get a listing of those currently serving, apparently they maintain a newsletter for them, but that would take too long since the meeting with the Tok’ra is in a couple of days and the address is a PO Box.”
“I agree we do not have the time to wait for regular mail,” Hammond concurred. “I know we have been working on the assumption that you and Harry are the only magic users at the SGC, but is there any way for you to tell if someone else is capable of doing magic?”
Jack shook his head. “While I know that there are spells that can detect those capable of doing magic, I have no idea what those spells are or how to do them. And most of those spells are limited to the birth of the child or the spells placed on clocks that allow a family to keep track of the health and safety of its members. I kind of wish we could come up with something similar to help us keep track of Daniel. It would spare me a lot of gray hairs.”
“One of those would be useful to keep track of your entire team, Colonel.” Hammond couldn’t resist commenting.
O’Neill tried to look offended at the implication that his whole team was trouble magnets, then his mind returned to the problem at hand. “Hogwarts has a book that tracks them from birth until they're eleven after that the magic seems to fade. I’ve often thought it was because the tracking spell placed on the wands obscured the results of the spell either that or once they were enrolled in a magical school the spell no longer worked, because its purpose was to make sure they were found and received a magical education.”
Hammond sighed. “Then I can see only one option. If you believe you can trust her, contact this Dame McKnight and see if she can suggest someone, who might be in the Colorado Springs area?”
“It would have to be someone on leave, if they aren’t already at the SGC, because there would be awkward questions about why we were bringing them on to the base on such short notice.” Jack commented, thinking out loud, “Or someone who could move around freely without questions being asked.”
Before Hammond could comment his office phone rang. Picking it up, Hammond barked into the phone. “Hammond.”
After listening for a few minutes, Hammond nodded. “He will be up in a few minutes to find out what your visitor wants.”
Once the phone was returned to its cradle, Hammond fixed Jack with a gimlet stare that had O’Neill trying to figure out if he’d done something wrong that he’d forgotten about.
“It looks like you won’t have to make that call to Dame McKnight after all.” Hammond told him. “She is currently waiting in one of the visitor’s area near the main gate. She asked to speak to you.”
“You’re kidding!” Jack wondered for a moment if Dame McKnight might not be a seer. “I wonder how she found us?”
“So do I.” Hammond fixed him with another gimlet stare.
Jack held up his hand. “I didn’t tell her I was stationed here. I just listed my place of residence as Colorado Springs and told her I worked for the Air Force.”
“So she might’ve checked the airbase and the Academy and not finding you there thought you were stationed at NORAD.” Hammond concluded.
“I’ll find out once I’ve talked to her.” Jack told him before heading out of the room and to the elevators that would take him up to ground level.
####
As the computerized female voice warned over and over again. “Unauthorized Stargate Activation!”Daniel looked at Harry for a moment, debating on what to do. He quickly realized that the injured boy would not be able to move quickly on crutches if it became necessary to evacuate the base. Going to his office door, he spoke to the SF soldier standing guard outside requesting that a wheelchair be brought down to his office as quickly as possible, for Harry.
The soldier spoke into his radio and passed on the request, then listened for a minute before telling Daniel. “It should be down here in about ten minutes Dr. Jackson.”
“Thanks,” Daniel turned back to face Harry who was up on his crutches.
“What is going on?” Harry wanted to know.
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you.” Daniel told him, then when he saw Harry was going to protest, he went on, “It involves what Jack does for a living and unfortunately it's top secret or Jack would have told you.”
Harry rolled his eyes as his face took on a stubborn expression. “Adults always say that when they do not want to answer a question. I am not a child you know.”
Daniel sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I know this is hard for you. You grew up like I did having to rely solely on yourself and not really being able to trust others, but I promise you Harry that Jack and I will tell you what we can but there are some things we can't tell you. And what Jack and I do for a living is one of those secrets. Jack and I work for the military, and the military has things that have to stay secret. Just like the fact that you are here has to be kept secret from those outside this base, or they might try and take you away or accidentally tell this Dumbledore person, that you and Jack are worried about, where you are.”
Harry didn’t respond to that. Instead he chose to turn away from Daniel and picked up one of the nearby books that he could reach without too much of a struggle given he had to use crutches to remain upright.
“Harry, one thing I can tell you is that warning means you and I may have to evacuate the base.” Daniel advised him gently. “I’ve made arrangements for a wheelchair to be brought down so we can get you out of here quickly if we need to leave.”
“What about Jack?” Harry wanted to know. “Will we be waiting for him?”
“No,” Daniel told him gently. “He is a few floors further down into the base and if he has to evacuate he will go out a different way than we will, but we should see him topside. My primary responsibility is to get you out. And yours, at least for now, as much as I know you don’t want to hear it, is to follow my lead.”
Harry looked like he was going to argue the point, but Daniel hurried on. “Just think of how Jack would feel once he was topside and couldn’t find you.”
That shut Harry up as he remembered the last time he had rushed into a situation without thinking things through. He had lost Sirius. And while it was true he had him back now if in a different body, Harry wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.
#######
When Jack got topside, he found Helen McKnight waiting in the guard shack. She had apparently managed to convince one of them to let her wait in there.
“Helen,” Jack greeted her. "Not that I'm not happy to see you but what are you doing here?"
“Your ward’s file has been looked at.” Helen told him, no longer playing the dotty but kindly old lady. “And unlike Maxwell, I know who and what he is, so I had it flagged so I would know if it was accessed.”
“Someone in Britain?” Jack wanted to know.
“Yes,” Helen gave no further details.
Jack studied her for several minutes then led her away from the guardhouse to an isolated area a short distance away from the main entrance to both NORAD and the SGC. Once they were far enough away from those who as far as Jack knew were not magical, he asked, “What department do you really work for, Helen?”
Helen sighed wearily. "While we originally had a different name, thanks to one of my predecessors who had a fascination for cartoons we wound up being given the name... Mystery, Inc by the other departments."
Jack bit back a snicker as he asked, “And do you have a talking dog as well?”
“No, thank goodness,” Helen sighed again.
“So what exactly is Mystery, Inc?" Jack asked.
"Think of it as a cross between the British Department of Mysteries and the CIA?” Helen explained.
“Magical spies,” Jack nodded. “Only you do more than watch.”
“Exactly,” Helen replied. “Our charter is to protect the United States from magical threats no matter what the source and by whatever means are necessary. I’m the head of it. Colonel O’Neill, we need to talk about your time in Britain. And I also need to speak with Mr. Potter. I need to find out exactly what is happening in Britain, and not the pabulum that Minster Fudge is trying to feed his magical allies.”
Jack could understand the need for information.
Every nation in the world, whether magical or non-magical, needed information to keep their people safe. They needed to figure out who their allies and who their enemies were. If you tried to bury your head in the sand and pretend that the rest of the world would make nice with you if you just made nice with them then one day you would wake up in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust or the magical equivalent of it. And right now the other magical countries needed to prepare for what might be coming, even if the British magical government was still trying to bury its heads in the sand. Jack was willing to bet that just about every other magical government was making plans on what to do if Voldemort managed to spread his tentacles beyond Britain. And there was no doubt that if they knew Harry was out from under Dumbledore’s control, the magical governments of the world would be scrambling to find him and get him under their control.
Of course Jack wasn't planning on allow anyone to use Harry or himself in their plans without having a say in the matter. However before he would allow Helen McKnight or anyone else anywhere near Harry, he was going to get some guarantees as to his godson’s safety. He would allow no one to manipulate or control Harry any longer. “Are you planning to take us into protective custody?”
“No,” Helen met his gaze steadily.
“You said you want information, what are you willing to trade for it?” Jack asked her.
“Nothing that will betray the security of magical or normal Americans.” Helen told him crisply.
“What about some of your time?” Jack asked. He had a feeling that anyone who’d managed to become head of a department like the Dept of Mysteries, would be able to take care of Harry for him while he dealt with the Tok’ra. “I will also need an oath from you that what you are going to see while you are with me will remain between you, me and my CO, unless we release you from the oath.”
“And what will I get in return?” Helen McKnight wanted to know.
“The answers to your questions about what is going on in Britain and if this partnership works out, we may be of use to each other later.” Jack told her.
After Jack had Dame McKnight’s oath, he pulled out his cell phone and called Hammond. “Sir, you remember that matter we were discussing earlier? I think that the person we were talking about can take care of it for us, while I handle that other matter. Can I bring her down to discuss it?”
There were a few moments of silence, before he told Hammond. “She swore an oath to keep it confidential and if she breaks it the results wouldn’t be good for her. I think we can trust her at least for now.”
Jack escorted Helen back to the security gate and got her a visitor’s badge, before escorting her into the SGC.
#####
When Jack escorted the elderly lady into Hammond’s office the General got to his feet to greet her.
Hammond looked at the woman puzzled. She looked familiar though he couldn’t quite place her yet.
Jack performed the introductions "General Hammond may I introduce Dame McKnight head of the magical department known as Mystery Inc. Dame McKnight, this is General Hammond."
"A pleasure to meet you General Hammond," she held out her hand.
Hammond puzzled look became more pronounced as he finally figured out where he had met her before. “Miss Helen?”
“Miss Helen?” Jack glanced back and forth between the two of them.
“Miss Helen was my 4th grade teacher.” Hammond told him. “And she doesn’t look any older than when I was in her class.”
“You taught in non-magical school?” Jack raised an eyebrow in question. “Given that General Hammond would have been in elementary school in the early 50’s how did you manage it?”
Helen remembered George Hammond as a honest and forthright child who would do what was right even if it came at a cost to him and since he obviously knew that O’Neill was magical, it was safe to trust him with this as well…at least for now. When O’Neill wandered into her office by mistake, she had had the same impression about him. He would fight to the death to do what was right even if it cost him.
“Since the founding of this country,” she told the pair, “we have always had people in place to keep abreast of developments in the normal world. It was easier before the age of computers, to move around and build a new identity, or have someone else assume a previously existing identity in another place. We refused to be like the rest of the magical world and ignore what our normal counterparts were doing. Normals are very clever when they want or need to be as evidenced by the development of the electric light and the telephone. They have also shown they are willing to do whatever is necessary to preserve their world as evidenced by the first atomic bomb that was dropped from an airplane and used to end World War II. Because of that it became even more important to keep up with the developments going on around us so we could deal with them on an equal footing and if worst came to worst we would know if they ever became a threat to us and how so we could come up with a way to save ourselves. We were not willing to be like those in Europe who for some reason isolate themselves and think that the normals are backward idiots.”
Jack had to swallow a smile as he agreed, “The ones I encountered in Britain seemed to be stuck in the 16th or 17th century. They still write with quills instead of ballpoint pens and they still write on parchment paper rolls. Who does that any more except for those who participate in historical re-enactments? What surprised me though was that none of the normal born ever seemed to think of bringing a pen or pencil and spiral notebooks to that school Harry went to…Hogwarts, I think it was.”
“There are a couple of reasons for that.” Helen told him. “The first is because of the spell placed on the letter each normal-born receives from the teacher who goes to explain about magic to them. The magical’s in Europe need to separate the normal-born from their old lives and keep them from ever thinking of going back to that world. They begin the process with the packet they receive explaining the magical world to them and their families. How well it works will depend on how desperately the normal-born wants to fit in. Sometimes small things will slip through, like a cherished book or maybe a picture, but none of the things that are used in daily life like ballpoint pens and regular paper. The separation spell is reinforced with each letter they are sent from Hogwarts. Eventually though the spell combined with several years of immersion in the magical world, will pull them away from that thing. A lot of normal born tend to want to fit in so badly and that’s what makes the spell take hold so hard. It works until they are no longer receiving correspondence from Hogwarts and they are trying to find a job in the magical world and can’t. Unless they have married into a magical family, they either return to the normal world or they leave for another country with a magical population, where they might have a chance of fitting in.”
“And that is not done here?” Hammond wanted to know.
Helen shook her head. “After the Red Scare died down, the magical schools listed themselves as very select private schools. And if they wished to continue functioning as a school in magical America they had to teach normal classes as well as magical ones. We even have a few magical universities for those who want to continue on with their magical education, but American magical’s can move easily between the magical and normal worlds without standing out or attracting attention because they even know how to use a telephone.”
Helen looked at both men. "Gentlemen, I know you have more questions but every moment we delay is more time Dumbledore and Voldemort have to further their plans. For the security of the United States both the normal and magical worlds, I need to speak to Mr. Potter as soon as possible." Helen turned to look at Jack. "And I have a feeling you'll be able to provide a lot more information on those things Mr. Potter doesn’t know about regarding the state of affairs in Britain."
“I don’t know what I will be able to tell you,” Jack told her. “But you are welcome to whatever information I was given by Sirius Black when he asked for my help in getting Harry out of Britain, before more harm was done to him. I do have one request though. Treat Harry very carefully. Between how Sirius told me the Dursley’s treated him and what he went through every year at Hogwarts he is not a very trusting person right now. I think the only reason he trusts me at all is because I was able to convince him that Sirius asked me to help him.”
Helen nodded acceptance of that condition, but Jack continued. “I would also suggest you don’t try and act like you are a harmless old lady, from what Sirius told me that was Dumbledore’s biggest trick and given his behavior led to Sirius’ death because he refused to share information with Harry when he needed it most, I doubt he will trust anyone else who tries it on him…no matter who they are.”
Helen nodded in agreement. “And what exactly do you want from me, Colonel?”
Jack raised an eyebrow in a questioning gesture. “What do you mean?”
“You are acting too agreeable, though I am fairly certain that the last thing you want to do is allow me access to Mr. Potter. You are even telling me how to handle him so that I do not get on his bad side. What do you want in exchange for this? On the surface you asked for my time. Why? And for what reason?”
“I have a mission that will take a few days.” Jack chose his words with care. “From what Sirius’ letters told me about the Supreme Mugwump and Harry has confirmed, I think that Dumbledore will try to get him back since he now has an idea about where he is.” There was a note of contempt in O’Neill’s voice, which had Helen wondering just what Sirius Black had told him and if she could get her hands on those letters. “My read on the man is that he uses cat’s paws to do his wet work. While he may not be willing to do the dirty work himself, my concern is he may be able to convince the British Ministry to try and retrieve Harry so they will bear the blame if it blows up. And if the Ministry gets involved then their current Dark Lord might also be able to find Harry. Sirius’ letter told me he had spies in the Ministry. I really don’t think we want their Dark Lord over here possibly killing innocent people in his quest to get his hands on Harry. I need someone who is magically capable to keep an eye on Harry and protect him in case either of those events happens. As far as I know there isn’t anyone on the base who fits that bill. What I would like from you if you are willing is to have you and maybe some of your people watch over Harry for a few days while I am gone.”
“Do you have a safe house in the area? One not in your name O’Neill?” McKnight asked as she made a mental note of whom she would need to contact to arrange for guard duty. “I don’t know the level of resources that Dumbledore has available to him that he can use in finding properties connected to you.”
Jack was silent for a couple of minutes and then he remembered the house he’d put in Sara’s name when they’d divorced. Wizards in Britain from what he remembered of his time as Sirius, only looked at the surface of things and never really dug very deep, and if he based things off his only other magical contact in America so far…the Percy clone in the Dept of magical records, most American magical’s weren’t that much different from their British counterparts. Only being nosey when it suited them or they had something to gain. That meant Sara’s house should be safe at least for the short term and they should be able to wrap things up with the Tok’ra in a few days.
“My ex…” Jack coughed, “Sara is out of town for a few weeks. I have the key to her place. We could put you and Harry up there along with your people.”
“Is it in your name or hers?” McKnight asked.
“It’s been put in her maiden name.” Jack told her.
McKnight nodded. “It should work, then. Especially if it’s in a neighborhood that is one of those quiet types. British magical’s will stand out a mile, since they have no concept of how to blend in to a normal neighborhood.”
“And your people won’t?” Hammond asked.
McKnight shook her head. “All Mystery Inc operatives have to spend at least two months every two years living as a normal in a different location. That means living in a non-magical area and using no magic. That way they can blend in, even if they may be a little out of fashion and keep current on what is being used by Normals.”
########
“Harry,” Jack’s voice brought a smile to Harry’s face as his guardian walked through the door to Daniel’s office.
“What was that alarm about?” Harry wanted to know. “Jack, you are all right?”
“I’m fine, but that alarm was a request from one of our allies for help.” Jack told him cautiously.
“Help?” Daniel questioned.
“The group Jacob is staying with.” Jack told him obliquely, hoping that would clue him in.
Daniel nodded in understanding. The Tok’ra had contacted them and were asking for their help.
“And that means what?” Harry had a feeling judging by the serious expression on Jack’s face he wasn’t going to like the answer to this.
Jack sat down next to Harry on the couch in Daniel’s office. "It means as much as I wish I didn’t have to, I am going to have to leave you in the care of someone else for a few days, while I take care of this.”
“So I’ll be staying with Daniel? Or Mr. Ferretti?” Harry asked.
“I’m afraid not?” Jack told him. “When I went to the US Ministry yesterday to register you, I met the Head of the American version of the Unspeakables. She recognized your name and put a monitor on your file. Apparently they have been monitoring events in Britain and unlike Fudge they weren’t going to assume you were lying. She came to warn me that someone in Britain has accessed your file. Someone at the Ministry knows you are in America though I don’t know who and fortunately for us, they don’t know where.”
“And she conveniently offered to watch me while you are sent off on this unexpected mission.” Jack could see the distrust and suspicion in Harry’s eyes.
Jack shook his head as Daniel started to speak. This was between him and Harry. He had a slight idea of how rough the boy’s life had been and how little trust he had in adults and cursed Dumbledore for creating the situation. “No, I asked her to take care of you. The mission is separate from her. The mission has to do with my job here. My team was asked for specifically so there isn’t another team that can take it.”
“She could have arranged it.” Harry countered.
“No, she couldn’t have.” Jack shook his head. “One of these days when you are a little older, if you choose to work here, I will explain exactly what it is we do here but I give you my word on my magic, that Dame McKnight’s arrival has nothing to do with why I have to go even if it is only for a few days. I also give you my word that if this mission wasn’t important to the safety of everyone here, I wouldn’t go. You are that important to me.”
“Then why is she here?” Harry demanded. “What does she want in exchange for watching over me for you?”
“She wanted to talk to you about Voldemort and what is going on in Britain.” Jack told him. “I want you to tell her everything you know about him and what has happened to you over the last five years. All of it.”
“She is willing to take the word of an under-aged wizard?” Harry didn’t bother to hide the skepticism in his voice.
“Yes,” Jack assured him. “She’s not like Dumbledore or Fudge.”
#######
The first meeting between Harry and Dame Helen had been rather stiff and formal. Jack’s worries that she would treat him like a small child were eased though, because he could see that Helen had picked up on the defensive armor Harry had wrapped around him. While she didn’t treat him as an adult, she did speak to him as a person.
The ride to Sara’s was done in silence, even though Helen had tried to engage Harry in conversation by asking about his hobbies and the subjects he’d liked at school.
Once they were at Sara’s, Jack loaned Helen his cell phone so she could call some of her people and get them out to where she would be staying until Jack came back to pick up Harry.
After making sure that Harry was taken care of even if his godson wasn’t completely happy with the situation, Jack said good-bye to Dame Helen and as he was going out the door, he heard her ask Harry, “What can you tell me about Voldemort and his rebirth?”
#######
As Jack stepped outside his home and toward his truck, he couldn’t help wondering if he would find Sara’s house still standing, since it had taken longer than he originally figured to wrap things up on the last mission.
What had supposedly been a simple contact mission with the Tok’ra had turned out to be a trap in a way. The Tok’ra it appeared had a spy in their midst who had betrayed their codes and the news that they were allies with the Tau’ri to Apophis who had wanted their help to hide him from Sokar and they’d had to bring him back to earth at least for a while, placing Earth in danger yet again. About the only thing that Jack had been grateful for in that whole mess was that Harry wasn’t there. There was no telling how Apophis would have reacted to Harry and his ability to speak to snakes. Not to mention how the Tok’ra who had come to chide them for taking Apophis to Earth would have reacted.
Everything was resolved now though with Apophis off to spend some quality time with Sokar and the Tok’ra off doing whatever it was they were doing. Personally Jack thought they were about as useful as the Order of the Phoenix when it came to dealing with the Goa’uld.
Jack was just getting in his car when he heard a popping sound and a female voice say, “Colonel Jonathan, O’Neill, you are a hard man to locate.”
Jack turned around and found himself face to face with Amelia Bones Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.