Almost

Chapter 74: Fourteen Twenty-Three

Katherine turned herself invisible before apparating to Pennsylvania, focusing on the image from Ross's memories. When she landed softly in the street, the brick house looked just as she had seen it, though the yard seemed thirstier than before in the summer heat. She felt her magic tugging her forward, drawing her to the home where she was sure Eddie was.

She let the static stretch out, using it like a scope. And it maneuvered across the entryway, through a door, and down the stairs. Eventually, she found Eddie in a guest room, perched on the end of the bed with his eyes darting around.

"I think we can use his help," Mister Velern's voice said from somewhere nearby. She let the magic move through the walls to the next room, which looked like a mad scientist's lair to her. There were cauldrons and vials and rows and rows of tiny packets of magic on shelves that lined the walls, all labeled with different spells.

Velern continued. "He's a useful healer. We know those spells will be a big seller when we get the magic we need. Can't hurt to have more hands."

"I don't disagree," Otis said, his thin black hair laid flat on his head. "But we know so little about him. Talia and Sam were one thing, they have a vested interest. What does he have?"

"Professional curiosity is a powerful thing," Velern insisted. "You should understand that."

"We can't risk taking him tomorrow," Otis reasoned.

"Of course not. He and I can stay here, I can show him the operation."

"And for today? He has a girlfriend, yes?"

"I remember her from school. She's a nice girl, though uninspired, really. Works for the paper, I think. She won't be a problem."

Katherine's blood boiled at the way they talked about Flo. The pink haired girl most definitely would be a problem.

"We could use that, too," Otis mused, his eyes skimming a file folder held in his hands. "Why Ragman hasn't published her lineage yet, I don't know. We need the world to know she's of the blessed Weasley line. It'll only improve our image."

"But if we take her down? Won't that make us look worse?"

"We won't be taking her down. She'll come with us one way or the other. She might have broken through the Imperius Curse before, but we know better now."

"Will it be ready by tomorrow?" Velern asked. "You're positive?"

"Of course. Between Iz and Shep and Kevin, this," he said, holding up the file, "has all we need."

"And Tom? Bonnie?"

"Will be none the wiser. They just get back their son. Everyone wins."

Katherine drew her magic back closer to the wall as the men stood and checked the cauldron.

"It will be done by tomorrow. When I leave, you can continue on with the boy. Until then, knock him out. I don't need him distracting the others. The Draught of the Living Death in his food should do it. We already have some Wiggenweld made from our tests."

There was a knock on the door, and Katherine used her own eyes to see someone standing at the door, a paper bag being left on the stoop.

"That'll be dinner," Otis said, and the two men walked out, pausing briefly at the door to Eddie's room and hearing nothing. Katherine saw the ashen man wave his wand and some sort of spell wrapped around the door handle.

She let her magic drift back into the room. Slowly, she slipped the wand from her sleeve and, with a deep breath, let her body join that static ahead of her.