The Wizard's Guide to Timelords and Other Demons Book 1: The Forgotten War

The Liason

The "Wireless", as the headmaster had called it, was enclosed within a heavy, brown, leather briefcase, which Professor Snape had retrieved from the bottom of a tall cabinet and placed on top of Dumbledore's desk. The brass clasps on the front of the briefcase were rusted and tarnished and some of the leather on one of the case's corners of was tattered and partially worn away.

Snape unsnapped the clasps and gingerly raised the briefcase lid, revealing its contents. Fitted snuggly inside the case was a black, metal box with assorted dials, rotary switches, connector sockets and a small, round power meter, all mounted on the face of the box. A hollowed-out section next to the radio contained a small round loudspeaker and a desk microphone.

Familiar with items such as this through her experiences with her brothers, Elise guessed the radio had been manufactured sometime in the 1940's. It was also clearly well-used.

"Aww, that is beautiful!" the Doctor declared, delighted by the antique radio set.

Affixed to the inside lid was a round vanity mirror with an ornate silver trim, also rather tarnished. The mirror appeared to have been attached haphazardly to the cases interior as an afterthought and did little to enhance the nostalgic beauty of the device. Clearly, the mirror did not belong there.

Professor Snape removed the speaker and microphone from their cubby and plugged the attached wires into their proper sockets on the box. Then he sat down in the desk chair so that he was at eye-level with the mirror. After adjusting a few dials and switches, Snape pressed down on the microphone's "talk" button and spoke directly into the grill at the end of the protruding stand. His voice seethed with disgust over having to operate the Muggle-born abomination.

"CQ...CQ...CQ, this is HW X-ray, X-ray, Foxtrot, please respond, over."

The call sign, HWXXF, would sound like gibberish to any amateur radio operator that might have been listening in at the time. But this was a special code, meant to invoke a special set of secret protocols somewhere in London, leading to a special type of response. But Snape couldn't care less. He didn't design the thing; he was just required to use it from time to time.

Oh, the humiliation! He thought.

After a short period of silence, he repeated the call,

"CQ...CQ...CQ, this is HW X-ray, X-ray, Foxtrot, please respond, over."

The words came out detached and awkward as they struggled to leave his Snape's mouth unscathed. It sounded as though he had memorized them under duress and hadn't the slightest idea how they were supposed to flow when put together.

There was another few seconds of empty air, followed by a crackle of static. All at once the mirror on the inside lid came alive. Swirling colors danced hypnotically on its surface, as if it were somehow enchanted, which in fact it was. The "Wireless" was a hybrid radio. It combined the technology of an antiquated World War II Spy Set together with an old bathroom mirror that had been charmed to accommodate visual interaction.

The dancing colors settled and resolved into the image of a woman in her late 50's, with short brown hair and wearing an obnoxious winter sweater. Almost mechanically, the woman raised her right arm. In her hand was a black, rectangular billfold, held open to reveal what appeared to be an identification card.

"Harriet Jones, Former prime minister, liaison to the Wizarding World Ministry of Magic." the woman said authoritatively."

"Yes Ms. Jones, I know who you are." Snape responded in an almost contemptuous voice. "There is someone here who wishes to speak with you. Nice sweater by the way", he added sarcastically.