The Executor of the Will

Thaor knew it would only be a matter of time before Michael came to his house to execute Thaor's will. Thaor apparated to his house in Andorra. It had been a while since he actually was here. He spent most of his time at Hogwarts or the Manor. He pulled out his wand as he heard something moving in the next room. He went to check it out. It was just his house elf Seja. Seja, make me some coffee. Thaor ordered the elf. Yes Master Elldir the elf replied before scurrying off to make coffee.

Thaor went into the parlor, and waited for Michaels arrival.

Michael didn't like settling the estates of friends he had lost. He'd done it often. He had entered countless pacts to be there for his friends, and he always was. But he hated the task of it. Robert had insisted on going along. He and Robert had checked into a five star bed and breakfast in France and then had made the journey to Thaor's house by muggle car the following morning, after having a gourmet French dinner and then moving on to a French bar to enjoy a few brandies before returning to their rooms.

The morning was crisp and clear, and they could both smell the shift in the air from flat French farmland to the thinner mountain air as they neared Thaor's well hidden place. Michael was hoping to make a quick end of this matter. And the closer they got to the house, the less conversation they made between each other.

"Alohamora," he flicked his wand at the door. The door swung open, and he and Robert let themselves inside.

Thaor heard a car outside, and saw two people exit the car, looking towards his house. He drew his wand, and stood around the corner from the front door, after grabbing a knife from the kitchen. When the two men walked in, Thaor noticed it appeared to be Robert and Michael. He walked up to Robert, wand pointed at his chest. The number of the rule I sent you in the first owl. Thaor said. He had to make sure it was really Robert. It could be an impostor. He had expected Michael to be alone.

Thaor pointed the knife at Michael. The last person you ordered a wand for. Thaor inquired.

Robert rolled his eyes at Thaor. "And if I say Rule 1, you think you'll off me? You're lucky I didn't embalm you arse while you were in my morgue. Rule 40."

"Next time you decide to roll over and play dead, let the rest of us in on it, Mate," Michael said, trying to sort out his mix of relief and anger. And right now he felt both. He was glad Thaor was still alive but he was angry at feeling played by his friend. He decided to wander inside uninvited. He began to scout out the artwork in the house, on the tables and on the walls.

"What are you doing?" Robert frowned at Michael.

"Scoping him out. Seeing if there is anything I can take to be worth my time for this wild goose chase," Michael said sarcastically. "You'd better at least have some decent firewhiskey here. This story might take awhile, by the sounds of it."

Thaor moved his wand from it's aim at Robert, to aim at Michael. You're half right Robert, which is more than I can say for you. Please answer the question. Thaor said, not taking his eyes off of Michael. Thaor needed to make sure it wasn't an imposter, his life depended on it. He felt bad for doing this, if it was truly Michael, but it was necessary. And you'll do well to leave everything in the house, in this house. Thaor added.

"You didn't send me any bloody owl, you nit!" Michael scowled. "( boght wands from you for Robert and Khaat. I don't need to be passing your test. Your own will sent me here to dispatch of this place. How the hell would I have known how to get past your protection spells to get to this location if I hadn't been the executor? Oh, look. I might get about 50 quid for this reproduction. And if you're who YOU say you are you'll know where the original is then, right, Mate?" He pulled the painting off the wall above the fireplace. The copy rested in the secret room off Robert's potions lab where he and Thaor had put it, nearly 20 years ago, after Michael had been wounded while he was stealing the original as ransom for the infant son of a former schoolmate.

"Enough!" Robert said. "If you trust me, then you need to trust that I won't bring a betrayer into your midst."

Thaor lowered his wand, and tossed the knife onto the couch. Passing the protections would have been easy, my secret keeper has passed away. Finding this place would be as easy as finding platform 9 and 3/4. It's hidden, but easy to find. Thaor said, leading them into the dining room. And the real painting, is in that room off of Roberts potion lab. We placed it there about twenty years ago. And next time you are checking to see if someone is who they say they are. Keep your mind closed, so they can't see exactly what answer you want. Thaor said with a wink. Seja. Forget the coffee, bring the firewhisky from the cellar. The good stuff. Thaor ordered the house elf. Seja reappeared moments later with firewhisky, and three glasses. Thaor poured them each a glass, then sat down in his favorite arm chair. I was observing rule 35 when I realized, someone put a hit on me. Until I figure out who it was, I need to remain dead to the general public. I didn't mean for Jack to see what happened. I thought all the students were gone from the castle. Thaor explained, taking a drink of the firewhisky.

"Tell me," Robert said. "When did you find out about the hit? Was that before or after you broke that unbreakable vow? I presume it might have been afterwards, or otherwise, I would have hoped you'd have told me back then." The house elf brought the firewhiskey, and Robert poured three glasses and floated glasses--one to Thaor and one to Michael. "I really ought to headslap you, you know. Do you think you're honestly the only loved one I have who has an assassin on their butt? And so far, everyone is alive and breathing, except, apparently, for you."

"Robert," Michael sighed, sipping on his firewhiskey, "I'll headslap him first and then you can get the second lick in. How much trouble are you really in, Thaor? And, yes, having Jack see you might not have been the best idea you ever had. However, for now, being apparently very dead and having an eyewitness to it can be a distinct advantage, if you think about it. If you do it right."

Thaor took a sip before responding. I realized there was a hit on me, when I was at the school, and someone attacked me on the Astronomy tower, put up a good fight. They were too good to be a death eater. Not using the usual death eater nasty's if you know what I mean. I was worn from the battle, so I 'tripped' of a hole we had blasted in the wall, transfigured a bush into the body you found, and disapparated. Lucky for me, the wards had not yet been repaired. Thaor said, giving them time to take it all in.

"You do realize that you caused a student a lot of unnecessary emotional suffering because she happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time," Michael said.

"Jack," Robert concluded, hearing the amount of affection for the student in Michael's voice.

"Jack," Michael repeated.

"I am quite certain you are able to make sure she is alright," Robert said, almost brushing off Michael's concerns because of more immediate matters. "Alright. So it appears to have worked at least for now for you. Do you have any information or clues about anyone who might want you dead? Besides the Death Eaters and the Order members that don't trust you, and probably a few more you haven't told me about?" Thaor had always lived life a bit on the edge, and it made the list of people who might want him eliminated not such a short list. "It would help to make my job a bit easier if you had even a small clue, you know."