A Birth day

Ruby looked at Angus and smiled to him " thank you, it would help me understand what the heck is going on in my family tree" she said to him then listened to Angus talk to Marcus and chuckled when he pointed out the next gelding would be diabolical and know no bounds. "that's a horrible thought" she said .

Aria chuckled then looked at Angus " they could go the opposite genetics isn't a true science, it could skip like with Ruby and the boys in her family" she said as she turned another page of her book then looked up at them both. " well it has" she smirked to Ruby who chuckled and nodded.

"thanks Aria" she said smiling feeling better about where she stood in her family.

"You're limiting yourselves," Angus said. "You keep thinking we're up against a family member at the root of all of this. You don't know that. She could have hired any nut job. What if she found someone with Voldemort's cruelty? He or she does not have to be related at all. And, since I'm totally new at all of this, I don't have any way of knowing if what I'm seeing is anywhere near in the ballpark. What if we're up against someone without Tyler blood? Then the field is wide open."

"Really, Mate," Marcus scowled even deeper. "You really should let them, for now, have their thought errors. It's less frightening than your logic, even though you are correct. It does not have to be a woman, doesn't have to be a Tyler either. We don't know crap right now except that whoever-it-is is capable of high levels of very advanced magic."

"Nor do we know if we're chasing ghosts or people who are still on this side of the veil. They won't be on this side of the veil when I get to them because I've just had enough of this bullcrap."

"Agreed," Marcus said.

"I still would like to try Veritaserum on Suzanne," Angus said. "I mean, crazy is as crazy does, right?"

"That is not how that saying goes at all," Marcus replied.

"I mean, if she came up with this scheme out of some little twisty bits in her brain, maybe, if we goose her up on Veritaserum, she'll spill all the crazy to us."

"Or Andrew could be right and we don't get one little syllable that makes sense or is truthful at all," Marcus said. "If Robert had thought it was worth a try, he'd have done that himself by now. However, Michael's determined to go grave looting, so turning this around in our heads is sort of pointless until we know what is or isn't in Shetland."

"If we can find the graves at all."

"Look, if anyone can find the un-find-able, that would be Michael," Marcus said. "Alright, you both doublecheck your bags. Make sure each of you have at least a patch kit. Shrink some water bottles and tuck them in, and pack warm clothes. Its chilly there this time of year constantly."

Ruby looked at Angus and thought about what he had said " your right but it did start in my family, and they've attacked my family so even if its not my family directly , possible there connected some how" she said softly Aria looked and listened to Marcus and nodded but when he mentioned water bottles she stood up closed her book after marking her page and placed it down.

Heading to the kitchen she walked back with four water bottles , shrinking them she slipped them into her bag " I had all but the water bottles." she said and chuckled to him as she placed two on the left side of her bag and two on the right side. " there all included." she said " I also added some spare hiking boots, just in case." Now with everything in the bag she moved back and sat back down " what ever happens while were looking and whom ever we find behind it they will be delt with and hopefully all this will be done with soon." she said just as Radagast ported in and paused looking at her with a smile.

"hey guys" he said and walked over to them. " just checking in"

"Hello," Angus said to Radagast. "One last word before Michael comes," he said to Ruby, When you're out there in the middle of the night, it's going to be highly unlikely that any fellow witch or wizard you come across is going to have friendly intentions. Fry them first and ask questions later."

"Fry them? Since when did frying constitute one of Robert's recommended strategies?" Marcus laughed.

"Robert does not do field work all the time like we do. Fry them first, ask questions later. They're a lot less combative when they're crispy." Marcus burst out laughing.

"I don't think you necessarily need to make them crispy," Marcus laughed as Michael came in. 

"I think we're ready to go," Michael said. "I'm just waiting to see if Jessie or Yu or Jack are going or not. I still haven't heard from them. If not, then it's just us three."

"If it's just the three of you, we can send Sam and Victor along for a bit more muscle and firepower," Angus said. "Unless you want to go, Radagast."

"As Angus so poetically put it, they're going to Satan's buttcrack," Marcus told Radagast, laughing.

Radagast listened then smiled to Marcus " ha, fried bad guy, sounds a good meal" he said and chuckled then heard Angus ask if he was going with them . He looked at Marcus and Angus then to Aria " oh I would love to come with you and see these fried bad men" he said and chuckled just as Yu ported in to the duplex .

"sorry I'm late, had to settle Chris down and explain to Jessie how to make some tea." he said with his bag on his back already in his mission wear. "Radagast good to see you again, I hope all went well with your wife?" he asked and Radagast simply smiled and nodded to him " ah , good to see" he said smiling too. Aria stood up and looked to Angus when he mentioned Sam and victor.

"I think that's a good idea " she said " Sam might be a good choice even with Yu and Radagast with us" he said wanting another heavy hitter in the group should Radagast be non dependable in a fight.

Angus whistled for them, knowing that since they were all grounded to the house, the boys were probably getting bored of looking through boxes of paperwork. The boys came running up the stairs like their tails were on fire.

"You wanna go?" Angus asked them.

"Yeah!" they both shouted.

"Then do exactly what I tell you. Go pack a go bag for chilly temperatures. all weather jackets, work gloves, jeans, sweatshirts, hiking boots, maybe a hat for cold night time air. At least one pocket patch kit apiece. Shrink some water bottles and pack them too."

"Bubbles?" Sam asked hopefully.

"A few," Michael said. "But remember, we're going to be in muggle territory. The less noise the better. Don't use them unless you have to."

"Cool!" they both said, racing upstairs. The bedroom door shut a bit louder than was really necessary and then Angus and Marcus heard both boys shouting. 

"Yes!!" they both shouted in celebration at getting to go on a real mission. Angus and Marcus laughed out loud.

"Michael,..." Angus began.


"Don't worry. I've got 'em. They'll be alright," Michael smiled. "Its not my first command of young blood. They'll be alright once we get underway."  

It wasn't more than 2 minutes later that they both slid down the banister with go bags in hand. 

"Let's go," Sam said, excited. 

"Ruby, there's an empty peanut butter jar in the pantry if you want to take it in case you want an improvised bug jar for them," Angus teased.



"

Ruby watched as the boys came down and she could tell they were excited at getting out of the house for a while. Hearing Angus she chuckled " oh I know exactly where that is" she said and accioed it chuckling as she held it and shrank it slipping it into her bag " just to be on the safe side" she said and chuckled.

Aria looked at Radagast and smiled to him as he had said he had been and made up with her mother " did you really make up with mom?" she asked and Radagast accioed a box of cookies.

"she wanted me to give you these." he aid and Aria took the box opening it she smiled seeing several piles of chocolate cookies still warm from inside. " anything else?" she asked and Radagast chuckled.

"oh yeah, make that man yours soon" he said and chuckled as did Aria and shook her head.

"yeah sounds like her" she said as she heard As with the boys making her realize they were readying for a mission , moving she placed the cookies on the counter and watched as the boys returned ready for the mission. Taking their bags she checked and added the bottles of water and accioed some bubbles into their packs, shrunk of course." okay they have everything " she said placing their packs next to Ruby's and hers.

"I take it Jack isn't coming, so let's get going. Grab hold, All, and let's go," Michael said, When everyone had taken hold of Michael in one way or another, Michael drew out a portkey he'd made and ported them to Shetland.

Michael had booked them 3 rooms in a small inn in Scallloway. When they landed in Scalloway, they looked around, and Sam frowned.

"These guys specialize in a whole lot of nothing," Sam said.

"Pretty much," Michael replied. 

"Do they have any shops here at all? Of any kind?" Victor asked.

"A few," Michael said. "Now, look, a very few wizards live here amongst the muggles, so you lot have to look and sounds like muggles. Got it? We're going to check into the inn, and then you're going to give me your galleons, and I'm going to give you muggle cash. Let's stick together as much as we can. I suggest we get some lunch, and then I'm going to try to get a much more accurate location for where we need to be going. There's a pub that is about four doors down from our hotel, and, supposedly, it has good seafood for lunch and supper both. We might try there for lunch. Sam and Victor, you two can have one room, Ruby and Aria can have another, Radagast and Yu can have the third room, and I'll take the fourth. Any objections?"

When everyone ported out, Angus and Marcus looked at each other. 

"Looks like we have an afternoon to ourselves--except for the girls downstairs," Angus said.

"I'll go get us some fresh coffee," Marcus smiled, "and we can enjoy the quiet."

"I need to fix lunch for the girls."

"Sit and relax. I'll order out," Marcus said.

"Sounds fine," Angus agreed.

Radagast while Aria and Ruby piked up their bags moved to take their hands porting them with the others to Scalloway and to the hotel. Ruby and Aria listened to Michael and nodded taking their bags to the room and placing them at the foot of the beds. Radagast shook his head and headed to his and Yu's room transfiguring his clothes to a suit and loafers as he went hiding his flamboyant cloak as he did. Once done he walked back out of the room his hair grey and shoulder length was neat along with a gray beard on his chin held in his right hand sat a cane with a wolfs head on it.

"just for show only" he told Michael then slid out from the handle a long sword before he slid it back. " with a bit of self defence too" he chuckled. Aria and Ruby walked back on talking about the baron view they had with nothing buy grasses and stones to look out.

Sam and Victor checked into their room, and Michael, who had chosen the smallest room of all, checked briefly into his room and put a strong enchantment on his bag to secure it and left it on the luggage rack at the foot of the bed.

"Let's go get some lunch. I hope seafood is alright with everyone because I doubt we'll get much else. Maybe some mutton, perhaps, but I think the fish will be better prepared," Michael said. "And if we don't like the pickings, I can buy some fish and a skillet and we can cook our own, but preferably not on cemetery grounds. The muggles would frown." They went back downstairs, and when the others rejoined them, Michael pointed out the pub to them.  "That's where we're headed." 

The pub was old, but it was also clean and serviceable. This time of day, and in the summer, there were a few tables with tourists. A few were sightseers, and another bunch was a handful of college students on some sort of summer sabbatical to do some sort of study. 

Michael chose what looked like it was the most logical larger table in the place. It had a bench seat that would seat three to four people, and a long, beaten up trestle table that had five chairs gathered. one on each end and three on the open side. Michael slid into the center of the bench seat as the server came over.

"What's fresh today for lunch?" Michael asked her.

"Arbroath Toasties," she said with a wide smile. "It's my very favorite, and Elsie fixes it better than anyone in Scalloway. She's serving it with a lovely fresh Hairst Bree."

"Sounds lovely," Michael said. "And the beer. Is it local?"

"I should say it is," she said proudly, "My brother and my cousins have a micro brewery up the lane, and they make the beer for this pub. We serve three kinds here."

"And which one is their best?"

"The barkeep calls it the dark porter. My brother named it the Baohban Sith."

"Sounds perfectly appropriate," Michael said, not lost on the fact that the Baohban legend was of a female demon that preyed upon men. How appropriate for what they were chasing. "I think that's what I'll have. It all sounds tasty."

"We'll have whatever he's having," Sam and Victor said.

"And the rest of you?" she asked, looking at the rest of them.