Honorius had not left HQ in over 36 hours. His face, which already hosted numerous wrinkles, betrayed his obvious fatigue. However his uniform was still in perfect condition, his black walking stick, which concealed his wand. Honorius considered himself a gentleman and he knew that his appearance mattered. People made their decision about others within seconds of first meeting them. He sighed and rubbed his large hand across his face. A yawn escaped his mouth as he flicked through case files.

Officially the Senior Auror was tracking the sale of powerful magical artifacts. He was not the senior Auror in the investigation. Although the artifacts had allot to do with Dark Magic the Black Market department had been given overall command. This didn't sit well with the battle hardened Auror. He liked to be in control of his own affairs, it was not a secret that he had a large ego, but it hardly mattered as he was actually at HQ for another reason all together. He was tracking the man responsible for his father's death, the man he had almost killed once before, and he was sure he had fled the country to avoid the UK Ministry.

Honorius knew that the Ministry would arrest him. He would spend his entire life in Azkaban but Honorius wanted more. He wanted to kill him, maybe even torture him before hand. He wanted to feel satisfied that he had been punished for taking his father from his family. He grew up without a father and so did his siblings. His son would never know his grandfather and his father his grandson. Around 26 hours ago Honorius had made a break through in tracking the man down to the Middle East. But he needed more information and he would get it. He yawned again as he picked up the glass beside him and took a sip. The liquid was warm and gave him a slight boost of energy. However he knew it would only last for an hour or two before it wore off.

On the wooden table he was sitting by the stack of files was large. The majority were on the case he was meant to be working on but the others were on the workings of the Ministry's of the Middle East, extradition laws and the like. He flicked through the pages but the words were becoming a blur of lawyer speak and legislative rubbish. Henry checked the time and realised that his guest would arrive soon. Once Honorius had realised that the man he was looking for was in the Middle East he had decided to find someone who could help. He found the answer when he remembered one of his department's cases.  Dreogan Eleor had been possessed. He worked in the IMC as Head of the Office of Near East relations. As a rule Honorius didn't ask for help.  But his families honour was involved and the Eleor family were a respected academic family.

Taking his black walking stick Honorius twisted and pulled simultaneously. A beautiful dark red wand emerged in his hands and he waved it over his body. The spell would freshen him up as if he had just had an hour long warm bath. He then waited for Mr. Eleor to arrive.

There was a degree of awkwardness, entering Level Two again.  On the balance, Dreogan had done a good job avoiding the place since mid-March. He'd stayed well out of law-enforcement affairs, except in working with his Department's lawyer, very briefly, on the upcoming court case.
 
And since the abrupt departure of the lead investigator over the only case that directly listed him as the sole victim--January 5th, the Possession--no one had bothered to make much contact.  Jonas Trevelyan had made abundantly clear that Level Two would do what Level Two would do without reaching out to those involved. Dreogan, then, had been working under the assumption that the case had been reassigned, and that progress was being made.
 
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
 
And so, when he received the very official summons from a Senior Auror known--according to Adon--to investigate Dark Arts, Dreogan felt somewhat comforted. Though the message wasn't exactly specify that it was an invitation to discuss his case.  In fact, the message didn't really specify anything at all. It was well-written, very courteous, and scrawled with immaculate, tight penmanship that deserved to be framed. But it didn't really say much. Just a brief introduction, a time, and a place.
 
Setting his teeth, Dreogan pushed upon the double doors that lead to the Auror division, nodded to the Welcome Witch, providing her name, and moved to the desk she'd specified.  The first thing he noticed was the smell--a soft fragrance of lavender. Or soap. Dreogan's brows knit. It didn't really seem fitting in the busy--and sometimes chaotic Auror office.  Then, rounding the corner, he caught a glimpse of what must have been Auror Stilicho. The man was tall, even seated, and. . .gaunt. It was the first word that came to mind, and Dreogan felt almost embarrassed for thinking it.
 
Carrying himself with an official, open demeanor, he held out his hand to shake the older Auror's. "Auror Stilicho, I'm glad you could arrange this meeting. I'm Dreogan Eleor. Shall we begin?"

Within a few seconds of his spell Dreogan had arrived. The auror noticed that the man was dressed smartly, something Honorius appreciated, though that was to be expected from someone from such a family. As he approached Honorius took hold of his wand once more and he pointed it at the large stack of official, and not so official, papers in front of him that were resting on the desk. He flicked his wand and what appeared to be a deep blue wind erupted from his wand. Instead of blowing the papers across the room the papers vanished from site as soon as the blue wind touched them. Unknown to anyone but Honorius they were now being transported across the country to be stored in his house.

"Auror Stilicho, I'm glad you could arrange this meeting. I'm Dreogan Eleor. Shall we begin?"

Honorius nodded and blinked but this was the extent of his expression. As always he appeared stoic, though the bags under his eyes would hint that he was tired. "Mr.Eleor. Thank you for coming at such short notice. If you would follow me I will escort you to my office," he picked up his walking stick and placed his wand in the top in one swift movement that had become second nature to the wizard. He then walked forward. As he did his cane proceeded him with each step. He didn't need the cane to walk but it was a tradition in his family. And his family meant a lot to him.

It took less than twenty seconds for them to reach his office. Honorius held the door open for Dreogan and then entered himself before closing the door. The room was larger than normal aurors but smaller than his superior's office. The room was full of books. However they were co-ordinated by topic and then alphabetically on wooden shelves at each side of the room. To the right of the door was a painting of the Stilicho crest, a Golden dragon and silver Dog fighting over the shield in the centre. The shield was split numerous times to represent the countless titles his family has held in the Muggle world and positions they have simultaneously held in the Wizarding world.

The room was windowless but was light by a single candle that provided as much light as Honorius needed at that moment in time. A large desk, with numerous draws and hidden compartments, was the centre piece of the room. A quill and a pot of ink sat on the table top. He had used it last to write the letter to Dreogan. On each side there sat a chair. Beside the desk was a simple coat rack. On it hung a long black cloak and a black tie.

Honorius sat. "Please take a seat Mr,Eleor," he took a breath and continued. "Firstly I would like to ask you how you are, or how you have been, since your possession?" He waited a second before he spoke again. "Then I would like your help on another matter altogether."

Dreogan followed silently after Auror Stilicho.  On the short walk, he decided that  if the man did not initiate conversation, it was because he did not wish to. The man seemed particular and deliberate in everything. Dreogan would not bother the man with unwanted pleasantries.


Which was why, once they were in the office, Dreogan found the beginning of the conversation so unsettling.  He watched as Honorius closed the door, hearing the solid click, and feeling a slight crackle of magic that implied that the place was secured. Like his office, probably sound-proof, though he couldn't be certain.  Perhaps it was simply standard on Level Two. 


Obediently, Dreogan sat himself in the chair which the Senior Auror gestured to, before the large wooden desk. The man moved briskly past the matter of his possession and rather mentioned a favor.


This was not what he'd thought he'd come here for. And the nominal gesture towards his health--towards his status of a victim of a case that really hadn't been pursued as he had assumed it had--all this rung hollow, somehow.


Still, with a pit in his stomach like coal, he gave a polite smile.  "I am quite well," he lied diplomatically. If he was going to discuss his emotional, physical, or spiritual health with anyone, it would be to someone who would consider it a matter of importance.  Dreogan expressed himself with the lowest required level of information.  "Thank you. And what is the matter you wished to speak about, then?"

Having thought in the Second Wizarding War Honorius had learned that pleasantries just got in the way of business. Honorius did not want to be Dreogan's friend, or even on cordial terms with the diplomat, to Honorius he was simply a tool, not unlike his wand. Unfortunately this meant that even he had to follow certain social conventions like asking how he was. Honorius had no time for possessions. His job was to catch Dark Wizards, killers and people who use the Dark arts. Not investigate the possession of a bureaucrat.

"Good." He replied simply.

"I asked you here on a matter of importance. I am sure I do not need to tell you that discretion is advised when it comes to matters important to Level 2," his voice, though not threatening as such, could not be mistaken for friendly. The Auror meant business. "and I am also aware that someone in your line of work... understands the how crucial it is that certain information does not become water cooler talk around the ministry."

"I need your help," Honorius almost flinched when he spoke those words. He hated asking for any sort of assistance and this man was not even an Auror. "I want your advice on pursuing a dangerous convict who I believe has fled to the Near East." Honorius moved for his wand with battle hardened reflexes with a few flicks of his wand a map appeared on the table.

The map showed the nations in the Middle East and the areas terrain. Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Iraq etc. The terrain was generally showed by a baige/yellow colour that highlighted the desert like terrain of the area. He moved his finger and made a circle around the large area that he believed the man could of escaped to. "We believe he is near the Mediterranean."

"What I need to know is how extradition laws work over there."

"The suspect is only presumed to be in the Near East?" Dreogan asked as his eyes grazed the map. "Until the other country has the suspect in custody, I don't believe the matter qualifies as extradition. . ." Extradition was what they were facing with Azorma Hyskos--which was a headache of a struggle between Egypt, Italy, and Britain.  Neither of the countries had entered into formalized extradition treaties before now.  Dreogan was, quite timelily, researching this now, hoping to forge those lines at present with others on Level Two.
 
He mirrored the man's pointed gaze, flat tone. "Your real question is how to search for the man without treading on the toes of the Near East governments.  Unless you're waiting for the Near East Law Enforcement to find the man before taking action. This is how things are usually done. I can assure you that, as in the Muggle world, the Near Eastern magical world does not take kindly to the Anglo-American hand, even in shared affairs and interests."
 
He shifted in his seat, turning away slightly from the map--which didn't help all that much, as Dreogan was quite aware of where the Mediterranean Coast had been split between countries over time.  "If you could, in time, provide me with the name of the country in which the suspect now resides, the name of the suspect, and alleged crimes, and the charges sought against him--and likely punishments--I can begin to contact them and initiate treaty negotiations, if a treaty is not already in place. The offense, I hope, is not capital?"
 
There was a slight thrill as Dreogan realized--the man was over Dark Wizards. To Dreogan's knowledge, Terry Katsaros was near the top of the list of suspected dark wizards in Britain; except nothing had been heard of him for several months--not since he'd used Dark Magic to possess Dreogan. Terry Katsaros had known ties to Turkey. To Greece. And would someday soon be in Israel--just in time to use sacrificial magic to kill his brother and fulfill the prophecy.
 
All of these were Mediterranean countries.
 
"Is this a suspect we have already been investigating?" he added inquisitively.