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last online May 4, 2024 22:50:25 GMT -7
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Feb 13, 2021 13:05:15 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2021 13:05:15 GMT -7
how many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn't see? When Leo had been younger, he'd been very impatient with others who weren't at the same level that he was technology-wise. It had frustrated him until he realized that he had to take a step back and remember that not everybody had the same exposure or even the same knack for it. So, when Cas had told him he wasn't interested in a cell phone, all he could do was shrug and move on. Besides, he was far too busy these days to sit down and teach someone when he was already doing that at work a few times a week. Leo's face held a concerned expression, and he stared at the old wood of the table in front of him, but he wasn't actually looking at anything. The things he had seen in Curse Breaking and the items he'd seen come through while he had helped the smuggling operation, and then he was recruited to help that darknet website. There were some truly terrible things in this world, usually dark magic, and if--when the Ministry came across one and mishandled it.....well that was enough to leave the hair on the back of his neck standing up.
Leo was brought out of his thoughts when Cas glass made contact with the table, and he looked up at his old friend. He sat back in his chair, 'It's already happening' Cas had said. And he looked away for a moment, that could mean any number of things. But then the explanation came. He tried to think of all the files he had looked at and records and if anything came to mind. There were a few options, but he also wasn't well versed in the details of all the cases that would have this kind of risk attacked. Leo didn't answer right away. "What is it? How is it a risk?" He felt a strange, sinking feeling. It was enough the people of the Magical World had been grossly lied to about the Quidditch final, and now they were sitting on this information. It was scary but also frustrating. This ineffective machine, the incompetent chess master, and he was, but a pawn who could do nothing but watch as it all showed the signs of falling apart, but nothing could be done without the correct form being filed. "Do you really think it's a risk at the Ministry?"
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last online May 3, 2024 10:04:25 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Feb 13, 2021 13:07:48 GMT -7
Post by Casimir Elias Karkaroff on Feb 13, 2021 13:07:48 GMT -7
It was clear that Leo was thinking furiously through everything Cas had planted in his mind, and he could practically see the gears turning in his old friend’s head. As Leo stared into space, no doubt imagining the types of dangerous artifacts he’d seen while cursebreaking and working in the black market, Cas stared intently to memorize every expression that flitted across his face. This was only going to be the first of several recruitments, after all, and every strategy relied on the specific individual and their response to being told everything wasn’t what it seemed. Cas filed away the concern and slight panic he could see on Leo’s face. It might prove useful in a few moments to determine the right strategy to seal the deal and get Leo on-board.
When Leo asked which artifact it was, Cas reached into his jacket and pulled out a newspaper clipping. It was old, almost a year old already, but Cas had kept it meticulously maintained and it looked like it could have come from yesterday’s paper. The article was titled very simply – ‘Azkaban Falls’ – and Cas had underlined a single phrase that had probably slipped most people’s attention – ‘magic dampening device.’ Unsurprising given that most people were rightfully concerned with the prospect of dangerous prisoners being freed. Cas had always had a particular interest in artifacts, however, and he’d spent the last year following several leads to learn more about this vague reference to a magic dampening device. Speaking to Hermione before her death, as well as any Ministry employee who might have known about it. And recently again, when he had finally tracked down his father to hear the account from an escapee himself. He handed it over to Leo, then leaned back in his chair and waited a few moments for him to scan the clipping before he spoke again.
“Given its ability to dampen magic, and the purpose it served for years, it is not a stretch of the imagination to wonder why there is considerable interest in it even a year later.” Cas didn’t have the full details about what had happened at Azkaban that night, only what the Ministry and his father had known – a mass breakout, signs of fighting even before Ministry reinforcements had arrived. But he took a guess, if only to push a sense of urgency into Leo. “It certainly makes you wonder if the prisoners were the only target that night.” Considering he had dedicated his entire life to the study of magical artifacts, Cas understood (and often gave into) the impulse to collect items of power. He shrugged lightly. “The Ministry already failed to protect it once. It seems time to consider that the dampener would be better off with an…alternate means of protection. Specifically one I have been in the process of preparing.”
@leonardo [For reference, it’s the article from the Major Headlines thread]
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last online May 4, 2024 22:50:25 GMT -7
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Feb 13, 2021 13:08:24 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2021 13:08:24 GMT -7
how many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn't see? Cas reached into his jacket and produced a newspaper article. When Leo examined the headline and the date, he saw that it was actually quite old, about a year old now. The paper was free of any marks and blemishes except for a phrase that had been underlined and noted, presumably by Cas. The phrase, or single sentence rather, described a 'magic dampening device.' Something that had been placed into the prison when the Dementors had been taken out after the last war, it wasn't a fact Leo himself had been entirely familiar with. He imagined most people didn't voluntarily verse themselves in Azkaban prison history if they didn't need to. But clearly, it was the artifact that Cas had mentioned before that might not be safe within the government's walls and all its highly trained Aurors and other Law Enforcement agents. While it was hard to believe that it wouldn't be, his natural cynicism and knowledge of Wizarding history and knowing there was at least a handful of Aurors that were brilliant on paper only--well, he didn't doubt that it wasn't completely safe. Leo finished scanning the old article. He remembered reading it after the incident had occurred and the flurry at the Ministry as they tried to regain their footing and calculate their next steps.
Looking up, his eyes met those of Cas,' and he listened as he spoke. Leo's expression shifted to one of concern and concentration. Despite all his own digging, the details of that day were scarce, and really it was a limitation of magical technology in terms of the information available. Had this been the no-maj world, it would have been much easier with their current adaptation of technology and the web. He had Leo's full attention, though he felt himself pause at the last words he spoke. "Alternate means of protection?" Leo wasn't someone who took sides, but he was curious about what Cas might consider a better alternative. His gut told him that he could trust his old friend. With all the work they did together, he'd never had a reason not to, and he certainly trusted him more than he did the Ministry over the last few years. But then there was another question, did he even want to know? "If this says it was destroyed, then it isn't much of a danger sitting in an evidence locker. Is it?" Leo looked back at the article in his hand. He could look into this with his access to the records, but it wasn't the same as holding the item in your hand.
Leo went back into his thoughts, he had a feeling of what was going to be asked of him, but he needed to think it through much as he did everything else. He thought about his Curse Breaker training and how dangerous even the most innocuous objects could be, including one that had almost taken him out and led him to change careers. Maybe this device fell into that category. If there was someone that would know more about this object and its properties--well, he was sitting right in front of Leo. But then another question popped into his head, why?. His sister worked in the same building, and also alongside the task forces still investigating the breakout, surely she could do a better job to help him. "Cas--why are you telling me about all this?"
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last online May 3, 2024 10:04:25 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Feb 13, 2021 13:08:46 GMT -7
Post by Casimir Elias Karkaroff on Feb 13, 2021 13:08:46 GMT -7
Cas steepled his fingers as he watched Leo scan the newspaper article. Most people probably only ever thought of the IT worker as quiet, or bashful, or maybe even afraid of his own shadow. But Cas knew better. He had been Leo’s mentor as a cursebreaker, and it had been an illuminating experience for both of them if only because Cas hadn’t been long out of training himself. Then, several years later, the two had begun a new partnership on the black market, finding new and innovative ways to traffic illegal goods to legitimate buyers. So Cas knew that Leo was highly capable – both in his area of expertise and in maintaining an iron spine when it came to secrets.
He gave a shallow nod when Leo repeated his careful choice of phrasing. An alternate means of protection. It wasn’t a subject Cas took lightly, and he knew that Ouroboros couldn’t be the only group interested in the magic dampener. It would truly be a waste if they managed to get their hands on it only to lose it to some other, less well meaning group. It was still early stages yet, but he’d begun to put serious thought into a secret location for the magic dampener with the type of exhaustive security measures that would ensure no one directly involved would ever find out. Cas gave a slow, cryptic smile as Leo asked why a broken object would be of any danger sitting in an evidence room somewhere. “Do you believe everything the Ministry tells you?” Cas asked languidly, leaning back in his chair. “Or the Prophet, for that matter?” Cas had never had much faith in the wizarding world’s central institutions, government or otherwise, and joining the Order had been the final nail in the coffin proving the extent of what the Ministry hid from the public – as it did, in fact, lie all the time. Cas continued, “There are very few ways to damage an artifact to a point beyond repair. And in the meantime, it continues to be a loose thread, a dangerously uncertain loose thread, sitting in a room that anyone with the right resources and a little determination can access.”
Cas leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table. There was a new look in his eyes – calculating, cold, no trace of anything but business on his mind. “Yes, the dampener is dangerous. It would be much safer in my care, away from the prying eyes of anyone who might seek to do worse than Azkaban. But this is not just about leaving the Ministry with the dampener in hand. It’s about misdirection – removing any trace of whoever might have handled it, and obfuscating exactly where the dampener is. And Leo, there is no doubt in my mind that this can’t be done without your help.”
@leonardo [End post Cas!]
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last online May 4, 2024 22:50:25 GMT -7
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Feb 13, 2021 13:10:00 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2021 13:10:00 GMT -7
how many times can a man turn his head and pretend that he just doesn't see? Leo's unassuming nature always allowed him to remain under the radar for far longer than perhaps the typical person. He was never put on the spot and had a chance to think about his next step or even just a response. It worked well considering his more introverted nature and that he often wasn't sure what to say, though in the technological world, it worked best as those who rushed ahead would often end up in trouble. When he worked at the Ministry, people typically didn't look twice at him. Even when he had started working there, sometimes he'd overhear a comment or two about the 'former Curse Breaker' who now pushed paperwork in HR, but other than that, he blended in well. The mostly affluent life he'd grown up with, provided by his father's career, had allowed him to learn English very young, though there was always the slight accent you could pick up on. Bianca had heard it almost immediately, and that had been the start of their unlikely friendship.
After revealing the article, Cas was taking a very bold tone, and the item in question had been revealed to him. That aspect was normal. There was never any beating around the bush in their conversations. Leo had learned that Cas preferred information in a straightforward manner lest they waste any time figuring out what the other was saying. When the slow smile appeared across his friend's face, Leo realized that he had actually asked a foolish question. Though he would have thought that Cas' next question was rhetorical. "You know I do not." He reaffirmed the fact. And that went for the paper as well. In Leo's mind, the Prophet was at the government's mercy and would report what they wanted the people to know. Considering what Leo knew from the inside and what he'd read himself, he knew that to be true. Leo looked away, his brain quickly trying to process all this new information and its implications for the Wizarding World. Did leaving the artifact in the Ministry's sometimes incapable hands leave it as a risk? Could that group responsible for the summer's tragic events somehow get their hands on it? Since beginning his IT work, he had access to more information within the Ministry than he ever did. Even if it was 'classified,' it wasn't anything beyond his technical ability to bypass. Plus, he was good friends with an Interpol agent who was frustrated at these certain cases' progress and would sometimes vent about it.
Leo didn't question Cas' intent and seeing what he had from the outside and the inside, he didn't naively believe the Ministry could appropriately protect this item. Truthfully Leo was leaning heavily on the number of years he and Cas had known one another now. Their work together for the bank and their work together in their illegal activities. A lot of trust existed between them, something that was valuable and implicit. To come to Leo with such a thing told him that he was relying heavily on the same variable. Had it been anybody else, he might have walked away immediately despite his complete lack of confidence in these institutions. But he didn't answer right away and could only look back with his own curious blue eyes as Cas revealed what he wanted of Leo. Well. That was certainly a big ask, and realization appeared in his face. To get the item out of the Ministry, to expunge any trace of it all. It all began to click. Leo was the tech guy. Now that the significant Magical institutions were reliant on magical technology, it was hard to do anything without a trace.
Leo sat back in his chair and cross his arms, staring at the half-full glass of whiskey on the table before him. His brain automatically began calculating different trajectories of what was being asked—the why and the how and the where. Still, he wondered what Cas might do with the item--with his background, he could surely do something with it. Leo didn't ask. He'd learned that sometimes ignorance was peaceful because it could not be unseen once one saw something. The Dark Web had taught him to always proceed with caution. Peeling back those layers of what hid in the recesses of the web was like tiptoeing through the most dangerous tomb in the Valley of the Kings. It wasn't something he felt he could commit to immediately. As much as he was an expert in the technical systems that ran throughout the entire Ministry of Magic, he had to be sure of a few variables before exposing himself to such risk. After what seemed like forever, but was perhaps a few minutes, Leo looked up--his expression serious as ever. "Let me look into somethings--and then I can give you an answer." He had wanted to ask if Cas realized how vulnerable he was asking Leo to make himself, but one thing about Curse Breakers was that they took risk in all forms very seriously.
---------- [about twenty-four hours later] ---------- A letter arrives via one of the standard Post Office Owls, it is small with not much written on it.
C--it is possible.
L
[end] template by vee
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