[text]

[masterofpotions]

While these devices may be a more efficient means of communication than magic, and nowhere near as messy as firetalking has the potential to be, there are inherent flaws in their design. They are far too small, for one, and lend themselves to being easily misplaced. I suppose it will have its uses, which is more than can be said for most Muggle devices, but if not for the distinct lack of owls, I would not be so resigned to let it replace the perfectly respectable practice of letter-writing.

That said, the sheer amount of idiocy beyond the doors of that Muggle hospital is absolutely baffling. Never in my life have I heard such a ridiculous tale, which is quite a feat when one considers the many desperate lies told by Death Eaters when presented with anything resembling consequence. I have little tolerance for foolishness and will not be treated as either an invalid or an imbecile they assume is eager to believe stories that are clearly meant for children.

Writing on this fool thing is an exercise in tedium and a miserable excuse for communication, I might add. Quill and parchment would have been much quicker.

Comments

[masterofpotions]

[The effects of the stun wear off at last, and Severus jerks his arm away from Sirius, his upper lip curling unpleasantly, as though disgusted by even the briefest moment of physical contact between them. He rises to his feet, drawing up to his full height, his own glare darkening with deep-seated anger.]

You have no reason to believe me, just as I have no reason or desire to explain myself to you, Black.

Accio wand.

[The wand struggles beneath Sirius' foot before wrenching itself free, flying back into its owner's hand, his spindly fingers curling around its handle.]

This is neither the time nor the place for you to air your grievances, you arrogant fool.

[steelweb]

Someone in the hospital waiting room had called the police - flashes of light and wands and a sneaky bastard attacking someone - it had all been fairly garbled, but Lin was patrolling fairly nearby, and she'd been getting faster at responding. The two men were so wrapped up in one another that she's not sure they've seen her. Time for a little caution, no matter how much she'd like to just drop in and wrap them in steel cable.

Opting for a quieter approach, she dropped from the nearby rooftops into the street a block or two away, and marched purposefully in their direction. The one with the hooked nose jerked back and liberated his stick - if violence wasn't imminent, she wasn't a former chief of police. A stomp of her bare foot on the road paired with a sliding motion, and the pavement under the two combatants split and shifted them five yards apart. She raised a wall between them for good measure. Who knows what they can do with those bits of wood.

Putting on her best inspection voice, she closed in on the two brawlers. "Gentlemen, what is going on here?"

[alwaysimpure]

There were only so many things one could do when the earth started moving under and around you. In case of being an armed wizard, there were a few more options than there might normally be, so Sirius ended up throwing up a shielding charm and then exploded the wall lifting up in front of them with a blast.

In his defense, he really wasn't thinking about attacking Snape at that moment, just about the possibility of getting crushed. When he turned to face the woman, his wand was still out and feeling startled didn't really do much to make him less aggressive.

"Catching up."

He kept an eye on her, but did glance back at Snape, to make sure he'd not be leaving.

[masterofpotions]

Snape cast his own Protego charm as soon as the wall began to break apart, causing any of the debris cast in his direction to bounce harmlessly against his shield and fall to the ground. He sneered at Sirius now that the barrier between them was gone, though the rift between them remained. Not that such distance meant anything to a wizard armed with a wand, but he was not looking to exacerbate the situation. His temper may have had a better hold on him than he might have liked, especially when Sirius Black was involved, but he was still a man who knew how to pick his battles.

His expression suddenly shifted, giving Sirius a cool, appraising look before turning his attention to the unfamiliar party.

"This man assaulted me," he said calmly, careful to keep his voice from growing any louder than it absolutely needed to be. "Not the warmest welcome I've ever received."

[bloodywelsh]

Gwen hears the sound of earth being rearranged and rounds the corner in time to see the wall explode. Despite not having any sort of supernatural abilities of her own, she is reasonably familiar with the range of known powers on the island. Dealing with the strange and unusual was part of her job.

Her gun is out, but she doesn't yet have it aimed at either of the wizards as she comes to stand beside Lin. Could she actually ever bring herself to attempt shooting a Harry Potter character? "Mister Black," she addresses Sirius. He looks nothing like Gary Oldman, but his reputation precedes him, and his face has been all over the network. There is a pause as she studies the other man; a new arrival by the sound of it. "I'm sure this is some sort of misunderstanding. Put away your wands before anyone gets hurt."

[alwaysimpure]

Sirius turned to Gwen when she addressed him, frowning because he didn't remember her. But then, at this place he was getting very used to being recognized, even if usually the context was a bit different.

He lowered his wand slowly, but only for a few moments. Then he turned to Snape quite suddenly, firing a silent disarming spell followed by an Incarcerous! and immediately thin ropes shot out of his wand, winding around the other wizard and tying him up.

That done, he did put his wand away, turning to the two women.

"If he's done what I think he has, he deserves to get hurt and I will do it." He glared at Snape. "And keep him from hurting others."

[ooc: for the record this is young Gary Oldman, so there are certain similarities!]

[steelweb]

Lin had been expecting something like the shot that blew the top off her wall, so she had been ready to catch and redirect the debris safely away from the angry pair. The dignified man's statement only confirmed the witness reports, and the other man was not helping his case. She nodded a welcome to Ms. Cooper upon her arrival, and files away the name for future reference. Black. It didn't mean anything, but at least it gave her a handle on him. She'd of course seen his face about on the Network, but unless it was law-enforcement related, she tried not to read other people's conversations. Now she might have to do some research, if he was going to assault people.

This whole past month had been grating on her nerves, and while she was aware they were at a much higher pitch than usual and was trying to restrain herself, she still almost clocked Black on instinct when he shot ropes at the newcomer. Then she wondered why she hadn't. If that had been a gun, Hawknose would be dead.

"That is the police force's jurisdiction, Mr. Black," she said sharply, "Not yours. If you have reason to believe that he has committed a crime within the short period he's been here on the island you can certainly discuss it down at the precinct. Put your hands on your head and interlace your fingers, please." Slowly, trying to keep her posture non-threatening while maintaining a stance to shift rocks if necessary, she moves forward. "Officer Cooper, do you know Black?" the older woman murmurs.

[masterofpotions]

Severus struggled against the ropes that had been sent to bind him, his forced calm now rapidly melting away, no longer willing to attempt civility. It had been an effort to begin with, Black's very presence had always been more than enough to try his patience, and he would not suffer this fool's misguided attempts at justice in silence.

He muttered a quick counter-curse, causing the ropes to disintegrate and therefore freeing himself, rubbing at his left shoulder to loosen it. He ignored Black for the time being, turning his attention to the first woman to arrive on the scene. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, something he was grateful for at this particular moment.

"I feel it's my duty to inform you," he began, his tone ice-cold as his face paled even further as a result of his anger, "That where we're from, this man is a convicted felon. Clearly, he should not be allowed to roam free. Your citizens are at great risk."

[bloodywelsh]

Gwen's pistol swings up half way as she watches the ropes fly from Sirius' wand. It stops short of truly being aimed and she suddenly realises that she's letting a bias she hadn't even known she'd harbored interfere in her work. No, there's truly no way she could bring herself to shoot either of these men. Fictional they may be, but so is she--whatever any of it means, anyway--and because of that she knows that neither of them are truly criminals. A bit shaken by this revelation, she lowers her arm again.

"Not personally..." she responds in a hushed tone, for Lin's ears only as she moves forward along side her and attempts to push away her uncertainty. "He's a popular fellow on the network, though." And Torchwood tends to keep tabs on people who flaunt their magic and superpowers. Sirius, Remus, and Harry are on their radar, as Severus will be once Gwen reports this to Jack. "Also, where I come from, he's a character in a series of books and movies. The other man, as well, if he's who I think he is."

Her voice becomes louder as she addresses the wizards. "Crimes committed before arriving on the island are wiped from your record. Everybody arrives here with a clean slate." The only risk either of them pose, Gwen thinks, is being within fifty feet of each other.

[alwaysimpure]

With a deadly glare directed at Snape, Sirius put his wand into his pocket before lifting his hands slowly and lacing his fingers together behind his head as instructed.

"All crimes?" The question is harmless enough, but at a moment like this, after Snape appearing and getting into trouble for what, really, barely counted as a brawl by wizarding standards, he couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Peter appeared. Worry for another time though, today of all days he couldn't afford letting his mind wander.

"I doubt he's done something yet. Unless 'existing' counts as a crime, which it might, in his case. But since we're steeping to telling on each other, Snivellus..." Sirius never did take his eyes off of Snape for too long, ready to follow him should he apparate. "I've reason to believe he might harm my godson."

[steelweb]

...These men were behaving like teenage boys, and it was grating on her. Were they even listening to what they were saying?

Lin gestured for Gwen to go to Black while she covered the both of them, keeping just far enough back that if this Snivellus character made a break for it she would be able to stop him. Shaking her wrist, she spools out a significant quantity of cable on the ground beside her.

"You both need to come with us down to the station - we need statements from both of you. If you want to file a cautionary report at the same time, you're welcome to."

She left off the part about how until there was evidence of ill intention, there was a limited amount that the police can do. They could put a patrol on look out around the apartments, but if these people could appear out of nowhere like the witnesses seemed to think, she had her doubts as to how helpful that would be.

[masterofpotions]

Severus put his hands up in defense, as if to show the officer herself that he meant no harm. None to her, anyway, though the sharp glare he shot back at Sirius was enough to reveal that he would not forget this incident so easily.

"By all means," he said softly, turning his attention back to the older woman. "I'll be glad to provide whatever information I'm able, I assure you."

[bloodywelsh]

With a curt nod to Lin, Gwen approached the younger wizard and removed the set of handcuffs from her belt. If he cooperated, she went about the business of securing his arms behind his back.

"As officer Beifong said, we're just bringing you both in for questioning." She attempted to catch Severus' eye, and then Sirius', as she then added, "Afterwards, you both ought to talk to Harry and sort out the bad blood between you. I still think this is a misunderstanding, and we can't have you dueling in the streets this way."

[alwaysimpure]

Sirius quietly took a deep breath and put his hands behind his back as instructed, staring at the ground as he attempted to stay calm. It wasn't easy, but he tried not to think about just how difficult it was.

"I wasn't aware that this city had a law against dueling." Said a bit dryly, but true nonetheless. In a way it was a little reassuring that Gwen kept insisting this was a misunderstanding. Perhaps that meant that - at the very least - Snape wouldn't be going after Harry.