Through the dark streets of autumn Chicago we travel. As Halloween approaches, Harry is confronted with even more mysteries and obstacles.

And the worst part is he doesn’t have the time!

Hold onto your hats ladies and gents, chapters 6-10 will be a bumpy ride.

Last time, Butters was exposed to the darker side of magic and needless to say he had a lot of questions.

Harry did his best to fill him while they drove to Harry’s apartment.  The first thing Butters needed to grasp was that magic was real.  This includes monsters like vampires, werewolves, faeries, and things of that nature.  Being a man of science, all this sounded pretty crazy to our Polka-loving lab-coat.  It didn’t make sense to Butters that there wouldn’t be scientific evidence to prove this type of a phenomena already.  If someone encountered all this craziness, one would think they’d talk about it.  Of course, we know the reason they don’t is because that would get them a one-way ticket to Crazy Town

The second thing Butters needed to understand was people don’t want to accept a reality that is that scary.  Harry gave him multiple examples to prove this point.  He also mentioned the video of Harry defeating the loup-garou (Remember from Full Moon).  After that sunk in as much as it could, Butters admitted that the reason he didn’t believe the footage was because he didn’t want to.

After that, it was time to talk about what just happened.  The necromancer, Grevane, resurrected a bunch of the dead to serve as zombie henchmen.  Unlike what Butters saw in movies, these aren’t the type of living dead that shamble around, hungry for braaaaaaaaaains.  That wouldn’t make a useful thug after all.  Harry explained if you were to inflict on aforementioned zombie enough trauma or cut off their magical connection to the necromancer you can stop them.  You could also stop the rhythm the necromancer uses to control them, but you then run the risk of the undead horde tearing up the place.

Eventually, Harry and Butters made it to the apartment.  Butters was greeted by Harry’s “pony,” Mouse.

Oh, that’s right.  I haven’t shown you how big Tibetan mastiffs get yet.

Yeah, Mouse is a bit closer to a moose now.  Though still 100% adorable.

Anyway, Harry left Butters at the apartment with a note for Thomas, and went to the library.  He noticed the name of the book the necromancer was holding, Die Lied der Erlking, and wanted to check it out for himself.

This particular establishment was in Billy’s territory of Chicago, near the university.  Harry was told by the bookkeeper, Boch, that the entire magical community could feel trouble brewing.  Harry tried to warn him to stay inside a threshold for the next few nights without telling him about Mavra or the book.  Needless to say it didn’t have the full weight of the danger behind it, though Boch could tell Harry was hiding some information.

Harry got the key and went to the back room where all the legit magic books were kept.  It even had a copy of Ebeneezer’s book.  Lost in his thoughts about his mentor, Harry didn’t see the other person in the room until she said hello.

Startled, Harry leveled his gun.

And pointed it at the head of Boch’s assistant.

Oops.  Someone’s a little high-strung.

Luckily Harry realized what was going on and lowered his weapon.  Sheila, the assistant, guided him to a copy of Die Lied der Erlking. It was a book on a very powerful faerie and was said to be mostly conjecture.  Not to mention it cost a pretty penny.

Harry had just finished paying for the book when figures in black robes appeared just outside the store.  Harry went out to face them, but was surprised when they just wanted the book. Obviously, Harry was far to stubborn to just give it to them, especially when he remembered them from Bianca’s party.  It was the Cowl and Kumori

They did tell him a something interesting though.  For starters, they insinuated that the White Council was corrupt.  They didn’t trust the White Council to resist the temptations of black magic anymore.  And the way they slung this accusation was very much from experience.

But we know Harry. Nothing ever ends with just simply talking things over.  And holy cow is Cowl powerful.  He tossed Harry around like a rag doll, despite the shield bracelet.

Luckily, the wolves showed up, but not before Harry let loose Hellfire.

Beaten and exhausted, Harry reluctantly accepted Billy’s offer to hop in the Woofmobile.  Instead of going to Harry’s, Georgia and Billy brought Harry to Geogia’s parent’s place.  Meanwhile, Harry fell asleep in the car.

He over heard them talking about what’s been going on.  Georgia could tell that not only was Harry in trouble, but he was afraid.  Billy naturally wanted to help, but Georgia warned him that that may not be what their friend needed. She couldn’t be any more right.

But Harry did tell them something that’s honestly scary to me.  Ever since he touched that coin, he can use Hellfire magic.  And what’s worse it’s branded him.

Of course, Billy and Georgia wanted to help, but Harry couldn’t accept it obviously.  Even if he thought this wasn’t out of their league, Mavra explicitly stated he couldn’t get help.  But he did accept a ride back to the Beetle, and eventually the van when he saw his windows had been smashed.

Though it’s been a long night already, Harry was far from done.  He paid a visit to Mortimer Lindquist, the ectomancer, and demanded help.  Though Mort tends to only watch out for number one, he was completely unwilling to ask the dead to help track a necromancer.  It would be far too dangerous for them.

Then he heard Murphy was in trouble, and immediately changed his mind.  He knows her father after all.

Through the assistance of the dearly departed, Harry was able to pinpoint six locations where necromance-activity was strongest.

Six of them. One of Harry.

Will he be able to stop them in time?  Will Harry be able to save his friend from Mavra’s clutches?

Or will everything go to pot? Tune in next time!