Prologue

"So much for my promising career in espionage," Q muttered to himself as he hacked firewalls and lay a trail of virtual breadcrumbs leading Raoul Silva right to James Bond's manor in Scotland.

Q-branch was in chaos; various techs sped through multiple projects at once, pulling the networks up to speed, beefing up security, and bolstering the recovery of MI6 from Silva's attacks while Q, himself, ran the work that would, with luck, lead to the capture or kill of the man who'd thrown MI6 into a maelstrom.

"Good luck, James," Q murmured softly, hitting the last set of keys that would set off the sequence. He pulled back from the keyboard, then, sweeping his hands through his messy black hair, and narrowed green eyes behind round glasses at the map of Skyfall that popped up in front of him. He tilted his head, and a bolt of recognition drove through him.

Bond's home was adjacent to Hogwarts.

Q furrowed his brow. The wards would be up, as usual, but perhaps a bit of warning to the Headmistress might not go amiss. He backed away from his electronics, and nodded to the new R. "I need a cuppa after all that. Want one?"

"Yeah, go on, then. I'm just dusting off this last firewall or I'd go for you," R replied absently, intent on her work.

"Not to worry," Q said with a faint smile. "I'll be right back."

He headed toward the small kitchenette tucked back away from the electronics, shielded behind leaded glass, and started the electric kettle before digging the Earl Grey out of the cupboard and finding his favorite mug. He set the mug on the counter, then turned to the corner farthest from the glass, pointing very deliberately at a spot known only to him and the two other wizards in MI6. "Expecto Patronum," he whispered, and a miniature version of his stag appeared in the corner. "Go to Hogwarts and tell Headmistress McGonnagall that one of her neighbors is in a spot of trouble. Not to worry, but perhaps boost the wards for the timebeing?" His stag nodded, then swiftly streaked away through the electronics-free corner, out and up through the tunnel there to escape notice by the non-magicals in the building.

Q watched it go, then turned back to his mug of tea, remembering just in time to pull another down for his second-in-command.