Chapter 4: An Offer He Can't Refuse

"Well, 'ow was I supposed to know I wasn't supposed to say anythin'?" Hagrid questioned as he followed Dresden out of the Madison Hotel.

"Do you normally go around telling the police officers about other murders you've encountered?" Dresden questioned, looking over his shoulder at the larger man as he walked.

"I was just tryin' to 'elp," Hagrid whined as he followed Dresden into the hotel's parking lot, "Someone is killin' folk after all."

"Yeah, and that same person is after the kid, remember?" Dresden replied, walking backwards briefly so he could shoot Hagrid an exasperated glare, "We're just lucky that Murphy didn't manage to squeeze that out of you."

"She's very persuasive," Hagrid argued defensively.

"She's a third your size," Dresden shot back as he came to a stop next to the Blue Beetle.

"I thought ye said ye worked with the police?" Hagrid questioned, "Shouldn't we be tryin' to get 'er to 'elp us?"

"The police aren't equipped to deal with anything like this," Dresden countered, "That's why they come to me. If Murphy gets involved, she and a lot of good cops could wind up dead."

"I suppose," Hagrid replied with an expression that showed he wasn't entirely convinced, before a look of realization struck him, "Wait, if ye're ere, who's watchin' Harry and his cousin?"

"I, uh, kind of had to leave them in my apartment by themselves," Dresden replied awkwardly.

"Ye what!?" Hagrid hissed as his eyes went wide with horror, "Ye're supposed to be protectin' them!"

"Look, I know, but I got bills to pay too!" Dresden countered heatedly, "Not all of us get to stay in swanky hotels on the White Council's dime!"

Hagrid didn't look too pleased with this answer, but he decided not to argue.

"I gave ye my number," Hagrid pointed out, "Ye could have rang me and I would 'ave come look after them."

"I know," Dresden sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, "But I don't exactly have a phone in my apartment and I needed to get here as soon as possible."

"Well, we should get back to yer place then," Hagrid stated, "We need to make sure those boys are alright."

"You want to ride with me back to my place?" Dresden questioned as he quirked a skeptical eyebrow at Hagrid.

"O' course," Hagrid confirmed with a nod, "It will be the quickest way."

Dresden gave Hagrid a dubious look before he sighed again and unlocked the Blue Beetle. Opening the doors, the two large men squeezed themselves into the car, the vehicle rocking dangerously back and forth as they settled their weight. The two of them sat shoulder to shoulder, with Hagrid hunched over so his head didn't hit the Blue Beetle's roof.

"I thought this car was goin' to be a little more spacious," Hagrid commented as he tried in vain to buckle his seatbelt.

"Yeah, it's tricky like that," Dresden grumbled as he started the engine.

Putting the Blue Beetle into reverse, Dresden began to back out of his spot before he had to slam on his breaks as a dark blue Cadillac suddenly appeared and stopped directly behind him.

"Aw, come on, what now!?" Dresden growled as he glanced over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes at the Cadillac, which was sitting behind him, showing no intention of moving.

"Hey!" Dresden shouted as he threw the Blue Beetle into park before stepping out of the car and throwing his arms into the air in exasperation, "What's the big idea!?"

In response, the driver side door to the Cadillac opened and a rather large man stepped out. He was broad of shoulder and thick of muscle, with bright red hair and a nose that looked like it had been broken more than once.

"Um, everything okay, pal?" Dresden questioned, his bravado suddenly leaving him as the large man walked around the Cadillac.

"Get in the car," the man demanded as he opened the back door to the Cadillac and gestured towards it.

"Uh, no thanks," Dresden muttered as he took a step back, "My father warned me about this sort of thing while I was growing up."

His beady blue eyes narrowing in anger, the man marched up to Dresden and grabbed him by the front of his duster.

"It wasn't a request," the man snarled in Dresden's face, "Get in the car or I break your legs."

Before Dresden could do anything, Hagrid, who Dresden had not noticed get out of the car, interposed himself between the two of them, shoving the man hard in the chest and sending him stumbling backwards, breaking his grip on Dresden's duster in the process. As the man caught his footing, he turned his attention towards Hagrid, blinking in surprise at a man that was somehow bigger than him.

"I think my friend 'ere told ye no," Hagrid said coldly as he narrowed his eyes at the man.

The man, for his part, regained his exposure quickly and began aggressively moving towards Hagrid with a furious expression.

"Mister Hendricks, please," a voice called out from the confines of the Cadillac, "There's no need to resort to violence here."

A moment later, another man emerged from the Cadillac. Dressed in a fine grey suit, he was of average height and build, with handsome features, black hair threaded with silver, and eyes a shade of green that reminded Dresden of old dollar bills.

"Mister Harry Dresden, correct?" the man questioned as he adjusted the jacket of his suit and looked the wizard over.

"Yeah, and who might you be?" Dresden inquired as he quirked an eyebrow at the smaller man.

"My name is John Marcone," the man answered simply, "And I was hoping to discuss some business with you."

"As in…." Dresden began to reply, his eyes going wide.

"Yes," the man replied with a knowing smirk, "That John Marcone."

"I get the sense this bloke's pretty important," Hagrid muttered as he leaned over to Dresden.

"He's the head of the Chicago mob," Dresden explained with a low voice, "So, yeah, pretty important."

Hagrid nodded in reply to this, his face going pale as he straightened up and began glancing between Marcone and Hendricks.

"I take it you're an associate of Mr. Dresden's, Mr….?" Marcone asked as he looked up at Hagrid.

"Hagrid, Rubeus Hagrid" the large man replied, his tone clearly nervous, before his eyes went wide in realization, "I shouldn't 'ave told ye that."

"Well then, in that case, we can have this conversation right here, if you insist," Marcone said as he shifted his gaze back to Dresden.

"Oh, we insist," Dresden replied with a nod.

"Very well," Marcone sighed, "I understand it that you work for the police department, from time to time."

"I guess," Dresden answered with a shrug.

"Well, since you're for hire, I was wondering how much it would cost to retain your services?" Marcone questioned.

"It's usually fifty bucks an hour plus travel expenses," Dresden answered as he looked at Marcone warily, "But it can vary depending on what you need done."

Marcone nodded along with Dresden's words before he paused to rub his chin thoughtfully.

"Now, how much would it be to have you not investigate something?" Marcone inquired.

His brow furrowing in confusion, Dresden glanced over at Hagrid, who could only shrug in reply.

"You want to pay me….not to do something?" Dresden clarified, his expression baffled.

"Precisely," Marcone confirmed, flashing Dresden a beaming smile, "Let's say I pay your standard fee. That comes to twelve hundred a day, correct?"

Dresden nodded in reply, his expression still cautious.

"Very good," Marcone continued, "Let's say I pay you for two weeks' worth of work, and you take some time off. You read a book, get some extra sleep, that sort of thing."

"So, let me get this straight," Dresden said, "For over a thousand dollars a day, you want me to do nothing?"

"Precisely," Marcone replied with a nod, "Nothing at all. Just relax, put your feet up and stay away from Detective Murphy."

A look of realization passed over Dresden's features as he heard this and a smirk began tugging at the corner of his lips.

"I don't know, John," Dresden replied with an uncertain voice as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I don't think I have the time in my schedule to be opening new accounts right now."

"Mister Dresden, I have to say I'm quite eager to retain your services," Marcone pushed, his mood pleasant even though Dresden saw his smile falter slightly, "If it's a matter of money, I can offer you more. Let's say I double your normal fee?"

"Sorry, John, but it's not about the money," Dresden stated with a shake of his head, "I can't walk away from this case. There are other interested parties involved."

"Very well," Marcone said with a sigh as he glanced at Hagrid before looking back at Dresden, "I won't try to force my offer on you, Mister Dresden."

With that, Marcone made his way back to the Cadillac, before pausing as he was halfway through climbing into the backseat.

"Let me offer some advice though, Mister Dresden," Marcone said as he looked back at the wizard, "I truly think you'll be happier if you come down with the flu over the next couple of days. This business that Detective Murphy and these other interested parties have you tangled up in is ugly and dangerous. If you keep digging into this, you won't like what you find."

"Are you threatening me?" Dresden questioned as he narrowed his eyes at Marcone.

"No," Marcone replied with a snort of amusement, "If you can do half of what I think you can, that would be a very foolish thing for me to do."

"So you actually believe I'm a wizard?" Dresden questioned, a note of surprise in his voice.

"Why not?" Marcone questioned with a shrug, "I already dwell in one underworld, so to speak. Why shouldn't I believe in another?"

Dresden said nothing in reply to this as Marcone climbed fully into the Cadillac's backseat.

"Think about what I've said, Mister Dresden," Marcone called from within the confines of the Cadillac "I would rather not make you an enemy over this matter."

With that, Marcone closed the door, the sound of it echoing through the parking lot with a note of finality. Hendricks, for his part, gave Hagrid a final, dirty look before he turned and walked back to the Cadillac. Climbing into the driver's seat, Handricks put the car into drive and pulled away, the Cadillac leaving the parking lot and disappearing from view.

"Well," Hagrid muttered after a moment, "That was only slightly terrifyin'."

"Tell me about it," Dresden agreed with a nod as he turned back to the Blue Beetle, "Come on. We need to go check on the kid."

Nodding in agreement, Hagrid squeezed himself into the Blue Beetle and they pulled out of the parking lot.

"So, what does a crime boss 'ave to do with all o' this?" Hagrid inquired as they made their way through the streets of Chicago.

"One of the victims back at the hotel was an enforcer of his," Dresden explained as he drove.

"So, whoever is after 'Arry is also pickin' a fight with that bloke?" Hagrid asked in confusion, "Why would they do that?"

"I haven't a clue," Dresden replied with a shrug of his shoulders, "But this whole thing is getting curiouser and curiouser."

A short while later, Dresden and Hagrid arrived at the former's apartment, exiting the Blue Beetle and making their way to the door that led to Dresden's basement apartment.

"Look, I'm telling you, the kids are fine," Dresden said as he grabbed the key to the door and inserted it into the lock, "They're probably just sitting around, reading books."

As Dresden spoke, he swung the door open, revealing an empty living room and the trapdoor to the subbasement still open.

"Or they're in my laboratory," Dresden commented with a weary sigh.

"What's in yer laboratory?" Hagrid asked warily.

"Nothing that a couple of kids should be messing with," Dresden answered with a shake of his head before he began making his way down the stairs.

"If it's dangerous, why did ye leave it unlocked!?" Hagrid demanded as he followed Dresden.

"Well, I had assumed they wouldn't be able to find the hidden trapdoor," Dresden replied defensively.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Dresden found Harry and Dudley standing by the central table, with Bob set on its surface in front of them. Harry currently stood with his eyes shut and his arm extended out in front of him, his hand clenched in an upward facing fist.

"This is bloody useless!" Dudley groaned, his expression bored, "He's been opening and closing his hand for hours and nothing has happened!"

"Well, it's a good thing that you don't have an ounce of magical talent because you certainly wouldn't have the patience to master it," Bob replied, somehow snorting derisively despite his lack of a nose.

Dudley looked like he was about to retort, before he went pale as he noticed Dresden reaching the bottom of the stairs.

"Bob, what the hell do you think you're doing!?" Dresden questioned as he began marching over to the central table.

"Oh, hello Harry," Bob greeted with a nervous titter as the skull pivoted to face Dresden, the orange lights in his eye sockets glancing around nervously, "I was just….you know…."

"Lumos," Harry whispered as he opened his hand again. This time, however, as he did so, a ball of light roughly the size of a baseball appeared above his hand. The light coming off the ball was blindingly bright, causing Dudley and Dresden to cry out in alarm as they tried to shield their eyes.

"Hell's bells!" Dresden swore as he tried to blink his eyes clear, as Hagrid reached the bottom of the stairs and stopped the wizard from stumbling into a table.

"Was….Was that magic?" Harry questioned in awe as Dudley vigorously rubbed his eyes next to him.

"Indeed it was!" Bob answered with an excited cackle, "You are on your way to becoming a master wizard, Harry Potter. Now, since it appears that I've upheld my end of the bargain, I think I'll be taking my leave."

With that, Bob opened his jaws wide before a sparkling orange mist came flowing out of his mouth. As the orange lights in his eye sockets winked out, the mist coalesced into a cloud that went surging towards the stairs.

"Bob!" Dresden shouted as his vision cleared, "Where the hell are you going!?"

"The kids and I made a deal!" Bob replied with a jovial tone, "I teach them some magic and I get some time off. Don't wait up! Oh and I'm borrowing the cat!"

With that, the cloud disappeared up the stairs, leaving everyone gawking after it.

"Um, what was that?" Hagrid questioned as he looked at Dresden in confusion.

"Bad news," Dresden grumbled as he turned his attention towards Harry and Dudley, "What, exactly, did you two do?"

"Um, we came down here, found your talking skull, and he taught me some magic," Harry answered awkwardly.

"And what did he get in return?" Dresden pressed as he walked over to the boys.

"We, uh, released him," Harry replied as he began to shuffle his feet nervously.

"For how long?" Dresden questioned as he narrowed his eyes.

"A week?" Harry answered reluctantly.

"Stars and stones!" Dresden muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation, "Alright, alright, fine, I'll just-"

With that, Dresden spun on his heel, the ends of his duster whipping about as he did so, before he stalked back towards the stairs leading out of the subbasement.

"Hagrid, you know how you said you could watch the kids if I needed you to?" Dresden asked as he squeezed his way past the large man.

"Aye?" Hagrid replied as he looked at Dresden in confusion.

"Great," Dresden said as he began making his way up the stairs, "Then can you watch them while I head out for a little while?"

"What?" Hagrid questioned in surprise, "Where are ye goin'?"

"I've got to go consult with someone about this new case," Dresden explained as he looked back at the others, "I'll only be gone for a little bit. I'll even grab us some dinner when I come back. You all like Burger King, right?"

"I like McDonalds," Dudley replied as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Dresden's only response was to give Dudley a disgusted look before he continued up the stairs before exiting the apartment. An awkward silence fell over the room as Hagrid, Harry and Dudley slowly turned their attentions back to each other.

"Well," Hagrid said as he clapped his large hands together, the action creating such a loud bang that it caused both of the boys to jump in surprise, "'Ow's about we get ye two out of this place? I'm not entirely sure what's down here, but I'm bettin' it's nothin' two young boys should be messin' with."

Later,

About a half an hour after abruptly leaving, Dresden pulled the Blue Beetle to the side of the road in front of a small store. Stepping out of the car and onto the sidewalk, Dresden looked at painted sign that hung above the door, which read "The White Doe Apothecary." Walking up to the door leading inside, which had a window on which the same name had been stenciled in white letters, Dresden entered, causing a small bell above the doorframe to ring.

The inside of the store was dimly lit, the only illumination being provided by candles that were scattered about, all of which were apparently scented, creating a mix of aromas that hung in the air. The interior of the store was mostly taken up by a dozen or so shelves made of dark wood set up in a row. Each of the shelves were positively stuffed with jars, boxes and packets of every description, containing some things that Dresden could identify at a glance, and dozens of others that he couldn't begin to guess at. To the right of the entrance was a wooden counter, on which sat more jars and candles, along with an old fashioned, mechanical cash register.

"I will be with you in just a moment!" a deep voice with a British accent called from some unseen part of the shop before Dresden heard the sound of approaching footsteps against the bare, hardwood floor.

A moment later, a man came into view from between two of the shelves. He stood about a foot shorter than Dresden, with pale features and a skinny build. His face was drawn with a prominent nose and he had greasy black hair that hung down to his shoulders, framing his face. He wore a black turtleneck sweater along with black pants and black leather shoes.

"Good afternoon, and welcome to the White Doe Apothecary," the man said with a dour tone, "How can I…."

The man trailed off as he spotted Dresden, freezing in place as he looked at the wizard with an expression of surprise that quickly twisted into one of sheer annoyance.

"Dresden," the man growled, his voice dripping with venom.

"Hey, Sev," Dresden greeted with a friendly tone and a jovial smirk, "How's my favorite alchemist doing today?"

A/N: Another chapter, another chance to introduce some characters. Hope you all enjoyed this one, as I had a good time writing it. As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!