After his conversation with Tom, James did not get any sleep that night. In his bat form, he flew through the city looking for buildings that matched Tom's description. The city was a mass of confusion as air raid sirens had gone off as a wave of British bombers approached. Thunderstorms prevent the raid from occurring but the chaos helped further conceal the bat investigating the city.
At three in the morning James came across a heavily defended warehouse building on the edge of the manufacturing district near the working class area known as Hammerbrook. It looked like a dozen other buildings he had seen except for one thing. It had wards.
The bat felt the wards as a vague pressure as he crossed the outer boundary. Recognizing the pressure, James turned abruptly to fly back the way he came. The next hour was spent observing the building and surrounding area in bat and wolf form. Finally, at five in the morning, James returned to his room to sleep.
A one-armed young man in the clothes of a typical German laborer made his way through the streets of Hamburg. The many German troops in the area either nodded politely to the man who was obviously a disabled war vet or at worst ignored him. It was late in the afternoon and much of the evening shift of workers were making their way to the various factories turning out much needed war materials for the war effort. Tanks, artillery, guns and bullets were made alongside bandages, clothing and boots. Hamburg and the surrounding area provided a great deal of support to the German war machine.
James had made his way to the building he now watched from. It was 18:00 (6 PM) when he reached his vantage point. An invisibility cloak lay on top of him as he watched the building across from him. It was an unusually warm, dry day of 30c (about 86f). James had asked the innkeeper what time the sunset and was told about 21:30 (9:30 PM). James planned to study the building and its protections until after sunset. Once it was dark enough he would see about getting his son free.
A couple of twinges came through the scar as the day progressed into evening. They felt more like boredom and irritation than anything serious. More than anything, the clarity of the impressions assured James he had the right building.
James mused on the increased sensitivity of the link since forcing it open last night to talk to his son. At Hogwarts the occasional twinge or random image came through when Tom was feeling particularly emotional, but today either Tom was feeling particularly annoyed or the link had become that much stronger. Possibly both, James conceded to himself. After all, knowing you are going to be rescued that night would probably put one on edge.
Circling the building several times, James noted the number of guards (8) and their typical patrol routes. All of the guards were roaming and seemed to be moving in a random pattern, but after a couple of hours James learned they all had particular places they liked to walk or take breaks. James planned to wait until 2 in the morning to start his entry into the warehouse. That should give the guards plenty of time to get comfortable and bored.
ADAD
It was just before 23:30 (11:30 PM) when James heard it. He was all prepared to start his assault on the warehouse when alarms started to blare all throughout the city.
The easily identifiable alarm was a shrill sounding wail that brought a jolt of adrenalin to the hearts of all who heard it. As if to confirm one's worst fears, giant spotlights reached up towards the clouds moving in search patterns. These actions announced to everyone exactly what was going on. Allied bombers had been sighted and were headed this way.
James cursed softly under his breath. He had mixed feelings about the raid. It was highly probable the warehouse was protected from aerial bombs. But the activity would distract both the magical guards and any Nazi troops that would be normally available to reinforce them. However, having to flee through a massive bombing raid and its aftermath with his sixteen year old son did not make him happy.
Hearing the distant rumble of AA guns firing in the distance, James decided now was the time to make his move.
James moved carefully back from the roof edge he had made his observation post. Once clear, he folded his cloak up and placed it in a pocket. With a final check of his equipment, James changed into his bat form.
The bat fluttered down to a dark corner on the side of the building. With a final sonic pulse, the bat's radar confirmed that no guards were in the immediate area. A heartbeat later James stood in its place.
A charm cast on his glasses allowed James to see the wards protecting the warehouse. Most were standard wards found on many magical dwellings. A Notice-Me-Not charm and a Muggle-Repelling charm mixed with a bomb protection ward most German and British wizards used. A couple wards were not so typical. One seemed to be designed to alert the guards if anyone with a magical core breached the wards. The second seemed to be designed to keep something in.
The first ward James felt he could puncture long enough to stealthily enter the grounds, but the second unknown ward had an odd flavor to it. James had seen wards in the Ministry designed to keep prisoners from escaping. He had expected to see that type of ward here also. But this ward's magic seemed to be slightly off, like it was a musical piece being played perfectly but the instrument was slightly off key.
James started to hear bombs falling in the distance. The RAF had started their bombing runs. The explosions seemed to be getting closer. If he was going to do this, James did not have a lot of time to piss away.
Focusing on the wards, James released his magic onto a single point of the ward. During the Horcrux hunt, Bill Weasley taught Harry, Ron and Hermione about wards and how to bypass them. As a Gringotts Curse Breaker, Bill worked to permanently remove ancient curses to allow the goblins or their clients free access or use of a place or object. The Trio were only concerned with piercing the wards long enough to remove the Horcrux or strike at the Death Eaters so Bill gave them focused training in that area. The Department of Mysteries also provided training to its agents.
In his mind he imagined a drill turning against a board. He felt his magic spinning as he pressed lightly on the ward's magic. He had to press firmly enough to move through the ward, but softly enough not to cause the ripples in the magic that would trigger the alarm. The spinning of the magic helped spread out the ripples and keep the force applied even.
James felt his magic pierce the ward. The opening was only the diameter of a pin, but it was something. Keeping the magic spinning, James started slowly pushing the hole larger until he would be able to fit through the gap.
A series of explosions occurred within a block or so of the warehouse. It sounded like an entire Lancaster payload had 'walked' through the town. If he had looked, James would have seen flames already rising from the other side of the building he'd watched from all day. The antiaircraft guns were firing as quickly as possible to make the RAF pay for the attack.
James tried to maintain his calm and focus as the sounds of the attack came closer. The gap in the wards grew bit by bit until he was willing to risk stepping through. If another witch or wizard had been present, James would have had them hold the gap while he entered in his much smaller bat form. Alone, James stepped carefully but quickly through the gap, balancing not tripping the ward and not getting caught partially through the closing gap.
The sky lit up as James reached the wall of the warehouse. Bombs landed all around the warehouse in a brilliant display of lights and sound. Fires were now burning in a number of buildings all around the area.
James moved stealthily towards the main door of the warehouse. The two guards standing outside the door were caught up watching the Muggle battle between the bombers and the city's defenders. It was an understandable distraction but one for which they would pay dearly.
Two small blades, perfectly balanced for throwing, were extracted from sheaths on James's vest. A silent, modified Banishing Charm sent the first blade flying further and faster than they could normally be thrown. The charm guided the blades directly to the targets the caster kept in his sight.
In this case the target was the neck of the guard standing furthest from James. The man was actually turned slightly towards James. If he turned from watching the attack, the Unspeakable's cover would be blown. The knife impacted just at the base of the throat, the blade's passage severing the windpipe and preventing any sound from escaping.
The second knife approached from the side of the target. The man had just one second to note the distress of his partner when the knife entered his throat from the side. This blade severed the carotid artery stopping all blood flow to the brain. Blood sprayed everywhere. He joined his partner on the ground in the next instant.
James approached the two downed guards. A muttered word and a wand tap changed both bodies into wooden blocks. A Scrougify later, all evidence of the Count's attack were removed. The blocks were kicked to the side. In several hours the transfiguration would end and the bodies return to normal. However by that time any need for stealth here would be long gone.
The large main doors of the warehouse had a Judas gate. An office door stood immediately to the left of the large doors. James viewed both of them for wards or other charms. Nothing was visible. Carefully opening the office door, James slipped inside.
The warehouse reception area appeared like a average office area for a Muggle business of the time. A small receptionist's desk stood facing the door and guarded another door behind it. A couple chairs with magazines on a small table between them completed the illusion.
James crept to the inner door. It shimmered in his charmed sight with a variety of charms and wards. Deciding there were too many wards on the door to break in a short time, James walked along the wall to a spot several feet to the right of the door.
Working for the Department of Mysteries, James learned that many wizards and witches cast protections on their doors, but often times forget about the rest of the building. An attacker could take advantage of that if he were unconcerned with stealth and deniability. A quick magical scan of the wall confirmed a lack of magical barriers or alarms on the wall itself.
James cast a Silencing Charm on the wall. He pulled a small vial of Dragon Blood from a pocket and made a circle on the wall. One of the uses of Dragon Blood Albus and Nickolas Flemmel discovered was to contain spell energy and focus. James pointed his wand at the center of the circle and cast an Explosive Hex. The Silencing Charm prevented the sound of the wall from being heard elsewhere in the warehouse. The Blood acted to focus the spell onto a relatively limited area. The spell and the Blood acted like a Muggle shaped charge to create a round hole through the wall.
James dove through the hole and rolled to his feet. His wand had been in his hand the whole time and was ready as he stood up.
Two Soldiers lay stunned on the floor. The explosion of the wall took them by surprise. In their shock, they failed to notice the Count's entry into the room. As he passed, James hit both with Stunners, summoned their wands and snapped them.
The room proved to be a small security office. A schedule on the wall noted a total of six staff for that night. The two removed outside plus these two left only two more security wizards.
James opened the office door and glanced into the hall outside. The hall was decorated like a very well to do inn or guesthouse. The place looked like more of a wizarding R&R (rest and recovery) center than a prison. Magical lights lit the hall in a warm glow. At the end of the hall James could see what looked like a common room with chairs and couches. Again, James's senses felt something odd in the magic around him. That 'out-of-tune' feeling was much stronger in the building than he detected in the ward outside.
Sudden pain shot through James's scar. "Dad, they just came to take me away!"
Opening the door, James slipped into the hall. He moved at a deliberate pass down the hall. Not fast enough to charge blindly into a trap, but stealth was not high on his priorities now either.
In the lounge, James found Tom being held between the two unaccounted guards. The guards had their wands pointed at Tom's head. An older, heavily scared wizard stood next to them. James tagged him as an evil version of Moody. But it was the person standing next to the wizards and Tom that attracted James's attention.
"Let him go, Christina."
The low growl startled all of the other occupants in the room except Tom. 'Evil Moody' and Christina whirled in surprise as their hands went for their wands. They paused when the noticed the glowing end of James's wand pointed at them.
Christina smiled in an expression James could only describe as pleasure and anticipation. In a weird way, it reminded James of the look Hermione used to get when she received a new book. "Count, it is so nice to see you!"
"Have your men let the boy go."
The older Dark Wizard sneered at James. "My Lord has ordered this boy's recovery. Once he learns his true heritage and all My Lord can teach him, he will be a great asset to My Lord's plans. Run whelp, before you pay the price for challenging his commands."
James snorted. "Do people really talk like that? Let the boy go or you get the first curse, old man."
Christina's eyes lit with pleasure and anticipation. "Oh, let me fight him. He can teach me so much."
Without removing his eyes from James, the Dark Wizard snarled at her. "Our Lord has assigned you the task of getting him this boy. You will not act for your own pleasure. I will allow My Lord's slave to deal with this Unspeakable."
Christina turned to glare at the wizard. "You don't order me, Fin."
"You will go now or Our Lord will make you suffer for all eternity."
James used the distraction to cast a Piercing Hex at one of the wizards holding his wand on Tom. The silver bolt of light flashed towards its target only to smash into a red-hued shield that flared to life just short of the target.
The debate ended as Fin used Chrisitina's distraction with James's attack to hit Christina with a wandless spell that threw into Tom. Tom and the Dark Witch fell into a heap on the floor. At a barked command from Fin, one of the guards reached down to grab them and activated a Portkey.
James looked in despair at the spot that a second ago his son stood.
"So, you are the great Count. I am Fin Sternis. I am my Lord's Ritual Master. I have heard so much about you. I am looking forward to this."
James turned his glare at the wizard responsible for preventing him from getting his son back. "You just made a mistake. A very serious mistake."
The wizard gave James a sneering grin. "Oh, I am sure. By the way, would you like to meet my Lord's slave?" A pulse of magic passed by James. He recognized the signature as the 'out-of-tune' magic he had been sensing.
A low rumble was heard from the room on the other side of the Dark Wizard and the remaining guard. The guard looked scared but a determined look remained on his face.
The door exploded out into the lounge. Sternis stepped back from between James and the door.
What stepped into the room looked like a nightmare image. The figure stood at least two meters tall. It looked vaguely human except for a head that looked like a parody of bull mixed with a wolf. Two curved horns rose out of its skull to curl along the sides of its head with pointed wolf ears rising up on either side of the horns. A canine-like snout revealed a mouthful of wickedly sharp looking teeth. Its skin looked blackened and burnt. Large cracks in the skin appeared as the creature walked forward revealing its feet ended in hooves. The creature moved like a squat tank. Its arms and legs were twice as thick as normal human proportions.
It was a creature James never expected to see. Indeed even most witches and wizards believed they were mythological. Only Remus's Defense Against the Dark Arts class ever mentioned them. And that was only in passing. An instinctual primal fear rose up to grip James's heart.
"You would dare this?" James gasped. Albus had told him but he never really believed it on an emotional level. "You have brought demons through a gate?"
The Dark Wizard chuckled evilly. "Once my Lord has ascended and completed the Pact, we shall join with the Others to dominate this world forever!"
The building suddenly shook as a series of bombs exploded just outside the wards. Plaster dust filled the room as the building shook.
The demon let out a roar at the disturbance and backhanded the guard. The man flew a short distance back hitting the wall. A sickening crack could be heard as he hit. He slid down the wall to floor leaving an impression on the wall from his impact.
For the first time, the wizard Fin Sternis turned his complete attention on the demon he'd released into the room. A look of intense concentration crossed his face as he locked wills with the demon. The demon seemed to pause to glare at the Dark Wizard. Its large, clawed hands pumped several times as the mental battle raged.
James used the distraction to start backing out of the room. No matter who won, this was not going to be a healthy place for him to be. Once he'd backed out of the room, James moved quickly down the hall. James reached the door he had bypassed and destroyed it with a Reducto. The alarms tied to the wards started to scream out but James did not pay attention to them. No one was left to pay attention to them anyway.
A glance out the window of the warehouse showed the utter destruction caused by the bombing raid. Outside the warehouse's ward boundaries, the entire area was aflame. The building James had watched from was a pile of rubble from a pair of direct hits. It looked like a scene from Hell.
The thought reminded James of the creature and battle going on behind him. It was time to get moving.
ADAD
James's departure had gone unnoticed. Fin Sternis locked all of his concentration on the contest with the demon. Lord Grindelwald used wards to lock his Slaves in this plane of existence. Once he dominated their wills the special wards kept them from trying to escape. It also allowed him to pass their control on to his human servants. The controls were built into the building's wards allowing them to share energy.
Unfortunately, neither Grindelwald nor his followers ever seriously considered the possibility that a major Muggle bombing raid would occur at the same time the demon attempted to regain its freedom. The bomb repulsion and other protection wards were being strained to their limit by the bombs and the fires they caused. Their need sapped magic away from the Demon Ward.
Fin Sternis was a rather powerful Dark Wizard on par with the future's Lucius Malfoy. However, he did not have nearly the power or, more importantly, the will of Grindelwald. Strain as he would he could not make up for the deficit of the weakened Ward. The alarms caused by James's exit were the final straw.
Sternis's attention wavered for a moment as the ward alarms sounded through the building. He glanced over to where he had assumed the hated Count still stood. The glance was enough.
With a roar of triumph the demon reached out and grabbed the wizard in a clawed hand. Sternis shrieked in agony as the demon's other hand disembowel him with a single slash. The demon grabbed the dark wizard's head and gave a slight tug. With a slight pop, the head came loose.
The demon dropped the body and head and crouched in anticipation. Through eyes never meant for this reality, the demon watched an intangible force floated out of the body. The force could be described as a cloud, albeit a dark, forbidding looking one. The demon made a sound of malicious pleasure as its captor's soul floated in front of it. The demon's magic grabbed the soul to keep it from escaping for it assigned destination. The demon opened its mouth sucking the force into it. A faint scream could be heard as the demon consumed the wizard's soul.
Its feast done, the demon looked longingly at the body of the guard. The guard's soul was long gone. The demon could sense two additional souls nearby. They were dim but more than acceptable after its long starvation. It remembered the other mortal who had been here was bright with life. That one would make a worthy feast. The two dim ones would come first. Then it would find the bright one.
ADAD
James used a Bubble-Head Charm and a Flame Freezing Charm as he ran through the bombed out streets of Hamburg. A number of bodies lay scattered on the street as he passed. Many of the buildings burned wildly as the firefighting crews were either dead or busy fighting the infernos in other parts of the city.
An explosion occurred a distance behind James. He turned to look back. The warehouse front was in pieces as the demon emerged from within. The creature raised its hand and unleashed a stream of Hellfire at the wards.
The wards flared as the energy of the demon's magic struck it. James could see the normal hemisphere shape twisting as the energy poured into it. It looked like a soap bubble someone was poking with a stick. Like the soap bubble, someone finally pushed too hard.
The wards crashed under the onslaught. The Hellfire exploded past the collapsed wards and struck one of the burning buildings. It was like pouring fuel onto the fire. The building seemed to melt as James watched in stunned disbelief.
The heat from the fires of the surrounding buildings combined with the demon's Hellfire caused the warehouse to combust into flames. The sight knocked James out of his shock as he resumed his retreat.
The superheated gusts of wind prevented James from assuming his bat form and James was unsure if the Freeze Flame Charm would continue to work if he changed into either of his forms anyway. Broom travel would probably be too dangerous as well. A broom's bristles were rather dry. The manufacturers used charms to protect against fire, but this environment was way outside anything they realistically would have expected. A gust of superheated air could easily cause them to catch on fire. He had tried to Apparate soon after crossing the warehouse's wards, but something blocked his leaving.
A sudden tickle caused James to throw himself to the side just before a ball of Hellfire passed through the space he just had been. The Freeze Flame charm had no effect on the heat of the Hellfire. James felt the fabric of his cloak start to smolder as it passed.
James jumped back to his feet as the demon roared a challenge from its place in front of the warehouse.
The demon deliberately walked towards the former boundary of the wards. It paused for a second and then stepped over the line. It gave James a triumphant, hungry glare. At a deliberate pace, it started walking towards James.
For the first time since walking out to face Voldemort for the final time, James felt true fear when he first saw the demon. Yes, he could have died fighting a dozen times since then. Chance played a role in any battle. But none of his opponents in this time could hold a candle to the pure power and ruthlessness to the Dark Lord that ruined Harry's childhood. The demon however caused something deep within James to quiver in fear.
As the demon crossed the former wards, James set that fear aside. He had assumed the wards would hold the demon back if the Dark Wizard failed to control it. Now both the wizard and the wards had failed. An unfettered demon had been unleashed in Hamburg tonight. If it wasn't stopped thousands of Muggles would die.
James cast several protection spells on himself as he stepped into the middle of the street. Normally his training said that was not a good place to be but the chances of a burning building falling on him were too great to stand near one for cover. James summoned several large pieces of rubble and transfigured them into large granite slabs. Hopefully the slabs would provide a measure of protection from the Hellfire.
Watching the demon approach, James started to mutter under his breath. "All I wanted was to live a quiet life with my family. I just wanted to be happy. But no, I had to get dragged into it. I wanted to teach my kids, watch them grow up and some day meet my parents. Although I admit that would have been weird to meet them as an old man when they are little kids. But still…"
The demon started throwing balls of Hellfire as it closed to within fifty meters. The granite worked as James hoped although they were growing increasingly warm to the touch. For its part, the demon was confused. The human was neither running in fear or attempting to engage it in a contest of dominance. In its experience humans did one or the other. Confused, the demon unleashed a column of pure Hellfire against the nearest of the granite slabs. The sudden infusion of heat energy caused the slab to explode.
James felt a sharp jab in his side as he hurriedly threw himself behind one of the other slabs. Small, jagged pieces of granite flew past like shrapnel. Several left long bloody gouges across James's leg.
As James used the slab to stand himself back up, he could see the demon preparing to unleash yet another column of Hellfire. Taking a wand in each hand, James prepared himself.
The column closed half the distance to James as it was met by another force. James knew he could not block the Hellfire. He remembered his experience with Grindelwald and what Albus told him, but he had to try something.
A force of wind intersected the Hellfire at a 90 degree angle. The wind knocked the Hellfire off course. James tried to use the wind to twist the Hellfire back at the demon and kill it with its own magic. However the plan worked too well.
The wind and Hellfire twisted around each other forming a whirling pillar of flame that reached high into the sky. The Hellfire tornado superheated the already burning air into unheard of levels. The winds sucked the air up to feed the growing fire storm. The normal fires of the area buildings leapt up to join this celebration of flame.
The demon released its stream of Hellfire and gazed up at the fiery tornado in a look of longing, like it was looking at home. The whirling tower of fire took on a life of its own. It started moving away from the site of the magical battle in search of fresh fuel.
James cursed softly at what he had inadvertently done. An already catastrophic raid would now rise to be unequaled until the start of the Atomic Age in a couple years.
The demon turned its attention back to James. In a roar of excitement and anticipation, the demon started to run in a loping gait directly for James. James realized the creature planned to use its claws rather than standoff and hit him with more Hellfire. Reaching into his rucksack, James pulled out an old friend.
The young wizard stepped out from behind the granite slab as the demon approached. His wands were away. In his right hand lay a sword thought lost to the ages. James convinced the Sorting Hat before leaving England to release the sword. The fact he now knew he was descended from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw helped quite a bit. Watching the demon approach, James knew he had to end this fast. The demon would be stronger than him and have a greater endurance.
The demon swung a clawed hand in James's direction. His Quidditch trained reflexes allowed him to dodge while taking a swing at the demon's knee. The magical sword pierced the demon's flesh causing it to roar out in surprise and pain.
It swung its arm at James to force him back. James saw the arm coming and instinctively raised his arm to protect his head from the blow. The demon was off-balance when it swung and could not bring its full force to the blow. Still it was enough to snap James's left arm and drive it into his head.
James felt disoriented from the blow and allowed the force of the impact to spin him around. He added his own strength to his spin and allowed the sword to flash out. Completing his spin, James came to a defensive position in an attempt to clear his head.
As his vision returned to normal, James looked to locate his demonic opponent.
The demon kneeled on the street with one hand holding its throat whilst it other helped hold it up. James moved quickly to circle the demon before it could recover. Sliding in alongside it James swung the sword down in a brutal chopping motion.
ADAD
The Muggle residents of Hamburg would later call the devastating raid on their city the German Hiroshima. The fire reached a temperature of over 800C (1,500F) with winds over 240 km/h (150 mph). The fire rapidly consumed oxygen causing the asphyxiating deaths of many taking refuge in the air raid shelters. (Those who were not cooked to death in the heat.) The heat of the Feuersturm was so great the asphalt on the roads caught on fire.
Twenty-one square kilometers (8 ) of the city was destroyed in that single raid. An estimated 40,000 people were killed in the raid. 1.2 million people later fled the city fearing further similar attacks.
The Muggles would blame the terrific firestorm on the unusually warm, dry conditions. No Muggle witnesses survived in the devastated area to talk about the cloaked man fighting a desperate battle with a demon. No one could report on the man's efforts to prevent the demon from killing even more innocent people. All signs of the fight were consumed by the fire's rage. Even the bones of the demon were incinerated.
12 August 1943 – Emergency Shelter outside Hamburg
The smell of antiseptic and burned flesh filled James's nose as he struggled to wake. The murmur of German voices filled his ears. Very carefully, James opened his eyes.
A scowling, no-nonsense looking woman in a creased nurse's uniform noticed his eyes opening. "You are awake. Good, we need the bed."
"Where am I?" James asked in a croaking voice.
The nurse gave him a small glass of water with a straw. "You are in a temporary shelter set up in a Gymnasium outside Hamburg. You were found with a broken arm, two broken ribs and a minor concussion. Some minor burns but most of the city had those." She shrugged. "At least, those who survived," she added. "You've been in a coma since you were found."
"How long?"
"Fifteen days."
The nurse started to poke and prod James with no further comments. She ignored James's protests. "Okay, the ribs have started healing. Your arm will take a bit longer."
"When can I get out of here," James asked.
"The doctor will have to check you out before discharging you. Then you will have to see the clerk from the Gestapo to get set of replacement papers. You lost yours in the fire." She patted James on the shoulder. "Don't worry. It is strictly routine. Many people in the Feuersturm lost their papers."
James nodded in a seemingly absent fashion. Internally was a different story. 'But most of those people didn't have papers from a turned Dark Soldier. I have no idea how to fake the process of getting a new set. Time to leave.'
A couple of hours later, the doctor informed James later he would be released in the morning. The records clerk from the government would meet with him when the doctor discharged him.
James waited until late in night before making his move. He summoned the night nurse with a vague request for a drink of water. Five minutes later, James recovered his rucksack from the storage area and Oblivated the nurse to believe her patient died suddenly during the night. With a sigh, the nurse processed the normal paper work to record the loss of another victim of the war. She never noticed James slipping out of the ward.
Tom had told his father where they planned to take him after Hamburg. With a little luck they believed the Count had died at the hands of the demon and maintained their plans. James was going to get his son back but first he would have to visit some friends. He was going to need some help for this.