Then why does Mother Summer say Mother doesn't go out much now because she lost her stick?  If it was given, it apparently wasn't her wish that it be given..  Though yeah, she might have also meant that she lost it because she gave it up.. Jim again gives himself some wiggle room..

Or she gave it to someone and it just wasn't returned when expected.

She may inherently be black magic to the earth when she walks it.

Completely unrelated, but I normally read on my phone and it's hard to post there. I think a number of posters don't understand the Black Magic *twisting*.

It seems to me that *all magic* reinforces you and makes you more easily able to use it. In other words, the more fire magic Harry uses, the better he is with fire magic- and it's not just that he has practice, but that his abilities with fire magic, like in a RPG, increase because he becomes someone more able to use fire magic. Not just like building up muscle, but his personality because more disposed this way.

It would explain why older wizards become "fixed" and difficult to tamper with; every use of magic reinforces who you are and eliminates extraneous bits. Think of it like wizards becoming less grey and more crisply black and white as they use magic, the opposite of laundry. Use it to heal someone repeatedly, and you become someone who is a healer; a personality trait amplified and focused by your use of healing. It *removes* personality traits that would make you conflicted about the magic, by making you a subtly different photocopy of yourself every time you engage in the act.

Harry's been using force a lot more as he ages, and fire less- he's also becoming more stubbornly focused and less reactionary and angry. He's *become* more force and less fire.

It explains Eb and Langtry- different sides of the French-Indian war, right? Eb's the best at blowing things up and Langtry's the best  . . at stopping things being up. They *forced* each other to develop in that way, and it's why they can't get along now. Oil and water. Their magic made them opposite personalities.

Black magic would work the same- it doesn't just overcome normal conscious squeamishness, it erases the personality traits that would make you squeem and re-writes you into someone who will reach for it naturally. Harry's completely unrepentant about killing. He worries about the backlash about killing with magic, but he doesn't bat an eye at killing- mundanely. That's part of his backlash..

Few concepts I have kicking around.

1) There is no Grey Council. Aside from Vaderrung, it's Black Council that showed at Chichen Itza. Their goal is an overthrow of the current supernatural order, not understanding the Outer Gates. Rashid is not involved, because he does.

2) Related: Eb was convinced by Margaret to join the proto-Black Council. He, Martha, and Listens are the villains Harry is unknowingly investigating

3) Nicodemus knows what's going on, and is trying to stop it. Ruthlessly- perhaps killing enough people means there's not enough magic for the Gates to be breached?

4) Mab wants out of her position. She's trying to create a new Guardian of the Gates. Both bad and good.

5) The Merlin is actually the hero.

6) Rashid also wants out

7) Titania is suicidal and only acting as compelled by her mantle.

The Erlking wants the Gates to fall because he wants that scrap to happen

9) Kincaid has broken a contract, because he refused to go along with the Black Council- he's actually a man of principle

10) Ivy ultimately wants to eliminate the White Council

11) Mavra became Black Court to have time to stop the outsiders

12) Kemmler was primarily concerned with stopping Nemesis/bolstering the Outer Gates

13) Father Forthill is involved in re-releasing the coins. Some kind of Church conspiracy to "force" selection of Knights

14) Lara Raith is definitely Black Council. When she found Harry was still protected by Susan (and thus immune to her power)- the very next book Peabody has directed Luccio to seduce Harry; this in turn makes him susceptible to Lara. She's using standard White Court tactics to eliminate those who might stop her- she was collaborating with Cowl to eliminate Malvora and Skavis.

Aside from #14, I think these are only possible. #14 I am convinced of- reading the series with that perspective changes everything; especially if Papa Raith was *not* part of the cabal and she always intended to have him taken out.

EDIT: And totally Elaine. Elaine may be Nemfected, may be the vector that infested Justin originally, and may currently be Nemfecting the Paranet, which is where wizard babies ultimately come from.

WAG1: To summon Erlking, Harry used:
Heavy dog collar
Flint and steel
Bowie knife
Steel arrowheads
Whetstone

5 items

To summon God, Nicodemus could use:
Grail
Spear of Destiny
Shroud of Turin
Crown of Thorns
Plaque-forget its name

WAG2: The speartip sockets perfectly into the Blackstaff

WAG3: There are 4 Archangels, but we only see three Knights and 3 Swords. Spear is the fourth nail, to be born by Uriel's Knight