Black Council
At the end of Proven Guilty, Ebenezar McCoy and Harry Dresden suspect the existence of a hitherto unknown group of black wizards, and other beings, which Harry dubs the Black Council. Evidence of this group includes the surprisingly strong offensive power of the vampire courts during the war, the betrayal of secret Warden safeholds, the actions of the faerie courts, the number of black wizards and magical foes that Harry has faced in previous books, and the summoning of Outsider demons, which can be done only through mortal magic. The identities of this group's members are unknown, although McCoy and Dresden suspect that at least one member of the White Council—and likely the Senior Council—is in league with this group. They believed the traitor is one of four people, Morgan, Injun Joe, Ancient Mai, or the Merlin, as they were the only Council members to be aware of the location of the Warden boot camp which was leaked to the Red Court. As Ebenezar vouched for Injun Joe and Harry vouched for Morgan it would seem that either Ancient Mai or the Merlin himself is the traitor. (note: this theory conveniently leaves out Warden Luccio, who also knew the location.)
In Turn Coat the secretary of the White Council, Samuel Peabody, is exposed as a traitor. A group of Senior Council members containing Injun Joe, Ancient Mai and Ebenezar McCoy is also attacked by two members of the Black Council, Peabody and an unknown other - possibly clearing Ancient Mai. It is unclear what this does to the status of the traitor, but suggests that Peabody might also have had access to the information through the means he used to manipulate the Senior Council, or Warden Luccio (who was put under Peabody's influence through magical means). Alternatively the traitor could be the Merlin, or the new member of the Senior Council, Gregori Cristos.
One definite member of the Black Council (initially encountered by Harry in Dead Beat), is the necromancer calling himself Cowl. He appears to have once been affiliated with Kemmler, one of history's most powerful and terrifying necromancers. In White Night, he is affiliated with an organization calling itself the Circle, which may be the Black Council's own name for itself. In White Night, Warden Carlos Ramirez mentions he referred to the group as the Black Hats, though he believes Harry's name is better. Events in Small Favor seems to indicate that at least one holder of a Blackened Denarius, Thorned Namshiel, is among the Black Council, though his status is now unclear. It is also suspected that either Tessa (Imariel) or Rosanna, possibly both, are members of the Black Council.
Read more about this topic: List Of The Dresden Files Groups
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