We see with Peabody and Lucio that the brain manipulation actually needs maintenance. The mind will fight back, the locks won't hold forever.

Also I do not think that Justin, even with Bob's guidance, was as skilled as Peabody. If he just went for loyalty and violence then the loyalty bit would have become quite meaningless by now even if it held which I think is unlikely.

That's interesting, as Bob actually says the opposite when discussing it with Harry in Blood Rites:

"A fine thrall is so controlled the might not even know that they're a thrall at at all, and it lasts long term"
"Like what DuMorne did to Elaine"
"Uh, I guess so, yeah. Like that. That kind of thing takes a subtle hand, though. Enthralling someone also requires a lot of time and a certain amount of empathy, ..."

Blood Rites, chapter 27, p161.

So I bolded the relevant bid, and underlined the hint (imho). So it seems according to Bob's magical theory, Elaine could have become enthralled and still be one, and may not even know that she is. What Peabody did smacks of a different flavor, something more overt and nasty - not far off what the Black Court Vampires do. He did something cheaper and nastier, a potion rather than a series of spells (which is how Elaine describes enthrallment in Summer Knight), which allowed him to achieve a similar outcome without the requirements of empathy etc. Even though it was small amounts and over a long period of time - he wasn't actually trying to enthrall the senior council. He was merely trying to nudge their decisions. As for Luccio, if memory serves me the reason he actually forcefully controlled her was that she might have stumbled on to him and forced his hand AND that she was now in a younger body (which overcame the limits of her age, whereas an older brain would probably have just broken). Luccio's reaction was FAR more similar to Nelson (Molly's boyfriend in Proven Guilty) and Molly's friend Rosy.

And I can't remember where I read it, but I am sure that Justin was a skilled psychomancer or mind mage. I think it was in the Paranet Papers. Something about Simon's apprentice (referring to Justin). In any case, I would be willing to bet that Justin ticked enough boxes in order to create a fine thrall (he genuinely did seem to empathize with Harry at least on one occasion) so he quite likely did care about them, he had the knowledge and skill (at least to some extent, especially with Bob's help), and whilst we know very little of his magical style I would say it was a good mix of Harry and Elaine (if only for the fact that he taught them quite a bit, and if he was a mind mage that does suggest more subtle magical depth). 

Infection and possession are really overlapping concepts. You could say that Harry was infected by Lasciel's shadow. Or possessed. To be possessed by Nemesis the outsider power has to get in and mingle with your own spirit. Using the power of the dagger probably triggers that.

The dagger is a safer carrier than a person and Mab keeps it on her person to guard it.

Hmmm I get what you are saying here. I think though generally when people refer to possession (in the magical sense) you can be fully or partially. Either the entity possessing the victim is in the driver's seat fully, or there is a struggle for control. Whereas when people talk about infection (at least in the medical sense) you either are infected or you are not. There is not such thing as a partial infection, more about the degree. And you have to remember, whilst Nemesis may be old, lots of those who see the change currently in the supernatural world see it as new and dangerous. Which Nemesis at least as a partial role in. It seems to be of a different nature to the regular sort of dark magic/evil. At least that is how it is written.

I am not sure then that Harry was "infected" by Lash. What Harry experience is pretty much a straight-up demonic possession. In terms of literary prose, you could say infected, but the reality is that possession works best. He wasn't always in control of himself, he was constantly influenced (even subconsciously), saw things that weren't "real", gained unnatural powers etc. Nemesis might also do those things too of course. One similarity is the ability to spread to multiple targets. We don't know the limits of this for Fallen or Nemesis, but Lasciel was simultaneously affecting Harry via Lash and Hannah Ascher (through the Coin).

Mab did keep the Athame on her person for a book or two - but no mention of it is made after that. Perhaps she contained or eliminated the threat. It was interesting that she did that considering she would have known what it was, and what it had carried. I do agree, using the power of the dagger could well be the trigger. Seems like a good fit. Although in fairness only the Choice to even touch the Coin is enough. So there is that.

But your point doesn't really answer my question which was that if Black Magic does taint the user or whatever, why then are so many more people not infected by Nemesis - including Harry? The answer to my mind is that Nemesis is not so easy to summon or infect someone with. It has to be summoned (likely by Mortals), and then probably put into a vessel (potentially a person, but at the least an object that likely is magical in nature). And perhaps once it spreads to a Host, then it can spread itself to another Host (it is implied to be able to do this), except we have no idea how it does that or the length of time required etc.

   I think we have to be careful when trying to equate the Coins to Nemesis infection.   Harry is unique because yes, Sanya rejected the coin, but that has happened before, but before Harry, no one had ever been able to reject the Shadow of one of the Fallen once it had taken up residence in the brain of the potential host, that is what sets him apart, Uriel even said that and why Michael had such a hard time believing that Harry had thrown off the Shadow.  Point is Cat Sith failed.

Didn't Harry speculate to Michael that likely the Church wouldn't know if no one had ever rejected a Shadow? Especially as they are so compromised, and that Nicodemus makes a point of destroying records about him and the Fallen every few hundred years? I don't remember Uriel saying that Harry was the only person to ever reject a Coin...do you mind finding where he said that?

As for Cat Sith rejecting Nemesis...apples and oranges. Harry is a Mortal with the full-range of Free Will. Cat Sith is not. Not to mention, Harry already seems to be exceptionally strong at resisting and self-aware enough to achieve what most Mortals might not. Not to mention we have no idea how the possession of Nemesis differs to that of a Shadow of the Fallen. Nemesis could well be FAR stronger. Or not. Who knows. Not to mention that Maeve and Aurora couldn't beat Nemesis, even though they are Faerie Queens (even if they are the least of them, still Immortals). Even Lea (who's only superior in the Winter Court is Mab herself, excluding the Mothers of course) failed to beat Nemesis. It is even implied that Mab wouldn't have been able to do so. Part of rejecting such a thing might include being Mortal. We have no idea how Mab freed Lea of it (assuming she did...) but Lea stated that even thinking about what had happened to her would make her vulnerable again to it. So perhaps once touched you are never truly free. Like Harry's mark on his Soul left by He Who Walks Behind.

Harry didn't reject Lash, she chose to die to protect him and she was burned out of his brain.

Edit
That sounds ugly.  Maybe better this.  Harry resists Lash's plea's, even at the end when she acts to her nature, and tries to get Harry to summon the coin.  But she commits an act of love to preserve both him and their child,  and makes a choice to be free.  So rather than cast her out, he learned to  care about her.

A nice sentiment Morris, and of course Lash and Lasciel are different beings especially by that book. Immortals cannot change as easily as mortals and doing so effectively robs them of their identity. As Lash had tried to change Harry via his subconscious, it changed her right back to the point where she became a being able to make that sacrifice out of love, to protect Harry and free him from the psychic assault - which had the (not necessarily unintended) consequence of a child and Jim has also hinted that Harry's suicide in Changes was influenced by that decision (they don't call her the Webweaver and Temptress for nothing). 

But I am not so sure they are mutually exclusive things. He had certainly been resisting her power up until that point. Perhaps ridding oneself of the Shadow requires such a thing. The only other method that is known to work in the canon is giving up your powers. And one wonders if things like sacrifice, love, faith etc are the keys to rejecting a possession. I always found it interesting Harry never went to get an Exorcism. Perhaps that would have killed his powers too, perhaps Harry secretly didn't want to.

This was explained in one of the books.  The power of the knights (or the swords if you like) is not fixed.   Their purpose is to balance the scales so that human skill, will and morality will decide the battle, not supernatural power.  So if the knight needs to fight two vampires, you get power X.   If the knight needs to battle a frigging dragon, he gets power 5X. 

I suspect there is a range of possible power.  A knight can probably easily kill any normal vampire 1-1, so there seems to be a minimum power level.   And the top end a knight can channel also appears to be limited.   Murphy was apparently a VERY powerful knight in Changes, while Sanya appears to be of more typical Knight power.  And even Murphy and Sanya together were insufficient to beat all the vampires in that last battle.  Not even close.

It was explained somewhat in the books, in a rather vague way. Never so clearly as the Swords balance the fight. If anything, the closest explanation is it gives the Knight a chance of victory, which is incredible enough anyway but not the same as matching the foe.

If it really does in fact make the knights power up to a certain level, based on the enemy in front of them, then why were three Knights needed to take on Ursiel? As I say I think it gives them a chance, which is good, but if you want to maximise your chances you have as much help as you can get.
 
I also am not so taken with the idea that some Knights are greater in power than others. True, some Knights are more talented and skilled warriors than others - Shiro was clearly the most dangerous warrior early on. But the true purpose of the Knights is not as mere swordsmen, but as saviours and guardians. They are meant to help. I do think the character of Sanya is constantly weirdly nerfed by Jim - he is often clumsy, hardly a tornado of warrior power, and rarely seems to go toe-to-toe with any villain on his own. Is this because he is agnostic? I can't imagine so as Shiro ascribed to multiple belief systems and Butters is Jewish! I think it is more down to poor character development and being overshadowed in pivotal scenes by other characters. Also, I think if Murphy and Sanya were meant to beat all those Vampires they would have. I think that is precisely how their game works.

The swords' power has always been variable according to the circumstances, though. As I said, they have cut metal other than opposing blades in ways a physical blade obviously can't on a couple other occasions, and their mystical power varies in some combination of response to both the bearer and the current adversary. Fidelacchius gives Harry a fighting chance wrestling with Nicodemus, but it lights up like a freaking meteor for Karrin against Deirdre.

And I think Fidelacchius starting to act like a lightsaber all the time when it was thrown to Butters may have just possibly been influenced by the fact that the one throwing it had the very probable spear of destiny - which is legendarily supposed to confer victory on the side that carries it - stuffed up his sleeve at the moment.

This^^

The swords, like Mouse, like pretty much any really significant power - are incredible and unstoppable in the right circumstances. Mouse powered up by the Carpenter house is much stronger than when powered up by Dresden's poor threshold ("from the Thing to the Hulk" WOJ). The Archangels and the Mothers and the Walkers are incredibly powerful, but only in very specific situations. Choice seems to unlock the power, but so does destiny (which one could argue is the result of a line of choices - no wonder you can't fight fate). Harry was never a Knight of the Cross, and so could never wield a blade like one. Although I do admit, Jim does seem to vary the powers of the Swords a lot. Early Michael was way less powerful than later Michael, despite the damaged leg. Karen makes them all look pitiful, and despite Shiro supposedly being a Sword-Saint we never saw him unleash the way Karen did. Sanya is as true KotC but has he ever been as strong as the others? A good argument might be that Jim needed to super-charge them for the writing later in the series as events demanded. Also perhaps one could argue as the stakes get higher, so does the power of the swords increase (we are getting close to the end of the world).

But mostly it seems situational, and not always obvious. Sanya does more than merely kill armies of baddies - he provides Hope when all hope is lost. He carried the burden of being the sole KotC when none were available. And he did not fail or falter or shirk his duties. That isn't nothing. In some ways, it is greater than any one act of combat we have seen so far. Like in Lord of the Rings, it is the little things that make the difference.

The fact that Harry carried the Spear of Destiny (or Longinus) is definitely worth remembering. The power to warp reality and probability so that all conflicts go your way? Greater than any of those swords or any spell that we have seen. Perhaps it supercharged Butter's sword, perhaps not (which is likely considering it functionally worked the same in the short story). But the fact that Harry carried it with him in hopeless odds, and won, should not be overlooked.

Well as stated above by Kindler and others, there is no evidence at all that Mortal's cannot be infected by Nemesis. That is pure speculation, as it isn't even implied in any canon or WOJ. The theory behind it has been explained, and is understandable, but is a poor premise to build off. Which isn't saying it might not be true - but the jury is WAY out.

Q1:
Yes, and I believe it has already happened. As Arjan points out and I have theorized before, Nemesis cannot spread like an epidemic otherwise it probably would have. Which means targets have to fit quite specific criteria in order to become infected. Whilst I agree that many of the "bad" villains are not necessarily infected, I expect quite a few are. Perhaps even (at least) one per book.

Q2:
Likely already infected suspects include: Cowl, Elaine, Simon, Justin, Peabody, Kumori (assuming she isn't Elaine), Cristos, Tessa, Rosanna.

Possible already infected suspects: Victor Sells, Agent Denton, Leonid Kravos. Yes, Lily might be an unreliable source but so far is the only person to have actually pointed out suspects in the entire series (apart from the Mothers). But also because of their behaviour prior the taking on power. They started out good, but twisted against their nature. And from a purely Doylist POV - it makes sense that each case is connected in this series. Nemesis is the connection.

Possibly are/were/will be: Ebenezar, Rashid, the Merlin, OG Merlin, Harry's mother, Thomas, Marcone, Hendrics, Murphy, Molly, Nicodemus, any SC (but particularly LtW and Ancient Mai eventually).

And also, there is an excellent reason backed up by evidence WHY Peabody might have chosen to not infect the SC (assuming he was infected, and that he hasn't infected any of them already). The reason is that it might not have wanted to draw attention to itself (particularly with the Gatekeeper around) and so would only infect any of them as a last resort, despite their high value as targets. Maeve and Leah both failed to infect Mab (on balance of probabilities) and therefore there are clearly limits on how easy it is to infect a target.

Why target these individuals? Well SC for their obvious leverage in the supernatural community. Thomas both perhaps for his proximity to the leadership of the White Court AND potentially Harry. Murphy because of Harry. Molly - because she is Winter Lady and close to Harry. The Denarians - because of their power in the supernatural community. Most of it is pretty obvious.

What might be less obvious is why target the lesser individuals like Sells, Denton, Kravos etc. Perhaps Nemesis has a variety of multi-level intricate goals, perhaps it has a very simple goal. Perhaps it has to do with Harry, perhaps not. But considering Nemesis is considered a sapper, I think it is all about opening fully those big ol' Outer Gates. Then the Outsider forces rush in and destroy everything. And perhaps each individual it infects has a chance to help aid that primary objective. 

An interesting WAG.

I am not sure whether the Gates are a "remote viewing device" per se...I suspect their real use is to do with the Greater Multiverse. My theory is, like Lovecraft's silver gate to the multiverse, the crystal material of the Gates, the Gatekeepers eye etc. is connected to the very fabric of reality. This allows certain beings to see into the various universes, and therefore alternate and parallel timelines. This allows the Gatekeeper (and perhaps Mab and particularly the Mothers) to "see" what is going on, before it is going to happen. It is not logical that all universes are in sync and are at the same point in history. Time as we know (especially in the Dresden Files) is linear to a human perspective. So realistically this knowledge allows them to interpret the most likely version of an event about to happen, in order to take actions. And I believe Vadderung has still some of this ability (although not as much as he probably used to...I think there is a reasonable argument that it is implied that he once wore the Gatekeeper eye).

Basically, less "see" other points in space in Dresden's universe and more "see" other universes that are/have happening(ed) and infer what might happen in "their" universe. Complicated I know, but spacetime and multiverses are by their very nature stupidly complex.

Now onto your other points.

Perhaps the Gates are the mechanism to close the borders - it fits as well as anything. They are on some of the borders of Faerie (but of course not on the border that is shared with Summer. But one wonders if Faerie isn't so much split into North and South for example (with let's say Winter in the North and Summer in the South) but actually the territory of Winter surrounding the centre of Faerie (which is Summer's territory). And presumably in the No Mans Land inbetween the territories is the realms of the Wyld Fae. This would make more sense if all the Borders of Faerie touch the Outside and therefore have walls etc. But then perhaps, maybe not as well. It would be nice to have a vague map. We have to assume where Dresden visited was in Winter's territory, which of course still makes it interesting that Mother Summer was there but then again those two don't really play by the regular Rules. Of course, if the Outer Wall does not surround ALL of Faerie and therefore Summer has a border with some other part of the Never-never or the mortal world, then how did Mab close all the Borders using the mechanism of the Gate? Food for thought.

1. Rashid may or may not have been remote viewing. Just as likely, if not more so, he was seeing several possible futures become one clear future and acted upon that information.
2. The why makes sense though, so fair enough.
3. See main argument above.
4. THIS. I find it very interesting that Mab kept Harry alive. Mab is Mother Winter's "daughter". She would think along similar lines - consider that scene in Cold Days about "too many bright ones [futures]". I think Harry's involvement with Mab serves to create much darker timelines, provided Harry doesn't mess up those plans We also must consider that old WOJ about Titania being nervous about Harry, and Mab keeping her enemies closer. Harry's role may not be her traditional friend. All that Starborn stuff.
5. Good enough for me, although don't be so quick to discount that this book was just as much about bringing MOLLY into Arctis Tor. She was being set up as one of their agents for a long time. Maybe for their benefit, maybe for Michael's punishment for crossing Winter, maybe other reasons. Probably all of them knowing Mab.
6. Yeah pretty sound. But see above.
7. Very interesting idea. The Time obfuscation makes sense here. However, I am not so sure that this was their only motive. Whilst I truly doubt they thought they could kill Mab, perhaps they thought they could wound her. More likely though, I think they were gunning for Leah and maybe even the knife. Why? Perhaps there was some great future value and they did not wish to lose an asset so recently gained. This was one of the boldest attacks, right at the heart of Winter's power. Although as the attack in Cold Days showed, they like to hit multiple fronts to create chaos and stretch resources. So quite possibly, this was a distraction to some other terrifying attack. Or, as the books seem to imply (if not state outright), Winter's forces kept near the borders (both the Shared Border and the Outer Gates) meant there was only an honour guard to protect Mab and her assets at Arctis Tor. And yes, this also gave the Reds mostly uninhibited access through Faerie.
8. I think this was explained as a fetch, and yes quite probably on Mab's orders. And I agree Pell survived otherwise the book doesn't work. Intersting, perhaps it does help distract from Little Chicago.
9. Maybe...but I still think it brought the hallmarks of Fetches. Which is not to say Maeve didn't help, or lead.
10. Yeah I agree pretty much with all of that.
11. Yeah sure why not. Good as any other reason.

Just my thoughts, Bad Alias. Although the why then becomes convoluted...why would Justin fake his own death? Wouldn't it have been easier to fake his own death AND keep Harry as a thrall? Perhaps HWWBh made the call, perhaps Justin needed a "reliable" witness.

Mira - I am looking forward to your thread! Yes, I certainly agree that Lash or someone might have noticed. However, it all depends on how subtle the magic is, like a built-in trojan. And some of those, such as Lash and Mab, have excellent reasons NOT to tell Dresden if it aided their goals. Jim has hinted that Lash's "suicide" may have laid the foundation for Harry's in Changes. She isn't called the Webweaver for nothing... I doubt she would tell Dresden unless it suited her plans. Mab has more reason to tell him, unless she isn't as good as we think she is (I mean she might defend reality but that doesn't equal being good). Still, Harry is the less likely of the two. I think it is more likely Elaine anyway.

In Blood Rites Bob drops a pretty throwaway hint - "a fine thrall is so controlled they might not even know that they are a thrall at all, and it last long-term." He says this when explaining the difference between thralls and Renfields. Harry responds "just like Dumorne did to Elaine" to which Bob says "Sure - but it takes a lot of time and a certain amount of empathy"

So we know that Elaine was enthralled by Justin Dumorne - this was well established in Summer Knight (at least by Elaine's word...although it makes sense as Justin tried to do it to Harry and Elaine likely wouldn't have just gone along otherwise).

But two things are implied here:
          1) Justin had a certain amount of empathy towards Elaine and Harry.

          2) Someone is probably a thrall in the series, but they have no idea they are, and it has been going a long time.

It makes sense that Justin had a certain amount of empathy towards Harry and Elaine. From his scenes with Harry (aside from combat) it seems that he was a tough love sort, but did show warmth and affection. He may have been mad or corrupt, but he seems to have actually liked if not cared about his foster children.

Secondly, if Justin were Cowl - Elaine still being a thrall makes perfect sense. Hell, even if he isn't it still makes sense. She has definitely acted quite suspiciously throughout the series, with only plausible explanations helping her get out of trouble.

But what if Harry was the one still enthralled?

Would he even know? Would someone have picked up on it? There are some hints that this might be possible. For instance, in Summer Knight the Gatekeeper says Ancient Mai fears that Justin's teaching may have warped Harry in ways he cannot even see. While it is meant to read that it is more to do with the values that Harry might have learned from his time with (and even against) Justin, it also hints that Harry might not even be even able to tell if he has been shaped and controlled so. Another thing is that beings are constantly messing with or trying to mess with Harry's mind and Will. It is one of his greatest fears and weaknesses, and is a recurring theme in the series. Lasciel, Mab, Molly have all successfully messed with Harry's mind without him knowing for a long time. It could well be that a gifted psychomancer like Justin did just that, perhaps Harry only believes that he beat Justin and that there was a fire or perhaps there was a fire and a duel but the enthrallment wasn't fully broken (as we do know that Justin was attempting to enthrall Harry just before the final duel, and indeed got Harry to drink human blood as part of it and we all know how powerful human blood is, magically speaking). Constantly, most of the Council (especially the Senior Council) are worried about him being this Darth Vader like villain. Many of his enemies often believe that he will join their side, and knew his Mother (which is part of the reason many on the Council worry about him). Hell at one stage Nicodemus even believes that Lash has taken over Dresden and that it is in control. All this could be foreshadowing.

The obvious flaws are that during his star trial he would have likely been examined for such tampering, and Ebenezar would have looked too, plus likely a member of the Senior Council (unless it was Simon who vouched...which might hint all sorts of things, we know he is implied to have misled the council many times before). But presumably Mab or Molly would have noticed when they poked around in his head, or anyone else too.

Still though, the enthralled sleeper agent is a distinct possibility based on Bob's statement. I think either Elaine or Harry, or both, are enthalled.

Thoughts?

... have you read Zoo Day?

I hadn't, but now I have. Well I think that tale brings some truly interesting insights. And I believe it confirms my 3rd guess. I would say that we will see the return of Mouse's evil older brother - and meet his sister.

My guess from the story is that the cloaked figures who stole the Foo Dogs in the first place were Cowl and Kumori - and they each have a guardian now.

The first interesting thing in that story is the concept of "Law". We know that a lot of the supernatural types seem to play by a ill-defined set of rules, known only to them, which seems to be more prevalent amongst the more spiritual types. The haunts believed that under the Law, they had the right to test Maggie and seek her as prey. Considering much of this story is about purpose, I would say that this is theirs. All about facing your fears. Mouse even alludes to it, saying that what children learn from the "invisible" monsters of childhood stay with them for life. I suspect this Law is set out by the ranking Deity in this universe, or perhaps multiverse. I am undecided on whether it works the same as in DnD...that would mean there is a concept of Chaos, which I don't know that the "evil" beings we have seen totally fit. In DnD Baator is Lawful evil, the Abyss is Chaotic evil, and the Far Realms fall outside usual definitions (although technically there are some good theories they are actually responsible for all the evil in DnD). To me it seems like the Abyss and Baator are combined as Hell in Dresden Files, and the Far Realms is the Outside respectively.

I also think there is heavy elements of the Positive and Negative realms, considering the contrast of Mouse and his brother. I wouldn't go so far to say that they are Heaven and Hell - more like spectrums that run through everything.

Also Mouse prays to the Almighty, Mab and Odin. He refers to them as Powers. He doesn't act like he knows them, even though he has met Mab at least and considering his interaction with Uriel it seemed like he was more aware of things on a cosmic level. But perhaps not too. He was able to sense that the real threat was not the warlock or the haunts. Foo Dogs too seem to have the ability to do some minor reality-warping, influencing chance and luck amongst other things.

Still I stand by my prediction - we will see that battle, perhaps with both siblings and even more Foo Dogs, and we will learn more about them.

Also SK - do you have any predictions?

Bad Alias - Possibly not, however considering Jim will take another 20 years to finish the series she will be in at least her 30s by the end...Zoo Day actually sets up one last interesting thing that relates to her - the "evil" Foo Dog (Mouse's brother) didn't seem very interested in Dresden himself, but much more so in Maggie's future. Implying that she herself will have a very interesting life.