I don't think he can.  I mean... yes, obviously Anduriel has the power & knowledge;

I'm not so sure about that. We don't know what powers designed and built her. Andy can probably DESTROY her beyond recovery, but maybe it triggers essentially a > FORMAT C:  and wipes her clean? Her engineer likely has some sort of offsite backup (a mirror image clone? quantum state drives?) so he will have access to the info, but denies it to the other side.  If her walls are crumbling... I think she self destructs. Her Masada subroutine.

Really, there's got to be a backup plan. What if her train going to Chicago crashes? Maybe some other Archive had multiple daughters and they transfer it to a cadet line? Some woman who doesn't even know the story of the Archive becomes her?

This is a very good point.

He could write that off as the difference between growing up the eldest daughter of a pack of kids (assistant mom) as opposed to an only child in hiding. Plus... Charity? She'd age the kid....

But Faerie Law governs "favors."  It isn't a Lady/Knight matter of the Mantles, but the Mantles bind them both to Faerie Law.  If Harry owes Molly a favor, it doesn't matter to Faerie Law that they are friends; nor even that they are Knight & Lady.  The obligations (of Molly collecting on a Favor owed her, and not Harry not cheating on a Favor he owes) is binding upon both of them.

They can give a favor away, like Mab giving Harry the gift at Christmas for Little Maggie

  The proof that there isn't is the fact that these fires keep cropping up and it is left to Harry of all people to put them out.  It's kind of like climate change, a lot of talk, a lot of denial, very little action, mostly reaction.

Doesn't follow. Suppose there was a plan to release a plague in London. Langtry's group gets word, and snuffs out the conspiracy before it happens. A fire prevented does not need to be snuffed out.  The team did something, but quietly. The fact a couple of fires pop up doesn't mean there might not have been  a dozen planned and 10 blocked.

Indeed, although I suspect the limits are not as severe. Jim also makes rules like these and then doesn't bring them up again (I refer again to the Archive's involvement against Ethniu).

We are led to believe she lives at least in the area. A threat to Chicago is not a threat to, say, San Diego.  Her area, so a threat to her.  Plus, getting culture blasted back to the Stone Age or enslaved by an outside force is not "Let them decide between democracy, or socialism, or communism, or a dictatorship - so long as they do it to themselves." 

  But the Gray Council is in of itself a secret group.  A group who doesn't trust it's fellow Council members to either recognize the danger or see the need to counter the Black Council. They also fear repercussions if their fellow Council members found out.

Ah, but can we be sure Langtry does not have a Beige Council we do not know about of his own? Possibly with Mei. Does Martha Liberty have agents? He likely has his own feelers and agents out there. All of the Council may be taking action - disjoint, less efficient action, but action.

  I envision a wizard who's almost entirely self-centered; maybe not using "black magic" but one who doesn't much care about other wizards, or "weakening" them.  They could easily have built in personal safeguards, so they specifically weren't weakened... embroider the armbands with gold thread for the runes, and use the same gold thread in one of their own offensive focus-items, enchanted to bypass the defenses of the arm-bands.

Also, smart wizards know how to bypass those defenses.   

still short sighted. Plus what if TWO wizards sell stuff? One sells a mail shirt, so to speak "I'll target the head" but Wizard B sells a helmet "I'll target the torso" - but the same Whamp buys BOTH....

(on subverted)
 
Seems entirely-likely to me, but YMMV.

Consider, though:   Inari Raith -- with zero predatory experience -- almost got Harry.  He feels that Whamps are an entirely-credible threat to him, and to wizards in general.  Margaret LeFay (no pushover!) was seduced by one.  The Blackstaff apparently feels an especially-deep hatred towards them, presumably having suffered some grievous wrong.

Yes, but I think they overwhelm the wizard, they cloud their minds with lust... and a clouded mind is not likely to do their best fabricating work. Pet wizard? could be. But a top notch? It's like where Harry says if Mab presses him too much he will obey - but she will get a obedient, but mediocre Knight, the one she does NOT want. Harry, given a little latitude and looser bond, is a finer weapon. 

While I do think that Whamps could be an incredibly-potent uber-thief sort of security-penetrating expert, I was envisioning it in a more opportunistic fashion -- wizard is disabled?  Swipe their stuff!  Wizard in the field, but not fully "equipped" (wearing) all their gear?  Swipe it while their back is turned!  (I keep noticing Harry drop items in his duster pockets, and thinking "dude, a regular pickpocket could probably take that from you, and a magically-graceful-and-subtle one with a century of practice... you'd never spot it!")

I think that stuff is going to be massively spell-warded.

OK, Harry would never think of this.  I doubt most wizards would. (I think Luccio would). But.... biometrics? The Warden swords are only special for THAT warden, right?  Best reason Harry could not simply pick up, say, Wild Bill's at the battle. So it seems Luccio can restrict use somewhat - the sword in other hands is simply a sword. Picture... in my blasting rod, I drill a *TINY* hole in the hilt before I enchant it. Slip in a single hair, fill with epoxy, then a plug of sawdust mixed with epoxy, so it appears to be plain wood (or use a copper butt cap).  Enchant it so it doesn't shoot unless it finds a similar hair within a foot. Doesn't see one,  it backfires and blows up. Which also torches the hair.


 

Harry was impressed at the system's durability in the face of his magic (I don't think "a couple of electricians or stagehands" could have produced that).  Molly's (Svartalven-built) place was, IIRC, the only other place we've seen that had "Harry-resistant" lighting, the kind that is noted in the text & called-out as "this is impressive and unusual."

Harry's been on TV. Seen a Broadway show's effects? those guys are not Eugene the Electrician on Main Street.  I bet Tempest shielding could work great too (computer security anti-wiretap stuff, to prevent stuff leaking out. Should keep outside stuff out too) Again, like biometrics, Harry likely never heard of Tempest stuff. 

I expect the Whamps were planning for all manner of "unlikely" contingencies.  I expect they considered White Council wizards as among the more-likely of those contingencies.

occasional short-term ones, usually at a distance from the walls.

Yeah, Harry can walk by ordinary electrical stuff without hexing it; electronic stuff, not so much.  He can't even carry a credit-card without wiping the mag-stripe on it.  But he could walk into the precinct and not blow the lights; just not approach any computers.

My point, though, isn't the "ordinary circumstances."

Harry was afraid for his life; even worse, for his brother's life, and Murphy's (in the later incident, Carlos'; and hugely angry about the murdered women).  And he was letting loose with his Kaboom magic.  This is gonna blow the tech.

Your average "electrician or stagehand" simply cannot build a system that will survive being in the same area with an angry, magic-flinging Harry Dresden.

And lighting is much more electrical than electronic. So more resistant.

Actually, a dueling Dresden may be MORE safe for the electrical stuff. His Murphyonic field may be like a sprinkler head misting the area, but a dueling Harry is using a nozzle (Luccio uses a water jet cutting tool with her fire lance). Harry is focusing his magic.

Again, pro stagehands or TV guys are a lot ahead of the typical guy. Chicago may not be NYC, but it isn't Peoria either.

Yes but under Winter Law that obligation still needs to be discharged.

yes, but my point it is a favor not an order. The Lady orders the Knight, she owes him nothing, it is his job, Molly asks Harry a favor, she owes him one (or one he owed her is now paid up)