Harry stood with his mother and sister at the airfield. Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs had been deployed, along with 1900 other US troops, to be a part of Operation Nimrod Dancer. He had taken the position of an MP but his training as a sniper was needed in the field.

His Duty station had been changed when the new President had been elected and put into office. Although why they changed personnel to inexperienced ones right when there was a changeover in office was something the Gibbs had commented on as being a bit silly – but only to his wife.

His deployment to Central America had been a "temporary" deployment. It had not been a pleasant separation from his family. Still, the life of a Marine meant that sometimes you don't get to choose where you serve.

The invasion of Panama had taken place on the 20th of December and with that, the family had known that Jethro would not be home by Christmas. They had been heartened when it was announced that Noriega had surrendered. When the action had ended at the end of January, Leroy Jethro Gibbs was one of the Marines who had been replaced and sent back home.

So, here they stood waiting for the man of the house to get home.

Suddenly, Harry saw the brown hair of his father that looked so close to his own. "Dad! Dad! Mum! There he is!"

Jethro had heard his son and immediately moved toward one of the voices he had missed so much. Upon seeing his children rushing toward him, he dropped his bag and hunkered down – he had to lower his center of gravity lest the missiles approaching him bowl him over.

With cries of "Dad" and "Daddy" (from Harry and Kelly respectively), his arms were suddenly filled with a nine-year old boy and seven-year old girl. He closed his eyes as he held the two close. He had missed them.

He looked up and saw that Shannon had followed more slowly. She was looking down at him smiling, tears in her eyes. He let go of the two (even though they hadn't let go of him) and stood up. He once again closed his eyes as he stood reunited with his family.

A newspaper reporter took a candid photograph of a US Marine standing there with his arms around his wife, his two children holding on to him as hard as they could.

Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs cheerfully reported for duty after the 60-day leave he got after having been effectively on-duty for nine months straight. Thank God for SLA.

It had allowed him to decompress and reconnect with his family. His children had grown and he regretted missing several milestones, especially their birthdays.

However, there was no loss of love. The kids knew the limitations he had as a Marine and respected them – even if they didn't like it.

He reported to the commanding Colonel.

"Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs, reporting as ordered, Sir!"

The Colonel in charge of the unit sighed. "At ease. How was your leave, Gunnery Sergeant?"

"Excellent, Sir!"

"That's good. Because it will be a while before you can do that again. You've been assigned a TAD."

"Sir?" Jethro was all of a sudden not as cheerful.

"There are some signs that there will be some trouble in the Middle East. They need some combat-experienced trainers at 29 Palms. And, unfortunately, your name came up."

Jethro was definitely not happy. "How long, Sir?"

"At least four weeks – possibly eight. And, if the worst case happens, you might be seeing combat again too soon. I recommend taking your family to Pendleton for the duration if possible. At least you can see them when you're not on duty."

"How long do I have to report, Sir?"

"One week to make arrangements and get there. Any questions, Gunny?"

Jethro snapped to attention. "No, Sir!"

"Dismissed."

The Colonel wasn't happy. He had already lost Gibbs for almost nine months for that mess in Panama. Now he might be losing him for a similar amount of time. The Colonel didn't like it.

Harry looked out of the window on the plane. His Mum (his friends made a bit of fun of him still saying Mum after having lived in the US for several years – but Mom didn't sound right to him) and his sister were in the same row. Kelly was coloring with some crayons and a book that Mum had brought on the plane with them. Mum was reading.

His Dad had gone to California a few days ago on a military transport. Uncle Sirius was going to come to California too – but he was busy with some meetings with some civilian higher ups.

(Harry had unintentionally picked up the small amount of derision for "civilian authorities" that was often expressed by his father's unit members whenever their interference introduced complications into their normal routine. He also learned to be very careful about expressing it where his Mum could hear; she called it "condescension" or something like that. His Dad just tried to hide his laughter.)

He hoped that the school near Pendleton wasn't too different than the one near Quantico. As the child of a Marine, the necessity of being able to change schools when needed was annoying but acceptable to him. Offered a choice between not seeing his father for a month or two or changing schools, probably temporarily, he had been all for it. He would miss his friends though.

He still wouldn't see his father for five days out of the week – he'd be bunking at the training camp. But the weekends would be available usually.

He would miss the woodshop in the basement.

Shannon Gibbs looked at the clock on the dashboard and then peered through the rearview mirror at her two children who were arguing (in good humor) in the backseat. She was on her way to the base where the letters from her husband could be picked up.

He had been ordered into combat as part of Operation Desert Shield and, once again, she was effectively a single mother raising two rambunctious children.

She was looking forward to the move back home. It needed very little work because they had come to California knowing that it was temporary. She just didn't expect to be going back without Jethro.

Suddenly, she remembered that she needed to stop at a store.

"Kids?"

Harry and Kelly looked at her and Harry said, "Mum?"

"We're going to have to stop at a store and pick up some milk. Can you wait in the car?"

Harry and Kelly looked at each other and then at her. They both shrugged. "Okay, Mum." Kelly had picked up her brother's name for her. It still made her smile.

She pulled up to the parking lot of a small store near the base. It wasn't the best area but there were usually enough Marines around that she wasn't that worried. She turned to the children. "I'm going to lock the doors but leave the windows down just an inch. Now, what are the rules?"

Harry replied, "Stay in the car."

Kelly continued, "Don't unlock the door for strangers."

"Be alert."

"Scream loud if someone tries to get in the car."

Shannon nodded at the two and grinned. "Okay. Two minutes."

She would never know the difference that those few moments would make in her family's life. In another world, she would never leave her newly-eight year-old daughter in the car by herself and therefore would be quite visible to the man who was about to commit murder.

However, her ten-year old brother was very protective – and had demonstrated his uncanny skill and determination at keeping her safe more than once. As a result, she was much more comfortable about leaving them for two minutes. The time it took to list the rules made all the difference.

The two watched as Mum started to get out of the car. Suddenly she stopped. Harry was curious. "Mum?"

Shannon turned her head and hissed, "Shhh." Harry really didn't like the look on her face. Harry, with some anxiety, looked at what was happening at the front of the store.

A man in a Navy uniform was arguing with a man who looked ... suspicious. He got a very bad feeling. He looked at his sister and whispered harshly, "Get down!"

Kelly very much loved and trusted her brother. The only times he ever sounded like that was when something dangerous was around. She immediately curled down as much as she could (limited by the fact she was strapped into a seatbelt).

Shannon was suddenly very scared. The man in the civilian clothes had pulled a gun from his shirt. She needed no further encouragement – she had to get her kids to safety. She pulled the door closed quickly.

The noise from the slamming door was almost perfectly in time with the gunshot.

Shannon was never more thrilled than now to have learned tactical driving from her husband. When he had insisted that she learn, she had demanded a bribe. The two days at the bed and breakfast while Sirius and Remus watched the two kids had been very fun.

Now she was entirely thankful.

She hissed to the kids, "Stay down!" The two didn't need any more encouragement: They had heard the bullet hit the back of the car. Shannon had dropped her head as low as she could as she tore down the road toward the base entrance. She chanced a look – she was now too far for a gun to be accurately aimed and there was no sign of pursuit.

She turned her head toward Harry. "Call Sirius on your mirror, Code Violet." Jethro had refused to use "Code Red" – some urban legend about Marines that made it distasteful. "Tell him we'll be at Las Palmas security."

Harry nodded and did as his Mum asked.

Sirius was very agitated as he presented his credentials to the guard at the gate. His two pups were in danger along with their mum. Moony had had to calm him down before he created a Statute violation by apparating directly to the mirror location.

Remus was ensuring that the Gibbs' Pendleton house was cleared of all personal items. Sirius was retrieving the family and then intended to use every ounce of his pseudo-diplomatic authority to get the family back to Washington and under the wards set up there.

Finally the guard came back and waved to the Marine who controlled the gate. "Two clicks in and turn right. You can meet them there." The guard was much less menacing than he had been just a minute earlier – a Marine's family had come in just an hour ago having witnessed a murder and been shot at. The guards were taking no chances.

Sirius drove his very expensive car (he was rich and he could afford toys) toward the location that Shannon had given him.

He pulled up and noticed the Marines who were stationed in front of the small building. Instead of being in some ceremonial position, these two were standing as though they were expecting possible attack – very unusual so far into the base. Sirius was entirely grateful.

He noticed that the two were focused on his car until they saw that the man matched the description they were given. The rifles dropped very slightly to a more relaxed position. He walked up to them.

"Identification, please."

Sirius happily showed his ID. The guard looked at it carefully and then stepped aside. The other followed suit. Sirius nodded. As he passed the two he said quietly, "Excellent job, Marines. Thank you for protecting them."

The two nodded in acknowledgement and said, "You're welcome, Sir," even as they focused once again on the approaches.

As he entered, his eyes took a moment to adjust to the different levels of light. He knew he was in the right place when he heard two children's voices yell out, "Uncle Sirius!"

The NIS agent was confused. "Can I ask why two Special Unit FBI agents are protecting my witness?" He had been assigned to interview the witness for the murder of a young Lieutenant JG.

Instead of the FBI agent answering, the British man with them did. "My godson has dual US-British citizenship. Due to a number of factors, the State Department keeps an eye on him and ensures he's protected. These agents are attached to an FBI unit which deals with that specific part of the State Department and any issues involving law enforcement."

The NIS agent nodded, a bit annoyed. He really didn't like other agencies horning in on NIS business. One of the two FBI agents seemed to notice.

"Don't worry. Our unit is not looking for the recognition for handling this. We're just here to provide protection. That's all." For some reason, Agent Barston believed the man. Which was odd. He knew that the FBI had a talent for double-speak and grabbing jurisdiction.

"Okay then. Can you describe what you saw?"

Shannon gave a detailed description of exactly what she saw and what had subsequently occurred.

"Do you think you could describe the man?"

One of the agents interrupted. "We have a composite drawing which we're willing to certify as coming from a trained sketch artist." He handed the man the drawing.

The NIS agent looked at it – it had excellent detail. "When was this done? The shooting took place just a few hours ago."

"Due to a number of factors, our unit includes sketch artists which will provide detailed sketches to law enforcement units we come into contact with. The artists' credentials are on file with most agencies. We can provide documentation as necessary." They didn't mention that the sketch was done from a pensieve and not a verbal description.

The NIS agent nodded absently even as he studied the sketch. He looked up at the witness. "I intend to catch this guy as quick as possible. We'll need you for a line-up when he's caught. Where can you be contacted?"

Shannon answered, "We're going to stay with Sirius tonight. We were about to move back home to DC as my husband is deployed now in Saudi Arabia and no longer at 29 Palms. How long do we need to stay available?"

The NIS agent huffed as he considered it. "Can you give me up to four days? If we don't catch him by then, it's likely to be much longer. If we don't catch em quick, the likelihood of doing so drops very quickly."

Shannon nodded. "We can live with that." She turned to Sirius.

Sirius pulled a card out. "This is my phone and address in California and in DC. I have some relationships with a few agencies which means that security might be needed on occasion – like now. So call first."

The NIS agent nodded and then stood up. He reached out his hand to shake. Shannon Gibbs had a good grip for a woman.

"Thank you, Agent Barston. Now we have to get my kids home. I look forward to hearing from you very quickly."

Barston nodded. "We'll do all we can to catch the bas .. the man."

Shannon nodded and then moved out quickly. Bastron saw that there were two other agents that had been watching the two children and he casually wondered why so many agents were needed to protect such an ordinary family. He shrugged. As long as she testified, the details were unimportant.

He quickly made his way out of the office so that he could put out a BOLO.

The Prosecutor was surprised when the suspect's attorney contacted him. Pablo Hernandez had been caught just a week earlier after having (allegedly) murdered a US Navy lieutenant. He hadn't been looking forward to the protected legal maneuvers that would certainly be necessary to keep him in jail. The bail, while very large, was not out of the realm of possible – which had irked him quite a bit. He had actually been surprised when bail hadn't been immediately posted.

"Mr. Sampson. To what do I owe the pleasure of your voice?" He knew he had to maintain an image of confidence or the Cartel attorneys would eat him alive.

"My client is willing to negotiate a plea."

Shannon sat with Sirius as the two Aurors reported the results to them. Remus was watching the kids.

"Whenever a non-magical crime impinges on the magical world, our unit arranges for the suspect to be given a truth potion so that we can verify the suspect's guilt and how much of a threat they pose. Pablo Hernandez was guilty as sin and had no qualms about using illegal means to ensure that you couldn't testify."

Shannon didn't like the sound of that. "So, what happened?"

The Auror nodded. "You don't have to worry. In these circumstances, we are authorized by Statute to use compulsion charms which will cause the suspect to negotiate a deal to avoid prosecution just as any suspect might do if we weren't involved. Due to Fourth and Fifth Amendment considerations, we aren't allowed to use what we learn in non-magical courts or to use magic to attack them – we are only allowed to use as much magic as needed to ensure that the Statute of Secrecy is maintained. At the very worst, the suspect is encouraged to go somewhere that has no extradition treaty with the United States."

The Auror nodded. "In this case, it wasn't necessary. Pablo Hernandez negotiated a deal where he pled guilty to second degree murder in exchange for a lesser sentence. He was also 'encouraged' to forget about going after any witnesses. We'll monitor him for about a year to ensure that he doesn't overcome the compulsions and place a contract out, but it's likely that you'll never have to deal with this again."

Shannon took a shuddering breath in relief. She didn't need the stress of trying to protect her kids in addition to the normal worries of a Marine's wife.

A/N: I'd like to point out that according to NCIS wikea dot com Kelly and Shannon died on Feb 28 1991 – before Harry would have been sent to Hogwarts.

It would have been logical that Shannon would have witnessed the shooting during Operation Desert Shield which occurred beginning 2 August 1990 and the two murdered during Operation Desert Storm which ended 28 Feb 1991 – the day they died. The murderer was a Cartel member who was a Mexican national – which makes it logical that it occurred in California. The fact that they already had the house near DC was established by the episode where Kelly's friend contacts Gibbs for help.

So, my effort in this chapter was to establish

1) How Gibbs ended up deployed from 29 Palms in California (where desert warfare training is done);

2) Still had the house in DC; and,

3) Was moved from the Marine Brigade which includes those Marines used as part of Presidential protection (which I stuck in this fiction but wasn't NCIS canon).

This story is intended to go to the beginning of first year. Whether I do the logical follow ups depends on my finishing my other two alternate first year stories – I already have mixed up details accidentally and don't need another story to confuse me more.

I don't know how I'm going to get Gibbs home yet. But I'm working on it.