Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

A/N: Just a heads-up, this will not be turning into a heavy angst fic though this chapter has more of that feeling Harry/Jason is only 18 and in my mind he could be pretty shaken by the events from the previous chapter. Also, this ended up running much longer than I expected so Dumbledore's interrogation will be next chapter.

Chapter 14 The Best Laid Plans pt.1

October 18th, Wraith Hive Ship, Pegasus Galaxy

Shezz'la looked around the large chamber with boredom. It had been weeks since the first attack on the Lantians had ended and still the other Wraith factions continued to do nothing. True, there had been a few Hive ships that had joined his growing fleet but he would need more strength behind him if he was to place the remaining Wraith under his control.

Already the other Wraith Lords were forming their own armadas and staking claims to portions of the galaxy. At this rate, the human cattle would be virtually wiped out as they were culled at fantastic numbers to feed the Wraith hordes. While the plight of the humans did not concern Shezz'la, what did concern him was the risk to the food supply. If the other populations were wiped out the Wraith Lords could band together to raid his territory.

The Lantians and their human servants would provide the strategic advantage he was searching for. Not only would they weaken the other Wraith Lords but they would be forced to complete the weapon. Once they were sufficiently weakened, Shezz'la was confident that his forces would be able to breach their defenses and seize the weapon.

Shezz'la's contemplations were interrupted by the arrival of one of his commanders. Straightening slightly in his chair, he projected an aura of impatient power. Over the centuries, his followers had learned to only come before him with critical news. Each was allowed to hold a small portion of power, enough to keep them satisfied and at the same time tie them to him because he was willing to take that power away at the first sign of failure.

The commander bowed his head respectfully and waited for Shezz'la to address him.

"Have the Lantians made any moves since the end of the attack?" Shezz'la's voice was low with an underlying growl that was present in many of the Wraith.

The commander shook his head in the negative before answering. "No, there have been no reprisals against any Wraith vessels or holdings. None of our sensors at the lab worlds have shown any activity. There has been no gate activity and none of the labs themselves have been accessed."

Shezz'la couldn't help but wonder what the Lantians were waiting for. Certainly their weapons and defenses were superior to anything the Wraith currently had available even if they were still subject to the overwhelming numbers of the Wraith. As before, they would eventually be crushed unless they were able to complete the weapon.

"There is more. I now believe that they may have taken the power source from the last lab world they visited. Our sensor readings show a massive power surge moving from the lab to the gate before disappearing. It is possible that without the primary power supply, we may be able to breach the structure."

"Perhaps the information we obtained from the human prisoners was not false after all." Shezz'la mused softly. His eyes moved from the commander to the ceiling as he considered the information.

The commander simply stood waiting for Shezz'la to return his attention. More than one Wraith had been punished for being too inquisitive. Unlike Shezz'la he would not move his gaze.

"The two prisoners showed remarkable resistance but ultimately, their minds were broken. Once they learned their place, they admitted that most of Atlantis' population was human with only a handful of Lantians. It is the only explanation for their lack of response. Their numbers must be too small to mount an attack."

"What would you have us do?"

This could alter his plans. It was possible that with their limited numbers the Lantians would be content to sit behind their city shield and wait for the Wraith to wage a civil war. Yet, it was unlike them to leave the humans of this galaxy to such a fate. It was also possible that the Lantians had lost much of their technological prowess. Why else would they feel the need to scavenge a power source from one of their own facilities? They should have had no difficulty in manufacturing additional power sources; it had been one of the areas that had caused the most consternation amongst the Wraith during the last great siege. No matter the firepower aimed at the city, the power levels never seemed to fall.

"We need something that will spark them into action. The Lantians of old were very protective of their people. Perhaps, they would like our prisoners returned to them."

Of course, the Lantians would not be happy with the condition of the two bodies. Neither had been fed upon, it had been more enjoyable to break their minds and rip their defiance from them. Shezz'la knew that their faces were frozen in a rictus of pain and horror. He knew because it brought him great pleasure remembering as their hold on sanity slipped and they sank into the mire of their own fears and self-destructive impulses.

"Dispatch a cruiser; have them deposit the carcasses in space near the planet. Attach transmitters to them to ensure that the Lantians find our gift to them."

The commander didn't bother to stop the grin of approval from forming. This was why he continued to follow Shezz'la. He knew that there was more to existence than the mere satiation of hunger. Crushing your enemies and extinguishing any hope of resistance was almost as satisfying as ripping the life from the human cattle. "It will be done."

October 18th, Potter/Sheppard Home, Suffolk, UK

James didn't waste any time. In seconds after regaining consciousness he rushed over to Jason and Daniel. There wasn't even time to say anything before he grabbed Jason in a bone crushing hug.

Jason stiffened for just an instant in surprise but he quickly relaxed into the embrace. He felt lighter; the gloom that had been hanging over him these last few days lifted in the instant James grabbed him. If he'd been confused or unsure at all, it was put to rest immediately when he head James mutter softly.

"Jason, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." He repeated it a few times for good measure but Jason didn't need to hear anything else. For now, he could forget what had just happened, what he'd been forced to do. For now, he could just be content that this piece of his life was ok.

James finally released Jason but it was only to check him for injuries. His hands quickly traveled the length of Jason's body, patting him down, checking for cuts and any other damage.

Jason protested softly "Dad I'm ok really."

The only response he got was another tight hug from James who apparently felt no shame in such a public display. Of course, most people were just now regaining their feet and there wasn't anyone paying attention to them.

"Dad can you put some anti-apparition wards? I don't think we want any of the wizards or witches leaving."

James nodded and spent a minute making slow passes with his wand while incanting softly. There was a soft flash of light at the end followed by James' nod.

Daniel saw Teal'c approach them. "Teal'c are you ok?" Unlike Daniel, Teal'c had been outside Jason's shield so he was stunned, just like everyone else.

Teal'c had not yet answered when Jason began to add his own apologies. "Oh god, I'm sorry Teal'c. I forgot you were outside the shield. I should have done something. I should…"

"Peace Jason Sheppard. I am unharmed and your actions may have saved a great many lives today."

"But still…" Jason started to argue.

"No as I said, I am unharmed. How then could your actions be wrong? Could not have more people died if you had delayed taking action?" Teal'c was implacable. He'd seen far more battles than he would care to admit and he had lost far too many friends and comrades. This was not a time for recriminations. "I must admit to some curiosity over the nature of our attackers and your own powers."

Jason wanted to argue but even now, the effects of the adrenalin that had been coursing through him during the battle were fading. Physically, he just didn't feel up to trying to convince Teal'c that there was more he could've done. "If no one minds, I need to sit down."

James looked concerned at hearing the haggard voice of his son. Afraid that Jason would collapse more than sit, James helped ease him to the ground so that Jason could sit on the front stair. His arm remained firmly around Jason's shoulder providing him any comfort and strength that he needed.

Daniel and Teal'c moved off to speak with the military. Someone needed to take charge of this mess and for now; they were the best ones for the job. The group from the Prometheus wasn't large enough and unless they wanted to make the existence of the ship known to everyone here, then they didn't have the facilities to hold these people.

Jason looked around at the wizards and witches that were arguing with the soldiers that were placing them all in restraints. It was impossible to miss the number of bodies that littered the yard and street, many of whom had scorched clothing from the lightning he'd been using.

He wanted to be sick. He'd killed these people. What did that make him? Was he monster like the Wraith? Jason didn't want to think about it, couldn't think about it because if he did, he might just break down.

"Jason what happened? Why were all these wizards here?" James had recognized Dumbledore as well as Fudge's personal Auror detachment. For the life of him though he couldn't come up with a reason for their being at his home much less attacking his son.

Jason shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Daniel and I were working in the den when we heard something from the front door. There was some kind of explosion and it sounded like someone was attacking. By the time I got there, Teal'c was being attacked by 6 wizards all wearing identical uniforms and the old guy over there."

As James listened, his anger grew. It was true he didn't know Teal'c well, but the little he did know of the man told him that he never would've started the battle. It was more than likely that either Dumbledore or Fudge's men started the whole thing. It still didn't answer why and Jason didn't seem to know.

Jason was thankful that James didn't ask for too many details. He didn't want to tell him what he'd done because he was afraid of the look he would see on his dad's face. Right now he didn't think he could handle the disappointment or fear that would no doubt result. How could anyone who knew the truth not look at him like that?

James wasn't stupid. He knew that there was a lot that Jason was leaving out but this wasn't the time or the place to make him relive everything again.

"Jason, James…" Daniel interrupted their discussion. Standing by his side were Teal'c and who Jason assumed was the leader of the military group that had arrived. "This is Captain Reynolds."

The man was in his early 30s with short blond hair and grey eyes. His face was weathered and lined like he'd seen too much hardship during his time in the army. "I understand from Dr. Jackson that you might be familiar with the people involved."

Jason shook his head. "Uhh, not really. I mean other than my dad here there are only two other people I recognize." Jason pointed to Sirius Black and Croaker. He wasn't sure what to do about the fact that they were wizards.

Captain Reynolds nodded and issued a curt order to have everyone rounded up. "Is there anything else I need to know? I don't want to put my men or any civilians at risk."

James could see that Jason was uncertain of what to do. He couldn't blame him, the wizarding world was a well-kept secret but whatever had happened here today had certainly fucked that up. If anyone was going to break the law, it should be him. "Captain this is going to be hard to believe but…" James went on to give a brief description of the wizarding world and the capabilities of witches and wizards.

The Captain was understandably skeptical until James had given him a demonstration, conjuring a baseball and then transfiguring it into a small rabbit. "But, without their wands the average witch or wizard is powerless." This last was said a little reluctantly but James didn't want to be responsible for any more loss of life.

Captain Reynolds was silent for a few moments as he digested the knowledge that there was a hidden world out there. Fortunately, his military training took over and he was able to push that to the back of his mind for the time being. "Ok that wasn't what I was expecting but it doesn't change anything. You're all under arrest until the higher ups can figure out what to do with you."

James tensed but didn't argue. If he were in the Captain's position, he would probably do the same thing. It didn't mean that he had to like it though. Instead, he stood and gave his wand to Jason for safe keeping and allowed a soldier to place him in restraints.

Jason watched this all tiredly. He wanted to argue that his dad wasn't a risk but there was nothing to prove his claim. In fact, he didn't know why his dad was there even if he didn't think he had anything to do with the attack.

"Kid, the only reason I'm not moving you over there too is because Dr. Jackson has assured me that you were just defending yourself. But don't misunderstand me; I won't hesitate to have you restrained if you try anything."

"Captain is that really necessary? I told you we were the ones attacked." Daniel argued.

Just then, the radio earpiece that Daniel was wearing crackled to life. "Dr. Jackson what is your situation?"

Daniel looked at the Captain apologetically before stepping a few feet away. "There is a contingent here from the local military base. I managed to convince him that SG-1 and the men from Prometheus were not to blame but we need someone familiar with the program to take charge." Daniel was intentionally being vague in case he was overheard.

"Roger that Dr Jackson, the President has already contacted the Prime Minister. I expect that someone will be there shortly to take charge." There was another crackle of static and then Prendergast said in a somber tone "Dr. Jackson, I would appreciate it if you could see to it that the remains of my men are treated respectfully until they can be brought home for burial."

Daniel blushed when he realized that he hadn't thought to inform the Commander about the reinforcements. "I apologize Commander; I should've informed you immediately. And it would be an honor, I'm only sorry that it is necessary at all."

"I understand Dr. Jackson, the living come first. The remaining men and wounded will return to the Prometheus after they are debriefed at the Lakenheath Air Force Base."

By the time that Daniel returned to Jason, the captain had left to supervise his men and ensure that none of the wizards and witches escaped. He knelt down next to Jason; it was plain to see that Jason was a little shaken. "Don't worry about him; he's just doing his job."

Jason nodded shakily. He was getting increasingly tired and he just wanted to sleep and forget this happened but he didn't think that would be happening anytime soon. It didn't help that part him felt the captain should have him under guard with everyone else, then there wouldn't be any chance of him hurting anyone else.

Teal'c was observing quietly from nearby but didn't have anything to add. If the captain tried to take Jason into custody, he would step in. O'Neill and Sheppard would not be pleased if something were to happen to Jason especially now that the threats had been neutralized.

A few minutes later a car and another troop transport pulled up. The windows were heavily tinted so it was impossible to tell who was inside but the door opened almost as soon as the car came to a stop. A pair of men got out; one was dressed in a dark grey suit with a white shirt and a black tie. The second man was dressed in a military uniform similar to that of the captain.

Both men had apparently received information ahead of time on the situation as well as the players involved because after scanning the group the man in the suit walked over towards Daniel and the officer moved over towards the captain.

The officer issued some orders that went unheard by Jason and the others. However, the officer left the captain and moved towards Daniel while the captain started directing his men to collect the witches and wizards. The prisoners were split up and loaded onto the two troop transports along with the soldiers.

"Dr. Jackson, Teal'c this is Major Thomas and I'm Sean Michaels with MI-6." Sean flashed an identification badge at the two men.

Jason wasn't paying any attention to the agent. His eyes were glued to another spectacle. With the wizards and witches moved onto the troop transports, there was nothing to hide the bodies of those people that wouldn't be going home to their families ever again. A pair of soldiers was cordoning off the area and Jason kept hoping they would move the bodies.

"Jason?" Daniel asked. "Jason?" He prompted again.

Jason jerked his eyes away from the scene and wondered out loud. "Why aren't they doing something with the bodies?"

Daniel heard Jason and looked at him a little strangely. "Are you ok Jason?"

Jason didn't look at Daniel, he just turned his eyes back to the bodies scattered on the ground. "Can't they do something about the bodies? It doesn't seem right to leave them there."

Sean answered, having overheard the comment. "They can't until a coroner has had a chance to examine the bodies and any evidence is collected."

"Oh…" Jason said simply and slumped lower.

"Jason, we all need to go with Agent Michaels and Major Thomas to the base. Is there anything you want to grab from before we leave?" Daniel asked again.

Jason finally seemed to pay some attention to what Daniel was saying. Right now all he wanted was John. He needed to talk to him. James would listen to him but only John knew everything that Jason was going through.

"Oh…uh…no I don't need anything."

"Good then, the three of you can ride in our car." Sean said crisply. He didn't bother to see if they followed. Once he reached the car, he held the rear door open waiting for Daniel, Teal'c, and Jason to get in before he closed the door and moved around to the driver's side. At the same time, the Major got in the passenger side of the front seat.

After everyone was in the car, the agent started the car and drove towards the base. There was very little conversation in the car ride. One of the few topics was whether John had been notified or not. Even in his semi-distracted state, Jason noticed that the agent didn't answer. Despite the fact that he was with Daniel and Teal'c, Jason began to get a bad feeling.

Daniel realized that John should be present for any kind of questioning that Jason would participate in so he contacted the Prometheus. A short conversation was enough to confirm that not only was John already on his way but unsurprisingly O'Neill was with him.

Jason didn't miss the slight scowl on the agent's face when Daniel passed on the information.

Teal'c didn't miss the agent's behavior either. During his time fighting against the Goa'uld with the SGC, he had come across many groups that seemed to be working at cross-purposes. The NID was just one of those groups but recently they had learned of a second group that had more international support, the Trust. Teal'c thought that the Trust may be interested in Jason's abilities or his links to the wizarding world. Either could be a potent weapon in the hands of the Trust.

The troop transports were not nearly as quiet as the car. There were only five wizards that were not yelling at the soldiers and demanding that they be released. For many of them, it was the first time that they had any significant exposure to muggles and while most did not support the Death Eaters they still felt superior to their captors.

Some of the soldiers came quite close to beating the mouthier prisoners but there were restrained by the NCOs.

The only people that had remained silent were James, Sirius, Amelia, Croaker and Albus. James understood the military well enough from his experience with John to know that any resistance would just make things worse. He was confident that Jason would be able to clear him of any suspicion. Unknowingly, his actions were guiding three of the other occupants in the troop transport.

Sirius' first impulse was to yell and demand that he be released immediately. Unlike the rest of his family he had more experience with muggles so he was not as quick to dismiss them or their capabilities. Still, he was not used to being in this position, being an Unspeakable carried a certain amount of authority in the wizarding world after all. However, he came to the quick conclusion that James had the most experience and if he was remaining silent that it would most likely be prudent to do the same thing.

Croaker was thinking along the same lines as Sirius. He trusted James; the man had been one of his agents for years and had never shown himself to be untrustworthy. Now, there was too much at stake. The wizarding world itself could be exposed to far more people than could be easily obliviated. Hopefully between James and Jason they would be able to diffuse this situation because he was fairly certain that his position as head of the Unspeakables was not going to bring him any favor with these people.

Amelia was silent for two reasons. One she had learned to trust her friend long ago so if Croaker was holding his tongue, then she would do the same. The second reason was that she was trying to figure out just what exactly had happened and what it would take to get the wizarding world clear of this mess.

Albus was brooding. How was it possible that everything had gone wrong so quickly? It must have been Fudge, that was the only way that his plan could've gone so wrong. It was the only explanation for why the Aurors had opened fire as soon as the front door of the house was opened. The black man hadn't done anything threatening, in fact now that Albus could think about it; he hadn't even said anything before the first spell was fired.

But Fudge wasn't the only complication, Harry Potter was incredibly powerful and far more talented than he expected. He'd never even seen magic wielded in such a manner. Even Voldemort had never been able to manipulate his magic in such a way. Albus felt a sliver of fear when he thought back to his aborted attempt at escape. It had always been impossible to stop someone once they began apparating. The mechanism to do so normally was anti-apparition wards but even those worked by preventing apparition, not by yanking someone back.

The question that was plaguing him now was what to do. If his full involvement in today's events came to light, it could destroy his reputation and devastate the wizarding world. What would they do if he wasn't there to guide them? Someone less worthy may come to the forefront and then it would be impossible to predict what could happen.

With luck the Aurors that had been provided by Cornelius were killed in the battle. If such a thing occurred, he would be able to lay the blame at Cornelius' feet; the man was largely responsible after all.

RAF Lakenheath Air Force Base, UK

John was pacing back and forth in an unused office. As soon as he'd heard the news about an attack he'd practically beaten down the door to General O'Neill's office. At first the details were sketchy, nothing more than a hurried request for reinforcements from Daniel. Then as more information came in, John put two and two together and theorized that for some bizarre reason, Jason and SG-1 were being attacked by wizards.

Even as he paced and worried, John thought about the brief trip between Colorado and Lakenheath, it had taken less than a ½ hour once they'd left Cheyenne Mountain. There were definite advantages to working with alien technology. That didn't mean that there weren't times when he missed being behind the controls of a F-15 or an Apache. They may be primitive by comparison to a Puddle Jumper but there was something more primal about them, about feeling the pull of gravity as you accelerated that the Ancient technology lacked.

O'Neill had been with him for a short while but the man had apparently grown tired of John's pacing and left for another office. John recognized the signs of worry on the man. While he may have left SG-1 that didn't mean that the relationships forged and strengthened in the heat of battle were forgotten.

Just when his patience was at its limit a young Sergeant knocked and entered the office. The troops had just returned and were unloading the prisoners. Jason and SG-1 had also entered the base and were being directed to a conference room in order to be debriefed.

It was in a non-descript conference room that John found Jason, Daniel, Teal'c, O'Neill and a handful of men he didn't recognize. As much as he wanted to check Jason over for any injuries and just see how he was doing, now wasn't the time. Instead, all he could do was nod his head at Jason and send him an encouraging smile.

When John entered the room, all eyes turned towards him for a brief moment to identify who was coming in. Only Jason let his eyes linger. 'John was here.' He kept thinking over and over again. It became his mantra and soothed his ragged nerves. He wouldn't have to go through this alone. Yes he'd battled the Wraith, but today he'd been fighting against other people and it was so far outside of his realm of experience that he didn't know how to deal with it. John would know what it felt like. He'd had the same experiences.

For the next hour, Jason and SG-1 described the battle in as much detail as possible. Given the fact that everyone was cleared for knowledge of the wizarding world, Jason spent some time describing the spells that were being used against them as well as his own attacks and defenses. Something in the look John gave him during this told Jason to leave out anything that might be a result of the change to his DNA. Therefore, everything became magic or obscure spells he'd learned from the Unspeakables.

When they were done describing the battle, more questions were asked.

"Teal'c what precipitated the conflict?" Asked O'Neill and for once there wasn't a trace of humor. Any attacks on his people were treated with the utmost seriousness.

Teal'c sat calmly with his hands folded in front of him on the conference table simply raised an eyebrow at the question before answering. "I do not know. It is my belief that they came expecting a fight. Almost as soon as I had opened the door they began their assault. Nothing was said prior."

Neither Jason nor Daniel could add anything since they had been in the den working. It was only the sounds of battle that had gotten their attention in the first place.

"Jason do you have any idea why they would attack you? I'm assuming that you were the target of this since we've never had any other contact with the British Wizarding world." O'Neill asked. So far the other men had been largely content to let him take the lead. Only the MI-6 agent seemed to have issues with this.

John nodded at Jason to answer.

"No, I don't and I don't think that all of the wizards and witches that were there were involved. My dad, Sirius Black, Croaker and the other Unspeakables all showed up at the end. I didn't know what was going on so I stunned them along with everyone else. But really, I've had very little interaction with the Wizarding world and none since I've gotten back from Atlantis."

Michaels asked a question of his own before O'Neill could ask a follow-up. "Why does you magic appear to be different from the others?" Despite their suspicions about him, Michaels was not part of any group other than MI-6. He'd not been happy to hear about John's presence because professionally the presence of a guardian would make questioning more difficult and personally he wondered why John wasn't there to begin with.

John didn't need to send any signals before he answered this question. Jason struggled to form an answer that wouldn't give away any of his secrets. In the end, he settled on an abbreviated form of the truth.

"I didn't want to go to Hogwarts so shortly after I would've started my dad found me. So instead, I trained with the Unspeakables. Croaker had some theories about the use of wands and formal spell casting that he tried out on me. So instead of a wand, I use this glove." Here he held up his gloved hand for all to see. "Instead of learning specific movements and incantations, I was taught to visualize what I want so my magic isn't limited by what I can learn from a book."

John snorted softly. It was true, that Jason didn't learn from a book but he'd gotten more than a few ideas from comic books he used to read when he was a kid, not to mention the cartoons he still watched.

Michaels turned towards John. "Is there something you want to add Major?"

John shrugged. He hadn't been as discreet as he thought. "Sure my brother may not have been taught from a book but he got a lot of ideas from comic books. Believe me when I say that you don't want to make fun of him." John rubbed the back of his head in an exaggerated fashion. He hadn't meant to jump in but it did give him a chance to backup Jason's story and hopefully allay any suspicions that the man might have.

O'Neill looked questioningly at Michaels before asking another question. "Jason I'd like to know whom you think we can trust."

Jason gave it some thought but ultimately it was a very short list. "I trust James Potter, my dad, and Sirius Black. Neither would do anything to hurt me. I doubt Croaker would either but I don't know him as well."

John didn't know whether he should be proud that Jason was being so cautious or sad that he had to be. It wasn't right that his brother had so much on his shoulders but as much as he wanted to he couldn't change that.

"Thank you Jason, I know this hasn't been easy on you." O'Neill said kindly. "Major, why don't you take your brother to get something to eat, he looks dead on his feet. We can continue the questioning without you."

John nodded his head in acknowledgement before motioning for Jason to follow him. It hadn't been all that long since John was stationed at the base so he still knew where the mess hall was. Together, the two brothers shared a quiet meal of sandwiches and soft drinks. Neither said much. Both were content to simply enjoy the company of the other.

"Ok Jason follow me." John wanted to talk to his brother privately. So he led Jason on a decent hike to an old observation tower off one of the runways that was no longer used. He'd found the tower not long after being stationed at the base. It was a quiet place to retreat to when John wanted to be alone.

During his time on the base, he'd bought a couple of cheap chairs to so he wouldn't have to sit on the floor. He was pleasantly surprised to find them still there. In fact they'd been joined by a couple more chairs and even a small table. John grinned; someone else had found his hideout and by the looks of it used it for poker or something similar.

"Ok Jason, how are you doing really?" John was leaning forward intently. There was no ulterior motive; no desire for information, John just wanted to make sure that Jason was ok with what had happened.

"I'm fine, just a few scratches and I'm tired but that's it." Jason didn't know why he'd said that. He had wanted to talk to John but now that the chance was here, he was afraid. What if John thought he was weak or worse, what if John thought he was a monster?

John scrutinized Jason for a moment and then leaned back in his chair. The attack by the Wraith had driven home how much he'd been neglecting Jason while they were at Atlantis. He wouldn't do that now or let Jason push him away. He had an idea about what Jason was going through and as much as he hated the idea he had to push Jason hard enough to find out.

"You don't mind that you killed those men?" It hurt to see Jason flinch at the question.

"No it was just like the battle against the Wraith."

John knew that was true but it didn't change the fact that this time his brother had killed other humans and not some life-sucking aliens. "Is that what you'd say to their families? It doesn't matter that some of them might have had children that will never see their parent again? What does that make you?"

Jason blinked his eyes rapidly trying to keep the tears from falling. His worst fear was coming true right before his eyes; John thought he was a monster. "John…I…"

"No Jason, I want to know what that makes you?!" John asked sharply. He only hoped that Jason would forgive him for doing this but he needed Jason to get it out in the open or it would be hanging over his head forever.

Jason shook his head not wanting to answer to voice his fears but John's sharp voice wouldn't let him hide. His voice shaky, Jason said "I'm a monster. I'm as bad as the Wraith."

As soon as the words were out, Jason broke down and started to cry. At first he didn't even notice the strong arms that were wrapped firmly around him. He didn't notice the hand that was rubbing his back trying to sooth him.

After a few minutes Jason wanted to pull back from John but he was afraid to leave the comfort of his brother's arms. He didn't know what was going on. If John thought he was a monster than why was he hugging him? Did he forgive him?

"John?" Jason asked. That one word was beseeching John to help him understand what was happening.

John let his brother go. "I'm sorry Jason you needed to say it. I didn't know how else to do it without getting you drunk off your ass."

"I don't…what?" He was even more confused now but also a little hopeful. Did this mean John didn't hate him?

"Jason, I need you to just listen to me for a minute. You are not a monster!" John didn't raise his voice but it was said so firmly that Jason couldn't argue with him. "What happened today was tragic but it in no way makes you like the Wraith. What you did was defend yourself and others."

"But what about their families?"

"Yes some or possibly even all of them had families. Those people will probably want to blame you but it doesn't make it your fault or make you a monster."

"But…"

"Did you start the battle?"

"No." Jason replied softly.

"Did you enjoy killing those men?"

Jason thought it over before answering. There had been no thrill it had been a fight to survive. Even with the men responsible for killing the woman and children, there had been no excitement, no satisfaction, only the sense that justice had been delivered.

"No I didn't." His voice was a little firmer if no less soft.

"Did you kill them for fun? Do you want to do it again?"

Jason didn't even need to think about his answer this time. "No, I hope I never have to do it again."

John wrapped Jason in a tight hug again. "I hope you never do too and that is why you aren't like the Wraith. They enjoy killing, they enjoy the act itself as much as the need for it. You will never become a monster; I need you to believe that."

Jason nodded against John's chest. John would help him. John would make sure he never became like the Wraith.

When they broke apart again, John looked at Jason. "I won't lie to you Jason. You're going to have nightmares. You will probably remember the faces of those men a long long time. I want you to talk to me and when we are back at Atlantis, I want you to talk to Dr. Heightmeyer."

"The shrink? Why you don't talk to her do you?" Jason didn't like the idea of talking to a psychiatrist. He was happy to talk to John but someone he didn't know was another story altogether.

"I'm not 18 years old Jason. I was trained for this." John paused and then said in a quiet voice "I don't want you to have to live with the regrets and guilt the way I have."

-----

At the same time that John and Jason were talking, General O'Neill and agent Michaels were interrogating James Potter and Sirius Black. As the only two men that were deemed trustworthy by Jason, they were the first to be interrogated. The questioning had been fairly uneventful. Neither man was able to supply much information since they had only been alerted to the situation once the alarms were going off in the Ministry. After their initial questioning both O'Neill and Michaels were confident that neither man had anything to do with the attack, they were only responding to the alarms that had been triggered. It was true that this would clear the Unspeakables and potentially the Aurors that arrived with Amelia Bones, each person would still be questioned to make sure that nothing was missed.

Following James and Sirius were Croaker and Amelia Bones.

Amelia was unused to being treated like a prisoner and reacted accordingly.

"I demand to be released immediately. You don't have the authority to hold me." She ordered.

Agent Michaels looked at her in surprise. He had expected the woman to be more reasonable but she wasn't starting on the best foot. "I think you are operating under some false assumptions Ms. Bones. You have no authority here. You and the other witches and wizards attacked military personnel and threatened the security of this country."

"We did not attack the military. We were responding to the alarms. They picked up a magical battle in Suffolk. Before we could respond someone stunned us." She argued.

O'Neill asked sarcastically "So it is just a coincidence that wizards attacked three military personnel under my command?" He was including Jason but as a new member of the Atlantis expedition, he did fall under his command.

Michaels didn't even give Amelia a chance to respond. "The Prime Minister has already spoken with the Queen, unless you can provide a reasonable excuse for today's events there will be severe repercussions for the wizarding world. We have let you run affairs without oversight for too long apparently."

Amelia paled. If the Queen was notified they would never be able to obliviate everybody. This was a disaster. "I truly don't know what happened. I was in my office with Croaker, the head of the Unspeakables. We had just been talking about Jason Sheppard and his return when alarms started blaring notifying both departments of a magical battle going on in Suffolk. Because of the size of the disturbance we each brought a contingent of our forces. Like I said we were all stunned just after our arrival before we even had a chance to figure out what was going on."

One of the other officers in the room pulled out a packet of photos and handed it over to Amelia. "Can you tell us who you recognize from these photos?"

Amelia created four different stacks of photos. The first one contained all of her Aurors, the second was Croaker, James Potter, Sirius Black and the last two were a mixture of people. When she saw some of the photos, her blood boiled. "These are my Aurors, they arrived at the same time I did and could not have been involved directly. The next stack are the Unspeakables that I know of, they are a secretive group so I can't be certain beyond these three who was there. This one is people that I know have no place being there today."

"Do you know them?"

Amelia pointed out Albus Dumbledore. "Albus is the head of the Wizengamot our legislative body and the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry. I don't know why but he has been trying to get Jason Sheppard under his thumb for the past year. I would bet anything that he was behind this."

Both Michaels and O'Neill took note of this before moving on to the remainder of the photos. It turned out the others were either known members of a vigilante group known as the Order of the Phoenix which was coincidentally run by Albus Dumbledore or they were members of the personal bodyguard squad assigned to protect the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge.

Everyone in the room was disgusted at the level of corruption that seemed to pervade the government of the wizarding world. Even Amelia recognized how ineffectual the government had become but she was not in a position to change it. All she could do was hope to limit the damage to innocent wizards and witches.

O'Neill stood up and was glaring at Amelia. "You people are too much!" He planted both hands on the conference table and leaned forward menacingly. "I'm amazed you haven't destroyed each other."

Amelia flushed a bright red and stood up as well. "I will not be spoken to that way. I'm the Head of our Law Enforcement agency and I deserve if not respect then at least the courtesy that the position affords me."

"Really, we'll let me tell you, you're doing a bang-up job." O'Neill responded sarcastically not backing down. "What courtesy do you deserve? Under your watch you have a known vigilante group operating and a Minister acting far beyond the limits of his authority. So you'll have to excuse me if I don't ask for lessons on how to be an effective leader from you."

"Oh and I suppose your government is perfect, not a speck of corruption anywhere to be found." Amelia answered just as hotly.

Michaels who had remained seated added in his own view. "We won't even go into Voldemort and the amount of damage you and your people covered up. I suppose you see no problem with wiping people's memories since it is easier than dealing with the real problem. Tell me Ms. Bones, home many people were killed by Voldemort only to have your own people make it look like an accident. Didn't we deserve to know what was going on or was that not a concern?"

Suddenly Amelia found herself on the defensive. "We couldn't take the risk of letting you know what was going on. It could've been the witch hunts all over again."

O'Neill snorted contemptuously and stood up straight. "The witch hunts were hundreds of years ago. We don't attack people for being different but we will defend ourselves from a credible threat and you and the other British wizards and witches are doing an excellent job of proving yourselves to be a very real threat."

"That is the attitude right there, how can we trust that you won't attack us?"

"Lady from where I'm sitting it's only your people that have been doing the attacking."

Again Amelia found her own words thrown back into her teeth. It was true; the muggles had not threatened or knowingly harmed a wizard in centuries. Admittedly that was due to the secrecy laws but that didn't make the muggles safe from wizards. Voldemort was just the most recent threat to both their worlds.

"Even if what you say is true, what do you expect me to do about it?"

"General O'Neill, Ms. Bones, I think we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves. Before we set about fixing the wizarding world, I suggest we finish interrogating the prisoners. We need to know what exactly went on today."

O'Neill reluctantly agreed. There was still tension but they finished interrogating Amelia a short while later. When they were done, she was taken from the room. Neither Michaels nor O'Neill thought she was involved in the attack today but they didn't want to return her to the holding cells until after the other leaders had been questioned.

Croaker was the next to be questioned. Based on Amelia's information both men felt that it would be easier if they could identify who the actual participants in the battle were. By the descriptions provided by Jason, Daniel, and Teal'c neither the Unspeakables nor the Aurors had any role in the battle. So instead, Michaels focused on corroborating Amelia's account of the events and how the two teams managed to find themselves in Suffolk. When they were satisfied with Croaker's answers they gave him the same packets of photos that had been given to Amelia. Like his friend, Croaker identified Albus and the Minister's personal guards as the most likely causes behind the day's tragedy.

Unlike Amelia, Croaker was more resigned to the changes that were going to be forced on the wizarding world. The scale of the attack had been much larger than any single Death Eater raid and to make it worse, it had been conducted during the early morning in full sight of the neighborhood. That wouldn't stop people from wanting to send in the Obliviators but it would be a futile gesture and could possibly make things worse. No, Croaker realized the wizarding world had made its bed and for once it was going to have to lie in it.

-----

John and Jason sat in the old tower for some time. Neither said anything further content to have the other nearby. As much as he wanted to let Jason have all the time he needed, John knew they couldn't wait to go back. Fortunately, the questioning should be over and John would be damned if he let that agent dig too far into his brother's past or secrets.

Reluctantly, John stood and stretched his arms over his head.

Jason simply watched him but he didn't make any move to stand.

"Are you ready to head back?" John asked softly.

"Do I have to? I just want to go somewhere and sleep." Jason said plaintively. Still, he had yet to move from his position on the floor.

John nodded his head. "I just want to check in to make sure that they don't need us for anything." When Jason didn't react or move John added "Besides maybe James has been released and if he has I bet he's worried about you."

Jason scrubbed his eyes and sighed. He knew John was right but if James was going to be an ass that Jason was definitely not up to dealing with that. At the same time, he didn't want to worry him either. "John, can I go back with you?"

John held out a hand for Jason to grab.

Jason grasped his brother's hand and hoisted himself to his feet.

Once Jason was on his feet, John gave him a strange look. Rather, it was an incredulous look that left Jason confused until John grinned at him. "You're asking if you can come back to Colorado with me until we leave for Atlantis."

Jason just nodded tentatively.

John rolled his eyes but his grin never faded. Strangely, it made Jason feel safe even if he didn't know what John was smiling about. "Do you really think I would leave you here? I don't care who General O'Neill has providing security, you staying where I can see you until we get back to Atlantis. We just need to go back and get your stuff."

Jason stepped back and wrapped his arms around his chest. "John, I…I don't think I can go back there."

"You won't have to stay there Jason, it would just be to pack your things up."

"Please John don't make me go back there."

The look in Jason's eyes convinced him more than the tone of his voice. It tore at him to see Jason look so unsure and scared. He knew it would take more than just the one conversation for Jason to be able to move beyond what had happed but it hadn't stopped him from hoping otherwise.

In two strides, John had moved over next to Jason and grabbed him into a tight hug again.

Jason felt stupid. For the second time today he was crying. God, John must think he was so weak. He'd never seen John cry since the day they buried their parents. Part of him wanted to stay there, he felt safe with John protecting him. Another part was telling him that he was being a baby. Unfortunately, he listened to the second part and struggled to get out of John's grasp.

John just tightened his grip. "Don't Jason. You can't hide from this. It's going to suck and you're going to have nightmares so you might as well get used this now because you will need it later."

After one last burst of half-hearted struggling Jason gave in. His emotions were so close to the surface that they felt like an open wound. "I'm sorry; I know I should be stronger…"

John let Jason go but held onto his arms so that he could look Jason in the eyes. "Don't say that Jason. No one expects you to forget this ever happened and I hope you never get used to it because this is how you know you're human."

Jason studied John as if he was trying to make sure that John was being honest. Only after he was satisfied that his brother was telling the truth did he reluctantly bob his head in understanding. "So you won't make me go back there?"

"No of course not, I'm sure we can get Daniel or Teal'c to pack your stuff. I'd let James do it but SG-1 will know what to look for to make sure that we don't leave any classified materials behind."

Jason's relief was almost palpable. John immediately knew he'd made the right decision. In the future, Jason may want to go back, if only to face the ghosts of those that died but that day was not today.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

This time, Jason followed John's lead and the two brothers began to make their way back to the conference room.

-----

James was currently sitting in a small office off the main conference room where he'd been interrogated earlier. Despite the fact that everyone seemed to believe his story he knew that there was a guard outside the door. Where was Jason? That thought kept running through his mind. What if he was hurt? Surely he would've been told if that was the case but left alone with nothing to distract him, his mind kept coming up with darker and darker scenarios.

Frustrated and nervous, James pushed back from the desk he was sitting at and stood up. He muttered to himself as he paced around the room. After two circuits, James sat back down in his chair and began to drum his fingers on the desktop in an effort to distract himself.

He'd lost track of how long he'd spent pacing and nervously sitting at the desk by the time the door opened. At first he was both disappointed and frightened when he saw it was John. Where was Jason? But before he could even ask the question, Jason appeared from behind John and walked into the room with him.

It took only a second for James to realize that Jason was there. Before he rushed to hug him though, he apologized again. "I'm sorry for acting like a jerk. I was just worried."

Jason smiled. His dad apologized to him before but it was right after waking up so he'd wondered how much of it was simply being relieved that Jason was ok. This was different though, he could tell that his dad truly meant it. "I'm sorry too; I never should've left like that without telling you."

John muttered "You got that right."

After giving Jason a warm hug, James stepped back and asked something he'd been trying to figure out since this whole thing started. "What the hell is going on? Why were Dumbledore and the others attacking you?"

John and James watched as Jason walked towards the desk and sank done onto the chair. "I don't know. I was hoping you knew."

The last thing John wanted right now was to make Jason go through everything again. "James, we can compare notes later. I think Jason has been through enough today."

Jason would've argued normally but in this instance, John was right he didn't want to go through everything all over again.

"Well it might be a tight fit but my flat in London should be big enough. I'm not sure what we will do about Daniel and the others."

There was no missing the look that Jason and John shared. It was also virtually impossible to see how uncomfortable Jason was looking.

"What?"

"Yeah…" Jason said softly. "I'm going back with John." There was a moment of guilt when he saw the way James' face fall.

"But why?"

"I just don't think…" Jason stopped and took a deep breath. "Dad, I just need to get away from the wizarding world for a while."

James felt his heart jump a little when Jason called him dad. It was enough to tell him that Jason wasn't doing this to get back at him.

John decided to step in and head off any potential arguments. He moved over to stand next to his brother. "James, he'll be safer with me in Colorado. Something is obviously going on with your government. Do you really want Jason caught in the middle?" It was a low blow but James needed to see reason.

The fight left James. His shoulders sagged in defeat just moments after the topic came up. "You're right."

"Come with us? We won't be leaving for a few weeks yet to go back." John suggested.

Jason brightened and looked at James eagerly.

James wanted to, he really did but Jason wasn't his only responsibility at the moment. "I want to, I really do but I can't not with Thomas getting out of the hospital this week. He'll need someone to help him adjust and I can't just abandon him."

"Come for a week then, bring Thomas with you. It will give me a chance to meet him." Jason suggested, refusing to give up on the idea so easily.

James pondered the idea while leaning his head against the wall behind him. "I know Thomas wants to meet you too. I will talk to his doctors to make sure that there wouldn't be a problem with his traveling. As long as they give the ok, it sounds like a great idea."

Obviously that was the right answer to give because Jason sent him a bright smile in response.