The Fifth Member of SG-1
Paths – Part 1
"Where do we go from here?"
University of Colorado Springs
A small gathering of professors and students – as small as 20 professors and 200 students is in America, were there to congratulate Harry.
At the podium, the Headmaster of the University looked at the scroll he was holding.
"In the last year, Mr Potter as gone from knowing nothing of math and science. Before he came here, he could read and write, but that was about it. And in the last year, he has improved his spelling and grammar. He has done what few people could – go from pre-high school level to post-high school level in all core subjects, and do so at a high standard. It is with great pleasure, that I am allowed to acknowledge his effort with the University Award of Excellence."
The Headmaster turned to Harry, who was sat on a chair to the side of the stage. He stood and accepted the scroll with a smile.
"SPEECH!" someone shouted.
The Headmaster grinned, and moved aside from the podium for Harry to speak.
He waited for everyone to quiet from their smattering chants of 'Speech!' before he began.
"When I first came here, I felt… well, dumb. Back where I came from, our education was, far different. I didn't excel at it. I was near the bottom of classes. My best friend however, was top. She couldn't imagine not wanting to excel at academics. She could have gone through all this in… 2 months, rather than a year.
"When I arrived, My friend was… gone. When I realised I needed to go through high school education… I wanted to honor her, and her memory. So, for the first time in my life," Here, Harry paused for a light chuckle, before he continued, "I applied myself to the academics."
Harry paused for a second, before he continued. "My friend used to get top marks. If she didn't get less than 100 percent, she would fret and try to redo her work, and try get that top mark. She once told me that, 'I do it, because I have something to prove.' She was scary, but brilliant. And as kids at that age are wont to do, they were rather put off by her brilliance. I was at first, but when I got to know her, it was no longer scary to me, to know someone with a great intellect and wit. And one mean right-hook." Harry chuckled at the added part. "She wasn't bullied for a good reason." He added.
"And when I got here, I also thought, people would put me down for being, dumb. So… I applied myself, and had the goals of full marks. I wanted, and still want… to be like her. I accept this award, in her memory. Thank you."
Harry stepped away from the podium, and as he moved to sit back down, the crowd slowly began clapping loudly.
At the back of the crowd, 3 people in Air Force formal dress and one tall, dark and stoic in a suit were applauding just as much.
The older man, who wore a pair of 2 stars on his uniform to denote him as a 2-star general, looked thoughtful and proud.
The greying-haired man, who had the bird rank pins of Colonel, was grinning at the accomplishment.
The woman, who had gold leaf rank pins on denoting Major, had teared up a bit at the speech, but smiled and clapped with the others.
Tall Dark and Stoic made little show of his emotions, as goes being stoic, but clapped all the same.
--
Stargate Command, Commissary
Harry sighed as he set down his fork. After the ceremony, he had met up with the others and promptly left for the SGC. For an hour, he tried to think of what field to start learning, and he was stuck.
He honestly didn't know what field he wanted to do.
He idly thought that Daniel would know. He was good at those things.
As he thought this, the over exuberant Jonas Quinn entered, and with a tray of food came over to the table Harry was at.
"Mind if I sit here?"
Harry looked up, and shrugged.
"Thanks." Jonas said, still with that smile.
"I haven't seen you around here before…" Jonas idly started, as he cut up some kind of meat.
Harry just stayed quiet, letting the man ask his question on his own time. Instead, he started to eat his barely-touched food.
Jonas glanced at him, obviously he had expected a response. "I'm Jonas." He said, and extended a hand.
Harry looked at it, then Jonas, and took it.
He swallowed, and said, "Harry."
Jonas nodded and went back to his food for a moment.
A moment. "So, What do you do here?" he asked.
Harry looked thoughtful, before he answered, "Nothing really."
Jonas paused, his fork holding some Jell-o, halfway from the tray to his mouth. "Nothing? Why don't I believe that?"
Harry shrugged, and answered the real question. "I don't work here… I just, I dunno, I come here every so often to think."
Jonas raised his eyebrows, and finally ate his jell-o.
When he swallowed it, he then asked, "So how do you get on this base, if that's all you do? Surely they'd have a reason for authorising you?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, I have authorisation, because I'm not exactly from these parts."
Jonas seemed to understand. "Like me?"
Harry shrugged. "Not exactly, but yeah. I came through the Stargate."
Jonas seemed to consider, before he said, "I'm sure there's an interesting story behind that."
Harry ate into his food, and after a few minutes, replied, "I'm sure… now If you'll excuse me, I need to go talk to a friend about my options."
Harry started to get up, but Jonas asked, "Options?"
Harry sat back down, and realised something. "You're from that place… Kelowna or something?"
"Yeah…" Jonas answered, looking at him with a curious frown.
"And you're stuck here… on base, I mean. You kinda don't know what to do with yourself I heard…"
Jonas nodded. "I kinda figure that if there is something I can do, I could help SG-1."
Harry sighed, and replied, "I don't think Jack, Sam or Teal'c will be that accepting of you, considering what your people did in response to Daniel's saving their lives."
His use of first names in such a casual manner must have made Jonas realise something, as he immediately replied, "I know… Colonel O'Neill has been avoiding me, Same with Major Carter… Teal'c though, has been teaching me this… box-ing thing."
Harry smiled vaguely at the thought.
"But I told my people the truth… It's not my fault that my people…" Jonas stopped, and sighed. "I should have done that, not him."
Harry nodded. He suddenly felt weird, and spoke, "He doesn't blame you, you did what you could."
The weird feeling left.
"Yeah, if only Colonel O'Neill or Major Carter would believe that…" Jonas muttered. "Anyway, you were saying something about options?"
"Yeah, I just finished the core classes at school, and I'm kinda stuck on what field to go into."
Jonas nodded, and asked, "What do you like?"
Harry shrugged. "Been too busy catching up on 7 years in Literature, Mathematics, Physics, Biology and Chemistry in a year to figure that out."
"In a year, really?"
"Full marks too." Harry added with a smile. "I was as dumb as a doornail when I started…"
Jonas just seemed to look at him thoughtfully, before he asked, "Do me a favour? I mean, If I do you one…"
Harry shrugged. "Depends on the favour."
"If I help you figure out what field you'd like to go into, you speak to SG-1 for me."
"What makes you think I have any sway with them?" Harry asked idly.
Jonas grinned. "You used their first names with no hesitation and with familiarity… I figure…" he shrugged, but still grinned.
Harry smiled in response, and nodded. "Sure."
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