CHAPTER 21: WIZARDS AND LIZARDS

There had to be well over a hundred of them, surrounding an ornate but scorched brick building with a faded gold onion-shaped dome. Many crouched behind sandbag walls, clutching sleek rifles, machine guns and rocket launchers. Four of the futuristic armored vehicles were parked along the street. The rear ramp of one lowered. Robert watched with unblinking eyes as more of them emerged onto the street.

Iguanas. That's what they looked like. Iguanas the size of an average ten-year-old, walking upright, their green scales broken up by elaborate, multi-colored body paint.

"Okay." James peered over the kneeling Robert. "I may not be the greatest authority on Muggle history, but I doubt there were rifle-toting lizards running around during World War Two."

"There weren't. But I know what show we're in." Robert glanced up at James. "It's an HBO mini-series from a couple years ago. Worldwar. It's based on this alternate history novel where aliens invaded Earth during World War Two."

"You think that Droid may have taken Rosie in there?" James nodded at the building, which Robert assumed to be a Muggle town hall.

"Maybe," Robert sighed.

"We are vastly outnumbered."

The two wizards turned to find Oishi, leader of the Forty-seven Ronin, had joined them.

"What sort of power does Lord Kira possess that he can summon these . . . little dragons?" Oishi intently studied the Lizards. "And their weapons. They look like firearms, though none like I have ever seen."

James grunted and shook his head. "Even with our powers, there's no way we'd make it past all those things. And who knows how many more are inside."

Robert rubbed his thumb back and forth over his wand. "Maybe we should go back to Hogwarts and tell the teachers."

James gazed at the rubble-strewn ground for several seconds. For a moment, Robert wondered if the oldest Potter boy had heard him. He was about to repeat himself when James finally looked up. "No."

"What do you mean no? They'll be able to handle this better than we can."

"I know, Robert. But if Rosie's in there, who the hell knows what they're doing to her. What if they're torturing her? What if they . . ." James shuddered, unable to complete the sentence.

Robert's chest clenched. His mind conjured an image of Rose screaming in agony. His stomach collapsed.

"We don't have time to round up the teachers," James continued. "Outnumbered or not, we're going to have to do this ourselves."

XXXXX

Rose Weasley shivered. Even with the stifling heat filling the hallways, she shivered.

Where are they taking me?

She glanced back at the Destructo Droid, which held her by the scruff of the neck, pushing her down the hallway. On either side of her strode two Lizards nearly a foot shorter than her, but carrying nasty-looking Muggle guns.

They turned down another corridor. Rose took quick, deep breaths, trying to settle her pounding heart. She failed. Neither could she coalesce the jumbled thoughts running through her head. Why did these things want her? Would they hurt her? Kill her? How would Mum and Dad and Hugo cope? Was anyone coming to save her?

"In there." One of the Lizards pointed to a door on the left.

The Droid guided her none-too-gently toward the door. The Lizard who spoke twisted the handle and pushed it open.

The room was bathed in darkness, save for a single cone of light that fell on a wooden chair in the center.

"We have brought the prisoner as you requested, Superior Sir."

Rose's head whipped around. Who could the Lizard be talking to?

"Put her in the chair."

The voice echoed from the shadows. Hoarse, like it had something caught in its throat. Inhuman enough for it to send shivers up Rose's spine.

The Droid dragged her to the chair and pushed her into it. The Lizards shackled her wrists to the armrests.

"Excellent work, Destructo Droid," said the disembodied voice. "You may return to your world."

The Droid bowed slightly and exited the room.

"Infantrymales. Stand guard outside. No one is to enter this room."

"Yes, Superior Sir." Both Lizards nodded and walked out of the room.

Rose's breaths came rapidly. Her eyes darted around the room, trying to catch a glimpse of her captor.

Be brave, be brave. You're a Gryffindor.

But all she wanted was Mum and Dad to be here. Or James. Or Cynthia.

Or Robert.

"What is your name, witch?"

"R-Rose." How does he know I'm a witch?

"Did the Ministry send you to spy on us?"

Rose tried to pinpoint the horrid voice. Was it to her right?

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Liar!"

Rose yelped and jumped in her seat. Tears stung her eyes. Something clicked in the shadows. A footstep?

"What does your kind know of our plans?" The voice demanded.

"I don't know anything!" Rose's voice cracked.

"Do not lie!"

Rose shrank back in her chair. A tear rolled down her cheek.

Be brave. Be brave.

More footsteps clicked around her. Was the thing behind her?

A hoarse breath circulated through the darkened room. Cold needles of fear drove through every inch of Rose's flesh. The thing sounded so close.

"We sensed your efforts to breach this world. Who else knows of our plans?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Is the Ministry planning to attack?"

"I don't know."

"Is the Ministry recruiting allies here?"

"I don't know!" Rose barely choked off a sob.

The clicking drew closer. Rose wanted to turn around, but feared what she might see.

She felt a hot, foul breath wash over her neck. "One way or another, you will tell me everything I want to know."

XXXXX

"We should wait until nightfall to make our move."

"Rose might be dead if we wait that long." James aimed a harsh gaze at Oishi.

"We will do the daughter of your emperor no good if we all die before we reach her. That's what will happen if we attack now."

"We'll certainly do her no good sitting on her arses and letting them do who the hell knows what to her."

Robert clenched his teeth as he watched his friend and the Ronin argue. Oishi didn't look like he'd give in to James' demand to attack the Lizard headquarters now. Equally, James appeared as though he wouldn't go along with the Ronin's plan.

Robert watched Oishi's eyes narrow. Cleary the warrior was getting mad. Mad enough to take the rest of his men back to their movie? His heart sank in a dark pool of dread. They were already badly outnumbered even with the Forty-Seven Ronin. Without them, how could they even hope to get past the Lizards and save Rose?

"If we can't go straight at them then what about to the rear, or the sides?"

"Now you are using your head." That didn't come across as a compliment from Oishi.

Apparently James picked up on it. His shoulders rose and fell. He cast a steely gaze on Oishi.

The Ronin didn't seem the least bit intimidated.

James' jaw twitched. Robert gulped, fretting an angry outburst by his friend. Would this be the outburst that made Oishi say, "Screw this. We're outta here."

James opened his mouth.

"Look . . ." Robert stepped forward. "Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere. I think we can all agree storming the castle isn't going to work. There has to be another way to get in there."

"Again, waiting for nightfall is our wisest course of action," said Oishi.

"Not if Rose dies before then." James scowled at the Ronin.

"Why kidnap the daughter of your emperor just to bring her here and kill her? Surely they mean to ransom her back to her father. Therefore, it would be in their best interest not to harm her . . . at least for the foreseeable future."

Robert and James looked at one another. Oishi's statement would make perfect sense if Rose actually were an emperor's daughter. Robert wished he could tell him otherwise, but that lie seemed one of the primary things keeping the Forty-Seven Ronin here.

"We have to think." James slapped his hands on his sides and stared up at the sky. "We can't hit them from the front, you're just as worried hitting them from the sides or the rear, we can't fly over them. What else does that leave us?"

He shook his head. Hands on his hips, James snapped his head down and stared hard at the rubble-strewn street.

And kept staring at it.

Robert shifted from one foot to the other. Crap, he wished James would come up with something. They needed to get . . .

"Hey!" Blue Ranger called from the edge of the corner building, where he kept an eye on the Lizard headquarters. "The Destructo Droid's back."

James, Robert, Oishi and Red Ranger hurried over. Blue Ranger moved out of the way so all four could peer around the corner.

Sure enough, the Destructo Droid wound its way through the Lizard perimeter and marched down the street.

"Well I think that pretty much confirms your friend is in there." Red Ranger nodded.

"Yeah, and now we got another problem." Robert looked at his companions. "That thing's headed this way."

"Probably going back to the portal." James looked down their street, toward the direction of the portal to The Forty-Seven Ronin.

"We can't afford to be discovered," said Oishi. "Hide."

No one argued. Everyone rushed around the street. Some ducked into bombed out buildings. Others crouched behind rubble piles. Robert, James, Edward, Oishi and Red and Yellow Ranger hid behind the German tank.

Robert held his breath. The mechanical footfalls drew closer. He fought the urge to stare over the hull of the tank.

Don't see us. Just go on your merry way.

The footfalls sounded on top of him. He bit down on his lip. A slight coppery taste of blood brushed his tongue.

He forced his head to turn slightly to the left. The Destructo Droid came into view, its back toward him. It continued toward the end of the street, where the portal hovered. Another few seconds and . . .

"Get down, Hugo," James said through clenched teeth.

Robert spotted Rose's younger brother staring out the ground floor window of a shattered building, watching the Destructo Droid march off. He gripped the window sill and leaned out a bit more for a better look. Someone else appeared next to Hugo. Diphda Prewett. She grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back in.

A piece of brick came loose from the window sill and clattered on the sidewalk.

The Destructo Droid spun around, its eye slit aimed at Hugo and Diphda. Both ducked just as lightning bolts jumped from the Droid's hand and blew out the window.

"Dammit!" James jumped to his feet, wand raised. Robert did likewise.

Both cast Stunning Spells. An instant later, laser bolts from Red Ranger's and Yellow Ranger's pistols streaked past them. All four shots struck the Droid in the chest. It flew backwards and slammed into the ground, sparks leaping from its torso.

They hurried around the tank toward the smoking hole where the window had been, the window Hugo and Diphda had been at.

"Hugo! Diphda!" James called out.

Robert released the breath he'd been holding when he saw Hugo and Diphda pick themselves off the floor. Both were covered with dust. Diphda had a trickle of blood running down her cheek.

"We're fine," Diphda said as she got to her feet.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Shame filled Hugo's eyes as he stared at James. "I just wanted to make certain it was leaving."

James gave the Third Year boy a stern look, but said nothing.

"Do you think those Lizards heard all this?" Edward looked to the corner.

Robert took off, followed by Oishi and Red Ranger. He got to the edge of the building and peered around it.

"Yeah. They heard us."

Robert's heart hammered as he watched one of the armored vehicles head toward them, trailed by twenty rifle-toting Lizards.

TO BE CONTINUED

AUTHOR'S NOTE: "Worldwar" is an actual four-book series written by the master of alternate history, Harry Turtledove. It is an absolutely fantastic series and I highly recommend it. I can see HBO actually doing a mini-series based on "Worldwar," and hopefully they'd do it as well as they did "Band Of Brothers." The aliens who invade Earth are simply called The Race, though humans mainly call them The Lizards.