CHAPTER 25:

CRY HAVOC, AND LET SLIP THE DOGS OF WAR!

All around London, members of the Order of the Phoenix cast various wards and charms. Meanwhile, Aurors, with varying degrees of reluctance, were preparing for the worst. It had only been Integra's audience with the Queen, and the Queen irately ordering Fudge to account for himself, that the soon-to-be-former Minister even considered obeying. After all, the Ministry still existed at the pleasure of the reigning monarch, Muggle or not, and Her Majesty was not amused, to use the clichéd phrase, at the antics of Fudge.

In any case, while Fudge seemed determined to deny the resurrection of Voldemort, he was willing to concede to the point that Millennium did pose a threat, so he reluctantly tasked Amelia Bones and Rufus Scrimgeour with preparing London for the onslaught. Fudge was hoping that, while he could see that his career as Minister was coming to an end, he might just be able to go out with a bang, helping coordinate a defence against an invasion.

The Muggle authorities were also on the alert, ready to evacuate the populace when the warning came. But there were traitors within the ranks that even Schrödinger didn't know about, and there were also the Death Eaters, noticing the activity, and, smarting from Iscariot's raids, made their own preparations. And between them, they would endeavour to ensure that when the storm arrived, nobody would be safe, crippling any attempts at evacuation and survival…

"It's the waiting that's the hardest part," Alucard remarked as he and Harry watched the twilight skies, packs of blood in hand like cartons of fruit juice. "The anticipation. People talk about the calm before the storm, but they don't know what they're talking about. That so-called calm is actually rife with tension. Take it from someone who has fought in more than his fair share of battles. I've led many men to battle back when I was a voivode, after all, and that was before I became a vampire."

"I'm sure it is. I remember when I was about to face off against a dragon last year," Harry said. "I was the last to go out. The waiting was the worst bit."

"And yet, you faced it. Harry, there are few things in the world that I'm proud of, especially in terms of legacies I've left the world. True, what old Bram Stoker wrote about me is not too bad, given how many nightmares I've inspired. But…if I had to choose a legacy that I am proud of, it'd be you. My line back from when I was still human has, well, it's pretty obscure outside Romania now. Even as a Dhampir, you're more of a man than most of these fools out here. Between man and monster, and yet, you've managed to find the right path between them. And you've helped Seras grow into a fine Draculina. And your own fledgling is a fine choice. I wholeheartedly approve of you starting a family with her."

Harry looked askance at Alucard. He knew that was another attempt at the vampire to troll him, but even so… "Hermione is not my fledgling. She's my friend."

"Yeah yeah, I get that. Anyway, my point is…Albus, the silly old fart…he goes on and on about how love is such a powerful force…but I'm not really capable of it. I haven't been for a long time. Eternity is relentless, eroding, wearing down the finer qualities of life, until cruelty and hedonism are what remains. I am a monster, and I probably will be for eternity, or until some lucky fucker manages to figure out a way to stop me for good. But for you, who are still capable of it…love has brought you an alliance of friends to stand with you. Love may not conquer all, and there are other things capable of uniting people for a common cause…but your friendship with others has strengthened you. All strengths are weaknesses. All of these things have double edged swords. But take it from an old monster who once thought such things were weaknesses…they are also strengths. And sometimes, you don't know what strengths you've got until you lose them. It took old Abe van Helsing to beat that into me…well, along with a stake. Dude could probably smack a rivet into a girder with just his fist, you know what I'm sayin'?"

Harry couldn't help but laugh, even if a bit uneasily. Here he was, on the roof of the Post Office Tower, with Count Dracula. Who happened to be his maternal grandfather. Oh, and they were waiting for the arrival of a Nazi remnant filled with vampires, with a werewolf and a couple of cyborgs thrown in. His life had taken a major turn for the surreal lately.

Hermione, Seras and the Wild Geese were all at the manor, while Sirius and Remus had accompanied Integra to the Ministry of Defence. Dumbledore was coordinating the Order from 12 Grimmauld Place. However, Harry and Alucard, especially the latter, were to be the vanguard when the invasion arrived. Schrödinger thought they would have already started making their way here, but as of yet, there were no reports from the MoD.

Suddenly, there was a trill from Alucard's mobile phone, and he answered it. "Master," he said, forgoing any jokes.

"Alucard, we have a problem. A number of Penwood's underlings had turned traitor to Millennium," Integra's voice spoke out. "They had been deliberately intercepting radar reports and hacking feeds. They tried attacking Penwood and I, but Black and Lupin managed to deal with them. But we now don't have much time to start the evacuation. Radar contacts show the Millennium fleet inbound."

As if on cue, they could hear explosions in the distance. Harry looked around, seeing a couple of fireballs. "Master, there are explosions in the streets. And what's more, if I didn't know any better, they were magical in origin."

"Damn! Black and Lupin just received Patronuses from Dumbledore! The Death Eaters have begun assaults at key points in London!" Integra snarled, her deportment slipping. "Alucard…I need you and Harry to deal with the Death Eaters and try and delay the Millennium fleet for as long as you can! You know what I want you to do."

Alucard stiffened, before nodding. "I presume I am to keep collateral damage to an absolute minimum?"

"Obviously. As for the Vatican, they have decided, albeit reluctantly, to send over those from Iscariot. Anderson, Yumiko and Heinkel have been recalled to London to assist. As long as they keep to killing Millennium and the Death Eaters, don't attack them. In any case, Alucard…Release Control Art Restriction Level Zero."

Alucard closed his eyes, exhaling a breath that seemed to be a strange, ethereal blue, like a cold, cold spirit. "Thank you, my Master. I hope there is some way you can watch this Hell you have unleashed on our enemies. It ought to be…spectacular." Hanging up, he began saying, in an echoing, flanging voice, "The Bird of Hermes is my name, eating my wings to keep me tame."

Tendrils of darkness erupted around him, darkness with an inner eldritch glow, twilight shadows, like the sunset, only more sickly, more magical, and more malign. They began spreading down the PO Tower, and into the streets, while the shadows surrounded Alucard.

Harry closed his own eyes, and called upon his familiars. While he had plenty donated by his grandfather, it was two in particular that he brought out: Bellatrix Lestrange, and Rip van Winkle. The others, he sent to accompany Alucard's own army.

"Wow," came the light tones of Schrödinger as he appeared next to them. "So, this is the full power of Dracula unleashed. I must admit, I'm actually shivering a little in fear."

The glowing shadows surrounding Alucard faded, revealing a different and yet familiar figure. Tall, imposing, dressed in old-fashioned plate armour, but elaborately, if darkly, decorated. The face was clearly Alucard's, but had a moustache and a sparse beard, and a somewhat tired, melancholy air to it. While Alucard's earlier forms had a certain sense of age to them, despite their youthfulness, this form, the one that was closest to his mien in life as Vlad the Impaler, seemed to have a sense of ancientness about it, like the weight of over five centuries of life and unlife weighed down upon him. And there was also a solemnity, a lugubrious that, while present in Alucard normally, was even more present now.

So this is what you really look like, Harry thought to himself. Not that he didn't know already: some of the familiars he had absorbed through Alucard's donated blood held memories of Alucard, back when he was a particularly vicious voivode known as Vlad Tepes. But to actually see it in person, and combining that with the aura of an ancient, powerful vampire…it was awe-inspiring. That was an overly-used appellation…but it definitely applied here…

From where he stood in the streets with Heinkel and Yumiko, Anderson watched the hordes beginning to spread across the streets from the PO Tower. It was a horde of thousands.

Kazans…Janissaries…even your own Wallachian armies, Anderson thought in horror. How many lives have you consumed? No wonder it's virtually impossible to kill you. Maxwell seemed tempted to launch a crusade from the rumours I heard, taking advantage of this little clusterfuck between Millennium, Hellsing, the Ministry and the Death Eaters…thank God that got shot down by His Holiness the Pope. Personally, I don't give a damn if some Protestants here got chomped on, but going all Arnaud Amalric is not going to fly(1). And I'll be damned if I let these Nazis and these warlocks win anyway.

"Father Anderson!" called out a voice. Anderson looked at a small group of men and women in cassocks on the nearby rooftops. "We're here now! Your orders?"

"Any piece of shit Death Eaters or Nazi vampires, we exterminate with prejudice. If you feel the urge to save some civilians, do so, if only to piss off the Round Table. Right. What are you?!"

The gathered members of Iscariot roared, in unison, "We are Iscariot, the zealot Judas!"

"And what do you hold in your right hand?!"

"Daggers and poison!"

"And what do you hold in your left hand?!"

"Thirty silver pieces and a rope!"

"Then what are we?! As Apostles, and yet not. As the faithful, and yet not. As apostates, and yet not. As traitors, and yet not! We are the Disciples of Death!" Anderson roared, his words echoed by his comrades. "We only bow and ask forgiveness from God! We defeat the enemies in the darkness! Our dagger flashes in the light of the moon, and we taint the dinner of our foes with poison! We are assassins! The assassin Judas! And when our time comes, we shall cast our thirty pieces at the altar, and send ourselves to perdition with our rope! And in Hell, we shall do battle with its demon armies for eternity! AMEN!"

After that was over and done with, one of the members came forth, and presented Anderson with a case. "Father Anderson, Section Three, Matthew, has gifted this relic for you to use against Alucard."

Anderson accepted the case gratefully. "Thank you. I'll probably need it. But for now, let's concentrate on the greater apostates. Alucard can wait…"

"Harry," Alucard…no, Dracula, said quietly, his voice thick with a Romanian accent. "I am going to divide my army in two. I will shape a familiar into my own image to lead the attack on the Millennium airships with those familiars I have who have weaponry capable of taking them down. I want you to help me here. I cannot help but shake a feeling that Millennium has a contingency. Send Rip van Winkle with the army headed to the airships: her bullets should be invaluable in taking them down."

"Yes, sir," Harry said, before looking at Rip. "You got that?"

"Ja, my Master, I've got it," Rip said, saluting, albeit with a scowl on her face. "Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, my bullet will punish all without distinction."

"Hey, you can sing while you do so, right?" Harry asked. "Give the battle a soundtrack or something? Would that cheer you up?"

She just continued scowling. Schrödinger handed Alucard a rope. "Herr Lupin summoned me earlier, and gave me a Portkey to a place just in front of the airships' path. Use this to take your familiars to the airships. The activation phrase is 'Sitting ducks'."

Dracula extruded another shadow, one that turned into Luke Valentine and Walter, the latter of whom had become younger, perhaps in his twenties. Luke shifted his appearance until he resembled Dracula. A few other familiars appeared, including Alhambra and a few wizards. "You know what to do," Dracula said. "Go forth…and destroy."

His familiars nodded, and then took the rope. The transformed Luke said, "Sitting ducks," before they vanished.

On the Deus ex Machina, the flagship of the Millennium fleet, the Major heard one of the technicians yell, "Magic surge detected! Signature consistent with Portkey use! Spotters…have found them! Group seems to include First Lieutenant van Winkle, as well as operatives Luke Valentine and Walter C Dornez! And they are gathered around…is that Alucard?"

The Major looked at the image put up on the main screen. Yes, it did resemble Alucard, in medieval plate armour and with facial hair. So, you reveal yourself, Vlad Tepes…or rather Dracula. The Son of the Dragon. But so small a force? Hmm, well, with any luck, we may have distracted you from our main goal. And even if you still are in London, and this is your attempt to delay us…you won't succeed. I will leave my mark on London…a scorch mark as it burns to ashes as a funeral pyre for us all…even you. And don't think that because Schrödinger has defected to your side means we cannot vanquish you.

He prepared to give an order, even as his former comrades, now Alucard's familiars, began shooting down the airship fleet. They had done substantial research into certain magical apparatus, and while this couldn't be used over long distances for such large objects as zeppelins (so they couldn't use those to cross the Atlantic), a short distance was, theoretically, fine. Like, say, the distance roughly between Devon and London. It was an insane gamble, but the Major never claimed to be sane anyway. And it would burn out the objects in question…but they should work.

"Let's give London a surprise party, complete with balloons, shall we? Activate the zeppelin Portkeys!"

The noise was like the rumble of thunder overhead. It was the sound air made when suddenly displaced by a small but substantial fleet of zeppelins, all marked with the swastika. "Recall!" Dracula snapped, and the familiars he had sent to stop the fleet appeared, once more clinging to the rope.

"How the hell did they get here?!" Harry yelped.

"At a guess, Portkeys," Dracula said. "You normally cannot use them to transport such large objects…but those fools must have been able to use them, even if only over a relatively short distance. Shooting them down here will only cause more destruction than we need. London is still being evacuated. Schrödinger. Tell Dumbledore and the Ministry we cannot afford to tarry! We need London evacuated now!"

"No! You can't be him!"

"Fool. I have enjoyed watching you in denial over my return, but all good things come to an end. Save for my glorious reign. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The end of Cornelius Fudge's life in a strobe of green light was what greeted Schrödinger when he arrived at one of the field offices. Fudge, in a fit of stupidity, in order to be seen as doing something, had come out in the field to oversee the evacuation and warding. It was a fatal mistake for him and the small retinue of Aurors he had with him. His eyes were filled with denial even as his lifeless body sagged to the ground in front of Voldemort and a squad of Death Eaters in a sort of perverse post-mortem supplication.

Before Schrödinger could act, though, Voldemort saw him, and smiled. "IMPERIO!" The Unforgivable hit Schrödinger with the force of a truck at highway speed, and even the necklace, meant to shield him from it, only did so much. He could only struggle against Voldemort's spell, resist, but not overwhelm it. He couldn't even teleport away.

"You have given your masters some considerable trouble, you disobedient animal," Voldemort said as he approached. "A good animal knows their place." He saw the necklace glowing around Schrödinger's neck, and snatched it away. The force of the Imperius increased, and Schrödinger felt his will to resist being locked away. "It's past time that you fulfilled your duty, Schrödinger. It is time for you to die, and take that abomination Alucard with you…"

CHAPTER 25 ANNOTATIONS:

Holy shit. And how's that for a bombshell? Still, it had to be one hell of a bombshell, considering how long you guys have been waiting for a new chapter. I am sorry about that, but I didn't really know how I was going to continue this story until recently, plus a loss of interest in Hellsing. I had a few ideas here and there, but nothing substantial. Still, it's been about a year (long enough for two episodes of Hellsing Ultimate Abridged to be released). I hope it was somewhat worth the wait. And hopefully, updates may be a little faster now that I've gotten over that hump, though I can't make promises.

Still, as of this writing, this story ranks third of Harry Potter and Hellsing crossovers in terms of favourites (and second most-favourited story I have written, though that may become first when this chapter is published), second in terms of follows (and it's the most-followed story I have posted here), and second in terms of reviews (and also as such on my stories, just shy of 600 as of writing). It ranks in the top 10 of all of the above in Hellsing crossovers in general across all of those factors. Now that's bloody impressive, and I have you guys to thank.

Anyway, before I get to the reviews, I should do some shameless plugging. This chapter is being published as part of a larger update as an early Christmas present for you guys. As this story has the largest readership of those I am updating, I'm going to point them out.

This story may have spent a long time before updating, but it is far from the longest story to wait before an update. That dubious honour belongs to my Final Fantasy XII crossover Nitimur in Vetitum, which hasn't been updated (before now) since July…2016. It is being updated alongside my other crossover between the Potterverse and Final Fantasy XII, Ghost of Dalmasca, which also recently experienced a revival after a hiatus.

I have also posted chapters for my Overlord (the light novel/anime series, not the games, though a story with the latter is a potential future fic) crossovers, the Potterverse story Yield to the Darkness and the Red vs Blue story Xenagogy for Belligerent AIs and Dungeon Denizens. Plus, there's also my first Harry Potter/RWBY crossover, a WBWL and female Harry story called Neopolitan and the Goblet of Fire, where a female Harry is actually everyone's favourite mute ice-cream themed right hand girl to Roman Torchwick. Oh, and another WBWL story set during Year 4: my Sekirei crossover Wings of the Forsaken.

We also have Nasuverse stories in Gorgon and Thanatos, and Light the Blue Touch Paper and Run Like Hell, and my Yu-Gi-Oh! crossover Ignis Aurum Probat. Last, but certainly not least, we have the initial chapters of a long-awaited Darkstalkers crossover, Never Tear Us Apart.

1. Arnaud Amalric was the man infamous for supposedly coining the phrase 'Kill them all, let God sort them out'. This apparently happened prior to the Massacre of Béziers in 1209, as part of the Crusade against the Cathars of France.