First let me apologize. I planned on going over this a bit mor,e but since I'm already late and it really wouldn't fit to post this another time, you'll just have to bear with the typos and errors. Again, I apologize, and I should have the real next chapter up in a day or two depending on how things go, and in the mean time, I hope you enjoy this.
Harry Goes to Mars
Another day dawned, and for once, Harry had no obligations beyond breakfast. There was something to be said for waking up early on a Saturday. The fact that there was no Quidditch practice for the day meant that it was completely free for whatever harry felt like doing,.
Still, Hermione wouldn't let him skip his homework, even for a completely justified day off. Harry resolved to spend a few short minutes answering a few brief questions, just so when she asked, he could tell her, truthfully, that he had made some effort to completing it. Once he had appeased her, he could leave the rest for Sunday.
Yes, that was the ticket. Breakfast wasn't for another hour or so, so he could get it taken care of right away. The first class on Monday was Charms, so it would probably be best to start with that. At the very least, it would buy him a bit of extra time to dash off a few answers before his next class started.
He cracked open the sizable tome of charm work, only for a piece of carefully folded parchment to fall on to his desk. Harry looked at it for a brief moment, before picking it up and opening it. What was inside was a surprise.
Dear Harry,
I know this is going to sound crazy, but you have to trust me. You have to get to Mars. I can't go into much detail, it will only draw their attention to you more, so just remember. Whatever you do, Get. To. Mars.
Signed, Harry James Potter
Harry blinked at the note, written in his own hand, with his own signature, hidden in a book only he used. It was suspicious, but there had been a lot of suspicious things going on lately, and he hadn't touched the Charms book in half a week. It was probably nothing, but with the search for the mysterious beast of Gryffindor still without even a hint of its location, perhaps exploring this little mystery would be a bit easier to deal with. At the very least, it should prove an interesting side project.
His stomach growled, and Harry decided that solving this particular mystery could wait until after breakfast.
HPaCT
"Have I been doing anything odd lately?" Harry asked Hermione as he filled his plate. The informal nature of the collapsed school had held, and no one even seemed to notice the mixing of the houses anymore.
"Odder than usual?" Hermione asked. "Odder than searching for mythical beasts hidden away centuries ago and hunting evil unicorns?"
"Yes. You see, I found a rather odd note in my Charms book this morning."
"Let me have a look at it." Hermione said, reaching for the parchment. Harry handed it over without complaint, and waited as she read over it.
"This sounds like a prank." Hermione said, offering Harry a slight glare, "And not a particularly clever one."
"I know, but I don't remember writing it." Harry said.
"You probably just scribbled it down without thinking then. It happens to people all the time."
"But why would I write this to myself?" Harry asked, causing Hermione to frown.
"Honestly, I couldn't say Harry." Hermione said, clearly frustrated, "But there must be half a dozen different explanation besides you having to go to Mars! How would you even get to Mars? Do you won a rocket ship of some kind?"
"Well... no, but..." Harry trailed off. Rex had the ability to tear holes in reality, allowing them to move across the world freely. They didn't use it very often, since it only served to spread chaos over a larger area, but it could get them to Mars without too much trouble.
"...you've thought of a way to get there, haven't you." Hermione said, shock, horror, and resignation in her voice.
"Possibly." Harry admitted.
"Please promise me that you'll look into this a bit more before going off and doing something stupid."
"I promise Hermione." Harry said, though he had already accepted that he needed to go to Mars. His life was just too crazy for it not to be true.
HPaCT
Harry decided he needed more information, and to get it, it was probably best to go straight to the source. While Hermione probably knew a lot about Mars, she was still a student, and he needed expert advice.
"Professor Sinestra?" he called out, pushing her tent flap asode as he stepped into her office.
"Yes, what can I do for you?" The newly minted head of Slytherin House asked, her voice cool but not hostile. The décor was very simplistic, but that could simply be because of the construction. No need to decorate a temporary residence, after all.
"Could you tell me a bit about Mars?" Harry asked.
"Haven't you been keeping up with your Astronomy reading?" She asked him with an arched eyebrow.
"Of course I have, but this is mostly a personal curiosity, and the books don't really go in depth about the planets on their own, normally they just talk about what it means when they are in certain constellations or houses, and what that means in relation to one another."
"Well, I suppose I could spare a few minutes..." the professor said, already slipping in to her lecture mode.
"Mars is named after the Roman god of war, and as a result of that, as well as its red color is associated with war and conflict. It also ties in with our basic, primal instincts, the need for dominance, power, and even lust,"
Harry blushed slightly at that last aspect, but Sinestra continued on without noticing, "Of course, Mars doesn't stand alone in astronomy, its meaning can be affected by its own position as well as the positions of the other planets and constellations. For example, those born under the sign of Gemini when Mars is present often are more communicative than directly combative. They are more likely to settle things through debates instead of duels, though that can often cause the excess energy to be expressed in another method, generally twitching or fidgets."
Harry listened, trying not to fall into a stupor as Sinestra continued her lecture, warming to her subject. He nodded at all the appropriate time, and made sure to give general assenting noises when she paused for a breath. He probably didn't retain nearly as much information as he should have, but he did pick up bits and pieces along the way.
Finally it seemed that she was done, and Harry braced himself to sprint out of the tent if it looked like she was about to launch into another lesson. He wouldn't put it past her. She really seemed to love her subject.
"If you're still interested, here's a brief overview of Mars from an astrological standpoint." She said, handing him a hefty tome. Harry staggered under the weight, before finding his balance.
"Thank you Professor." he managed to say, earning a small smile.
"Five points to Hufflepuff for showing initiative in your interests. It's not often a student comes to me wanting to learn more. More likely they want an extension on an assignment or"
Harry gave her a smile, as he turned around and left. She wasn't the bad sort. He could easily see Hermione ending up like her once she graduated.
HPaCT
Harry did read the book, and not just out of a sense of obligation to Professor Sinestra. It was much easier to catch the little details when he could read at his own pace. Still, there didn't seem to be any obvious reason why he would have written that message to himself. Despite that, there was plenty of ominous foreboding associated with Mars. People often looked to Mars for portents associated with massive wars and widespread destruction.
All in all, it hadn't given him anything concrete, but it certainly sounded like it could be important. Certainly enough to warrant further exploration on his day off. Harry sighed, he had been hoping to enjoy himself today, but it looked like whatever was happening couldn't wait.
He just wished he knew why he needed to go to Mars. Couldn't he have been more helpful to himself?
Putting aside his frustration at his past self. Harry began making preparations. They wouldn't be there too long, but having a snack or two available certainly wouldn't hurt. Making a note to snag some extra food at dinner, he set out on the next step in his preparations, securing backup.
Harry headed towards the Forbidden Forest, confident he would find who he was looking for. Sure enough, without fail, Luna Lovegood was loitering around the edge of the forest, talking with her partner, the Snorkack.
"Hello Harry. How are you doing today?" Luna asked him
"I think we need to go to Mars." Harry said, not wasting any time.
"Alright Harry." Luna agreed. Harry nearly stumbled at how quickly she had agreed to that. He expected at least a few questions.
"Don't you want to know why?" He asked her.
"No, I think Mars sounds like a lovely place. Daddy always theorized that there were all sorts of strange creatures there, and I think it would be nice to see them firsthand." Luna said happily.
"Well... that's good then." Harry said lamely. He had expected more of a fight over this, but Luna never was the type to go along with expectations.
"Do we need anything before we go?"
"Well, I suppose some food and drink. We shouldn't be there for too long, I don't think." Harry said, still trying to regain his mental footing.
"Lovely. It's just about time for dinner. Shall we go?"
"Erm... sure." Harry said, following after Luna to the dining area of the camp.
HPaCT
Dinner was a subdued affair for the most part. Harry and Luna joined Hermione, and began to pocket as much food as they could carry.
"I take it this means you're going to Mars?" Hermione asked.
"What gave it away?" Harry asked.
"You're not exactly the subtle type, Harry." Hermione said with a mild glare, "But honestly, it's because insanity seems to follow you around like a lost puppy!"
"Sorry about that." Harry said, not sure what else he could say.
"Well, I hope you're not planning on leaving me behind." Hermione said.
"Sorry Hermione, I don't think you can come with us." Harry said regretfully.
"And why not?" Hermione demanded, "You've already dragged me into all sorts of dangerous adventures, what makes this one any different?"
"You don't have a monster. Rex and the Snorkack are the only reason we'll be able to breathe on Mars."
"I'm sure there's a charm or two I could use to get around that." Hermione huffed.
"I believe you Hermione, really I do, but we don't have time for you to learn all the charms you would probably need. Besides, what if there's something there you didn't think of? I don't want you to die Hermione, so you need to stay out of this one." Harry said, putting his foot down. If she had a muggle space suit or something else that would keep her safe, that was one thing, but without something he was sure would protect her, he wouldn't risk it.
Hermione glared at him, clearly not happy, but unable to assure him she could think of every contingency. They were, after all, going to another planet. Who knew what hazards could be waiting for them?
"...Alright, but the two of you had better not get hurt. I'll be very cross with you if you are." Hermione huffed. She clearly wasn't happy about it, but what else could she do besides be cross with him?
"We'll be careful Hermione. We should be back in a day or two, so if anyone asks, cover for us, alright?"
"Fine. If you miss classes, I'll try to get a copy of note for you." Hermione assented.
"Are you ready to go Rex?"
"i'm always ready harry." Rex said from Harry's pocket.
"Then now is as good a time as any." Harry said, making sure there was enough food to last them. Without another word he stood up, and began to casually make his way back to the edge of the forest.
HPaCT
"You know, I'm not going to change my mind on this Hermione." Harry said as they left the camp behind.
"Just because I can't go with you doesn't mean I can't see you off." Hermione said, still upset at being left behind.
"Don't worry Hermione, I'm sure you can join us next time!" Luna said cheerfully, missing the full body shudder that went through her bushy haired friend.
"Alright Rex, I think we're far enough away now that no one will notice us." Harry said, gesturing to his partner to transform. Rex seemed to writhe and twist, like someone breaking out of the world's smallest straight jacket. With a sigh of almost relief, Rex flexed his muscles, happy to be back in his true form.
"I THINK I LIKE YOU BETTER AS A STUFFED TOY." The Snorkack said, earning a growl from the dinosauroid.
"Now, now, we have more important things to worry about now." Luna said, placing a hand on the Snorkack to pacify him.
"YEAH. I CAN RIP YOUR HEAD OFF ONCE WE GET TO MARS." Rex growled.
"WELL? WE'RE WAITING." The Snorkack said.
Rex grinned, countless teeth shining in his jaws, as his claws reached out into empty air, catching on something that wasn't there. With a growl, he ripped the very fabric of reality apart, revealing a barren wasteland
"Are you sure that's Mars Rex?"
"THAT, OR DETROIT. BUT I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S MARS." Rex said. Luna giggled, as she and the Snorkack walked through, while Hermione just sighed at Rex's sense of humor..
"See you soon Hermione." Harry said, stepping through after his friends. As soon as his passed through, the tear in space and time began to shrink at a prodigious rate.
"Stay safe, you idiot." Hermione said, but the portal was already closed.
HPaCT
Passing through an interdimensional vortex was disorienting. Perhaps it would have been more accurate to call it horrifying, or sanity rending, but Harry had grown used to Rex and all of the associated madness, so for him, it was merely disorienting, and he arrived without significant mental trauma.
As he got he bearings, he saw that Luna was already atop the Snorkack, exploring the red rocks that pervaded the landscape around them. Harry took a step, and stumbled. He vaguely remembered from grammar school that Mars was smaller, and had less gravity, but it took some time to get used to the reality. However, the newfound awkwardness did nothing to detract from his apparent super strength, as he hefted and threw rocks that would have been impossible to even move on earth.
The two of them had some fun being the first two people on another planet, before Harry remembered why they came. Something was happening here, and they needed to find out what it was.
"Alright Luna, I have no idea what exactly it is we're looking for, so keep your eyes open. It could be anything."
"Maybe this has something to do with it?" Luna asked, pointing as a nearby structure. She and Harry walked over to it, examining it carefully.
"I don't think so. It look pretty normal to me." Harry said.
"I think you're right. I found some words written over here." Luna said, pointing them out to her friend.
"Viking 1?" Harry asked, wracking his brain as he tried to remember why that sounded familiar.
"Do you think it's some ancient artifact the Vikings sent here to colonize Mars? I'm not familiar with Norse magic." Luna said, before shouting at the Snorkack and Rex. Completely uninterested in their explorations, the two monsters were already picking at each other, just looking for an excuse to fight.
Harry sent a glare over to Rex, who settled down, for the moment "No, it's not that. I think it's American. I remember reading something about this is school, though it was a few years ago. Maybe we should have brought Hermione with us."
"So it's not Vikings? Or aliens?" Luna asked, disappointment saturating her question.
"Sorry Luna. Looks like we'll have to keep looking." Harry said.
The four of them continued to explore Mars, but no matter how much the looked, they couldn't seem to find anything. All there seemed to be were rocks and dirt. They pressed on, but found nothing, until the sun began to set on the empty landscape.
"I think we had better set up camp for the night." Harry said, looking at the fading sun in the distance. They hadn't brought much besides food, but that was what Rex and the Snorkack were for. Harry set about ordering the pair of them into building a makeshift shelter for them to sleep in, while Luna tried in vain to build a fire.
"Even with magic, it just won't burn. I think there's something wrong with this planet." Luna huffed, "I wish I had brought something to take notes with. Daddy would love to read about this."
"Well, even if our magic doesn't work, maybe Rex can help us out." Harry said, even as Rex and the Snorkack carved out a cave in a nearby boulder.
Rex flashed his teeth, before exhaling gently, expelling a sizable fireball. The flame settled slowly on to the surface of the barren wasteland, right in front of the newly crafted cave, and in defiance of all science and magic, continued to burn.
"Thank you Rex." Luna said, already pulling out some pilfered food to heat up. Harry wasn't sure how safe it was to use Rex's flames, but as his stomach let out a miniature roar of its own, he decided that question could wait for another day. He settled down beside her, pulling out some of his own food.
The two of them ate quietly for several minutes, making sure to keep Rex and the Snorkack separated. As they finished up their meal, the two of them looked over the strange world they had come to visit, before their eyes moved skyward.
"The stars here are really quite beautiful." Luna said, looking up at the empty expanse. Harry couldn't help but agree with her. It seemed like the stars here were especially brilliant, and even more numerous than out in the countryside back on Earth.
"You know, looking up at them, it's easy to forget that we're on another world. Everything up there looks the same, just... more impressive. I bet Professor Sinestra would cut off her right leg to spend a few nights here."
Luna giggled, but nodded in agreement. "Are you sure there's something here? Wouldn't we have seen something on the telescopes if there was something worth seeing?"
Harry sighed, "I don't know. There has to be something here, I just don't know where it could be. Maybe it's on another part of Mars. We can spend tomorrow hopping around the surface with Rex I guess."
Luna shook her head. "No I don't think that will help. Wizards and Muggles have been looking at Mars for centuries and we've never seen anything out of the ordinary. If they couldn't find anything, maybe there isn't anything o find?"
"So this whole trip was just a waste?" Harry asked in frustration.
"No, I didn't say that, just that we're not thinking about this properly."
"Do you have any suggestions?" Harry asked.
"Well, if we can't see them with a telescope, maybe they aren't here on the surface."
"You think they could be underground?" Harry asked, glancing at the ground beneath them..
"If I were hiding something, out of sight would be a good place for it to be." Luna said.
"THINK WE SHOULD JUST DIG A HOLE?" Rex asked.
"No, I don't think so." Harry replied, "We have no idea where their base would be, so digging randomly isn't going to help us out very much. We need to find an entryway."
"Can't you see through things Rex?"
"I CAN SEE MAGIC. THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO THINGS. AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THE FOUR OF US ARE THE ONLY MAGICAL THINGS AROUND HERE. EVERYTHING ELSE IS TOTALLY NORMAL."
"Drat." Luna sighed, and Harry had to agree with her. He was hoping that there would be some sort of adventure. Instead, all they seemed to get was a boring planet with nothing interesting on it."
"Of course, we can only see the surface during the day, when it's facing Earth and the Sun. When the sun isn't shining, who could say what could happen?" Harry said, a feeling of foreboding welling up inside of him. Maybe it was just voicing that thought, but he couldn't help but think that something bad was about to happen. If there was something out there, lurking in the darkness, then the fire they had set up would tell them exactly where Harry and his friend were.
"Rex, do you think you could build up the fire a bit more?" harry asked his friend. Rex let out a powerful blast into the sky, and for a brief moment, Harry could see the deserted landscape like it was broad daylight.
Only he had a feeling it wasn't so barren.
"I think we might be in more trouble than we thought we were." Harry said, looking out of their makeshift cave. As he looked over the apparently empty expanse, he began to see small flecks of light. As the glare from Rex's flames began to fade, he realized that they were more than that. They were paired together, as as the last of the light faded, and the flecks of light remained, he realized that they were eyes, countless pairs of eyes, all ready to act against him at the slightest provocation.
For a moment, his own eyes flashed, and his hand jerked as he considered reaching for his wand. That slight movement triggered something, and a barrage of lights shot towards Harry and Luna, drowning out any possible response to the attack.
A barrage of light fell down around them kicking up dust as harry and Luna dove for cover. The Snorkack let out a roar as it charged out into the darkness. The landscape lit up with beams of white light, most aimed at the monstrosity that was charging towards the martians, but some aimed at their little shelter.
"Rex! We need more light!" Harry said, peering out into the darkness.
"GOT IT HARRY!" Rex roared, blasting flames out into the darkness. Like their campfire, the flames remained despite the hostile environment, and for the first time, Harry could see exactly what they were up against.
Martians. Not the green or grey ones that tended to show up on television. These ones were a rusty red color, that blended in with the desolate martian landscape. Their eyes were gaping black abysses, and in their strange, three fingered hands, each of them carried something, probably a weapon of some sort. That was all the detail harry had time to take in, before one of them fired again, sending him ducking for cover.
Luna was sheltering herself as best she could, casting what few spells she knew at their attackers. While he doubted stinging hexes and leg locker curses would do much good, it was better than nothing, and he crawled over to her, sending his own hexes out towards the aliens.
Rex, once he was certain Harry was mostly out of harm's way, moved out into the burning landscape to face the aliens directly. Joining the Snorkack, the two monster cut a swathe of destruction, leaving blood, viscera, and burning flesh behind them. Attacks directed at the two humans quickly ceased, as their attackers realized where the real threat was coming from.
It didn't do them much good. The Snorkack and Rex shrugged off their attacks like it was a light drizzle. If anything, it only served to make them more ferocious in their attacks. Slowly the beams died away, as fewer and fewer martian remained to continue their attack. Finally, there were only a few left. Rex and the Snorkack stopped attacking, instead fixing the petrified aliens with a decidedly deadly gaze.
Seeing what happened to their allies, and realizing that they would share the same fate, the last three martians froze for a brief moment, before turning around and running for their lives.
"Don't let them get away!" Harry shouted, running over and climbing up on top of Rex. Luna shouted something in response, but he didn't catch it, too busy following the martians back to wherever they came from. It seemed she caught his meaning, as the Snorkack soon joined Rex in chasing them down.
They were surprisingly fast, taking advantage of the lower gravity to bound over the landscape, vaulting over boulders and jumping over hills that would have slowed their advance on Earth. Rex and the Snorkack were likewise hobbled by their inexperience with the lower gravity, but they made due. If they couldn't catch their prey, they could at least keep up, and it was doubtful they could maintain their pace for long.
It seemed they didn't have to. After a few minutes of furious chasing, they stopped, and lifted up an ordinary looking rick, revealing a metal tunnel that lead deep below the martian surface. They bounded forward, but the martians were already gone when they reached it.
"I CAN'T FIT IN THERE HARRY!" Rex growled, already moving to tear a larger hole.
"Find another way around! We can't wait and risk losing them!" Harry said, jumping down and plunging into the hole without a second though. The brief sound of scuffling followed him down, telling him that Luna was right behind him. He hoped this wasn't the wrong decision, but there were only a few of them left, and they couldn't risk losing them now.
Harry dashed around the corner, Luna hot on his heels. They ran deeper into the labyrinth of corridors, always feeling like their targets were just a few steps ahead of them. Harry could feel his lungs burning from effort, but he kept on pushing. He put everything into one last sprint down a long hallway, certain that they were right there. There was a barrage of brilliant flashes, and then everything went dark.
HPaCT
Harry woke up with a splitting headache. Shaking his head to clear away the worst of it, he realized that he had no idea where he was. He struggled to find his glasses, before realizing they were still on his face. It was his eyes that weren't focusing correctly. He shook his head, and the majority of the blurriness seemed to dissipate.
The first thing that came into focus were the bars. It seemed that he had been captured. The cell was completely barren, no sign of furniture, a sink, or even a toilet.
Though considering Luna was there, he probably wouldn't be too comfortable using it in the first place.
"Rex, are you alright?" Harry called out, but there was no response.
"Rex?"
"I don't think he's here, Harry." Harry turned to look at Luna, who was rubbing her head in pain, "The Snorkack isn't here either."
Harry sighed, "I guess we shouldn't have left them behind. I thought we could handle a few aliens ourselves, but I was wrong."
"Don't worry Harry, I'm sure they'll find us soon." Luna tried to comfort her friend.
"I suppose you're right. They wouldn't abandon us, after all." Harry said, his spirits lifting. Rex could see magic, and had said that their little expedition was the only magical thing on Mars. He would find them, they just needed to be patient.
Harry opened his mouth to say something, but a commotion outside of the room made him shut his mouth. Instinctively, he reached for his wand, which he was relived to find was in its usual place. Glancing over at Luna, he saw she had done the same. A quick shake of his head and deliberately moving his hand away from his wand told her to do the same. Until they knew what they were dealing with it, it was better to play nice. They could wreck things up when they found their monsters.
A collection of martians entered their holding cell. The majority of them wore no clothing, aside from a sizable blaster or two, but one of them wore a full military uniform, though Harry didn't recognize a single rank or award on it. Seeing them up close like this, he was surprised to see how tall they were. Television always showed them as tiny, but the shortest of them stood over seven feet tall.
He watched his apparent interrogator warily, mentally preparing himself for whatever insane tricks the alien creature was readying against him.
He was greatly disappointed.
"You foolish fools! MIB has not learned its lesson about trifling with the mighty martian empire!" It's voiced was high pitched and annoying, sounding something like a very nasally woodpecker.
"MIB, what are you talking about?" Harry asked.
"Don't pretend that you don't know! For decades, we have faced your MIB in battle, only held back by the slightest of margins. Now, however, our fleet has grown to epic proportions, and we shall overwhelm your pitiable defenses." the alien crowed.
"Honestly, I don't have a clue what you are talking about." Harry said. The martians paused for a moment, before turning and conversing quietly among themselves. Their apparent leader soon lifted his head up, looking at them suspiciously, before speaking again.
"Do not think we will fall for your human mind games! We are all knowing and all powerful!"
"And all knowing!" one of them chimed in.
"Yes, especially all knowing, perhaps even... DOUBLE all knowing!" the leader cackled, making Harry and Luna wince at the auditory assault.
"We shall give you time to reflect on your foolishness in attemptign to deceive the martian empire, and then return to interrogate you further!" The martians stormed out of the room as quickly as they had come, leaving a somewhat confused Harry and Luna.
"Are they the threat you were talking about Harry?" Luna asked the dark haired boy.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. They don't seem very bright, but they did build this underground base..." Harry considered. Perhaps it would be best if they just waited to see where this went. They didn't seem to be planning their demise, not yet anyways, and they needed more information. He just hoped his brain could tolerate their strangeness.
HPaCT
Harry wasn't sure how long they waited but eventually, the aliens returned. Once again, they entered as a crowd, their leader dressed in full military uniform and towering over his minions.
"Greetings, once again, foolish humans. Now you see the futility of invading our invincible martian base. You shall never escape from the depths of our fortress."
"How can you speak English?" Harry asked. Maybe it was the blow to the head, but the idea of perfect communication between completely divergent species had been driving him absolutely batty.
"Fool, did you think we would forget our encounters over thirty years ago? We have since learned and mastered your languages, so we might better subjugate you to our glorious empire!"
"Thirty years ago? I wasn't even alive back then!" Harry protested.
"Foolish human, we have studied your biology for decades now, you are clearly Agent White in some sort of disguise! Your paltry earthen tricks are no match for our martian ingenuity!" The alien laughed. The sound was disturbing, like the sound of countless screeching bats.
Harry winced, before soldiering onward. "Honestly, I've never even met Agent White. I probably look nothing like him!"
"Your appearance may be different, but you share 99.983% of DNA chromosomes! You will have to do better than that to fool us human! The two of you are obviously clones of Agent White, sent here to disrupt our glorious conquest of your puny planet!"
Harry groaned, clearly logical discussion would lead them nowhere. Better to try and take advantage of their arrogance. Thinking frantically, before they disappeared again, he said the first thing that made sense in his head, "Of course you will. Our defense network is no match for your martian cannon, after all." He said, trying his best to sound defeated.
"Martian cannon? Are you mad? Using that would undoubtedly destroy the lush surface we intend to claim as our own! Our fleet will be more than a match for any defenses you may have put into place, and we shall sweep over your pathetic armies like a sandstorm!"
Luna watched with interested as Harry struggled to come up with a response, "Your fleet will fail against us! We've prepared a trump card against them, your dylithium crystals will shatter when we use our sonic blast to protect us!"
"Dylithium crystals?! We have long ago surpassed the use of such primitive technology. Our hydrogen fusion cells will prove quite immune to such pathetic attempts against them, and your species will bow before us or perish for its arrogance!" The commander of the martians crowed triumphantly, his claims augmented by the strange sound of martian laughter.
"But the dangers of using those..." Harry trailed off, and the martians were more than willing to fill the silence.
"We are well aware of the explosive properties of fusion power, but rest assured, we have placed several safety system to prevent an accidental critical reaction. Only catastrophic failure could possibly endanger our ships, and your earthly defenses have no hope of penetrating our shields!"
It was surprising how much they were willing to give away. It just went to show you the dangers of arrogance in the evil invasion workplace. Harry did his best to play the part of a hopelessly defeated hero, allowing the martians to lord their superiority over him, until they at last grew bored with tormenting him. Slowly, the assembled crowd began to dissipate, until Harry and Luna were left alone.
"Well, I think we learned a good amount of information from them." Harry said, trying to lighten the mood.
"It certainly seems that way. Weaknesses, the layout of the base, even that one alien's secret family recipe for Mars cakes. They sounded delicious. I'll have to see if I can find the ingredients when we get back to earth."
"The most important thing we learned is that their engines are the key to their power. They seem pretty confident that there's nothing we can do as long as they have the right amount of power supplied to them, which means if we can disrupt that, they'll be vulnerable."
"Do you have a plan for doing that?" Luna asked curiously.
"Honestly, no." Harry answered. "We have no idea where they would keep those things. They told us about their base, but it's not like we have a map. This whole place is probably massive, it could take us days to walk from one end to the other, much less find what we're looking for."
"So what are we going to do?" Luna asked.
"I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully Rex and the Snorkack will be able to find us soon."
"Hopefully they will get here soon. I don't know if I can take much more of their interrogation."
"Ah hah!" A voice crowed, causing Harry to nearly jump out of his skin. "The foolish humans are nearing their breaking point! Soon their fragile minds will cave in before our superior intellect!"
"How long have you been watching us?!" harry asked. He thought that they had left already!
"We see all, and know all! Despair human!" One of them yelled, clearly pleased with itself.
"Truly, you're far too smart for us." Harry said, sighing as dramatically as he could. Maybe once he broke, they would leave them alone. "Our earthly forces are no match for your invasion force."
"Indeed! It seems the truth has finally broken your spirit!"
"Ha ha ha!" His partner cackled wildly. "Let us go and tell the supreme command that the earthling's will to resist has been broken."
"Yes, nothing can stop us now!"
"Well, I'm still alright." Luna spoke up. Harry shot her a glare, but it went unnoticed by everyone.
"What? How could you resist our interrogation?!" one of the aliens demanded.
"Our technique is flawless!" His partner agreed.
"Well, the truth of the matter is, I don't really believe you have a space fleet. After all, I haven't seen it. You could just be making this whole thing up."
"Making it up? You dare question us?"
"If I could see it, I'm sure I would give into despair, even knowing where it is might push me over the edge."
"Well then prepare to despair! For our massive fleet is here, in this very base! Just a short distance away from here even!"
"Indeed, just a short walk down a few hallways from here. Soon, it shall block out the sun, as we depart to lay waste to you pathetic civilization!"
"How about that? Did that break your spirit?" One of them asked.
"Hm..." Luna considered, "Well, I certainly don't feel happy to know it's so close by."
"Ha! I knew it! So pathetic!"
"Couldn't you be a bit more specific on how to get there?"
The alien open its mouth to reply, but was cut off by a voice booming over the loudspeaker system.
"Attention all pilots, begin the final stages of preparation! The glorious martian fleet will soon depart!"
"You see? We are mere hours away from our attack!"
"Oh dear." Luna said.
"Yes! If only we could stay around to see your spirit break, but there is much to do now, so it will have to wait!" The martians cackled once again, before leaving to their assigned stations.
Harry waited a few minutes to be sure they were gone. "Well, that went about as well as could be expected."
"They're not very bright, are they?" Luna asked.
"No, no they are not. I don't think they even bothered to leave a guard." Harry replied, "We're still trapped here right now, but it's only a matter of time before Rex and the Snorkack find us. Until they do, we need to come up with a plan."
"Did you have anything in mind?"
"Well, we need to do something about the invasion. They don't look very strong, so I think Rex and the Snorkack could do a lot of damage to them, like before, but I don't know if it would be enough."
"There are probably millions of them, at the very least. The way they were going on, it sounds like there's no end to their numbers." Luna said.
"That's what I was afraid of." Harry said, as Luna confirmed what he suspected.. "Do you have any ideas Luna?"
"What if we destroy their ships?" the blonde suggested.
"I don' think we can wreck enough of them to make a difference. They said they had thousands of them."
"Yes, but they also said the power source was very explosive. Didn't they say that one engine could take out an entire city?"
"You're right! We don't need to destroy them all, we just need to find a couple of them, and once they blow up, it will cause a chain reaction!"
"Exactly!" Luna said with a broad smile. "The only thing we need to worry about now is finding them."
"That shouldn't be much of a problem. If there are as many of them as they told us, they've got to be all over the place. We need to go in the directions of the most aliens, and we should find it quick enough." Harry said.
"They did say they were pretty close. We could probably just follow the aliens to the hangers. It seems like where most of them are going anyways."
"Good idea Luna. Now if only we had a way out of here." Harry could use his wand to unlock the door, but he didn't recognize anything even vaguely resembling a door. If only Rex were here...
"hi harry."
Speak of the Devil...
"Rex! Good to see you again buddy!" Harry said. His miniature monster hopped up for a hug, which Harry gladly gave him.
"I'M HERE TOO YOU KNOW..." The Snorkack whined. Luna reached between the abrs and gave her petulant partner a comforting pat.
"I know, and I missed you just as much as Harry missed Rex."
"REALLY?"
"Really. Do you think you could break us out of here?"
"I CAN BREAK YOU OUT OF ANYWHERE LUNA." The Snorkack said, jamming its horns into the bars and tearing them loose with an ear splitting shriek.
Harry rubbed the side of his head as he stepped out of the shattered cave. "They probably heard that, so I think we ought to get going."
"Alright Harry."
"Come on Rex. We need to make some trouble." Harry called over his shoulder before peering down the empty corridor. He had no idea where he was going, but anywhere was bound to be better than here.
"what did you say harry?" Rex asked.
"I said we need to make some trouble. The more damage we do now, the longer it will take them to prepare their invasion!" harry said, watching his partner assume his true form.
"SO I CAN JUST BLOW UP EVERYTHIGN I SEE, AND YOU WON'T GET MAD AT ME?" Rex said, his tail wagging madly like a hideous puppy/
"That's right Rex. This one time, you can blow up everything." Harry said, making sure to emphasize the words 'one time.' Knowing Rex, he would conveniently forget that at the worst possible time.
"I... I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER BEEN THIS HAPPY BEFORE..." Rex said, his booming voice trembling with unexpressed emotion.
"Less feelings, more destruction!" Harry shouted, they didn't have much time. He could already see a small army of martian rushing towards the,
"I HAVE NEVER LOVED YOU MORE THAN I DO RIGHT NOW." Rex almost sobbed, before drawing in a deep breath, and blasting the approaching aliens.
Harry regretted his decision almost immediately. Rex barely knew the meaning of restrain in the best of circumstances, and given free reign to do as he wanted, he was taking full advantage. What followed was nothing less than a massacre, alien blood and guts splattered every available surface.
Walls did nothing to slow his rampage, only fueling Rex's blood lust when the did not crumble before him. Harry lost track of Luna and the Snorkack, but assumed they were following along, creating their own carnage as they went. As long as they didn't get too separated, ti would probably work out alright.
Still, all good things, horrifying as they may be, had to come to an end. While the martians hadn't expected such a bloody assault, they were prepared for anything, even a monster attack. Those they encountered began to fall back, instead of blindly fleeing. Some of them even seemed to have weapons ready, and while they weren't particularly effective on their own, there were an awful lot of them...
"Rex, I think the time for mindless destruction is over." Harry said.
"WHAT? NO WAY! I CAN TOTALLY TAKE THESE GUYS!" Rex whined, though he fell silent as a barrage of laser fire hit him. While it didn't seem to cause any lasting harm, he had felt it, and it seemed more and more alien weapons were being brought against them. Harry could have sworn he heard a faint rumbling as something massive was brought up from the depths of the alien base.
Luna and the Snorkack came barreling down the corridor, leaping over Rex and tearing through the hastily assembled defensive line. It wasn't completely destroyed, but it had been weakened enough that they could break through. Rex jumped after the Snorkack, and Harry followed hastily behind, looking around for any sign of the hanger. If only they had been polite enough to write their signs in English too.
"Come on, I think I saw something this way!" Harry cried out, pointing down a fairly devastated hallway. Without a word, the Snorkack and Rex followed his directions, and the four of them tried to make their escape. The corridors seemed to twist in on themselves, creating an endless maze, but Harry and his friend kept on moving.
Suddenly it all came to an end, as the corridor opened up into a vast expanse. Harry looked around, vast columns of an unknown metal held the ceiling up, sheltering the sleek, manta ray like machines that filled every available space in the chamber.
"I guess this is their fleet." Harry said, his voice filled with awe. Each of them was easily the size of Hogwarts before it fell, and there were hundreds, maybe even thousands of them. The idea of so many ships attacking earth... it was mind boggling. They had to do something about them. The question was, what?
Well, when in doubt, blow something up. Harry was sure that particular thought was Rex's fault, but rigth now, it seemed like the best option.
"Rex, care to do the honors?" Harry asked his partner. Rex seemed to glow with happiness, before Harry realized it was simply the accursed fire welling up inside of him. With a bone shaking howl, Rex released of blast of hellish fire more intense than Harry had ever seen. He watched in shock as it melted clean through the first alien ship, tearing a hole in the next one as well. Again and again, Rex unleashed his scorching fury n the helpless alien fleet, their pilots unable to do anything until they could take to the air, and in the cramped space of the cavern, that wasn't an option.
As Rex continued to lay waste to the helpless fleet, and the Snorkack held off reinforcement behind them, Harry became aware of the whining sound. He looked around for what was causing it, before realizing what it probably meant.
The engines were going critical.
"I think we should go." Harry said. Luna nodded in agreement, her dreamy expression replaced with nervous worry.
"I'M THE FASTEST ONE HERE. YOU'D BETTER HOP ON." The Snorkack said. Harry and Luna wasted no time climbing on to the young Ravenclaw's partner. Rex was a bit more reluctant, but at a look from Harry, shrunk down and clambered on beside them.
"don't see why snorkack gets to have all the fun..." he grumbled.
"Once we get out of here, you can wreck as much stuff as you want, I promise." harry said, as the Snrokack began to pick up speed.
"but there won't be anything left by then! everything is going to be blown to smithereens!"
"And who managed to pull that off?"
"me... but that doesn't mean I want to stop blowing things up!"
Harry sighed. There was just no pleasing him. There were more pressing concerns at the moment though. Like the explosion that was growing at an ever faster rate behind them. It seemed that the destruction of their fleet had far more widespread consequences than Harry had thought. It seemed like everything was blowing up around them.
The Snorkack made a hard left, and Harry clung to its fur, hoping he wouldn't be thrown off. The martian had formed another barricade, but it was useless against the Snorkack. He slammed through it with ease, making sure to trample as many martians as he could as he plunged onward.
Harry looked behind them at the ruined remains of the blockade. Despite the scattered corpses, the martians didn't seem ready to give up. A number of them struggled to their feet and continued o shoot at them, and a number of vehicles pulled up, gathering as many survivors as they could before chasing after the rampaging Snorkack.
"Luna, I think they're following us!" Harry shouted. The young Ravenclaw didn't seem to hear him, his voice drowned out by the sounds of destruction around them. Harry grabbed her by the shoulder, and when she turned around, pointed at the martians. Luna nodded, and said something to the Snorkack.
"HOLD ON TIGHT!" The Snorkack roared, audible over even the madness surrounding them. Harry looked ahead, and saw what looked like a solid wall. Apparently, the Snorkack was fed up with using the hallways as a means to escape, and intended to simply charge through until he reached the surface. Harry braced himself as best he could, as they barreled into the bulkhead. With a howling roar, the Snorkack plowed through the last barrier between them and freedom.
It was a harrowing experience. Even hidden against the Snorkack's protective bulk, Harry felt the rocks flying around them. More than once, he felt like he was about to be torn off, and be buried alive, but somehow, he managed to keep his grip. He had no idea what was happening to Luna or Rex, but knew Rex could take care of himself, and that the Snorkack would never let anything hurt Luna. All he had to do was survive this last part, and they would be home free.
They broke on to the surface, with aliens hot on their heels. As the debris fell away from the Snorkack, Harry fell off too, unable to hold on any longer. He went sprawling into the martian desert, doing his best to get his feet under him as quickly as he could. The Snorkack turned around, with Luna still atop it, and Rex resumed his true form, crouching over Harry protectively.
Harry looked around. The area didn't seem familiar, but that wasn't surprising. They had traveled for what felt like miles under the surface. They could be almost anywhere on Mars. What worried him were the aliens that were still pouring out of the ruined bulkhead. All of them were heavily armed, but what worried Harry the most were the massive robots a few of them were piloting. They towered even taller than Rex and the Snorkack.
"Curse you blasted humans! How dare you destroy everything we have worked for?!" One of the robots boomed. "While you may have stopped us for now, we will rebuild, but next time, you won't be here to stop us!"
Harry shook his head, trying to clear it after his fall. This was when he was supposed to offer a witty retort, a perfect one liner that would show just what he thought about their plans. Instead, as he struggled to come up with something, Luna childishly stuck out her tongue at the aliens. It seemed to be adequate, as the aliens started screaming furiously. That was all the time they had before the battle was joined.
Harry drew his wand, resolving to study Hermione's scroll of spells once they got out of this. There wasn't much he could do to harm the aliens, but a few well placed Jelly Legs Jinxes caused several of them to fall over before they could attack.
Luna didn't bother with her wand, instead shouting commands to the Snorkack. The monstrous beast followed her orders joyfully, plunging in to the advancing wave of martian warriors. His onslaught tore through them like a runaway train through wet paper towels, until it met with one of the robots. The mechanical behemoth held its ground against the Snorkack, before dragging the monster to the ground. The Snorkack struggled against its hold, thrashing on the ground. It seemed like it was slowly losing the battle, before Rex bounded over them tackling the robotic giant. The behemoth let go of the Snorkack, who promptly tore into their infantry line, stomping the unfortunate aliens flat.
The remaining robots focused their attention on Rex, the three of them circling around the nightmarish dinosaur. Rex tried to face each of them in turn, but realized there would always be one behidn his back. His only real option was to attack. Rex lunged forward, but the alien had been ready, seizing his jaws it its robotic arms and holding them shut. Rex let out a muffled howl, bringing his massive forearm around his foe, trying to wrestle him to the ground before his companions could join him.
Harry ducked under a barrage of laser fire, before brandishing his wand. There wasn't much he could do against the robots, but the aliens without robotic armor, maybe there was something he could do. A few well placed confusion curses, and the attacks became more sporadic, aimed at friend and foe alike. Harry watched as a spray of laser fire lanced across the robot holding Rex, causing the metal monstrosity to flinch.
Rex took full advantage, breaking free of its hold before biting down on its chassis. Harry thought he heard a scream from Rex's latest victim, but it was hard to tell over the roar of battle. Ragardless, the robot fell, and Rex turned to he remaining opponents.
The two remaining robots faced Rex, prepared for anything that he could dish out, but they had forgotten about the Snorkack. The helpless infantry utterly obliterated, the Snorkakc charged at the oblivious pilots, sending them flying before completely crushing one underfoot. Before the last robotic titan could recover, Rex fell upon him, roasting the pilot alive inside of his cockpit.
Silence feel over the desolate martian wasteland.
"Do you think that's it?" Harry asked, turning in place, looking for any sign of enemies among the carnage.
"I don't see anymore of them." Luna said, "Though I think we should probably get out of here soon. "
"That sounds like a wonderful idea to me." harry agreed, "Rex, could you open a portal home?"
"DO I HAVE TO? CAN'T WE STAY HEE AND KILL ALIENS FOR A FEW MORE HORUS?" Rex asked, "THEY TASTE SO GOOD..."
"I KNOW, RIGHT?" The Snorkack grinned, "YOU'RE PRETTY GOOD AT KILLING ALIENS, BUT I KILLED TWICE AS MANY AS YOU DID."
"DID NOT!" Rex protested.
"DID SO!" The Snorkack said, stomping its feet at Rex's challenge.
"Rex, we've been here for a day or two. If we stay any longer, Luna and I will end up with detention."
"SO?"
"So that means we won't be able to go on adventures like this for awhile."
"AW... HARRY..." Rex whined.
"Sorry mate, but we need to get back to Hogwarts before we are missed."
"FINE..."
"Tell you what, when summer comes around, we can come back here and make sure they're not making any more trouble, does that sound good to you?"
"I GUESS..." Rex sighed, before raising his claws and tearing reality asunder. Luna led the Snorkack through, while Rex and harry gave the bloodstained landscape of Mars one last look.
"IT WAS FUN, WASN'T IT HARRY?"
"I suppose it was." Harry said, "Aside from being locked up and the alien invasion."
"I CAN'T WAIT TO COME BACK HERE AGAIN." Rex said, picking up Harry in his claws and carrying the boy through the portal.
HPaCT
The second trip outside of reality seemed less insane than the first, but then again, it could just be recent experiences blocking it out. Rex set Harry down as the portal dwindled behind them, and he felt an intense wave of relief pass through him. It was good to be back, dealing with the regular madness instead of alien invaders.
"Everything alright over there Luna?" He asked his companion.
Luna nodded. "I had fun Harry. We should do this again some time."
"Don't take this the wrong way Luna, but I'd rather there wasn't an alien invasion looming over our heads."
Luna tilted her head thoughtfully, "I suppose you're right. We were lucky it happened on a weekend. Invasions are dreadfully time consuming, and I wouldn't want to have to balance schoolwork against them."
"I suppose you're right." Harry replied.
"Well, I need to get back to my tent. I'll see you soon Harry!" Luna waved cheerily to him, leading the Snorkack back to camp.
Harry sighed. He was just glad the adventure was over, for now at least. All he wanted to do now was crawl into bed and go to sleep for the next few days.
"Hello Harry."
It seemed like that wasn't going to happen just yet.
"Hey Hermione, how are you doing?" Harry said, forcing a smile onto his face as he fought exhaustion. She was sure to be worried about what happened, so he could put sleep off for a few minutes to reassure her.
"I'm fine, thank you. And how are you doing?"
"I'm doing as well as can be expected after returning from another planet." he said with a tired smile.
"Well, did you have fun on Mars? Find anything interesting up there?" Hermione asked, giving him a probing look.
"Oh, it wasn't all that exciting." Harry said to Hermione. "Just a bunch of red rocks and stuff like that."
"Then what took you so long? You were gone nearly two whole days!"
"Luna and I decided to camp there for the night. We though it would be fun, and I guess we just lost track of time." Harry replied. Hermione had more than enough excitement in her life. She didn't need to know about potential alien invasions. Not yet anyways. Better to let her get used to all the insanity here before bringing other worlds into it.
Hermione let out an audible sigh of relief. "Well, next time let me know somehow! I know you couldn't owl me from Mars, but there much be some way of communicating with me."
Harry smiled, "Don't worry Hermione, I will."
As the two of them walked back to camp, a thought niggled at Harry's mind. He didn't see any sign of mind erasing technology in the alien base, and they didn't just try to erase his mind when they caught him. Sure, he could have just missed it, and maybe they wanted to gloat over their victory once they were done, but still, if they weren't the ones who erased part of his mind, then who was it?
HPaCT
"Now, one of the most important spells you can ever learn when dealing with dark creatures is the memory charm. While it certainly won't help you fight off a vampire or banshee, we do need to make sure muggles don't learn about us. The memory charm allows Aurors and other qualified people to erase memories about such things, and replace them with a more mugglish version, or just making them forget about it entirely. A skilled master of the memory charm, such as myself, can do it so seamlessly, that they would never even notice something is amiss." Lockhart droned one, despite the general lack of interest from the assembled Hufflepuffs.
Harry was among those less interested in the lecture, but something about memory charms reminded him of a movie Annabel had shown him over the summer. It was old, but still entertaining, with an overly buff lead character and a somewhat cheesy plot.
A flash of inspiration his Harry, and he took a sheet of parchment, writing down a quick note before signing it. He had always wanted to visit Mars, there just never seemed to be time to reason to do it. Hopefully this would tip the scales a bit. He carefully placed the note in his Charms book, knowing he would be studying it this weekend, if only because Hermione insisted on it, and waited until the end of class.
"Professor Lockhart!"
"Ah, Harry my boy! What can I do for my favorite student?" Lockhart grinned.
Harry ignored the favorite student comment, Lockhart said that to almost everyone. "You know that charm you were talking about in class? The one about erasing memories?"
"Yes, a staple for any defender against the dark! You're a bit young to be worrying about that, though. You'll need a few more years of school and training before you should go out hunting werewolves and the like."
"Of course sir, but do you think you could cast it on me? Just enough to muddle the lesson we had today?" Harry asked. It was quite a risk to ask him to do something so delicate to such an idiotic fop, but Dumbeldore must have known what he was doing when he hired Lockhart, right? Besides, he must have used it hundreds of times, judging by how flamboyant some of his accomplishments were. Frankly, it was surprising that wizards were still a secret!
"Well, I don't know if that's a good idea..." Lockhart hedged, "While it is something of a specialty of mine, always got to make sure those muggles don't know too much about the magical world, even when you're saving them, there are still risks, and you are a student of mine after all Harry."
"Please professor? I promise I won't tell anyone, it's just an experiment I want to try. If you notice anything unusual, you can fix it right away. After all," Harry said, trying to keep a straight face on, "You're one of the greatest wizards I've ever met."
"...Alright." Lockhart said, giving in to Harry's request. Having his ego stroked like that always made him a bit more pliable than he ought to be. He pulled out his wand, and with a dramatic flourish, he pointed it at the green eyed boy. "I'll check on you in a few days, make sure evrythign up there still working properly, alright Harry?"
"Yeah, that's fine." Harry said a bit impatiently. "Can we get this over with?"
Lockhart chuckled briefly, before raising his wand above his head.
"Obliviate!"