Fusion of Destinies II: Day of Reckoning
a Harry Potter/Metroid crossover
Chapter 36: Ragnarok Syndrome
2-20-2010
by Grey-X
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series and all of its characters are the creation and property of J. K. Rowling. Samus Aran and the Metroid series are the creation and property of Nintendo, and was originally masterminded by Gunpei Yokoi (1941-1997) .
xxxxxx
The two women, two halves representing light and darkness, stood and stared at each other in the middle of the Great Hall, both patiently waiting for the other to make the first move. "Come, Samus, let's get this over with. Valkyrie is waiting for no one, and both of us have plans involving her," said the SA-X.
"I bet you do," Samus shot back. "You have no real intention of giving Valkyrie the help she wanted from me. You'll just be biding your time, waiting until you can steal something like the Razor Knight, then go to SR388 and the X in this time and restructure history the way YOU want it."
The SA-X smirked evilly. "Ah, so you think you truly know yourself after all?" she jeered. "Perhaps that's my goal, perhaps not. Either way, this Valkyrie still intrigues me. Too bad she had to go and sully herself with Metroid DNA...."
A flash of lightning then blinded Samus, and in that split-second, the SA-X slashed the plasma whip. Fiery pain overwhelmed Samus as she was knocked back, but she landed on her feet, skidding backwards as she aimed her wand. "Expelliarmus!" Samus cried, elated to see charm done perfectly, blasted out at full power. However, the SA-X jumped straight up, letting the charm sail under her. Undaunted, Samus jumped up after her, nailing SA-X's jaw with an uppercut in midair, then following up with a roundhouse kick as they came down.
At least this school uniform's easier to move around in than that stupid dress! Samus thought to herself as she gracefully touched down. The SA-X came crashing down a second later, just as thunder rocked the castle's foundation. But she immediately sprang up and fired the Paralyzer. Her shot hit Samus dead-center, almost making her topple backwards. The SA-X came at her with a flying kick, sending Samus sailing down the center aisle toward the open doors. Jumping right back up, Samus aimed and shouted the first incantation that came to mind: "Aguamenti!"
Water sprayed out forcefully from her wand, but not at the same high pressures Harry could produce. The SA-X crossed her arms in front of her, blocking the water blast. Though it took a lot of effort on the SA-X's part, her doppleganger stood her ground, and Samus knew she couldn't maintain the charm for long.
Samus steadily inched forward while the SA-X couldn't see her advance. Then, she broke off the charm and jumped forward, aiming to come down on the SA-X's head with a drop kick. She wasn't fast enough, and the SA-X slashed up with the plasma whip. Samus landed with a dull thud at the SA-X's feet, her muscles burning, but still found the strength to lash out with a sweep, knocking the SA-X flat on her face. As the SA-X tried to get up, Samus grabbed her by the throat and, with her wand clenched tightly in a fist, starting punching her double in her face as hard as she could.
Oh, if only I knew the spells Snape pulled with a wand in his fist! thought Samus. Still, the SA-X's face was already bloodied, and her yellow-green eyes seemed to dim. Suddenly, when Samus tried for another punch, the SA-X grabbed her arm and threw Samus over her. Samus landed on her feet and whirled around, only to see the SA-X rush at her with an uppercut. It connected with her jaw, sending Samus flying back a good distance until her backside crashed down onto the teachers' table, smashing it in half.
The SA-X's evil laughter, mixed with the sounds of thunder from the enchanted roof, spurred Samus into getting right back up. She hatefully glared down at the SA-X, who was still laughing. "Oh, too bad our good friend George isn't here to see this. There was a perfect angle to see right up your cute little skirt as you flew," her double jeered. "It's disappointing, really, your attitude about George. Something you still don't realize you need as a human, right in your grasp, and you'll throw it away along with everything else Valkyrie offered. Not to worry, though. Once I'm done here, George'll provide an interesting...distraction."
As if Samus needed any more incentive, that threat fueled her determination all over again. She stepped back down onto the center aisle, holding her sparking wand. The SA-X stood her ground, her yellow-green eyes silently daring Samus as she twirled the Paralyzer on one finger. Funny, I just realized, we seem to fly farther the more we abuse each other, and we never seem to leave this particular two-dimensional plane, Samus realized. This isn't an ordinary duel to the death, is it? I bet there's something special I have to do....
As Samus pondered this, the SA-X fired the Paralyzer while it was fully charged. Samus jumped over the shot, flying right at the SA-X and planting a kick on the side of her head. As the SA-X reeled, Samus aimed at her midsection and yelled "Impedimenta!" The spell worked as intended, and suddenly it seemed like the SA-X's speed was halved. Knowing that the SA-X would still be plenty fast, and just as crafty, Samus forced her back with a roundhouse kicked, then took aim again, shouting the last thing the SA-X would expect to hear.
"Glacius!" Samus bellowed. Searing pain went off in all her muscles as turbid, subzero mist exploded from her wand just as the SA-X would've struck with the plasma whip. Her double was blasted back, nearly out of the Great Hall's huge doorway. The Paralyzer flew out of her hands, landing on one of the tables. Samus sagged to her knees, the backlash from the spell even worse than she anticipated. Gritting her teeth and fighting back tears, Samus started to rise again. But as she looked up, the SA-X was coming right at her. A boot to her face sent Samus skidding down the center aisle yet again. Her wand flew out of her hand, toward the ruined teachers' table.
Lightning flashed and thunder rattled the hall again, replaced by the SA-X's laughter once it died away. "There go our weapons, Samus. Guess we do it the old-fashioned way now, eh?"
"Guess so," Samus muttered under her breath as she launched herself at her doppleganger. Samus tackled her to the ground, but the SA-X immediately kicked her off. Both were back on their feet in a split-second, lashing out with all they had left: their fists and feet. However, being essentially the same person, fighting this way proved to be an exercise in futility, since both knew the other's fighting style intimately. Almost every punch and kick was skillfully parried, and neither one gave any ground. Thunder and lightning kept rocking the Great Hall as the stalemate raged on. But after a while, Samus got the feeling the SA-X was adapting, mixing up her own fighting style with knowledge she absorbed from other sentient beings. If that was the case, Samus knew she had to come up with a plan fast.
The SA-X popped her one in the jaw, sending Samus reeling back. Her gaze drifted upward just as another flash of lighning went off. As the light from the enchanted ceiling blinded her, some instinct told her what had to be done. Meanwhile, the SA-X must have gotten overconfident, for she clumsily lunged at Samus with another stiff left. Letting instinct take over, Samus grabbed the SA-X's incoming arm, then purposefully fell on her own back. With both legs, Samus shoved the SA-X upward toward the enchanted ceiling, then leaped up and spun in the air, smacking the SA-X with both feet as she fell back down. Samus saw the SA-X rocket up past the floating candles.
When Samus touched the floor again, another flash of light went off, but it wasn't lightning. Some sort of explosion went off where the SA-X would've hit the enchanted ceiling, sending out an upside-down column of starry bursts. Then there was crushing silence.
Samus took a moment to take some deep breaths, willing her heart rate and blood pressure to return to normal. Looking down as she did so, she got another good look at her outfit. "Hmph, not what Harry would've taught his friends in the D.A., but effective nonetheless," she told herself, fingering the Hogwarts emblem on her robe, which had the animals of all four Founders.
Satisfied, she grabbed the Paralyzer off the table, disgusted by how it looked exactly like the one she gave Harry. Sighing angrily, she walked back to the smashed teachers' table, looking for her wand. When she found it, Samus looked back down at the Great Hall, then up at the banners. Slytherin, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff's colors were still proudly displayed, but a banner for Gryffindor had yet to appear. "What in...I passed the test, didn't I? Why isn't this vision acknowledging I conquered Gryffindor's challenge?" she asked herself.
"Because you haven't," came the SA-X's cold, jeering voice. Freezing up inside, Samus looked back up. Some small, glowing platform was levitating the SA-X back down into the Great Hall. But now, her doppleganger was once again clad in her old Chozo power suit. Only the helmet was missing, letting Samus gaze directly into those chilling, yellow-green eyes.
Spurred on by pure fear, Samus turned both her weapons on the SA-X. "Stupefy!" she screamed over and over, continuously launching Stunners along with Paralyzer blasts. But her shots ricocheted futilely off the SA-X's armor, who just stared back mockingly, her twisted, toothy smile enough to nearly paralyze Samus with sheer terror.
Having had her fun silently taunting Samus, the SA-X raised her arm cannon. The missile barrel snapped open. Her eyes widening, Samus ducked aside just as a super missile reduced the teachers' table to splinters. Shielding her eyes, Samus ducked into the room the chosen Triwizard champions were herded into years before as the SA-X peppered the wall beside her with ice-spazer shots.
Slowly and methodically, as if savoring the moment, the SA-X made her way into the back room. But Samus was ready by the doorway. Having pocketed her weapons, Samus had lifted an entire metal shelf full of priceless magical artifacts over her head. As the SA-X stepped through, she brought the whole thing down over her unprotected head, hammering her double to her knees. Bracing herself her more pain, Samus used Glacius again as she backed away, hoping to freeze the SA-X solid long enough to get away and make a plan.
Unfortunately, the SA-X's suit had the varia upgrade, and slowly rose, shattering what ice had formed. "Nice try, Samus!" cried the SA-X as she blindly fired a super missile. Weak from using Glacius, Samus barely swerved around to avoid it. Huffing as she broke for another door, the SA-X shouted, "Go on, run! You know I can track you wherever you go, and your weapons are of no use!"
She's right. I can only cast the most basic spells, and the plasma whip won't do much good against a Chozo suit, Samus realized, nearly giving in to hopelessness as she ran down the dark, dreary halls. But there MUST be something in Hogwarts itself that I can use! Some potion in Slughorn's stock, some plant Sprout's growing, something....
As she went down the list of professors and what they specialized in, a wild, desperate hope came to Samus. Her vigor renewed, Samus sprinted even faster, heading for the closest staircase that would take her up.
xxxxxx
When the SA-X stepped into the corridor, sensing her quarry was still nearby, her eyes immediately fell on the entrance to the headmaster's office, now wide open. Raising an eyebrow, no doubt curious about what Samus was planning, she slowly stepped through the archway, keeping a watchful eye out for any movement.
Unfortunately for her, she neglected to look right above. Samus had positioned herself directly above the stone archway. As the SA-X passed under her, she dropped down with a furious cry. The SA-X immediately whirled around and aimed up, just as Samus had counted on. Before the SA-X could fire, Samus smashed a large flask over her arm cannon's barrel. Noxious orange liquid seeped out over it, instantly hardening.
As the SA-X stared dumbly at the Insanity-Glue on her arm cannon, letting Samus plant a kick in her midsection that sent her careening backward. "Good thing George bragged to me about how even Dumbledore purchased his products," spat Samus gleefully at the SA-X, who was now flat on her back. "Now it's a fair fight."
"You think so?" whispered the SA-X dangerously as she sat up. In a flash, the parasitic clone came at her with a vicious left hook, slamming Samus against a column under the archway. "Hate to break it to you, but still having a Chozo power suit gives me an edge." As Samus struggled to get back up, the SA-X bludgeoned her in the head with her nonfunctional arm cannon. As Samus slid down the column, blood oozing from her jaw, the SA-X kept on taunting her. "Good idea with the glue, though, but a shame you've got no other tricks up your sleeves." The SA-X grabbed her by the neck, hoisted her up, then reared back her arm cannon to bludgeon her again. "So, my better half, any last words?"
Samus's bloodied lips curled into a broad smile. The SA-X was right where Samus wanted her. "Just one, actually," she said. Samus had already been slowly drawing Valkyrie's wand from her robes, which the SA-X missed, and now it was time to act. Samus pointed her wand past the SA-X and screamed, "Accio!"
Her eyes widening, the SA-X let go of Samus and whirled around, hoping to spot whatever Samus had Summoned. But when the SA-X whole body jerked, and the tip of a blade poked out from in between the yellow plates along the SA-X's back, Samus knew her doppleganger was too late to act.
The SA-X stared down at her midsection, mouth agape, where the Sword of Gryffindor was buried halfway into her.
Samus wasn't done with her double yet. She flicked at her Paralyzer and flung the plasma whip at the SA-X. It wrapped around her shoulders and her throat, and in one swift motion, Samus spun and smashed her up against the column. Samus grabbed the sword's hilt, twisted it around, eliciting a horrible wail from her doppleganger. An even louder one followed after Samus pulled the sword out and ran her through again, this time making sure to skewer her heart.
Instead of the pus-like yellow glop, blood began flowing like water from the SA-X's stab wounds. "NOW I've passed the test," Samus snorted disdainfully, still clinging to the sword as the SA-X slid down the column. Samus knelt beside the SA-X as she slid down. "So, YOU got any last words!?"
Blood gurgled up from the SA-X's mouth before words could be forced out. "S-S-So you've past Gryffindor's test. Go on. Go fetch his weapon piece like a good little bitch. I-I-In the end, y-you gain nothing. Even if you stop Dr. Asara's Day of Reckoning, y-y-you have n-nothing but a bleak, lonely future to return to."
"If that's the price I must pay to keep power-hungry madwomen like you and Valkyrie from imposing your wills on an entire universe, so be it," snapped Samus defiantly.
The SA-X simply chuckled, right before coughing up more blood. Once she could speak again, she defiantly jeered, "You think this victory here means anything? That it'll set me back in any way? Take heart in that the sanctity of your mind and body is preserved...for now. But don't go thinking you've rid yourself of me...of the part of yourself you can't stand. You've no idea what's already been set in motion...what WILL be set in motion...."
As the SA-X's diatribe slowed, Samus noticed her breathing was slowing down, and eventually her eyes slid shut just as their yellow-green glow faded out. Samus withdrew the plasma whip and sword as she stood up, staring at her double's skewered corpse. Samus's heart thumped violently in her chest as she looked over the creature that copied so much of her: her body, her legendary Chozo power suit, her skills and knowledge. Just how much of the SA-X was a true reflection of herself? "But it's over now," Samus thought aloud hopefully. "With her defeated here, my mind and body's my own again."
As she spoke those words, though, it surprised Samus how hollow they seemed.
And then, there was a blinding wave of light coming down the corridor. Everything felt tingly for a moment as it swept past Samus, then she lost consciousness altogether.
xxxxxx
When Samus opened her eyes again and light flooded her senses, it took a few moments to remember what had happened and what she was doing. Once the recollection swept over her like a tsunami, she tried to move, only to find her body felt strangely stiff and sore. Looking up as her vision became less blurry, she thought she saw one of Adam's mechanical appendages, one with medical applications, hovering over her. What? I'm back in my ship and not in Dumbledore's office? Samus thought.
Her unspoken question was answered when Adam's synthesized vouce blared, "Harry, Ron, Hermione...Samus is finally awake. Time is short, so let's waste no time bringing her up to speed."
Samus groggily started to sit up, realizing she was on her ship's biobed. "Urgh, finishing the test knocked me out cold?" she asked.
"It sure did. The whole time you had your wand in that relic, I saw your eyes darting around behind your eyelids, your teeth were gritted, the veins in your forehead throbbing...." Hermione got out breathlessly. The trio crowded around her, worry ethced on their faces. Ron and Hermione had their helmets off, but were still wearing their armor, while Harry had opted to take his suit off entirely. "McGonagall tried to break the connection, but the relic wouldn't let her. Just what happened?"
For a moment, Samus was tempted to tell them everything. She was supposed to trust these three, and she had yet to tell anyone that the SA-X was still with them. But as she ordered her thoughts, the urgency of their mission came back to her. "I'll tell you all later," she said quickly. "Hermione, just please tell me you deciphered the last sanctum's coordinates."
"Well, er, when the relic finally let you go, you kind of, well, screamed in pain. You were convulsing on the ground, and McGonagall and I rushed to help you," Hermione said sheepishly. "By the time I turned my attention to the runes it was spitting out, they were already fading."
Samus's eyes widened with horror and anger. "You mean to tell me that I went through all that for nothing!? That we can't go after Gryffindor's piece!?" she cried indignantly.
"Not exactly, Samus," Hermione said quickly. "I did get a quick glimpse. From what I can tell, the last sanctuary is somewhere in Japan."
"So how does that help us!?" Samus demanded impatiently.
"Oh, it'll help us plenty," said Ron. "Y'see, the four Founders...everyone knows they all kinda reflected the four elemental forces seen in all sorts of old myths. Slytherin was water, Ravenclaw was wind, Hufflepuff was earth, so that leaves only fire."
"So...you're saying that Gryffindor's sanctuary is buried in something like an active volcano in that country?" asked Samus, starting to understand.
"Exactly," said Harry with a smile. "Gryffindor must've had his built right inside Mount Fuji. It can't be anywhere else."
Samus took a deep breath, relieved beyond measure. "Good. Now that I'm awake and you three are here, we can set out. Oh yeah, we still have to fetch J.B. and George, but maybe we should leave Voldemort behind this time. If this sanctum's in the heart of a volcano, he'll be more of 'a fifth wheel', as they say in this time, than before. Let's not lose any more time than we need to."
"Excuse me, my dear Lady, but there are a couple things you must be made aware of," Adam interjected delicately. "First of which is, well, much time has been lost already. Whatever solving the last Founder's puzzle involved for you, it left you unconscious for over twenty-hour hours. Even neurostimulants had no effect. Going by Britain's time, it is moments away from being midnight and July 3rd."
"WHAT!?" Samus yelled in disbelief, standing straight up. But as horrible feelings of soreness racked her body, the idea of being asleep for over a day didn't seem so outlandish. Still, frustration welled up within her. "You're telling me you've known the location of the last sanctum for over a day and haven't moved out!?" she demanded, overwhelmed with disbelief.
"What good would it have done?" asked Ron, shrugging his shoulders. "You're the one who has to take Gryffindor's piece."
"Plus, this'll be the most dangerous sanctuary," Hermione added. "We barely survived the other three, what with all of the Founders and Chozo's tests, and Inferno forces popping up around every corner. I doubt we'd get far without you."
The apologetic looks in the trio's eyes drove home for Samus, once again, how this mission called for her doing the thing she hated and feared most: lead. Samus sat down again, holding her head in her hand.
"It's not like we've been sitting around with our thumbs up our arses, though," said Ron sheepishly. "While you were asleep, all sorts of disasters have been popping up in England, and we've been putting our suits to good use. Had to secure Parliament from a gaggle of wyvern-riders this afternoon, for one thing...."
"Anyway, Lady, the three were fully prepared to move out for Mount Fuji an hour ago," Adam cut in. "But then something made me decide it was better to keep them, and you, here."
"Oh great. And just what might that be?" spat Samus.
"I completed the final analyses of Petunia Dursley's tissue samples, and the dark secrets held within," said Adam. "Dr. Asara's scheme is almost exactly as what you postulated." Samus looked back up, her eyes widening as she felt the color drain from her face. "Furthermore, Hermione aided me in finally deciphering the meaning behind the formulas Lord Voldemort ripped from Dursley's mind."
"Yeah, before we do anything else, we better arrange to have Aunt Petunia moved out of here," said Harry. "Hermione and Adam think they know what's wrong: Hogwarts itself is killing her."
"The school itself? That doesn't make any sense," said Samus.
"It's all the magic around the place. Turns out the concentration of magical energy in the air...it's more than any other place on Earth," Ron chimed in. "She was fine as a frog, it seems, but now that she's human again...."
"It all has to do with the mechanism behind Dr. Asara's transfection process," said Adam grimly. "But there's one bright spot: Harry believes there may be a way to ultimately turn this against Inferno. Now that you are awake, you must present this information to all of our allies. There may yet be a way to contain Inferno permanently, if we act swiftly enough. First, have a look at the abridged account yourself."
Samus heard the screen at the science station flare up. Gritting her teeth, Samus stood up and gingerly walked over to it. As Adam rolled down all the data he had collected, Samus could feel her blood get colder and colder. Indeed, it was almost exactly like what she expected to find. The question now was now to stop it. And as she read more, Samus could sense her three friends behind her, reading the very same data.
And afterwards, all four finally knew that the Day of Reckoning HAD to be stopped, no questions asked.
xxxxxx
Several minutes later, the four of them were heading for the Defense Against the Dark Arts room. Adam had relayed the message that the top members of the remaining Ministry, the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters were to meet there, and his special holoprojector was taken there too, to help with the briefing.
Harry nervously fiddled with his helmet, making sure it was fastened tight. If he left his mind unshielded, he had no doubt Voldemort could easily force himself into it, given how going over this intel would undermine any mental control he had. It felt so odd...for years, the Order kept delivering dire news to him. Now Harry had to help brief the Order on what would be the end of the world as they knew it.
Harry walked ahead of everyone else, reaching for the door handle when they reached the classroom. He was about to open it, but then he overheard sharp, vehement voices.
"They cannot put off going on the offensive any longer!" snapped Voldemort venomously. "We have known the location of Inferno's topside bases for days, all the remaining wizards and Muggles ready to fight have been clandestinely assembling for the strike, and now, a good number of Inferno's forces are being recalled for some reason! There won't be a more perfect time for a surprise attack!"
"But what if that means we play our hand too early, and it turns out Valerie's holding all the aces?" came J.B.'s cool, collected voice. "Yeah, all the intel suggests most of these screwballs are returning to base, but it also looks like they're assembling their chess pieces too. Their activity back home in the States has been escalating for days. They're planning something big, and if our counterresistance gets too tangled up when they lower the boom...."
"It's not just his country," McGonagall cut in. "What information we've gathered also suggested more Inferno forces are being hidden somewhere off the coast of Iceland. They must have their sites on something in Europe as well...most likely US."
"Wasn't all this supposed to end once the Muggle mercenary eliminated that alien ghost?" Bellatrix interjected. "Figures, she goes comatose on us when her and her pack were one step away from doing that. She better have a good reason for calling us all here instead of getting on that right away."
Samus brushed past Harry and slammed open the door with her arm cannon, holding her helmet in her other arm. Many tables were shoved together, with Voldemort, Bellatrix and Greyback seated at the classroom's darkest corner, many masked Death Eaters silently standing behind them. Scrimgeour and Umbridge were closest to the door, immediately turning and frowning upon seeing who just joined them. Scrimgeour, in particular, scowled upon seeing how Harry had taken hold of Hufflepuff's piece. Harry simply tuned him out. "Trust me, Bellatrix, I have plenty good reason," said Samus. "There's a good chance that once that final piece is ours, Valkyrie will have already won."
"Yeah. We think we've cracked the secret of her Muggle-mutating trick, and it's not a pretty picture," said Ron.
"Ah, sounds like you're finally convinced that her scheme is the grossest violation of the natural order," sneered Voldemort.
"Not quite, Voldemort," Harry shot back. "We've just finally realized that the price of Valkyrie's dream, this last part of it, is way, way too high. Makes what she pulled last night around the world...it's nothing compared to this final plague of hers."
"The operative word being 'plague'," added Hermione tersely. "Adam, show them."
The ring-like machine in the middle of the tables hummed to life, and from the top, it spat out a single projection. It looked like some bizarre shellfish with a milky-white sheen, with a long needlelike projection from one end of its sleek body, and what looked like dozens of pinchers protruding from under a husk on the other, ready to latch onto something and never let go. "This specimen is only about 500 nanometers long, magnified at about 145000 times," said Adam. "And unless we act soon, it will be the author of another worldwide paradigm shift."
"Hold it hold it...you're telling us some sort of germ is going to make all the Muggles like us?" asked Fred dubiously.
"That's exactly what he's saying," said Samus. "Already in your time, specially engineered viruses are being used to treat genetic defects. Valkyrie has taken that basic concept a step farther."
"Something only a few hundred nanometers wide is about to change the world forever," Hermione grumbled with disbelief.
"You're...sure about this?" asked McGonagall hesitantly.
"Unfortunately, yes. It's what I had suspected for a while, and while I was comatose, Adam finished up the research and confirmed it," said Samus. "Adam, go ahead and bring up part of Captain Granger's genetic profile."
The image of the shellfish-like virus faded away, only to be replaced by several long double-streams of As, Ts, Gs and Cs. Harry knew full well what Samus was about to explain. Over the last few days, Samus helped him become intimately familar with basic genetics. She never bothered the first time she landed in his time, after his own transfection, but circumstances had changed since she came back. Harry just hoped she could make everyone else understand.
"These represent base pair sequences from several different chromosomes in the captain's genome, taken from epithelial cells lining his trachea," explained Samus. "Long story short, pertinent base pairs code for crucial proteins. That's DNA's sole function. But the samples were taken less than twenty-four hours ago, and for all appearances are nothing but junk DNA, not coding for anything."
"But then, we put the cells in a special medium, then added viral samples we isolated from...an Inferno soldier we've taken hostage," said Adam. Suddenly, all but one of the gene sequences faded away, and the remaining one was magnified. "This particular sequence is found on the 22nd chromosomal pair." As he said that, another sequence of equal length flared into existence next to it. "And this is the same sequence, taken several hours after a virus culture was added.
As everyone studied the two gene strands, Harry saw the light of dawning wash over more and more faces. Greyback was the first to state the obvious. "A lot of the letter orders, they're...completely different," he muttered.
"Exactly. That's what a mutation is, and there's no doubt this virus induces them," said Samus seriously. "Now have a look from the sequence from the exact same region on Ron's genome." A third string of letters sprang up, this one identical to the altered version of J.B.'s. Nervous whispering broke out among many of the Death Eaters and Aurors. "Guessing by the structure of the protein this encodes for, it's probably a neurotransmitter," Samus went on, ignoring them. "Perhaps it's what lets your kind perceive ghosts and dementors and the like visually. But that's not important right now. There's many mores examples of altered genes we've picked out from our test cell sample. No time to decipher them all. All we need to know is that this is what's caused all the Muggles that emigrated to Inferno these last sixteen years to mutate."
"And thus why we have dubbed this condition 'Ragnarok Syndrome'," added Adam. "We know Dr. Asara swore to Scrimgeour and Umbridge that she would be a real-life Valkyrie, bringing about a 20th century version of the mythical battle of Ragnarok. This is how she created an army to do it."
"Feels like you're doing Asara too much of a favor, though, giving this disease of hers a cool-sounding name," said Fred idly. George immediately smacked his twin upside the head.
"What this affliction is called is irrelevant," said Kingsley. "Just...how can one virus do all this? I know enough about them to know they can't infect every type of human cell."
"All too true," said Adam, and suddenly the three gene sequences were replaced by a transparent model of a human body. In particular, the heart, lungs and brain were clearly visible. "It had no apparent effect on tissue samples from Ron, so it seems those with magic already are immune. Anyway, for the virus to have the proper effect, we suspect it must first come in contact with epithelial lining like the trachea and espohagus. Further infiltration occurs in the squamous tissue of the lungs once breathed in." Harry watched as the holographic image showed a noxious, opaque gas entered the model's lungs. "Naturally, only a fraction of the viruses breathed in would hijack the cellular machinery to replicate itself. The rest would simply inject the new strands of human DNA to be inserted."
"And once viruses are carried back to the heart via systemic circulation, the heart is the next organ to be infiltrated. Once they enter coronary circulation, the cardiac muscle and the pacemaker system are transfected next," Samus explained as the model zoomed in on the heart, sickly white dots flowing through the vessels feeding the heart. "It isn't long before they reach the brain, then slither on into the spinal column."
"What about...the immune system? Won't the body try to fend these things off?" asked Arthur.
"Indeed it will, but Valkyrie's a clever one. She factored that into bringing about Ragnarok Syndrome," said Hermione.
"Yes. As more of the virus spreads throughout the body, all the phagocytotic immune cells mount their attack and try to destroy them," said Samus. "But after studying our...prisoner, we can conclude this only helps the process. The immune cells can't phagocytize all the viruses before reaching lymph organs. Once there, the virus almost takes on a mind of its own, bursting out and infiltrating lymph tissue. There, they instruct cells to specifically synthesize viroids."
"Viroids?" repeated Bellatrix incredulously.
"Bits of DNA that can infiltrate a cell without a virus depositing them," said Samus. "Trillions of them get released at a time. We're not sure how, but these viroids eventually splice the remaining mutant genese for sorcery into the rest of the body's cells. The whole transfection process probably comes full circle in less than a day."
"Wait wait wait wait wait," Greyback cut in. "If this stuff'll change Muggles just by them breathing it in, why hasn't Valkyrie released it all over the planet already?"
"Because this virus can't survive in open air. It needs some sort of fluid medium to stay intact long enough to infect someone," said Hermione.
"Plus, there's another reason Valkyrie hasn't released it yet, and it has to do with why it took so long for Valkyrie to perfect her virus," said Samus. "Valkyrie didn't have the means to perform the final step in creating wizards and witches until she got hold of Harry. Or rather, his Metroid DNA."
"These germs...they have bits of the alien juice you stuck in that boy!?" demanded Umbridge. "She seeks to have pieces of these inhuman beasts infecting all of us!?"
"Can one of us please go slap her? Hard?" asked Ron innocently.
"Maybe later," said Samus offhandedly. "Anyway...giving these viruses Metroid-style traits was done for one reason: to establish magical cores."
"Magical cores...the indwelling field of magical power that slowly builds as a child grows," muttered Lupin. "It's the reason why children have such little control of magic and it explodes out of some. It takes so much time for the core to merge harmoniously with the physical body."
"And an adult suddenly gaining the genes for magic would have it even worse. It probably wouldn't even happen, and all the mutations would be useless," said Harry. "That's what these mini-Metroids are for...to transfer energy and make it into a stable magical core straightaway."
"Oh no...this is what the formulas I found allude to, do they not?" Voldemort asked hotly.
Harry nodded. "You heard what Tesla bragged about, about Valkyrie 'shrouding the entire planet in total darkness'. This is what she needed Kor-Zor for."
"Precisely. Assuming she's milked him enough to disperse his power across the whole planet, all the dark energy will give the viruses all the power they need to create magical cores within any infected humans. The dark matter is probably to create a suitable medium that they can survive in. Once that happens, Valkyrie can release the virus in the air, and there's her Day of Reckoning," said Samus.
"Sounds like something many here would actually applaud, for reasons I will never fathom," said Voldemort. "I suspect there's a special reason you want to see her Day of Reckoning thwarted."
"You bet there is. Samus and Adam think there could be a problem with the virus," said Ron.
"A problem with the virus?" repeated McGonagall fearfully. "You mean...it could kill all the Muggles instead!?"
"A good number of them. Valkyrie must've designed this virus so that once the core was established and the transfection complete, the immune system eventually purges most of the viruses," Samus explained, sounding more dire. "But this isn't exactly a virus, as it shows some basic signs of life, like limited movement and response to stimuli. In the prisoner we studied, we found a sizable number of viruses had burrowed into liver tissue and laid dormant."
"Like malaria," Hermione added bitterly.
"And once she was brought here, and the magical aura around Hogwarts turned these viruses back on, everything went crazy," Harry chimed in. "The virus adapted and started going out of control. Like cancer, it kept on going and it probably won't ever stop." Harry shut his eyes, knowing that Aunt Petunia had little hope of survival, even if she was ferreted away from Hogwarts right then. Madam Pomfrey had arranged for Bill and Charlie to get her out, then try to curb the runaway infection. Harry silently prayed she could help her the way she saved him with Samus's DNA. Despite all she had done, Harry couldn't bring himself to hate her so much, he wanted her dead.
"Going by the formulas Voldemort wrested from our test subject, the dark energy and dark matter nourishing this virus would not dissipate from Earth's atmosphere for several days. More than enough time for those humans vulnerable to an out-of-control infection to have the viruses hiding in their livers proliferate and adapt," Adam went on. "As the condition worsens, the toxins produced by the runaway viral infiltration would overwhelm the hepatic and renal systems, causing their shutdown and ultimately the death of the host," Adam finished. To the others, his voice must've sounded cold, but Harry could feel the horror behind those words.
It was a long time before anyone spoke again. Even the Death Eaters seemed slightly taken aback. Finally, Fleur dared to ask, "How...how many Muggles would be affected this way?"
"We're not entirely sure what host factors will predispose the virus to adapting and turning deadly after taking up residence in the liver," said Adam "But by our current projections...no less than 4.2 percent of non-magical humans would be affected this way."
"Oh my...what's 4.2 percent of over five and a half billion?" asked Arthur, his face ghost-white.
"A lot," said Hermione gravely. "The exact number, though, it's got to be in the hundreds of millions."
"Yes. Well over 230 million," Adam informed them.
Harry knew all this going into this briefing, but hearing Samus and Adam explain it once more chilled him to the bone yet again. Seeing the faces of all his friends in the Order, their utter sense of horror, made it even worse. Then his gaze drifted over to Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and his stomach churned from seeing their now indifferent looks. "Yeah yeah, we know you don't give a damn about all the Muggles that'll be killed," Harry snapped at them. "Of course, you should be more worried about the ones that'll survive."
"Yeah, no doubt this is meant to be Valkyrie's final revenge against you lot, the Ministry...the entire Wizarding world," said Hermione.
"So, when you said Val's goal was to alter humanity's evolution...." Slughorn began.
"This is what she meant," said Samus. "Not only is she going to make the rest of humanity like your kind, she's uprooting everything in their world. Ravaging entire militaries, throwing everything into chaos and confusion, razing all the religious sites...it's all Valkyrie's way of jump-starting her idea of natural selection, in preparation for when she forces these mutations on everyone. She wants to steer all of Earth's future social development from Inferno, as well as make all of humanity the same biologically."
"And this is what she thinks Lily would want?" asked Slughorn, sounding hopeless. "The rest of the world made just like ours, at such high a cost for Muggles everywhere?"
"Luckily, there's still might be time to stop it," said J.B. brightly. "Like any other biological weapon, Valerie needs a mode of delivery. If we can find out what she plans to use and destroy it before she launches it, that'd buy Samus enough time to get her weapon piece and wipe out Kor-Zor."
"And what happens after that, assuming both are possible?" demanded Scrimgeour. "Asara will still have her armies and the designs for this virus. What would stop them from trying again, from finding another power source for her plague?"
"Finally, an intelligent question from you, Minister," came a voice Harry never expected to hear again anytime soon. Gasping, Harry looked beside Scrimgeour, seeing Cornelius Fudge there for the first time. "But I recall being told that Mr. Potter had stumbled upon another...miracle solution."
Harry took a deep breath, stepping forward. "Well, I do have an idea about how we can get this virus to work for us," he said. "That fact that a good number of Inferno's citizens still have bits of this virus stuck in them, it gives us an opportunity."
"What kind of opportunity? Some way to turn this virus against Asara's soldiers?" demanded Bellatrix.
"In a way, yes. All we have to do is set up a Quarantine Charm. A big Quarantine Charm, and I mean a really big one," said Harry. "Set it to detect this virus, extend it all around Inferno, and then nothing gets in or out."
"And...just how do you propose a charm of that magnitude be maintained indefinitely?" sneered Voldemort, obviously not taking Harry seriously.
Harry simply took a moment to relish Voldemort's haughty attitude, right before revealing the next part of his plan. "That's where you come in, Riddle," he beamed at Voldemort, leaning forward a little. "You've had giants rerecruited for a while now. Don't pretend you haven't put them to work, mining that crystal and making more of those magical conduits. The ones you used to rebuild that space station must've been left over from the last time you had giants on your side."
"So if you want Valkyrie's life work contained, Voldemort, you'll cough up every bit of crystal your giants have processed for you," added Samus. "And once her topside bases are smashed, we deploy these crystals all around Inferno, have a Quarantine Charm cast through them, and that's it. Inferno is sealed away forever."
"But not destroyed!" Voldemort shot back angrily. "You know full well, Samus, no one in this world will safe so long as Inferno still stands. I would've expected a better plan from...."
"Face facts, Voldemort!" snapped Hermione. "America went all-out with nukes a few days ago and accomplished NOTHING. If nuclear weapons won't do the job, nothing else we've got will!"
"So we settle for the second-best thing: we bottle them up forever," said Ron.
Voldemort let out a disdainful snort, and long moments passed before he spoke up again. "It...is doubtful that I have enough of the giant's crystal for what you're suggesting," he said evenly. "Troops that some of my Death Eaters managed to get information out of...they bragged about Inferno covering a surface area the size of Spain. Such a charm would be spread too thin with what I can offer."
"That may not be a problem," said Harry. "We saw there was more in Hufflepuff's sanctuary, remember? If we get some people back there and strip those tunnels, that might be enough to...."
Harry was interrupted by the door bursting open. "Everyone, you'd better come outside and look at what going on," said Luna, her voice more serious than Harry could ever remember. Despite her carefree nature, Harry knew Luna wouldn't barge into a meeting like this unless something important was up.
Everyone looked around, muttering things to each other, until a few Death Eaters and Aurors started to shuffle out of the room, their curiosity piqued. The rest soon followed suit. They made their way to the nearest courtyard, far from the one where Samus's ship was docked and hidden. A good number of other witches and wizards taking refuge in Hogwarts were already there too, along with many Muggle troops. All were staring up, fixated on something. Luna ran ahead of them all, and after stepping out into the courtyard, pointed straight up. All across the night sky above Hogwarts, dazzling ribbons of greenish energy were snaking and swirling. "Just what on Earth are those?" demanded Voldemort.
"What's commonly referred to as the aurora borealis," said Samus. "It's typically caused by extraneous solar activity, like stray solar winds or...."
Samus's eyes widened, and Harry realized what had dawned on her. "The CME...it's finally here!?" he asked nervously. Samus could only nod.
"Oh, this is bad. Real bad," said Ron. "Hermione was telling me earlier that when one of these things hit back in 1859, a lot of the enchantments in the school seem to weaken. Thieves were able to fly in on brooms and nick stuff from Hogwarts for weeks...."
What that historical tidbit, the gravity of their situation hit Harry like a troll's club. It clearly hit Samus as well, for she cried out, "Valkyrie's coming! She's been waiting until the coronal ejection hit before trying to invade Hogwarts!"
"You sure about that?" asked McGonagall anxiously.
"You're the one who said her forces are still amassing out on the ocean somewhere!" barked Samus. "And like Voldemort's been saying, Valkyrie would eventually come in force. That must be part of the reason why she induced the ejection in the first place, so that could attack even if Tesla was put out of commission. With her on the mend, Valkyrie had to wait for this to hit!"
"So what are we standing around here for!?" demanded Harry. "We've got our work cut out for us!" His outburst finally seemed to rally everyone. Muggle soldier, Death Eater, Auror and Order member alike all rushed off somewhere, preparing for what was sure to be a long siege.
As for Samus, Harry, Ron and Hermione, they darted across the castle, back to the courtyard with their ship. Minutes later, the four of them were busily toiling away on the ship, making last-minute preparations and repairs. Hardly anyone said a word to each other, leaving a crucial question unanswered: should they stay and defend the castle, or flee to find Gryffindor's lair?
Harry jumped down from the ship's roof, having come out after helping Adam do last-minute patch jobs on his computers. Standing in front of the nose of the ship, Harry looked back up at the aurora borealis streaking the sky above Hogwarts. Say what you will about Valkyrie, but the woman sure knows how to plan in advance, he thought morosely.
Out the corner of his eye, Harry saw J.B. and George rush out to meet them. When he turned to face them, however, Harry saw Bellatrix was tailing right behind them, a broom slung over her shoulder. Further behind, Fudge huffed with exhaustion as he ran after them.
"We're ready to move out, but according to Lestrange, things look bad. REAL bad," said George breathlessly.
"Got back from doing recon with other Death Eaters," said Bellatrix tonelessly. "The bounty hunter was right. Asara's moving invasion forces through the Forbidden Forest, aided by those damnable centaurs. Thousands of her soldiers...they'll be all around us in less than half an hour. Also spotted her wyvern-riders and more Muggle flying machines. Nearly shot us down before we could head back."
"Good thing Scrimgeour and your Order had the forsight to draw up evacuation plans in the event on an attack like this," added Fudge, still panting. "The thing is, though, it may take hours to implement, and there's no telling how long we can hold back these...these monsters."
"Then we should stay and help," said Hermione resolutely. Harry turned to see her donning her helmet, a grim, serious look still visible behind her visor. "With this ship and our suits, we can put plenty of hurt on these Inferno goons."
"A united front is still vital. We have yet to wipe out their topside bases," Samus chimed in. "It's decided then. We stay until everyone can be evacuated."
"In that case, you better be there when the time comes," spat Bellatrix. "The Dark Lord has backed you up and fulfilled his end of our bargain so far." With that, she mounted her broom and flew out of the courtyard, leaving J.B., George and Fudge behind.
J.B. and George wasted no time on words, going straight for the ship, though J.B. did pause to smile and nod proudly at his niece. This left Fudge standing alone, looking quite flummoxed. Harry found his presence strangely awkward. They had never talked face-to-face after Voldemort's exposure in the Ministry.
Eventually, Fudge worked up the courage to approach Harry. "Mr. P-P-Potter, not quite sure how to say this, b-but...can it be more plain how wrong everyone was about you?" he blubbered. "I w-w-won't pretend to understand half of what's going on around here, b-b-but I must apologize profusely f-f-for...for keeping that HAG on as Undersecretary! I-I-If I had any idea of how sadistic she was, the things she did! And now advising her co-conspirator...I guess I feel I must tell you, once this is over, I'm resigning from the Ministry. I refuse to be part of their mess any longer. I know it's too little too late, but...."
"Fudge, it's no big deal," said Harry simply, finally having heard enough. "You're not to blame for what they did. As for what Valencia Asara's doing...that's no one's fault but her own."
Fudge nodded dully, still looking pale and nervous, before turning to leave the courtyard, occassionally glancing at Harry over his shoulder. Harry shook his head. He had yet to really forgive Fudge for all his bungling, but there was no time to waste dwelling on him.
"And you wonder why I'm fed up with the world as it is, seeing spineless vermin like that helping sow the seeds of ruin wherever I go," came a cold, sultry voice Harry now knew all too well. Popping his wand out, Harry whirled around and faced the ship. Valkyrie was right under it, calmly walking toward him. Harry was about to sling curses, but then she walked right through a landing strut. "Don't worry, it's really just a projection this time. Though as you know, my forces and I are on our way here."
"Don't let us stop you, then," spat Samus as she approached her projection, Ron and Hermione right behind her.
"We're not leaving anytime soon. Since you're so hellbent on causing as much chaos as possible, it's only fair we help out," Ron snarled. "Go on, invite all your Inferno pals over. We worked over three of your Reformers, we can trash the rest of your army too."
"As self-assured as ever, a true credit to the Weasley name," quipped Valkyrie flippantly. "But actually, I'm here to make you four an offer. You know exactly what I'm after here. Surrender your three GF Marine suits and turn Petunia Dursley over to me, and I'll order my forces to withdraw."
"You've been working up toward this attack for days, just waiting until the coronal ejection hit," said Samus tersely. "You expect us to believe that if we simply cave to your demands, you'll all skip off to your underwater home, and that's that? Somehow, I don't think so."
"Samus is right. We know you can't resist another chance to cause more chaos and destruction, especially after what you did yesterday, to all those religious sites," barked Hermione.
"But tell you what: we'll go ahead and hand over Aunt Petunia, since it might be the only way to save her," Harry cut in. "Thanks to that virus you pumped her full of, she's been slowly dying ever since she was brought here. Just like how millions more Muggles will die once you release that virus worldwide, on top of the hundreds you killed yesterday for no good reason."
Valkyrie whirled to face Harry, her eyes wide with surprise. "So...you've been probing Ped all this time until you uncovered my secret," she said flatly. "Well met...you and Samus truly are the best detectives to ever walk this Earth. Not that it'll matter if I can disperse my virus before your superweapon is assembled."
"Weren't you listening!? Hundreds of millions will wind up dead thanks to that virus! Dursley's been coughing up her guts for days, and that's what loads more Muggles will be looking forward to!" Ron yelled.
Valkyrie stared at Ron for a moment. "Then go ahead and release her to me," she said coolly, not sounding as if she believed them.
"And what about the other Muggles who're at risk for the same reaction to your virus?" demanded Hermione.
"I've been aware that...complications with the virus can arise, and am prepared to act quickly to treat any such reactions," said Valkyrie, though to Harry it sounded quite half-hearted. "But I can't let any such concerns stop us now, not when Inferno's so close to fulfilling our ultimate goal. I swore on Lily's grave I'd make her wildest hope come true, and in a few days, it'll finally happen."
"No matter how many more people die needlessly!?" demanded Harry. "It doesn't matter what you try to do after you let out that virus. Despite your best efforts, loads of people will die and you know it. Just like how so many Muggles died at those religious places, in spite of all the Muggle-Repelling Charms your cronies threw up."
"You see, Asara, at the end of the day, despite all your talk about helping guide humanity, doing all this in Lily Potter's name...you're no different than Voldemort. No different from anyone who asserts that the ends justify the means," said Samus resolutely.
"That's why we're DEFINITELY not going to be swayed by you now, no matter how you justify what you've done and what your trying to do. And the end of the day, that's all people can be judged by: by what they do," added Hermione.
"Go ahead, send your invasion force in. We don't care," spat Samus. "We're going to keep fighing you every step of the way. There's no other choice."
"And you know I've got no other choice put to keep pressing on, to make sure that what's happened to me and my closest friends never happens to anyone else...or you four and your friends for that matter," Valkyrie shot back.
"Yeah, we know," was all Harry said.
Valkyrie glowered at them all. The crushing realization that the four of them would never side with her finally seemed to get through to Valkyrie, and it filled her with a cold, calculating hardness. "Then get ready for the fight of your lives," she snarled, right before her projected image faded away.
xxxxxx
Well, now that it's 2010, I expect we'll be hearing more details about Metroid: Other M plenty soon. Personally, I'm eager to see what Team Ninja's cooked up. After the delightful mindfucks that were Metroid Fusion and Metroid Prime, I've learned to keep my fanboy mouth shut and not gripe about drastic change.
At least when it comes to this series; not too sure about how Castlevania and Sonic will turn out. Oh, I'm sure Castlevania: Lords of Shadow will be ridiculously fun, since I thought all the previous 3D games in the series were FAR from terrible. But one thing nags me: the vibe that this game is a 'reboot'. Excuse me? How can Konami spend 24 years building up such an epic mythology only to wipe the slate clean, without even giving us a game about the final battle in 1999!? And while many fans are elated over Sonic the Hedgehog 4, I just don't know about a new 2D game on console, since most of the 2D sequels on Nintendo's handhelds felt like shallow imitations of the Genesis classics.
So long,
Grey-X