Harry Potter and his world belong to J. K. Rowling
Chapter 48
***Year 2035***
Stephen Baxter was shortly to retire after a distinguished career in British Intelligence, for the last thirty years dealing specifically with Aniragi Affairs. This was a briefing, highly confidential, for two of his seniors, plus a younger agent, a combat veteran who'd specialised in Aniragi Affairs after the uprising in Roumania. If action was taken, it would be Cox who would be entrusted with the assignment.
Once the room was locked against intrusion, Baxter started by displaying a picture on the wall, and asked, "Anyone know who that is?"
One of the seniors said, "Lee Chase, isn't it? Millionaire philanthropist, has set up a quite big enterprise to fight white-slavery." The 'white-slavery' he referred to was the ongoing problem of naive girls from poor countries who accepted 'jobs' in richer countries, and then found themselves working as prostitutes.
"He rescues the slaves, sets them up, and the organisers have a tendency to disappear, we think dead. His methods are ruthless, but effective. Lately, he's turned his attention to certain areas in Northern Africa where slavery is still to be eradicated."
"You think he should be stopped?"
"Watched carefully, not stopped. His full name is Ricky Lee Chase, formerly Ricky Drayton, formerly Harry Potter. And I'm quite sure that he is the wizard known as 'Vonder,' or the 'Midnight Intruder.' The one who used to dress as Batman according to some of the rescued slaves. The one who turned against his species."
"Do the wizards know this?"
"I don't want them to. And Chase himself has no idea that anyone knows. He knows the criminal wizards and he can deal with them in a way that we cannot, and I do not want him molested. He has seven children, aged between twelve and thirty. They presumably have magic, but if he registers, other wizards would almost certainly kill him for being Harry Potter. There has been no hint that he's been linked with Vonder."
Cox gave a sudden laugh, "He dressed as Batman, so we do like Gotham City did with Batman. Let him work for good, and don't trouble him."
Baxter grinned, "Like that. He is breaking laws, but unimportant laws. And the ones he kills, if he kills anyone, are the ones who should be killed."
"Wasn't there something in the paper about a half-made snuff movie? The victim was gone and all the participants shot dead. You think that could be him?"
"I'll tell you all that I know, but as I said, no action. Leave him alone."
"They gave him a high honour once, an Order of Merlin."
"Maybe we should give an Order of Anti-Merlin."
There was laughter, and when a knock came at the door, files were turned down, and the picture on the wall turned off. Lee Chase and the Chase children would not be molested.
***x***
***Year 2156, more than a century later***
Thousands of people gathered for the funeral of Claudia Veronice Shunpike, last known surviving member of the species of Anirage.
It was a sad occasion, so much history, so much colour, gone. The Chase descendants gathered at Whiteoaks, once known as Potter Manor. It was difficult to know how many wizards still lived in isolated pockets in the world, but they thought it probable that they were the largest group, forty-three of them, not counting spouses.
The Snape/D'Angouleme descendants also gathered. Fifty-two of them, stronger in magic than most, as there had been some intermarriage among the descendants.
But the next grouping were descendants of Dean Thomas, just three of them with magic. Dean was very lucky that he'd happened to be travelling when the changes had begun, and then had had the unusual good sense to stay well away from the wizarding world. There were a few others, most of them in ones and twos. Few children were born with magic when most of their ancestors were without magic. There were no Muggle-borns. There were not enough wizards to leave them. Most of those with magic kept it very quiet. And anyway, so few had wands.
***x***
***Year 2256***
Another century passed. Stories were told, stories and legends, not always believed, of flying carpets, owls delivering mail, broomsticks that were for more than sweeping floors, portraits that moved and spoke... A vanished world.
The world of Anirage was a favourite genre for novels. They called it fantasy.
The End.
If you enjoyed the boys of Kreighley Beach Boys' Home, you might be interested in my Penwinnard Stories. Kreighley Beach has become Penwinnard, but it is the same place, even with some of the same characters.
No 'Harry Potter,' of course, and no magic.
These are original novels, and available at a small price from : profile/view/Samray
