Harry James Potter watched the soldiers pass by, their Thracian helmets and cuirasses gleaming in satin-white with gold filigree, the white tunics underneath snowy white, the brushes on their helmets mostly crimson, proof nearly all had murdered and bled out a witch or family of themselves.
A pair of slow moving Unimogs, their cell trailers filled with the families of two muggleborns who had refused to let their child be taken, were being transported to the local Malleus Maleficarum.
Outriders of soldiers on gleaming white Harley Davidson motorcycles with gold filigree and Malleus Maleficarum and 'inspirational' quotes about murdering witches covered them, watching the crowd who cheered the imprisonment of the family of mages.
Harry's mistress and the most senior sister of her convent—and a witch in hiding in muggle society like himself—approached.
"Father Clay," she said softly. "The sisters await."
He turned and smiled slightly. "Thank you, sister Helen."
She picked up the child carrier and they crossed the street. The family that had given up the child would be relocated to the New World on their own by muggles who worked with them.
The muggles on the street had mostly dispersed and soon 'Clay' and 'Helen' were in his Range Rover and heading towards a nearby nunnery.
~•~
Sister Jennifer Westland helped the new arrivals get the child in to the nursery then passed the child to a witch in muggle clothing instead of a habit. She disappeared with a soft crack as another sister brought in a child that looked somewhat like the child the two had brought.
With the new child's paperwork done, Sister Jennifer led Clay and Helen down to the basement. They stood around a three meter diameter pool as a nun secured the basement.
As soon as the room was secure, wands were out and they began casting detection spells save for Clay. He began to concentrate, causing ambient magic in the room to spike, overwhelming the crystals hidden in bricks that made up the room that absorbed magic.
A loud squeal alerted them to a delicate device being overpowered and destroyed by Clay's magic. He didn't stop.
After fifteen minutes and no more noise, Helen took over. With no more destroyed muggle devices, they turned back to the pool and Clay said "Tantuvio."
The water became a pillar extending to the ceiling, revealing a woman. "Professor," Clay said. "We found the family before the Hammer could. They gave up the child, the Seekers will get the family to the Americas within a week."
"Good. Come back to Hogwarts, I have a new mission for you. All three of you. Hogsmeade is in Quarantine as it's the full moon tonight, you'll have to take the alternate path. And don't come in that regalia, school is in session."
Clay rolled his eyes. "Once. Once i didn't change."
The three witches in the room snickered.
The water fell back as Helen went to repair the Hammer listening device installed in the room.
~•~
Helen, Clay, and Jennifer appeared on a ship docked a few miles north of the castle. It immediately cast off as they were shepherded down below.
Three fishermen went in to a hidden room as the three mages dressed in the oilskin jackets most aboard wore.
Father Gaius Kramer, bracketed by a pair of warmallet wielding paladins, and backed up by a machine pistol wielding Hammer Conquistadors, awaited the fishermen to finish offloading their catch.
With the fishermen finally done, they lined up to show their identification packets.
Poitier was the last of the group. Kramer studied his documents, noticing they were almost brand new.
"Why is your identification packet new?"
"I just turned thirty."
Kramer nodded. "And when was your last confession?"
"Before this trip, with Father Clay in Edinburgh."
"And he was well?"
"He was walking without his cane. Seemed to be doing well."
Kramer nodded. "Carry on in god's name. His blessing upon you."
"And upon you, father."
~•~
Helen, Clay, and Jennifer, having passed the priest's questions, caught a public transport to the next town, a muggle city with a tunnel hidden in an old wrecked church that led to old goblin war tunnels that led to Hogwarts.
Goblin remnants protected the tunnels, only holding them up long enough to see proof of their ability to do magic and the wands they carried, each covered with goblin magic, glowing to their eyes but invisible to human magic. Goblins may hate wizards but muggles who wanted to exterminate all magical life as some sort of demonic pact driven creatures created allies. They weren't friends but neither would betray the others to the Hammer.
They passed through, taking the long route.
It led them deep, down into a massive complex of dragon breeders, creating hybrid strains for a new war.
Jennifer went running when she saw her brother.
"Charlie!"
"Gin!" he said, swinging her around after she leapt into his arms.
When Helen and Clay closed, Charlie set his little sister down and nodded at the two. "Harry, Hermione. Welcome back."
"How's the ridgeback-vipertooth hybrid going?" Hermione asked. "Had an idea. Doing the same thing that dark wizards do to make basilisks only on a dragon egg with a phoenix sitting on it."
Charlie stared at her. "That's—that's actually an interesting idea. Insane, but interesting."
~•~
Inside the grounds of Hogwarts, students were standing in two ordered rows, staggered so their casts wouldn't harm another student.
Hogwarts, once a school of magic, dedicated to teaching all had become a battle school, instilling discipline, martial skills, and in certain students most commonly found in Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, a drive to use those skills to protect their society and fight back against the Violet Society, the driving Order within the Catholic Church that directed the Malleus Maleficarum.
Harry, Hermione, and Gin watched the students practice casting bone breaking curses at a wall of dragon femurs. Magically resistant enough that a proper cast would split off a splinter.
Dumbledore, the Battlemaster of Hogwarts, the Combat General of the Global Confederation of Battlemages, Warmage General of a Unified Europe, and Dread Warlock of the Magengamot saw the three approaching and smiled as he left the students' practice to Hagrid. The Half-Giant was a poor soldier magically but place an enchanted battleaxe in his arms and a platoon of paladins would fall before his skill.
Hagrid saw his young friends and nodded then had the students cast a marking spell on a femur then turn and cast for accuracy.
The story would end up being about Harry's infiltration of the Church as he works his way up through the order, finding those in charge, implanting other wizards to help control the leadership until they're ready to behead the church and control it for themselves.
I think they might eventually find out a mage has already done as they planned but instead of saving themselves, he plans to destroy the majority of mages before turning to world domination
A prompt from r/hpfanfiction:
Dori slipped through Knockturn Alley, lost, frightened, shivering from the chill air and frightening shadows.
Then she saw something, an open shop door, a light within, and a soft music coming from within that reminded her of a movie her dad watched. It was simple and complex at the same time, so few notes but intriguing.
She felt heat escaping from it and moved closer. The doors were stuck and she wedged her foot in, trying to get the door open.
Something silvery and fast shot towards her.
The light and music died as the mimic swallowed its prey.
