The combination of muggle and magical might was frightening to all observers around the world with its vast depth of strength and power. Whispers were, it had taken Satan himself to drive the Nazis out of Britain. It wasn't far from the truth.
The Nazis had moved into Egypt several months later and had commandeered the Middle East's oil for themselves. The big businesses and corporations carried on trading. There were a few empty blabberings about moral dilemmas and sanctions, but oil was required and businessmen really didn't like their profit margins affected and don't forget the stock exchange of course. One simply couldn't risk a crash. It could bring needless problems. The swastika proudly flew over the pyramids and their military weapons had been successfully transferred.
The lands in the Middle East were secured by magical wards and advanced Muggle technology that were impenetrable by any rockets by the few countries remaining who had any ability to fight against this insanity.
Britain was the only country free of them for now. The country was a fortress. Only Salazar and Rowena had the power to let anyone in and out. The plans that the International underground resistance had painstakingly created over the years for this moment, were now in full flow. Witches and Wizards and trusted Muggles from all around the world were coming through from secret locations.
Bill Wetherby had been in charge of the Americans as they came over to Britain to regroup and work out their next move. America was the most volatile country at present. The magical world had come as a shock to many. A misunderstood history of magic had led to great strife in the bible belt. The fascists were growing in numbers. The confusion was rife in every state. Bill had snuck into America countless recordings of Albus and the Queen's speech to answer those questions that the American public was not getting. Their media was completely controlled by Nazi and Death Eater propaganda at this stage.
A generation of Americans who had fought fascism in the war watched the madness in utter disdain. Witches and Wizards had been reduced to hiding under the Fidelius. Through the portals, their best American fighters arrived in Britain to regroup. Their own President and half the politicians in the white house were blank-faced. They were clearly under a spell and being manipulated. Their own military had split into two. Many of the soldiers refused to serve under this new power. The rebellions began. It was absolute bedlam. America's lands had become as lawless as they had been in the times of the Wild West.
The European contingent arrived the day after the swastikas were raised at the European Union Headquarters with their families. They had been expecting it, but even so. The show of strength from the Nazis had been brutal. The younger ones had been flabbergasted at their numbers. The older ones who remembered the war had reeled at history repeating itself. The masses had been terrified into complicity.
In Britain, one of the silver linings from that notorious week was the sheer comradeship that had evolved between the Muggle and Magical world's. Westminster had been rebuilt using magic and they had merged the two Ministries into one. The cat was well and truly out of the bag now. The Muggles realised that the Witches and Wizards left in the country had stood side by side with them to fight the Nazis and Death Eaters in battle. Their mutual enemies. It was a primal way to bond, but it was more effective than anything else could have been to bridge the differences. There was a mutual trust now between them. They were different but their goal was the same. Rid the world of this New World Order using any means necessary. To do this they would need each other.
Tom Riddle was still absent. He needed to recuperate from his ordeal. Hitler was now running the show. He had made short work of officially conquering Europe. It had only taken a nudge. The swastika flew in every country. Including the Kremlin. The Russian elite and oligarchy had been in collusion for years. One per cent at the top. Everyone else at the bottom. This was a very desirable outcome for them. Eastern Europe gave up the pretence of neutrality and donned their official Nazi uniforms. They had erased any dissent in their own lands over the five years.
As the days moved on the American army's rebels fighting against the New World Order managed to make progress. Hitler was not concerned. Gellert had prepared for this inevitable consequence. Once Tom returned they would be dealt with. The New World Order had many tricks up its sleeve.
Hitler had threatened Canada with chemical warfare if they didn't get in line. Canada's own Muggle military had been wiped out rapidly by superior Magical and Muggle technology. They had seen the devastation of the Middle East and had reluctantly surrendered.
Everyone around the world was on a knife-edge. None could predict which country would be next. So many Governments around the world had been infiltrated. Trust between nations was at an all-time low. Countries did not know who to ally with.
Hitler waited and drenched himself in his victories. He was now officially the Emperor of Europe. His part had been completed. The American sector was in free fall. Every politician not in his pocket had been taken out. The President was no more. Their military had split and was now fighting each other. The corporations the Nazis owned had spent their money wisely. His men were bullying the people's into submission.
Except for the fiasco in Britain, everything else was going to plan. Britain had locked down. No one had heard a peep in months from them. The camps had been reopened. The Nazis had begun their so-called purity cleansing. The small rebellions were dealt with swiftly, as promised. He had already had most of Europe in his pocket and many opposers had long ago been murdered in the shadows. Years of planning had come to fruition. Most of the troublemakers had been executed years before.
'It was just like the good old days,' Hitler thought to himself. When Riddle was back, Asia then Africa would be the goal. Their superior machines would make short work of these areas. It had been wise to wait. The timing was everything.
It was a shame to lose Gellert, but his role had been helping in the planning. Most of which, had been achieved. Riddle was the real powerhouse. As Hitler mused, a little adversity never hurt anyone. You learnt from it. Look at him. Rome wasn't built in a day. Riddle was an immortal. He was clearly considering his next move against Iris. Magic was so much more than Hitler could have imagined.
In time he planned to possess it himself. His scientists were well on their way to duplicating it for non-magical people. Magic could be manipulated. It could be changed. Witches and Wizards could be controlled if needs be. Hitler smiled. He would bide his time. He knew the blood ritual now to regenerate. Immortality was nearly his. His eager scientists were studying all of that too. Hitler was far from stupid. He knew Muggles were underestimated by the Magical. He had mastered Occlumens himself decades ago. His mind was protected. He wanted them to keep underestimating him.
Hogwarts Castle.
June 1997.
Life continued. It could never go back to being the same. The magical dome helped people maintain some level of normality in their lives. The Magical and Muggles worked together to rebuild their country. The population had diminished by millions. Allies to the cause travelled in and helped where they could and plotted the next move together. Brawn and brains, Muggle and Magical, worked together to get the infrastructure back up and running.
Gringotts had tried their hardest to remain neutral in the battle, but the bank had been blown to high heaven anyway in the madness. One of the first of many buildings that ceased to exist. A shackled dragon had broken free in the chaos and the destruction it had wrought in the city had damaged the bank and half of London to such an extent much of London simply wasn't salvageable.
The goblins had been offered new premises by the Queen. They took over the impressively sized Lloyds bank in London instead. One of the few banks that had not been decimated. The Order of the Phoenix had discovered this was one of the many banks that had been laundering Nazi gold.
'To the victor the spoils,' they had thought bitterly.
The goblins liked their new building very much and adapted it quickly for their needs. There were many lower levels that the goblins took great delight in redesigning and they had built a new rollercoaster to make it feel more like home.
They were strictly forbidden by the R.S.P.C.A from keeping a live Dragon trapped underground which they were disgruntled by, but the new top of the range CCTV offered as a replacement had pleased them greatly. Griphook, especially, loved his new security measures. Bill Weasley, who was a curse breaker for the bank, informed his family that the tasers had been well received by a delighted goblin nation. Although the goblins were not allowed to wield a wand due to their history of being far too irresponsible with them, this device was almost as good.
The Muggles had become very fond of the magical currency and to the Wizarding World's disbelief, they started new coin collections. Adverts ran on the television advertising new magical money collection memorabilia. Gringotts had a field day converting the monies to curious Muggles.
'Muggles do that?' Neville had asked in wonder.
Hermione had grinned and replied in the affirmative, 'They collect stamps too. They put them in books to look at and compare their collections to other peoples collections. They have get-togethers to do this.'
Neville had been bewildered, 'But why?' he genuinely couldn't understand this peculiar behaviour.
Hermione had laughed and shrugged.
Witches and Wizards could now fly around on their brooms in broad daylight. Broom spotting had replaced train spotting as the new fad for the Muggles to enjoy.
Muggles in Helicopters and hand gliders would join them in the air. The British Quidditch teams opened their doors to a fascinated Muggle population. The games drew thousands of smitten new fans to the game.
The British stock market had been blown to smithereens. All international communication was down. The farmers adapted to keep the food sources plentiful. The Magical community helped with this. It was in everyone's best interests to work together. For the foreseeable future, it would be a make do and mend approach with everything. The resistance had been stockpiling essentials over the years. Medicine had been hoarded.
The Muggle publishers had liaised with Flourish and Botts and reprinted all the Magical titles for their Muggle readers. They reported massive annual sales of, 'Hogwarts. A History,' much to Hermione's delight. It was at the top of the bestseller list for weeks. Muggles were intrigued by the Wizarding World and devoured as much knowledge of it as they could.
Although there was much trauma and grief to work through, the sight of the Light Angels in that week had given a new optimism to the people. The Queen spoke of the beauty of Equilibrium. She had seen it for herself. When the Muggles knew for certain their lost ones lived on and so would they, they cheered up. They would certainly see their loved ones again. In time. They had fought to the death against tyranny. It had cost them greatly but the alternative had been unthinkable.
The schools had been rebuilt and the children gradually returned. By March the young ones were whining about homework. Life had changed. Life went on.
Slughorn kept a vial of poison on him at all times to drink in case Riddle came to Hogwarts for him, even though Sirius had assured him that would never happen, but Horace was not convinced. Riddle could access Harry's mind as well. He would know Horace had leaked this vital information about his Horcruxes. The poison that would ensure an instant death that Horace knew would be preferable to being tortured into insanity. He was not the only one who had done this.
Iris slept on as spring turned to summer. Her friends would visit and read to her. Madam Pomfrey did her job well and looked after her patient. The healers had all studied her. Exhaustion was the unanimous medical opinion.
It was a warm summer's evening as Draco and Hermione sat together in the coolness of the library. It hadn't been planned but, like Harry and Ron, they had been side by side together the entire week during the Battle of Britain. The group that had attended the Ministry had been separated on occasions but they kept finding each other and stuck together through the lunacy and violence.
Draco and Hermione had formed an easy friendship over the years built on the fact they were both very smart and neither begrudged the other for being insufferable know it all's. Like Iris, Draco saw that Hermione certainly had a bit of a Bella vibe that Draco had warmed to. She did not suffer fools, that was for certain. Draco admired that trait in people. They had the occasional study group with Daphne but more often than not over the years, it had just been the two of them together in the library pouring over books about spells and potions.
Neville had grown closer to Draco although Ron and Harry had been still slightly distant with the young man before the week of the war. It was nothing personal. There was no animosity. They were just very different people who happened to have a common aim. That week that Hell reigned had bought them all closer to each other. It would have been virtually impossible not to feel a real, solid friendship with each other after surviving that week together. Practising fight simulations in the training room was one thing. Being out there when it was really happening was quite another. They had saved others lives countless times. The shield charms that Tonks and Percy had drilled into them countless times had made all the difference.
Hermione would spend time looking into Draco's eyes with a soft smile. He knew why she did that and didn't question it.
'You miss her, don't you?' he said quietly.
Hermione nodded, 'She's my best friend. You're a good friend. You both have the same eyes. I see her in yours. They comfort me.' she said simply.
'She'll be back,' Draco said with certainty, 'Luna says she will. That's good enough for me.'
Hermione gave a slight grimace mixed with a grin. Draco smirked. Her despair with Luna's peculiarities was legendary at the school.
The guys thought the world of their spacy, surprisingly insightful, blonde Ravenclaw. Harry especially. His face would light up when Luna came ambling up to them. They had grown up together. Ron thought of her as a weird but loveable little sister. Draco enjoyed Luna's company immensely. She was everything good in the world to him. The darkness of his childhood had left scars and Luna helped him forget for a time.
Hermione had referred to her as Iris's little shadow when they were young. Everywhere Iris went, Luna was sure to follow. Pandora Lovegood had asked Iris and Harry to keep an eye on Luna. She loved her daughter but knew many teenagers couldn't be the nicest at times to others who were deemed odd by traditional standards. Iris had taken the time to check on Luna, who had, in return, latched onto the grey-eyed Gryffindor.
Pandora had been right to worry. The other girls in Luna's own house hadn't been the friendliest to her. Some of them were being quite cruel to the young girl. Luna was unique. Too unique for the studious Ravenclaws. Luna had instead gravitated to the young ones she had grown up with. Iris and Harry had promised Pandora to look out for Luna and in time it was a promise they were glad they had made. Luna had the uncanny ability to make every situation better. Ron and Harry welcomed her into their group. Like Hermione, Ginny didn't really understand Luna's eccentricities, but she enjoyed her company like the others.
Luna had a fan in Neville. He loved nature and plants just as much as she did and much time was spent together in the Greenhouses at Hogwarts. It was mainly the Equilibrium magic that fascinated Luna at first about Iris, but a very true friendship had formed between the two girls over time. The Ravenclaws observed this development and had toned down their bullying substantially.
No one messed with Iris's friends. Well, you could if you enjoyed the excessive drama that would invite. Equilibrium was catnip to Luna who loved visiting the next world to explore and Iris had been diligent in taking her there every Wednesday evening for four years. Iris hadn't missed one time. Even Hermione had to admit that Luna had been born otherworldly. She didn't truly belong on Earth. Both Luna and her mother had dreamt of the place before seeing it. Luna had been a little glum recently. She missed Iris and missed her Wednesday evening adventures but the others had rallied round to cheer her up.
Ginny would go flying with her and Ron would deliberately play chess with her very badly so she could win. Neville would show her his new plants which went some way to cheer the girl up.
Hermione did have a soft spot for the girl, however ludicrous some of the things she said and did was. Hermione had agreed to disagree over the years with many of Luna's bizarre theories. That had been the end of that as far as she was concerned. Luna had gazed at Hermione's proclamations of denials of Luna's beliefs with a serene look on her face. At times Hermione suspected Luna may well be simply pulling her leg for her own amusement. An occasional glint of humour in Luna's eyes suggested Hermione may have been right some of the time.
The major consequence of this friendship was that Iris hadn't seemed remotely as terrifying to the Hogwarts students with Luna Lovegood traipsing around the castle with her. The silver snakes still did their duty to instil fear, but with Luna wandering around looking for wrackspurts, twirling around to music only she could hear, rubbing the snake's noses and reading the Quibbler upside down, the impact of intimidation was considerably lessened. Iris hadn't cared a jot. Anyone with a brain cell knew not to mess with her. That the younger ones didn't run screaming at the sight of her now was a relief. She had witnessed older students, years older than her, jump into rooms to avoid her when she was in the first year when they saw her approaching. It hadn't been pleasant to experience.
Draco heard footsteps coming towards them and looked up to see Luna Lovegood trotting over to them with the biggest smile on her face he had seen for a long time.
'She's awake?' he asked in excitement.
Luna beamed and grabbed them both by the hand and yanked them up to the infirmary. It was the first time in her life that Hermione had not put a book back as she hurtled up the stairs with the others.