Chapter 06
The Doctor was off sending out invitations, or something.
Harry flipped through the pages of the 'briefing document', they were back in the TARDIS's library 'brushing up' as the Doctor suggested.
"Not that I pretend to understand the wider associations Potter," Draco looked over to him.
"Yeah?" Harry asked looking up.
"If this 'Armageddon Convention' was settled in 1609 why-" Draco began.
"Why is the Doctor being charged with another one?" Harry asked. "I read a report from UNIT that he invoked the Convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation when the Nestene tried to invade a couple of years ago..."
Draco gave him a hard look.
Harry sighed. "Maybe it's because the universe has moved on since then?"
"There isn't a list of who will be attending Potter," Draco looked to him. "What are we to be doing there, and will we get home...Harry?" Draco asked in a worried tone.
"You must be worried it you're using my name," Harry commented with a wicked smile and rose from his chair. "Let's go and threaten the Doctor then?"
"What?" Draco asked following him.
Harry shrugged. "Well, ask nicely then."
-/
"Ah there you are," the Doctor gave them a careful smile as they walked down the spiral staircase.
"Here we are," Harry answered in a careful tone as the Doctor reached into his cloak and held out two books.
Harry looked from them to the Doctor and raised and eyebrow.
"When we land on Earth this mission will be under something of an embargo," he began and looked from Harry to the TARDIS console and the phone "I tried to ignore them, but they're very insistent, especially after..."
Harry took the book and went to take the other to pass to Draco but the Doctor reached out for Draco to take it.
"Nicely bound," Draco commented running his hands over the book.
"You can record anything in it, personal biodata protections, and temporally locked," the Doctor paused in his explanation.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Because where we're going is specialised..." the Doctor began mysteriously.
-/
The TARDIS was sat on a slight mound overlooking the country house. It was a pretty grand country house estate. It looked like it had begun its life as a Gothic country house, but had obviously been added to over the years with bits of Elizabethan and Victorian extensions added along the way, it wasn't quite a consistent architectural structure.
Harry extracted the camera he'd found in one of the wardrobe rooms and took a photo or two, turning around he took a photo of the TARDIS and Draco Malfoy observing the area around them, casting spells as he did.
"Well?" Harry asked him as he slipped the camera back into a pocket of his coat. They, well himself and Draco had visited the wardrobe rooms of the TARDIS to select some outfits which were appropriate for where they found themselves; late 1930s United Kingdom.
If he was entirely honest with himself, not an era he was entirely familiar with, except Harry was vaguely sure that Tom Marvolo Riddle was probably at Hogwarts at the moment. Probably nothing they could do about that, he wasn't about to go and assassinate him, that was his past...or would be his past, part of his past, which was his future, both theirs.
"There are exceptionally complicated lines of energy around here Potter," Draco grimaced and pointed to the TARDIS "As the Doctor suggests it seems he has landed on these 'temporal ley lines'," he gestured up and down the mound where they were stood. "Whatever it is, it is more powerful than a standard ward, but not..." he trailed off.
"Not impactful on the local environment?" Harry asked and looked over to the TARDIS. "I'll have to get some readings with my equipment."
"Even if the Doctor says we will not recall because of being-" Draco began but was cut off by Harry.
"'Not co-temporous with this temporal and spacial area leading to a quantum lock effect on your temporal memory for this location'?" Harry quoted, he'd written it several times in his diary already.
Draco gave him a look, he was getting good at the slightly annoyed at his techno-musings look.
"We forget when we time travel away, but anyone who's from here will remember what happens, it's an interesting place for a convention, it has to happen, will have contemporary recordings but anyone not from around here gets to forget..." Harry mused. "It's just the sort of convoluted sort of thing his lot get up to, to quote someone."
"You're increasingly sounding cynical of your friend Potter?" Draco wondered.
"I'm frequently cynical about you as well Malfoy," Harry commented playfully. "You're still my friend."
Draco looked slightly uncomfortable at this proclamation and seemed eager to change the subject. "Where is the Doctor anyway?"
"He said that he was trying to wrangle getting his companion out of the stasis he put her in," Harry looked over at the TARDIS, "and was investigating the TARDIS's wine stores, maybe we should-" Harry was cut off by a phone ringing from the TARDIS.
Draco looked over at him. "Well?"
"Well?" Harry repeated as he walked over and opened the door where it indicated; 'Pull to Open'. Inside was the Doctor's mobile phone.
Taking it he pushed the answer button. "Doctor? Yes, we were waiting for you, I thought you were, oh," Harry looked over to Draco. "How in Merlin's name did you get from here to London?" Harry sighed. "Yes, but we have the distinct advantage of being able to innately pop around anywhere, you don't, unless the bullshitting you've done to various megalomaniacal maniacs was just that, what language? Megalomaniacal or maniacs?" Harry asked and sighed again. "I've never been, I know of the Royal National Theatre, brutalist isn't it?" Harry paused. "No, I don't know what it looks like now, hang on," Harry turned to Draco. "Do you know Waterloo Bridge near the Royal Theatre near the Thames?"
-/
Draco released Potter after having side-along apparated him. Potter looked around them in a slight stupor, and he allowed himself to do also.
Travelling back in time with Potter and Greengrass was one thing, to the 1970s, that was a shock, but everything seemed still...frame-able within his understanding, his concept of the world, of London.
But now they were stood in London, before the first wizarding war, and the muggle's second world war where wizards fought with the muggles. The war that changed the face of the city they were stood in.
And like the last time he had found himself in the past...a phrase he never thought he would even consider, again he could do nothing.
Potter had joked about not even thinking about going and killing 'Tom Riddle'.
The Doctor seemed to be waiting for them, and once they'd finished gaping at the vistas before them, guided himself and Potter towards a waiting muggle conveyance.
-/
"This is a luxurious conveyance," Draco praised as they got into the Bentley.
"Why are we here Doctor?" Harry asked without much preamble.
"For a meeting," the Doctor answered and looked to the front of the car. "We can head off now," he said and turned back to them. "You have a meeting with the King."
Harry blinked for a moment, and was saved from speaking by Draco. "The King? Of Britain?"
Harry nodded. "Which one? Is it still Edward?"
"The one who wanted to marry the..." Draco wrinkled his nose "American?"
"Didn't think you cared for muggle politics?" Harry challenged.
"No," the Doctor had a tone of exasperation. "King George VI, your history is atrocious Harry," he tutted.
"Hogwarts didn't go much for muggle history," Harry defended. "I preferred tales of the extraterrestrial kind."
The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Someone is required to be responsible; take ownership of the convention on Earth," he looked to Harry and Draco.
"Us?" Harry looked to Draco.
"Why?" Draco asked.
"It is required to be a native of Earth," the Doctor explained in the same tone.
"Is this something you're not going to explain, or is it some sort of Time Lord bafflegab?" Harry wondered. "We're not exactly from around here, I didn't even know where to go."
"Because you're uncultured Potter," Draco smirked.
"Where the TARDIS landed makes that less of an issue," the Doctor paused "that you are here and natives of Earth is enough. But we still need the King's permission and ascent; his acceptance of authority in this matter."
"If you know where it is that we have to hold it; where we arrived, and it has to be there, how will the King know to give it to us?" Draco reasoned.
Harry nodded. "Just what I was going to ask."
"Much less succinctly though I suspect," Draco snarked.
Harry smirked. "I'm not a ham fisted bun vendor," he looked over to the Doctor. "Well?"
The Doctor sniffed. "Perhaps he already knows the answer."
Harry narrowed his eyes at the Time Lord. "Have you already been back in time adjusting his diary or leaving a note-" Harry was cut off by the Doctor gesturing at the window.
"Oh look, the Mall, lovely to see the trees fully grown. I remember the seeds that were gifted, they were lovely plants when they were just seedlings."
Draco exchanged a look with Harry.
Harry raised his eyebrows to Draco. "Guess we'll just have to make a good impression."
Draco started to open his mouth.
"I think our first couple of years at Hogwarts would suggest otherwise Draco," Harry added.
Draco scowled at him before smirking. "You of course make a fantastic impression on everyone you've met in the past Potter."
Harry gave the other wizard a hard look. "And you know how those that annoy me end up."
Draco laughed as the Doctor looked at the two of them curiously. "Is this something I should be concerned with, there's undercurrents I'm not sure I agree with."
"Very much not, dangerous undercurrents maybe?" Harry mused. "I'm sure the Master would understand if he were working," Harry finished obliquely.
"He's restricted to the TARDIS," the Doctor answered too quickly.
"Why?" Harry asked, he'd tried quizzing the Master about that. "Even K9 could get out and about."
The Doctor fixed him with a look. "The Master is not like K9," he paused quirking a smile. "But I will have to mention it to him."
"You're not coming with us?" Harry asked as they were driven into Buckingham Palace.
The Doctor shook his head. "The King will know the basics of what is required."
Harry looked at the Doctor. "Sarah told me you liked to be vague occasionally, the Brigadier said you were downright oblique sometimes even when he was older," the door to the car was opened, Draco shuffled to get out. "I always wondered what it would be like travelling with you Doctor," Harry finished with a smile. "I'm glad I knew what it would be like before this," he stepped out with Draco, and briefly looked to the Doctor who had a mixed, somewhat saddened expression.
"Have you been here before Potter?" Draco asked quietly.
"Well, not anytime recently, my organisation doesn't mix with the royals, we're more...security and intelligence services," Harry explained as they were led up to the King. "Do you know how this goes?"
"Bow to the King?" Draco wondered in a deadpan tone.
Harry glared at him. "Thank you Draco, you're of much assistance."
"Are you dressed for the King?" Draco continued in a deadpan tone.
"You are," Harry commented and looked down at what he was wearing, it was neat, he was wearing a tie, although he fancied he still looked like he was ready to chase someone down a side street and interrogate them for King and country, while Malfoy was ready for dinner with a viscount or something. "Bit late if I'm not."
"For you," Draco commented in an evil tone with a half smirk.
"Your Royal Highness" Harry bowed beside Draco.
If he was honest he didn't know much about George VI, he was the father of Queen Elizabeth II, his wife knew Oscar Wilde and she lived for a really long time after his death. He was sure there was something else he knew about him. For someone knowing a time traveller he had a patchy knowledge of Earth history while knowing a lot about little bits and pieces of the universe. If the Doctor had said they were going to meet the King he'd have checked the TARDIS library at least.
"I..." the King began, seemingly pausing to compose himself. "We...received a letter from the Doctor in...informing me of his wish to use Clarence Hall," he paused to smile at them. "Something of a joke that we have Clarence House, but the Hall is a shell, haunted they say..."
As the King trailed off Draco gave Harry a half glance.
"The Lady Winchester supposedly. Given what is happening across our borders in Europe, the Doctor has impressed upon us this convention of his having," he paused to look to Harry and Draco "Extra territorial implications..." he trailed off seemingly framing it as a question.
"That is one way to look at it sir," Harry answered carefully.
"And if I were to ask you for a more detailed expression Mr Potter? Mr Malfoy?" The King asked looking at Draco curiously for a moment.
"I would provide it sir," Harry answered truthfully.
"I presume..." the King began, "This is beyond the realms of the Ministry of Magic, it is not only the Prime Minister who is aware..." he paused for a moment and turned back to look at Draco. Before looking to Harry again and nodded.
"You are aware sir, of Torchwood?" Harry asked carefully.
"An organisation if I'm not mistaken regards the Doctor as a threat?" He looked to Harry raising an eyebrow. "We have had many fortunate engagements with the Doctor in the past."
"Yes, I would imagine so," Harry murmured. "The convention is within the same realms as that," Harry obliquely explained and hoped they could dance around the fact that a bunch of aliens would descend on a quite nice country house off somewhere remote to discuss weapons treaties and whatever else was on the agenda. He hoped no one would say 'aliens', not because he didn't want to, but all this felt very formal and not a place to bandy about the word 'alien'.
The King nodded watching them for a moment. "Mr Potter, the Doctor informed me that you have history with the government regarding situations such as this, you work with the government in the time you are from?"
Harry almost missed the last part of the sentence from the King and faltered as he opened his mouth. "I..." he chuckled to hide his hesitance. "Yes sir, with the security services mostly, we don't trouble the PM much."
"PM, the Prime Minister?" He looked to Draco. "And you Mr Malfoy?"
"To ensure Mr Potter doesn't commit egregious fault of etiquette," Draco answered smoothly.
The King laughed. "You pair are unaware what the Doctor has asked of me?"
"The Doctor is oblique to the point of obstructionist some of the time," Harry answered without thinking.
Draco cleared his throat beside him. "He has told us enough sir."
The King looked to Draco with an arched eyebrow. "Honesty is not a faux pas Mr Malfoy, Mr Potter?"
"The Doctor merely instructed us to meet with you" Harry paused adding as he remembered "sir. That we as-" Harry paused as he tried to think of a way around the term 'native to Earth' "that we have have a connection to this country, for the convention to take place effectively it can't be entirely removed concerning the security and control facets," Harry finished.
"I see," the King seemed amused "he did not explain you two would have effective ownership of Clarence Hall then?" The King explained, still with a somewhat amused tone.
"No," Harry said in a flat tone.
"Sir," Draco added.
"Sir," Harry nodded.
"We will have an arrangement in place," the King paused as though in thought "it's a strange old place, we will maintain, you will have ownership and usage of it while we maintain effective control, the Doctor's idea I gather."
"Of course, it would be," Harry mused.
"It is an interesting proposition of this convention," the King mused pacing slightly away from them. "I think we might visit at its close."
"That would be...that is I'm sure that can..." Harry stumbled through a response.
"Yes your highness Mr Potter and the Doctor will surely arrange something," Draco saved him in reply.
"Then I think this meeting is at an end," he paused turning around to fix Harry with a look. "You are from the future Mr Potter, Mr Malfoy?"
"Yes sir, you're aware of the Doctor's abilities?" Harry answered.
The King held his gaze. "My daughter, is she, does she make a..."
Harry bit his lip in thought. "The Queen has been a presence in our lives your Majesty, and a positive one."
The King nodded as they were given leave to depart.
-/
"Thanks for helping me out Draco, I really didn't expect to meet a royal today," Harry muttered as they walked down the stairs.
"He seemed particularly focused on me," Draco wondered.
"What're your relatives up to at this time, maybe they go hunting together when he's up in Scotland?" Harry wondered as they were shown out to their car, where the Doctor wasn't waiting.
-/
As they stepped into the car the driver informed them their companion had needed to attend to matters in London and the box opposite them had been left. There was a letter atop it.
Harry & Draco,
Use the contents to get whatever is necessary.
The Doctor.
"What's in there?" Harry wondered as he read the Doctor's note as Draco looked in the box.
"Coins and muggle money," Draco weighed the bag in his hand.
"Time to head to our favourite alley, at least we can't run into anyone we know," Harry mused.
"That you know of Potter," Draco commented.
-/
Draco looked around the alleyway, and was beginning to have a better appreciation for what Potter dealt with during his sojourn into the past. Now they were back even further, and he'd already experienced a different sort of alley, this one at least was less...threatening.
"It only peripherally occurred to me that I might actually run into a relative," Potter commented in a very low tone. "Weird to think that there might be some relatives around who aren't dead and who would never know me," he finished in an amused tone, but there was an edge of ache to it.
The Potter family wasn't one that his father made him study the lineage of, so he couldn't even suggest where they might be or who. Potter had obviously not investigated the Potter lineage for himself, although given his lack of interest in such things he supposed why he would bother, unless faced with a situation such as they were in.
"Who could predict that we'd be in this sort of situation Draco?" Potter wondered, the same tone in his voice as he sighed, shaking himself slightly. "Thoughts?"
"On your melancholy Harry?" He asked, resolving to use his first name and added "While we're here," he finished to Potter's raised eyebrow.
"A drink and something to eat?" He wondered. "I wonder is there somewhere less open than the cauldron," he looked to him. "It didn't look the nicest at this time of year."
-/
Draco appraised the establishment, in their time it had become a cheap antiques shop down one of the smaller alleys off of Diagon, but not Knockturn, and was opposite what appeared to be shop selling nice flying carpets.
They'd been shown to a secluded booth and presented menus with exceptionally reasonable prices.
"Remember inflation, we're quite a bit beyond where we're used to," Potter commented, even though they'd passed through considerable wards of security and they'd added even more. "Pity this isn't here in our time," Potter continued. "It's a nice menu."
Draco agreed. "I believe this area of the alley was damaged in the muggle wars."
Potter breathed in and nodded.
Neither of them had opted for alcohol, wary Draco assumed of where they were and they maintaining their wits around them. A bottle of soda water shared between them.
"I don't know what to get for the convention if I'm honest Draco, I spent my time in the 1970s looking for people," he paused and gave him a look and a raised eyebrow "and dealing with them. A lot of mapping and tracing, and a few battles here and there. I'm not even sure how we can defend this."
"Or perhaps we should just ward the site," Draco paused and couldn't help but smile. "As it has been gifted to us by the King."
Potter met his smile. "And we don't have to worry about maintaining it, it's a nice deal," he shook his head. "That will be a grade I listed building, it's probably already protected, neither of us want the upkeep."
Draco appraised Potter curiously. "I would not have thought that was something you would consider," he paused "What you have told me of your home it is not that old."
Potter nodded. "Heritage get really annoyed when wizards destroy them though especially when it's involving alien tech," he raised his eyebrows.
"Well fortunately for you Harry, I have a superior knowledge in this matter, combined with your...esoteric knowledge of regarding the other people you should be able to assist me."
"Assisting you Draco has become a bit of a theme, it's what kicked off this adventure," Potter finished with a smirk as their meals were brought over by a witch.
-/
There were certainly a few more potion ingredients which were far more heavily controlled in his own time than now Draco thought to himself as he indicated to the apothecary how much of each ingredient he wished for.
Potter had decamped to Flourish and Blotts 'to pickup a few texts I heard about the last time I was in the past'. Potter still spoke so casually about this experience...even he was starting to find this...not normal, but there was a casualness to what he was engaging in.
"Sir?" The apothecary prompted.
Draco fixed him with a look, annoyed that he had been caught day dreaming of the future. "Glass for that one," he indicated.
"Waxed paper is what we usually use, glass will be more costly," he said watching him carefully.
"I am aware," Draco answered cooly. "I would prefer glass jar." Said potion ingredient was more than mildly toxic when touched with bare hands, and he was sure waxed paper would be fine if you were apparating straight home and decanted into a glass vessel. He and Potter did not have that luxury. And while he was here, and the Doctor had requested their assistance, he could not reject that request. The Doctor had rescued them both, after Potter had rescued him of course and deduced a manner to escape Song and the ship, but still, they had been rescued by a Time Lord, this was a minor request to engage in.
-/
Harry walked around Flourish and Blotts, it was somewhat disappointing in a weird way as he loaded up books on defensive magic with offensive overtures that these hadn't been in print when he'd last been in the past. Just thinking like that brought a little smile to his face.
And he checked, he wasn't creating some sort of book paradox by taking this, they were all current and in-print texts.
Looking out the window at the comings and goings in the alley, and those looking in he wondered if the coming war would just knock these things out of print?
"You have a particular interest sir, is there anything else I can assist with?" The proprietor asked.
"Restricting access to a location, any texts on that, I've got a few warding texts, but I'd like something more specific, but not as direct as just preventing access, I don't wish to alert muggles, or make them curious," Harry asked with a half smile and looked over the window quickly and wondered if those were two similar people who'd looked in before?
The proprietor nodded enthusiastically. "Not much domestic interest in that, but I have just the thing, the Ministry uses it for its exposition venues and the Great Magical Exhibition, I heard they're already planning it for 1941, it should be an exciting year for it."
Harry nodded eyes open and smiled. "Yes, it should be a very interesting year for it."
-/
"Apparently there's a Great Magical Exhibition to happen in 1941," Potter overly cheerily greeted Draco as they met up in the path between the two shops, then in a lower tone "Behind me two wizards?" Potter asked.
Draco looked past him and blinked in acknowledgement. "We can't apparate here."
"No, and we probably shouldn't start a firefight here, and I left those lovely flash pellets back in the TARDIS, they'd be perfect," Potter mused in a low tone as he gestured towards Knockturn Alley. "Back to the cauldron?"
"Are your pursuers that stupid?" Draco wondered as they began walking in that alley's general direction.
Potter exhaled. "I'm hoping for a convenient distraction to become apparent Draco."
"Such as?" Draco wondered as they were nearing a point where they had to turn.
"Maybe we just need to pick up the pace, we were both seekers, we can run for a little bit," Potter paused adding as if to sate him "even if it is undignified," he dramatically looked at his wrist where a watch was not located. "Look at the time."
He thankfully didn't run, merely took off at a quick pace aiming.
As they reached the wall and it closed behind them, they were afforded a few moments to disapparate.
"Who were they?" Draco wondered as they looked towards the TARDIS, neither of them had said where they were going to apparate to.
"Good question, people who were going to try and rob us?" Potter wondered. "Or the Ministry? I don't know much about this period in wizarding history, beyond all the Voldemort and history of magic stuff, the culture and whatever," Potter looked to him. "It's not something I ever grew up being immersed in Draco," he paused. "I am, I admit ignorant to this."
Draco was taken aback slightly by Potter's sudden honesty regarding his knowledge, or lack there of concerning wizrding culture. "I was aware of your ghastly muggle relatives Potter," he said to break the sudden silence.
Potter nodded as they walked the short distance towards the TARDIS. "Tried to read stuff, like Hermione in History of Magic," Potter looked at him. "The Doctor's stories were all so much more real, it's a little different walking around in the recent past of magic."
"Not something Binns really covered," Draco admitted, the ghost's dreary teachings were a failing of Hogwarts, he felt if he ever had children it would be something he would push to change, or perhaps he should push even if not?
"You alright?" Potter was asking.
He shook his head. "Introspection Potter, this is all outside of what I expected."
"You and me both Draco," Potter said as they walked up to the Doctor's craft and Potter unlocked the doors, as he did so he looked up at it. "I never thought I'd be travelling with him, not like this, doing this," he paused and chuckled. "With you."
-/
A/N:
The Lady Winchester, the ghost that haunts Clarence Hall is (maybe) a splinter of Clara Oswald.
One of her splinters is called 'Winnie' so that becomes Winchester and she's a Lady...maybe?