Chapter 5
Harry stood in formation on the parade ground, standing straight at attention as he and his section were in the middle of the passing out ceremony. The last 14 weeks had been challenging to say the least, but they had also flown by very quickly to him. Over the course of the last few months, he had done a whole variety of activities, rifle and bayonet training, basics in hand to hand combat, endless drilling, swimming with gear, land navigation and map reading, training in how to properly handle radioactive, chemical, explosives, and other highly dangerous materials, as well as many hours of field training exercises. Of course, there was also a great deal of classroom instruction. Army history and customs, even proper table manners and etiquette in certain scenarios. All of this had culminated into him becoming a full fledged soldier of Her Majesty's Army. He had even received a promotion to Lance Corporal for his outstanding performance in multiple aspects of his training. Corporal Brackenreid stood in front of the formation, the crowd of the other soldiers' families sitting behind him. The ceremony was coming to a close, however, the good Corporal wanted to say a few words before then.
"Today, you are no longer mentally deficient shitbags! You are soldiers! You have been modeled into warriors, killers prepared to destroy the enemy and make our great nation proud! You are now men, worthy of the proper respect that comes with it! From this moment forward, you will give all your efforts, in mind, body, and soul, to defending our nation and our Queen! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!"
"YES CORPORAL!"
"Excellent! Now go and make your Corporal proud! Dismissed!"
After falling out of formation, the various newly minted soldiers split off to join their families and celebrate, leaving Harry to watch them wistfully. After a moment of this, he felt a hand on his shoulder, shaking him out of his thoughts.
"You alright there lad? You seemed a bit lost in a fog there for a moment."
He turned to face Corporal Brackenreid and nodded his head "Yes Corporal, just got lost in my thoughts is all."
Corporal Brackenreid had become a mentor and father figure to Harry during his time at training, having caught his attention during the various training exercises, recognizing the young private's efforts to become a first rate soldier. When Harry had struggled, Brackenreid had motivated him to keep going, he had even let Harry confide in him when he was mentally drained. To Brackenreid, Harry was more than just another recruit passing through, he was not only a promising young soldier, but an astounding young man. It was this bond that helped push Harry to today. Despite only being in his mid thirties, Brackenreid seemed to be far wiser than his age would have you believe.
"Well lad, I've been told that the Major wants to see you in his office, says it's urgent."
"Understood Corporal, I'll report immediately."
"I'll walk with you, the Major wants to see me as well."
Raising his brow a bit, but not really questioning it, Harry walked with Brackenreid across the camp, reaching the main administration building and navigating the corridors full of various offices before finally reaching the camp commander's door. Brackenreid knocked on the door and upon receiving permission to enter, he and Harry walked into the office, closing the door behind them before simultaneously snapping to attention, saluting the Major.
"Corporal Brackenreid reporting as ordered sir!"
"Lance Corporal Potter reporting as ordered sir!"
The Major grinned slightly before motioning to the two chairs in front of his desk.
"At ease gentlemen. Please, have a seat."
The two complied as they took their seats, Harry internally racking his brain as to why the camp's commanding officer would want to see him personally. Brackenreid on the other hand, had seemed as if he had completely expected this meeting, and if anything, slightly excited for it.
"Corporal, final report."
"Well sir, Lance Corporal Potter has not only met all of our expectations, but has exceeded them, I believe he is a perfect candidate for the program. He has the extreme potential to be one of the best once he's received the program's training."
"Excellent, this is great news Corporal, very great news."
Harry at this point was thoroughly confused as to what the hell they were discussing, and why they were referring to him in the third person, as if he wasn't quite literally sitting there with them.
"Lance Corporal, I apologize for the confusion, but I assure you that this is something you'll understand once I'm through explaining the situation."
Harry nodded and said nothing, waiting for the Major to continue.
"To put it bluntly Lance Corporal, we believe you would be the perfect candidate to participate in a new unit the Army is forming."
"I'm afraid I don't quite understand sir. A new unit?"
"Indeed Lance Corporal, a special forces unit, for wizards."
As soon as he heard wizards, Harry's mouth seemed to instantly lose all the moisture it had just a second before. He maintained a calm, neutral expression, but his rapidly paling skin and the panicked look in his eyes was a clear indication that he was the farthest thing from calm.
"Sir, I.. I'm afraid I don't…."
The Major held up his hand, instantly causing Harry's stumbled response to die on his lips.
"We knew who you were the day you walked into your recruiter's office Lance Corporal, so please do not insult my intelligence by attempting to deny any magical heritage."
Harry sat there, a defeated look creeping onto his face as the Major's words sunk in.
"Now, as I was saying, the Army is forming a new unit composed of magical soldiers such as yourself. Due to the recent increase of attacks on us from Death Eaters, the government and military have seen fit to establish this unit as our line of defense against magical threats. We are offering you the chance to join this unit and undergo the most specialized and rigorous special forces training in the world for the next six months."
To say that Harry was completely dumbfounded would have been a gross misunderstatement. A special forces unit for wizards? Him being trained as some sort of super soldier? This was all just so much to reveal all at once. Of course, he then considered the opportunity being presented before him, this was a chance to truly make something of himself and his fledgling Army career.
"So Lance Corporal, do you accept?"
"I do sir."
The Major and Brackenreid looked mildly ecstatic at his answer and let out triumphant smiles.
"Very good Lance Corporal, report to the camp gate at zero five hundred hours tomorrow morning. There will be a driver waiting for you when you arrive. Do not be late."
"Yes sir."
"Very well, you're dismissed Lance Corporal."
Harry stood and saluted the Major before making his way to the door, before the Major's voice stopped him.
"One more thing Lance Corporal, this new unit is under the highest levels of secrecy, do not speak of this conversation or of this unit to anyone. Understood?"
"Yes sir."
The Major nodded and turned to speak to Brackenreid, who was still sitting in his seat, apparently having more to discuss with the Major.
"Permission to speak sir?"
The Major turned back towards Harry and eyed him curiously. "Granted."
"If you don't mind me asking sir, how is it you know about magic and the wizarding world?"
"Well Lance Corporal, my brother was a muggleborn who attended Hogwarts, he was a Hufflepuff if I remember correctly. Corporal Brackenreid here is also a muggleborn student in his youth, which house were you Corporal?"
"Gryffindor sir."
"Ah yes that's right. You'd be surprised just how many wizards join the Army's ranks Lance Corporal, you are hardly the first."
Harry nodded his head with a slight look of surprise on his face. "Have a good evening sir, Corporal."
They both nodded and Harry proceeded to return to his barracks, he had to pack and prepare for the morning.
0500 Hours, Next Morning
Harry stood at the entrance gate of the camp, his gear securely packed away in his duffle bag as the driver of the van sent for him introduced himself and ushered him to the van, where he saw three other men sitting in the back, eyeing him curiously. They looked to be similar to Harry's age, although maybe slightly older. After storing his belongings in the back, he climbed in and took a seat among the other men in the van. Nobody said anything at first, until the driver sat down in the driver's seat and spoke.
"I recommend that you lads get some shuteye on the way, it's going to be a long drive before we get to where we're going."
Harry and the other men mumbled their replies, leaning back their seats in an effort to make themselves at least somewhat comfortable. After a few minutes into the drive, they began to talk amongst themselves, having failed to catch any sleep. Harry introduced himself and soon they were all engaged in conversation. It quickly became clear to Harry that the three men with him were also wizards selected to take part in this new mysterious unit. They made small talk as the drive extended into the next few hours. Although nobody said so, the nervousness coming off all of them was plain to see, as they awaited what lay in wait for them at the end of this drive.
Hogwarts
Albus Dumbledore was at his wit's end, and his mood reflected his extreme frustration. For nearly four months, the rogue Potter twin had continued to elude detection, from the Order, Voldemort, and from the wizarding community as a whole. It seemed that he had just completely disappeared into thin air, with no traces or witnesses to testify to his whereabouts. None of his many devices contained in his office had done any better in locating the Potter boy. He had well and truly evaded detection from all parties. Dumbledore let out a yell of frustration and laid back in his chair. He was going to find the boy, one way or another.