Title: On the Bounce

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: All Harry Potter Books/Movies excepting the epilogue.

Rating: MA

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Starship Troopers.

Summary: After the end of the Second Wizarding War, Harry decides that he is done with the Wizarding World, and Hermione goes with him. Welcome to the Mobile Infantry. Crossover with Starship Troopers Book. AU

A/N: If you want to post a review telling me everything that is wrong with the premise of this fic, please do so in a way I can respond to you, not anonymously. The 'Guest' who did so after the first chapter, your arguments are based on a number of false assumptions, which will be corrected when they become relevant to the story.


Hermione stretched surreptitiously in her seat as the transport was flying over Europe on the way to the Mobile Infantry Training Facility. Hermione looked across at Harry, who had finally fallen asleep, and the twelve other non-Magical MI Recruits from the UK on the transport. She had kind of lied to Harry when they had spoken after choosing their preferences. Well, not about knowing him so well, more about what she had put on her paperwork.

She had known Harry would choose Mobile Infantry so she had put that down as her only option, which was why she had asked the order of his preferences. The Major had, after they had been sworn in, tried to convince her to change her preference, to R&D or Intelligence Service, but she had stuck to her guns for the MI. She was not going to leave Harry, no matter what.

The transport began to descend for landing and the slight turbulence woke up Harry. The landing was relatively soft and they disembarked with the other recruits and were herded into one large formation make up of MI Recruits from all across Europe, made up of about two thousand recruits.

"My name is Career Senior Drill Sergeant Kresnov." The compact man at the front of the formation said with a very slight Russian accent. "We will be dividing you into Companies and Sections. You will live, train, eat and shower with your section. For some of you pampered children, fair warning, the sections are not gender segregated, so learn to deal with it. Anyone I hear about skipping out on showers will receive an… appropriate punishment."

With that the Kresnov began calling out names into each Company and Section, starting with First Company, Alpha section, and having about twenty names in each section.

"Third Company, Echo Section. Antinov, Renault, Potter, Sinclair, Swartz, Granger, Romanov, Garibaldi…"

Once the allocation of the recruits into their different Companies and Sections was finished they were dismissed to their section barracks under the auspices of their section Drill Instructors.

"I am Drill Instructor Jansen." Third Company, Echo Section's instructor said when they were in their barracks. "I am primarily responsible for your training. Also, like all of you, I am M Class. I am also the only M Class amongst the Instructors here."

That caused a stir amongst the recruits.

"Congratulations, you twenty are the entirety of the Magical Community that have signed up for Mobile Infantry, worldwide, this year." Jansen added.

"Isn't this breaking the Statute of Secrecy or something?" Swartz, a lanky man who had a distinct Brooklyn accent, asked.

"No." Jansen replied. "Officially the Federation neither knows of, nor recognises, the existence of Magicals. As far as the recruiters know, M Class means you were personally approached and encouraged to join by clandestine agents of the Federation. They think you were scouted. Most recruiters never encounter an M Class."

"What about once we graduate?" Hermione asked. "Surely in combat situations, Magic would get exposed. I can't see many Magicals not using a spell or two when under fire."

"True." Jansen replied. "Which is why when you graduate, if you make it, you will be assigned to one of the platoons in Fifth Battalion, Second MI Regiment. Fifth Battalion operates on a number of Assault Cruisers, which carry two Platoons each and each ship operates independently. Almost all M Class personnel, both MI and Navy, are assigned to Fifth Battalion and its Assault Cruisers. Should you wash out, all memory of Fifth Battalion will be obliviated."

Instructor Jansen dismissed them to get settled. Naturally Hermione and Harry grabbed bunks next to each other. The mix in Echo section was eleven women and nine men from all around the world, with Harry and Hermione being the only ones from England. There were a group of three women, Witches, who were constantly glancing over at Harry and Hermione and whispering amongst themselves.

"May as well get it over with." Harry said quietly to Hermione before raising his voice. "Is there something you three wish to say?"

This caused most of the recruits to stop and glance between the three Witches and Harry and Hermione. After a second one of the Witches straitened.

"You're them, aren't you?" the Witch asked with a French accent. "Hermione Granger and Harry Potter?"

After a second Harry and Hermione both, reluctantly, nodded. This caused a slight stir amongst the other recruits.

"Granger, did you really get perfect scores on all of your OWL's?" The French Witch asked. "Because no one has done that in like four hundred years."

"I heard Potter cast a corporeal Patronus when he was thirteen." One of the Wizards, with an Australian accent, on the other side of the room said.

"I heard Granger was offered her Mastery in four subjects at fifteen." A German Witch added.

"You never told me that." Harry whispered to Hermione.

"It's not true." Hermione replied as softly, blushing slightly. "It was only Transfiguration and Charms and it was sixth year, but I still would have needed to do a dissertation."

Ten more minutes the conversation went on regarding Harry and Hermione's achievements. There was no 'Boy Who Lived' talk, just recognition of things they had actually done. Harry put a stop to it in the end.

"Hey, enough." Harry said, silencing the room. "None of that matters here. We're all just recruits. We will rise and fall on our merits, not on what we have done before. Now I think we should get some sleep, because we begin training tomorrow."


Charlie Weasley walked into the chaos that was the Burrow. All his family were there, including his sister-in-law Fleur, and a few other important people in the post-war Magical Community, such as Minister Shacklebolt and Headmistress McGonagall. Everyone looked up at his entry, wondering if he had any news. It had been six months since Harry and Hermione had disappeared.

"I got some news." Charlie said. "You want the good news or the bad news?"

"Good news." Ginny said, hopefully.

"I know exactly where Harry and Hermione are. They are in Siberia." Charlie informed them. "I have the exact co-ordinates."

"That's brilliant." Ron said. "We can bring them home."

"That's the bad part." Charlie replied. "They are beyond our reach. Completely."

"I can only think of three ways that they would be completely out of our reach." Kingsley said.

"It's the worst of them." Charlie said.

"I don't get it." Molly said.

"They joined the Federation." Charlie explained. "MI Training facility."

"Shit." Arthur said, earning a shocked look from Molly.

"When are we getting them back?" Ron asked.

"We're not. That's what being 'out of our reach' means, Ron." Charlie said. "The Federation basically runs the Muggle World."

Ron and Ginny looked confused and Molly looked angry.

"Didn't you ever wonder why the Death Eaters did not raid the Muggle World more often or more destructively?" Kingsley asked. "Even at the height of his power, the Dark Lord only ever did one or two limited raids into the Muggle World every year. If the Federation ever wanted they could wipe out every Magical community in the world in a few days. As long as most of the damage was contained to the Magical World, they did not interfere."

"So what are we going to do?" Molly said. "How can we bring them home?"

"We do nothing." McGonagall said. "Does anyone know what the MI basic term of service is?"

"Eighteen months training, then two years of service." Bill said. "That assumes they don't quit, but from what I have heard every month that passes reduces the odds of them quitting, barring injury or death."

"Death?" Ron and Ginny said together.

"The training can be quite dangerous. And don't forget that the two years is the minimum term of service." Fleur said, her English having gotten better since the Tri-Wizard Tournament, mellowing her accent in the process. "After they finish training, at any time they can choose to go 'Career', which means they commit to twenty years of service."

Silence descended over the group. Most of the adults were contemplative, except Molly who was mad that her grand plan of one big happy family were being dashed. Ron and Ginny were just confused as to why Harry and Hermione were not coming back and that they could be gone for twenty years.

TBC…