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: There have been some reviews questioning what the point of 'going Career' is. In the MI you rarely get promoted past Lance Corporal while just doing a Term, though it can happen during a declared War as Terms don't end while the War is on. All Officers are Careers. There are also reserved jobs once you leave Federal Service that only 'Careers' can be employed in, like Police or Magical 'Federation Liaison'.


"Alright, Wildlings, Maji, listen up." Captain Wildman said.

It was Harry and Hermione's third year with the Wildlings and they had both been promoted to Corporal. Six months ago, Wildman had been promoted from Lieutenant to Captain, though she still led the Platoon and it only really mattered if the entire Company got together which had not happened in the three years that they had been MI. A month ago, Sergeant Skinner had bought a small piece of his farm and was shipped Earthside to recover, so First Section's Sergeant Beck had been promoted to Platoon Sergeant and Alyssa McGonagall was made Sergeant of First Section. Harry was Scout of Fourth Squad and Hermione was Scout of Sixth, the shuffle to keep them from being directly under Alyssa in the chain of command. It was not that Wildman did not trust the Three Musketeers, but it kept things simple. Combat was chaotic enough without risking any conflict of interest in the chain of command.

Mclay and West were no longer with the Maji. Maclay had done her two years and been honourably discharged with her citizenship and voting franchise. West had bought the farm not too long after Harry and Hermione had gone Career.

For once the briefing was not being held on the Avalon, instead they were on a base that had been established on the surface of Mantrax, an outer colony world of strategic importance where there had been colonists going missing in mysterious circumstances.

The base had been set up by the Thirty-Second Combat Engineers Company, which were one of M-Class Combat Engineer Companies and the unit Neville was assigned to, and it housed the two MI Platoons and a small contingent of Intel Officer who were trying to figure out why the Colonists were disappearing.

"This will be a long term Garrison assignment, but we will also be providing security for the Combat Engineers and Intel Officers." Wildman explained. "We were specially requested by one of the Intel Officers, I don't know why. Anyway, it has been designated Operation Na Girl."

Harry and Hermione could not help but bust out sniggering. This was not something that anyone, especially those two, would do during a briefing and Alyssa McGonagall looked as surprised as everyone else.

"Something to add, Corporals?" Wildman snapped.

"Sorry, Captain, but it pronounced Nargle." Harry said, supressing his sniggering. "The Intel Officer's Surname is Lovegood, isn't it?"

"Yes. Lieutenant Lovegood. Why?" Wildman replied, less angry.

"We went to school with her. It explains why we were chosen and why the Thirty-Second are here." Hermione added. "Luna was friends with Harry, myself and Neville Longbottom, who is currently a private in the Thirty-Second."

"You got me." An ethereal voice said from the back of the room, causing all the MI to turn towards it. "And they are correct, it is pronounced Nargle."

The figure leaning against the back wall as a short and lithe young woman wearing an Intel Lieutenant's uniform, and somehow made it seem like she was wearing loose flowing clothing even though the uniform was well tailored, with long slivery-blonde hair in a braid down her back.

"There is more going on here than simply missing colonists. What happens here will echo thought the entire Federation." Luna said.

"Captain, Lieutenant Lovegood is from a long line of Seers." Harry explained.

A few of the younger troopers rolled their eyes at that, believing Seers were either a myth or charlatans, but Captain Wildman, Lieutenant Meeker simply nodded, which got the younger troopers' attention.

"Any specifics?" Lieutenant Meeker asked.

"If we had specifics, Lieutenant, then we would either have an entire Regiment of MI here or the Fleet blasting the planet to glass, depending on the situation." Luna explained.


Harry and Hermione bounced away from the Colony to the East, with Luna and Neville being held in the arms of their scout suits. Carrying around an unarmoured person was nothing in Power Armour, a Troopers equipment weighed more than an unarmoured human. A pair of Troopers in Marauder Suits were doing a wide perimeter patrol but Harry and Hermione kept moving past them.

It was an information gathering patrol and, officially, Neville was there to provide engineering insights while Harry and Hermione were security escorts to Luna. While the information gathering part was true, the reasons for the composition of the team was not what was officially stated, and Captain Wildman knew it. It was the same reason the Wildlings and the Thirty-Second were here. Luna trusted Harry, Hermione and Neville… they were her friends and she had been to war with them before any of them had graduated Hogwarts.

Twenty minutes out from the colony they slowed down as they crested a long sloping rise and then stopped. Harry and Hermione carefully set Luna and Neville on the ground. Luna and Neville began walking around while Harry and Hermione kept a loose formation around them, to avoid accidentally crushing them, walking in their Armour rather than the usual jumps they used.

Luna led the group as they explored the area and they all chatted, catching up, but Harry and Hermione had their radios on receive only using external pickups and speakers, but they were ready to transmit back to base if required. Keeping pace with Luna and Neville was a challenge as they were used to a significantly faster pace, particularly in armour.

After almost an hour looking around and finding nothing, it was no surprise to any of them that when it was Luna that found something. It was hidden behind a large boulder and it was a tunnel leading underground.

"This isn't natural." Neville said, looking at the walls of the tunnel. "It may look natural, but this was created. The walls are too smooth."

"There is nothing in the Colony records." Hermione said. "None of the colonists have gone into this area, they mostly concentrated their activities south and west of the Colony itself. Better farmland to the south and lumber to the west."

Harry fired up his radar and pinged down the tunnel, watching the display as it mapped the closest section of the tunnel.

"It goes straight, does not deviate in the first three hundred feet." Harry reported. "Can't get a clearer picture without entering."

"We are not going in there." Hermione ordered.

Luna tried giving her a look and a tap of the Lieutenant's bars on her shoulders but Hermione held firm.

"Captain's orders." Hermione countered. "No activities that could compromise the safety of Lieutenant Lovegood; interrupt the ability to communicate with the base or be engaged with an enemy without the possibility of getting the non-MI personnel to safety. That tunnel violates all three, so it is off limits."

"Wow, that tone brings back memories." Neville mused. "Even Harry jumped in line when you used to use that tone."

"Let's get back to base and report this." Harry said.

Harry picked up Luna and Hermione picked up Neville and they began to bounce back to base. Neville just tried to keep his balance in Hermione's armoured arms, but Luna, being Luna, curled up and fell asleep.

TBC….