Harry Potter and the Rocky Mountain school of Magic ch14

Harry's heart sank as he read the missive from the ICW. He'd known it was always a possibility that he'd be called back but had always hoped it would never happen. If he were honest with himself he wasn't the same man he'd been when he was an active duty Battle mage. Though he seldom regretted the lives he'd been forced to take throughout his career, the things he'd seen had haunted him for years.

The survivors of the Australian genocides were the worst. Much like when the allies had freed the prisoners from German concentration camps, seeing that level of human misery never left you. Anyone who could feel even the slightest amount of empathy, would find the suffering unbearable. Harry had been no different, the dead eyes of the surviving children still made him shoot awake quite often.

Then there was the Dark Lady or as she preferred Dark Mistress. She and her followers were blood purists but unlike Voldemort, they wanted to increase the wizarding population. The wizards were sent to forced labor camps or used as rewards for her vampire allies. While girls as young as twelve years old were used as breeding stock, hardly being allowed to heal from giving birth, before being forcefully impregnated again.

Unfortunately for the people of Eastern and Central Europe, Liz'beth Bathory was far smarter than the dark lords before her. She's operated in secret for decades, amassing an absolutely huge following. The Hungarian witch had had six thousand and some witches and wizards following her orders. Then there were the vampires, she'd secured the allegiance of four of the six vampire clans in Europe, the other two fleeing to the Americas to avoid the conflict.

The ICW hadn't become aware of her until she had sacked Durmstrang. With their children as hostages, most of the Eastern European families fell in line. Half-bloods and muggleborns were rounded up and sent to camps. The Dark Mistress had been smart, leaving muggles alone so as to not draw the attention of the hit-wizards.

That war had been a hard slog. Those that would typically help the hit-wizards were far too scared to help. Everywhere they'd gone the citizens would act as spies for the Dark Mistress, in the hope of getting their children back.

The hit-wizards had lost a full battalion in just the first two months of the war. The Battle mages had been cut in half and Harry had lost two thirds of his team. It had taken almost five years before they'd been able to get close enough to confront the Dark Mistress in person. Harry had personally dueled her for over an hour, before a member of his team had shot her in the back of the head. The ICW were still rooting out her followers twenty years later.

Sadly, the children had never been recovered. An entire generation of magical children were just gone.

000

Harry sat across the table from Filius and Andrew. "My ICW commission has been reactivated. I'm going to need to leave the school for at least a year. I need someone to take over the Headmaster position, while I'm away. I know that neither of you want the position, so I would appreciate your help in deciding who to recommend to the board."

The two men looked shocked. Filius spoke first. "The school won't be the same without you, Harry."

Harry gave a sad smile. "I'm not sure I'll be the same without the school. So who would you like to see fill my shoes?"

000

When Harry arrived in Geneva, Switzerland it was just past noon. As he entered the headquarters, he took a moment to take in the majesty of the place. Unlike the majority of ministry buildings, the ICW headquarters was resplendent with magic. The main entrance opened onto an open air courtyard with fountains on either side that misted visitors as they passed. It was an open secret that those fountains contained, not water but Thieves downfall potion.

Balls of fire erupted from the fountains on either side of him. Having once worked security in this building, Harry knew this to be a warning to the guards, that Harry carried concealed weapons and at least one unregistered wand. The pattern of the water in the fountains told the guards, he carried something containing an expansion charm and the lights of the fountains warned of his power level and level of dark magic proficiency.

If Harry didn't carry his badge acknowledging him as a Battle mage, the magic of the courtyard would have disabled him already.

Passing into the building he could see the guards by the doors eyeing him wearily. Ahead of him the young guard at the reception desk stood a little straighter and put his hand on his wand.

Harry stepped forward and addressed the receptionist. "Commander Harry Potter, I have an appointment with a Mister O'Rourke in sub-basement six." He said sliding his badge across the reception desk.

The receptionist examined the badge, then his face. "Guard please escort Commander Potter to sub-basement six and wait with him until a member of magical research comes to collect him." She said as she passed Harry's badge back to him.

000

The magical research department of the ICW couldn't have been more different from the British department of mysteries. The reception area looked much like a dentist's office. Just a bunch of chairs, a coat rack, a funny smell and the occasional terrifying noise. His escort stood by the door as Harry addressed the receptionist. "Commander Potter to see Mr.O'Rourke." The receptionist made no reply and simply pushed a button on her desk. "Take a seat." The guard said from behind him.

Soon a very tall man with white hair and beard, wearing a grey cloak with the hood pulled back, entered the waiting room. "Commander Potter, please follow me." Then turning to the Auror guard. "You may return to your post. I'll see that Commander Potter is escorted out."

Harry followed the man to a conference room and took the seat indicated.

"Commander Potter, first I must apologize for reactivating your commission. I realize that you are teaching now and getting away is difficult. That said you are the only operative qualified for this mission, anyone else would need months of training. Months we simply don't have. Before we speak of this mission, You need to read and sign this." Mr.O'Rourke said, sliding a parchment across the table. "It's a standard secrecy contract. You can tell no one the particulars of this mission."

Harry quickly read and signed the contract.

"Tell me Commander, what do you know about time travel?"

"Very little, I'm afraid. Short of never being seen by your past self and that you can't change things you've seen happen."

"That is quite a bit more than most people know. It would appear by your answer, that you've had some experience with a short term time travel device. I assume it was a time turner?"

Harry nodded.

"Well we are talking about long distance time travel here. 1048 AD. To be exact. Commander, do you recognize the name Harfang Blackwell?" The man's expression giving nothing away.

"That is the name I often used on undercover missions in Europe." Harry said.

The man pulled an ancient looking book from inside his suit jacket. "Harfang Blackwell was a man who appeared in Hogsmead village in 1047 AD. He quickly became the premiere swordsmith in Scotland, his blades rivaled goblin steel in strength and flexibility but unlike goblin steel they didn't cost your left arm and right testicle to purchase. He was instrumental in the formation of the Wizards council, the defense of Hogsmead in the 1048 and 1050 Goblin rebellions and the warding of Hogsmead Valley, before his disappearance in 1052 AD. In his time he fought, captured or killed eleven dark wizards, including the dark lord Ekristas, the creator of dementors."

Harry looked at the man in shock.

"This is proof that you will accept this mission. We now know where the lost generation disappeared to."

000

A/N: One chapter to go. Sorry for the delay but I've been working on an original story and I am working part-time again. Thankfully my vision is slowly improving and I should have full vision again by the end of the summer. Here's hoping. I'm planning on updating the next book once a week with longer chapters 5-7k words. Though It'll still be relatively short, 15-18 chapters.

Thank you for the reviews, follows and favorites.

Cameron1812, I think that's your name. That last review made me both laugh and groan. That was such a Dad joke.