Chapter 15: Revenge
A/N thank u all for your kind reviews, more, need more, can't sleep, need reviews, must have reviews, hahahahaha... sorry. Me bad.
Harry woke up slowly in the Granger's spare room. He fumbled for his glasses as his mind cast back over the last week or so. From having lessons to watching the aftermath of nuclear holocaust, to being captured by the army and finally arriving here at the Grangers house in Surrey. He looked up at the clock on the wall. 12:00. Better get up, he thought, not that he had anything to do. Then he realised, Hermione. He almost leapt out of bed, before getting tangled in the sheets and falling clumsily on the floor. He got up, nursed a bruise, and headed to Hermione's room.
He found Hermione lying silently on her bed, no movement apart from the steady, hoarse breathing that lifted her body slightly. Her mother sat next to her, tears silently streaming down her cheeks. Harry doubted if either of them had slept the previous night.
"Hello, Harry," said Mrs Granger weakly, and she barely turned from her vigil. "She's okay, she's just upset. She's worried about your friend Ron..." Harry's heart gave a leap. He had put Ron to the back of his mind, seeing Hermione in this state, but familiar worries came back to haunt him. "We haven't heard anything about him, I'm afraid. Do you want to talk to her, maybe you can say something else to comfort her, I don't know, I still can not understand what has happened. I'll go downstairs." Mrs Granger got up, leant down and hugged her daughter, and turned and walked tiredly past Harry.
He sat down on Mrs Grangers old chair. He looked at his friend's blank eyes, which now looked like two very dark, deep, black abysses. They did not move, nor did her eyelids shut when Harry moved a little closer. Her lips had shrivelled and had lost their colour, and they opened slightly as she breathed. She did not make any attempt to move or say anything.
"Hermione?" Harry asked tentatively. She did not reply. "Hermione, please, say something?" Nothing. Harry got up, and put his arms around her. He held her tightly, hoping that his display may provoke a response. He waited, and hoped. Then he felt her move, and suddenly her arms swung around his body, and she held on so tightly that Harry couldn't get up.
"Don't...please, don't go..." She whispered, every word sounding like it took her a considerable effort.
"I...won't," choked Harry uneasily, "I won't go." Her felt her arms loosen, and he carefully got up. Hermione herself tried to sit up, and Harry put an arm under her back to help her up. She looked at Harry, her eyes now alert, scanning him to see if he was all right.
"Oh god Harry, I don't know what...its over, isn't it?"
"What?" Asked Harry, looking concerned.
"Hogwarts, our whole world, its over, everything..."
"I guess so." Replied Harry, half-heartedly, he had spent too much time worrying about his friends to think about the future of his magical education, but now Hermione's thought began to dawn on him too.
"And Ron, do you think he's okay, I'll die if he isn't." She began to cry again, Harry found it surprising she had any tears left.
"I know, I know, " Harry comforted her, pulling her closer. "He'll be okay, I know he will be." Hermione closed her eyes and rested her head on Harry's chest. Harry looked over her hair at a relieved Mrs Granger who had come back into the room.
The temporary office of the British Minister of Magic was full with about fifty tired wizards and witches. Most were engaged in conversation, mostly about why they had come here, and also about the muggle invasion of Diagon Alley. Suddenly, the door of the office opened, to reveal the new Minister of Magic, Lucius Malfoy. He had been handed the reins an hour ago by Fudge, who had disappeared. Lucius walked into the room, his grin betraying both his pleasure at the new appointment, but also the scheme he had to get back at the muggles.
"Gentlemen, and Ladies, it is time to strike back." He quietened down the applause. "If they want to fight, then we will fight, and we will have revenge for what happened at Hogwarts." More applause. "Very well, this is the plan. We know the muggles have evacuated their major cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Well, in between these cities is the village of Dunblaichlane. We'll take camp there, and when the muggles come, we will destroy them."
"Err, one problem," began one of the other wizards, a former Auror, who now worked with the Department of Mysteries. "Remember what they did to our Hogwarts." One or two of the people near him shuffled uncomfortably.
"We have monitored the muggles' news services, and many of their allies would not be pleased if they used the bomb again. Plus, I doubt if they would destroy their own cities just to kill a few of us.
"Yeah, well, we don't know what else they have got, I mean, what if they something worse than that?"
"Listen, I'm starting to think you do not want to attack the muggles, scared, are you?"
"No, I merely do not wish..."
"Listen here," yelled Malfoy, slamming his fist into the desk in front of him. "We will attack them, and we will get our revenge, is that understood."
"Yes, Minister." Replied the man quietly, bowing to his superior.
"Good. We will move out tonight. I will stay here and direct operations. Good luck, and get some of them for me. And if you ever doubt, if you think of showing mercy, think of Hogwarts, think of all those poor, innocent children, your wives, your parents, those who had never even hurt a fly in their lives, and remember who, without the slightest compassion or remorse, obliterated them off the face of the Earth. Goodbye." The other wizards and witches Disapparated, and Malfoy himself got ready to Disapparate, but not to where the others were going. He pulled his cloak over his head, and Apparated to Azkaban.
"Is it done?" Asked a low voice from a figure with his back to Malfoy. The light cast few shadows over his snake-like features.
"Yes, my Lord. Now our enemies will annihilate each other. I must admit, sire, that I am impressed with your resourcefulness, particularly when our first plan became unviable with our attack on the muggles. In fact, the situation has appeared to turn out for the best."
"Yes, but we have much to do. How is Dunford?"
"Still co-operating, last time I checked, my Lord."
"Good, Lucius, I am tired. You may go." Malfoy left the room. Voldemort continued staring into the fire, before walking through it into the room beyond. It was a small, windowless room, with the floor coated with straw and dirt. In one corner, a woman and her small child slept on a pile of dirty and worn blankets. 'Time for a little fun', thought the Dark Lord, as he raised his wand...
The Prime Minister was in his office in the Houses of Parliament in London. He was glad to be back in his office, even in the circumstances. He reclined his seat with a cup of tea in his hand, which he gently sipped as he looked out onto the Thames. You couldn't have told there was a war on, well apart from the 'Duke' class Frigate 'Kent', and the circling Lynx's that patrolled over Westminster.
The door opened behind him, revealing two Military generals. The Prime Minister turned his chair to meet them.
"Michael, Paul, always a pleasure, what do you have to report?"
"Sir, a Jaguar reconnaissance plane picked up a wizard encampment in an abandoned village around fifteen miles from Glasgow. Further IR scans indicated a force of around four to six thousand individuals. We have sent the SAS in to man OP's to confirm it."
"Crap," replied the Prime Minister, "okay, what are we going to do about it?"
"Well, obviously a nuclear attack is out of the question, so a ground attack is, I'm afraid the only option. We have sent a memo to Dunford, but no one can get him at the moment, so we felt we would bring this directly to you."
"Yeah, okay, but our plan of response is?"
"Well, a lot of our ground forces are tied up defending key Military and civilian facilities, so we are looking at sparing maybe 8000 troops drawn from the twelfth, fifteenth, and fifty-second Brigades, as well as maybe 80 MBT's of the Royal Armoured Corp and 12 batteries of light field guns from the Royal Artillery. That should give us an advantage of two-to-one. We also have air support available, including Tornados, Harriers, and Lynx helicopter gun ships."
"Looks like you've got it covered, who going to be commanding this force?"
"Corporal Carrick. He already has experience with combat against these people, so he is the best guy for the job."
"Alright. Well, I'll leave it in your capable hands. Inform me directly of any changes or movements. Godspeed, gentlemen." The generals left the room, passing the Minister's secretary, who came up and dropped a few notes onto the PM's desk.
"What are you thinking, sir?" She asked pleasantly.
"I just thought, if they make a movie of this, who'll play me?"
"No idea sir, but if its Hollywood, you'll be twenty years younger, have more hair, and made a dozen patriotic speeches before relying on the Americans to bail you out." She smiled, the PM looked bemused.
"Put a lot of thought into it, haven't you?"
"Not a lot else to think about." She said politely, before turning and leaving the office.
A/N The tension builds, doesn't it? You know what to do.
A/N thank u all for your kind reviews, more, need more, can't sleep, need reviews, must have reviews, hahahahaha... sorry. Me bad.
Harry woke up slowly in the Granger's spare room. He fumbled for his glasses as his mind cast back over the last week or so. From having lessons to watching the aftermath of nuclear holocaust, to being captured by the army and finally arriving here at the Grangers house in Surrey. He looked up at the clock on the wall. 12:00. Better get up, he thought, not that he had anything to do. Then he realised, Hermione. He almost leapt out of bed, before getting tangled in the sheets and falling clumsily on the floor. He got up, nursed a bruise, and headed to Hermione's room.
He found Hermione lying silently on her bed, no movement apart from the steady, hoarse breathing that lifted her body slightly. Her mother sat next to her, tears silently streaming down her cheeks. Harry doubted if either of them had slept the previous night.
"Hello, Harry," said Mrs Granger weakly, and she barely turned from her vigil. "She's okay, she's just upset. She's worried about your friend Ron..." Harry's heart gave a leap. He had put Ron to the back of his mind, seeing Hermione in this state, but familiar worries came back to haunt him. "We haven't heard anything about him, I'm afraid. Do you want to talk to her, maybe you can say something else to comfort her, I don't know, I still can not understand what has happened. I'll go downstairs." Mrs Granger got up, leant down and hugged her daughter, and turned and walked tiredly past Harry.
He sat down on Mrs Grangers old chair. He looked at his friend's blank eyes, which now looked like two very dark, deep, black abysses. They did not move, nor did her eyelids shut when Harry moved a little closer. Her lips had shrivelled and had lost their colour, and they opened slightly as she breathed. She did not make any attempt to move or say anything.
"Hermione?" Harry asked tentatively. She did not reply. "Hermione, please, say something?" Nothing. Harry got up, and put his arms around her. He held her tightly, hoping that his display may provoke a response. He waited, and hoped. Then he felt her move, and suddenly her arms swung around his body, and she held on so tightly that Harry couldn't get up.
"Don't...please, don't go..." She whispered, every word sounding like it took her a considerable effort.
"I...won't," choked Harry uneasily, "I won't go." Her felt her arms loosen, and he carefully got up. Hermione herself tried to sit up, and Harry put an arm under her back to help her up. She looked at Harry, her eyes now alert, scanning him to see if he was all right.
"Oh god Harry, I don't know what...its over, isn't it?"
"What?" Asked Harry, looking concerned.
"Hogwarts, our whole world, its over, everything..."
"I guess so." Replied Harry, half-heartedly, he had spent too much time worrying about his friends to think about the future of his magical education, but now Hermione's thought began to dawn on him too.
"And Ron, do you think he's okay, I'll die if he isn't." She began to cry again, Harry found it surprising she had any tears left.
"I know, I know, " Harry comforted her, pulling her closer. "He'll be okay, I know he will be." Hermione closed her eyes and rested her head on Harry's chest. Harry looked over her hair at a relieved Mrs Granger who had come back into the room.
The temporary office of the British Minister of Magic was full with about fifty tired wizards and witches. Most were engaged in conversation, mostly about why they had come here, and also about the muggle invasion of Diagon Alley. Suddenly, the door of the office opened, to reveal the new Minister of Magic, Lucius Malfoy. He had been handed the reins an hour ago by Fudge, who had disappeared. Lucius walked into the room, his grin betraying both his pleasure at the new appointment, but also the scheme he had to get back at the muggles.
"Gentlemen, and Ladies, it is time to strike back." He quietened down the applause. "If they want to fight, then we will fight, and we will have revenge for what happened at Hogwarts." More applause. "Very well, this is the plan. We know the muggles have evacuated their major cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Well, in between these cities is the village of Dunblaichlane. We'll take camp there, and when the muggles come, we will destroy them."
"Err, one problem," began one of the other wizards, a former Auror, who now worked with the Department of Mysteries. "Remember what they did to our Hogwarts." One or two of the people near him shuffled uncomfortably.
"We have monitored the muggles' news services, and many of their allies would not be pleased if they used the bomb again. Plus, I doubt if they would destroy their own cities just to kill a few of us.
"Yeah, well, we don't know what else they have got, I mean, what if they something worse than that?"
"Listen, I'm starting to think you do not want to attack the muggles, scared, are you?"
"No, I merely do not wish..."
"Listen here," yelled Malfoy, slamming his fist into the desk in front of him. "We will attack them, and we will get our revenge, is that understood."
"Yes, Minister." Replied the man quietly, bowing to his superior.
"Good. We will move out tonight. I will stay here and direct operations. Good luck, and get some of them for me. And if you ever doubt, if you think of showing mercy, think of Hogwarts, think of all those poor, innocent children, your wives, your parents, those who had never even hurt a fly in their lives, and remember who, without the slightest compassion or remorse, obliterated them off the face of the Earth. Goodbye." The other wizards and witches Disapparated, and Malfoy himself got ready to Disapparate, but not to where the others were going. He pulled his cloak over his head, and Apparated to Azkaban.
"Is it done?" Asked a low voice from a figure with his back to Malfoy. The light cast few shadows over his snake-like features.
"Yes, my Lord. Now our enemies will annihilate each other. I must admit, sire, that I am impressed with your resourcefulness, particularly when our first plan became unviable with our attack on the muggles. In fact, the situation has appeared to turn out for the best."
"Yes, but we have much to do. How is Dunford?"
"Still co-operating, last time I checked, my Lord."
"Good, Lucius, I am tired. You may go." Malfoy left the room. Voldemort continued staring into the fire, before walking through it into the room beyond. It was a small, windowless room, with the floor coated with straw and dirt. In one corner, a woman and her small child slept on a pile of dirty and worn blankets. 'Time for a little fun', thought the Dark Lord, as he raised his wand...
The Prime Minister was in his office in the Houses of Parliament in London. He was glad to be back in his office, even in the circumstances. He reclined his seat with a cup of tea in his hand, which he gently sipped as he looked out onto the Thames. You couldn't have told there was a war on, well apart from the 'Duke' class Frigate 'Kent', and the circling Lynx's that patrolled over Westminster.
The door opened behind him, revealing two Military generals. The Prime Minister turned his chair to meet them.
"Michael, Paul, always a pleasure, what do you have to report?"
"Sir, a Jaguar reconnaissance plane picked up a wizard encampment in an abandoned village around fifteen miles from Glasgow. Further IR scans indicated a force of around four to six thousand individuals. We have sent the SAS in to man OP's to confirm it."
"Crap," replied the Prime Minister, "okay, what are we going to do about it?"
"Well, obviously a nuclear attack is out of the question, so a ground attack is, I'm afraid the only option. We have sent a memo to Dunford, but no one can get him at the moment, so we felt we would bring this directly to you."
"Yeah, okay, but our plan of response is?"
"Well, a lot of our ground forces are tied up defending key Military and civilian facilities, so we are looking at sparing maybe 8000 troops drawn from the twelfth, fifteenth, and fifty-second Brigades, as well as maybe 80 MBT's of the Royal Armoured Corp and 12 batteries of light field guns from the Royal Artillery. That should give us an advantage of two-to-one. We also have air support available, including Tornados, Harriers, and Lynx helicopter gun ships."
"Looks like you've got it covered, who going to be commanding this force?"
"Corporal Carrick. He already has experience with combat against these people, so he is the best guy for the job."
"Alright. Well, I'll leave it in your capable hands. Inform me directly of any changes or movements. Godspeed, gentlemen." The generals left the room, passing the Minister's secretary, who came up and dropped a few notes onto the PM's desk.
"What are you thinking, sir?" She asked pleasantly.
"I just thought, if they make a movie of this, who'll play me?"
"No idea sir, but if its Hollywood, you'll be twenty years younger, have more hair, and made a dozen patriotic speeches before relying on the Americans to bail you out." She smiled, the PM looked bemused.
"Put a lot of thought into it, haven't you?"
"Not a lot else to think about." She said politely, before turning and leaving the office.
A/N The tension builds, doesn't it? You know what to do.