Chapter 2: The Beginning of an Epic..
"Through times of fear, angst, doubt, toil, and trouble, hope remains in the heart of the ones who can look to a greater and brighter future.." ~ Merlin
The mountains mist just fell below the mountain summits, the trees glisten in the sun light as the scatter rays of prism light blanketed the lower powder valley. Animals of all kinds moved around the woods just trying to escape the ever growing muggle society. A small white blanket covered the ground softly letting the tiniest of creatures to escape there woven dens. Small sprouts of icy green grass popped up around the fresh smelling pine trees. With the smell of senility in the air with the blissful peace of the snow covered forested, It was a heaven for anyone who would stop and listen to the animals, let the wild talk to them, hearing there strange yet. familiar song of nature.
The roaring of the lion broke the utter silence of tranquility and the heavenly bliss. Gray and Sliver birds tour the sky with awesome furiousness and power, The pure Might and Strength that man could create enter these mechanical flying machines. Three F-14 crossed the open sky leaving white cloudy trails behind there wake. Bird scoured the trees taking flight fleeing from the god-awful noise in the sky. A group of four men waked in a line covered in white and gray jackets blending into the scenery. All of them looked up at the jets crossing the forest, two of them I awe to see what men created, one with almost no emotion on his face, the other with a bit of a sad expression on his face. With almost no noise the men crossed the open valley; from the looks of it they were training themselves for a snowy operation.
I raised my hand to signal stop to my other comrades as a strange noise I heard in the distant. Sounds of burning and crackling drifted into the air as all of us could smell the all so familiar scent of burning flesh. Rotten and mold filled the air as the scent of pine mixed into the process. My team slowly march over to the crackling trying to see what we happen to stumble upon. As we approach from our first site John almost barfed, to see a man in pieces his head on a old fashion pike, the torso stretched into un- explored territory, missing body limbs made the scene ever so gruesome. The ground beneath the man was soaked in blood red as it days had passed by since this man was killed. I looked upon the man trying to figure out the monster who could even think of such a think. I kneeled beside the torso to see something slivery reflecting the arid sun. The metallic object dropped to the white snow and fizzed as it cooled off, with relief I slowly picked it up to read the inscription. Lt. Rod Gusman. The rest of the writing was smeared and non-readable. I passed the dog tag to my friends; they all murmured something to themselves, like a prayer as they passed it around.
"Who could have done such an horrid act?" Brandon asked.
"I don't know Brandon, and I'm not willing to find out."
"Sick devil's." John murmured under his breath.
~@~
We formally buried the remains, as we finished Brandon noticed a small letter on the ground where the pike was. He went over to pick it up as I said some final prayers to our comrade in arms.
"With the smell of burning flesh, I run from them, to tell the world about them, I fear that humanity hasn't yet to even dream of what's to come. I must keep moving, if they catch the human race off guard, I fear not even our greatest military commanders could lead us to a victory. These" the rest of the letter ripped off as if someone didn't want us to know what was there. Brandon said out loud as all of us gather around him staring blankly at each other. To take it to be real, all of us would be courted for insanity, but if it was real and the human race is caught off guard we would have to blame selves for not telling anyone.
~@~
"Somebody save me, don't care how you do it. Just save.. Save. Save my soul, I've been waiting for you... "The stereo blared in the small sliver thunderbird as it ran over the dead squirrel once more.
" Aaaa. that bump again." Ron said as he looked in his mirror to see a dead squirrel lying on the black tarmac. Hermione chuckled as she looked behind them to see the squirrel; Harry returned a smile to Hermione as they drove north to the Cleveland National Forest. Out of the corner of Harry's eye he saw three F-14's patrolling the skies, soon after there was a little crackle in the sky.
"Ron do you know where we are heading?" Harry asked.
Ron chuckled at the thought that he really didn't have a clue where he was going, it was the first time ever being up this way. "Um. yeah, sure I know..." Ron replied worriedly.
"Ok Ron." Hermione smirked as she turned to Harry and kissed him on the cheek before laying her head down on his shoulder.
"That sounds very comforting to us." Harry said.
"Of course I do it's no like I'm just driving no where now."
The sliver Thunderbird with three passengers creamed and hugged the road as they trekked north. Scenery slowly turning from dry city life to gazing into a snow covered mountain with thousands of green spires shimmering in sun light.
"Beautiful." Hermione smiled watching the scene unfolding as they skimmed the road. Harry looked at her chocolate brown eyes and kissed her on the forehead smiling. "I've seen better" Harry smirked.
~@~
Harry picked up a snow ball and flung it through the air straight into Ron's face plastering it with a thick cover of white powder ice. Ron fell into the powdery snow laughing as hard as his diaphragm could muster. Hermione smiled watching the boys have there time to play as she sat down by the fire keeping her self warm. Everything seemed surreal as the powder slowly started to fall from the tops of the green spires. Slow smoke rose from the small camp fire next to the grayish magical tent. Inside the tent was practically a whole house, complete with kitchen, bathroom, shower, and a place were a few people could sleep comfortable.
Light brown hair dropped over her face as she stared into the fire, the cinnamon brown eyes reflected the dancing of the fire. Heat rose into the face of the magnificent beauty that sat there with her white snow boots slowly making an angel in the soft wet powder. The fire crackled and burned with fiery yet the soft warm fuzzy glow of orange and yellow tamed a peaceful side of the fire. Time passed on as if it wasn't even comprehended in words, Hermione just sat there watching the fire, amazed with the shapes and forms that were created with the turn of the wind. Slowly her lids shut upon her cinnamon brown eyes and blackness consumed her mind and the dream world began.
Snowy planes of war soaked up the crimson blood that lied on the ground. Slowly the blood started to seep into the ground as the sky cracked and hissed with the mightiest of blows. The wind swirled and bushed against a woman's hair, slowly pulling it into the front of her eyes. Her long brown hair reached to the mid section of her stomach and covered the pure browns of her eyes. Slowly a laugh destroyed what was left of the scene and blackness once again consumed the land.
"Hermione." Harry slowly tapped his sleeping wife. "Hermione." He noticed that the fire had slowly gone out and she was still sweating. "Hermione." a soft grunt came from Hermione as she finally responded.
"Harry?" Hermione opened one of her eyes to see who was disturbing her slumber.
"Hey beautiful." Harry smiled as he took a seat next to her.
"Hello hansom." Hermione replied as her other eye opened up to get a clearer view of Harry sitting there.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked curiously.
"I don't know what you mean?" Hermione responded in a low tone of voice.
"Well." Harry looked at the fire that is now just smolders of ash. "You're sweating and the fire is out."
Hermione wiped her head feeling her own sweat that she created during her dream. "Oh. dunno..." Hermione looked confused. Harry just smiled and hugged Hermione snuggling close to her, at that time Ron came back with a pile of twigs and full logs in his arms. Ron kneeled down and neatly assembled the twigs and logs together to make an efficient fire.
"Incendio" Ron muttered as he had his wand out and pointed directly at the set wood, suddenly they lit a blazed instantly melting the snow around the yellowish orange glow. Ron moved away from the fire and pulled up another chair from inside the tent and moved it towards the other side of Harry and Hermione.
Harry and Hermione still cuddle together keeping there warmth as the fire added to there inner heat. Ron took his seat as he glazed into fire amazed by the swish and twirls of the leaping flames. Smoke slowly rose from the top of the flames into the open blue sky creating magnificent shapes that seemed out of this world.
"Don't you miss the old days?" Ron jerked his head up to see Harry and Hermione looking to each other's eyes. Ron just smiled and gave out a little sigh, noting that his love life hadn't gone the right way since the day with Lavender Brown.
Harry smiled and gave Hermione a peck on the lips before turning his head to Ron who seem down. "What's wrong man?" Harry asked still looking into the fire.
"Nothing." Ron responded with a sad tone in his voice. Harry just looked at him funny, before pulling Hermione closer in responding to the slight wind breeze that swept over there camp.
"Don't you miss the old days?" Ron repeated himself again hoping for response this time. Hermione smiled and looked at Harry, they both smiled at the same time.
"Those were the best times. all our friends. Yule balls, quidditch, marauders." Harry said as Hermione snicker softly; Harry just looked at her with a smile on his face. Ron let out a sigh as he remembered the first time he thought he fell in love with Hermione, but that change when his real love was Lavender.
"You know. I never got why she left me. with a baby on the way." Ron said quietly to himself hoping that Harry or Hermione wouldn't pick it up.
"She might have had her reasons; maybe they were for the best." Hermione heard and try to comfort Ron who just looked like on the verge of tears.
"Yeh. she probably did." Ron let a tear fall onto the white snow below him.
The fire sizzled and hissed with the newly dried branches being put in by Ron. Everything seemed to stop around them. Birds could no longer be heard chirping there wonderful song, no longer could you hear the wolf's cries, nor did the wind bristle with the trees frozen branches. Frozen in time the trio just stared at the fire and reflected there lives, how great times were, how much fun they had when they were kids.
~@~
"That's funny Jack," John and Xavier both said in unison.
I looked at them both, noting that it did sound funny in a way.
"Jack, I think you've gone off the deep end, I mean this is an obvious cruel joke that some kid played." Brandon said to me as he took the letter and looked at it again.
I chuckled and took the letter from Brandon and found my lighter in my pocket before burning the parchment. "Alright men, let's go, training operations tonight." I announced as we all continued to trench through the frozen colorless powder.
"And were off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of oz" Xavier started singing.
The group chuckled and laughed as we treading in a straight line. "You know. I could never remember the second part of that song." Xavier said chuckling to himself.
The rest of use looked at each other, and truthfully I forgot the second part of the song to. "Brandon?" I asked.
"Sorry, I can't remember myself." Brandon replied as we continue to walks through the snow. At that time John noticed that there was a wisp of smoke dancing high in the air. Beautiful figures formed within the smoke with the grains of sand that flowed freely. "We got people in this military center." John announced.
"I think there's going to be a visit." Brandon said as all of us started to march over to the smoke.
"I'm wasting my time, stop to feel."
"Xavier shut up please." I said trying to keep the singing psycho quiet.
"Ok ok." Xavier replied as he put on his white hood making him completely blend into the snow.
I slowly raised my hand up clenching my fist together making my group stop. I took out my binoculars and slowly laid down into the wet snow before taking a look at the group of citizens that were on government property.
~@~
"Hermione." Harry nudged her trying to see if she was awake.
"wha." Hermione fell asleep again but this time lying down on Harry.
"Go into the tent if you are tired." Harry said in a calming and passionate voice.
"Ok Harry." Hermione got up and kissed Harry on the lips before walking into the tent and walking to the back to find a nice and soft comfy bed waiting for her.
"I admire you man" Ron said as he snapped out of his own dream state.
"For what?" Harry questioned.
"For getting the girl of your dreams, holding back Voldemort your whole life, being who you are." Ron said passively.
"Ron. you know it's only because of you and Hermione that I survived this long. Without you guys I would have been killed the first year. You guys were my life line, not for just keeping me from dying but keeping me from making the wrong choice. I admire you two more than you can ever know." Harry replied shocking Ron.
"So you ever get that spell finished?" Ron wanted to switch topics fast.
"The one that I was working on before I left Hogwarts?"
"Yes. that's the only one that you've been working on." Ron replied sarcastically
"It's still not finished. I've yet to perfect it." Harry said was he stood up and took out his wand.
Raising the wooden stick up into the sky then bringing it down level to him Harry muttered something under his breath as a small little blue star shot out and exploded right in front of Harry's face making a small blue transparent window. Harry step up to the window and looked into the blue window. "Hermione." Harry said as the window rippled and showed a young lady curled up in the blankets by herself. Sudden a low hiss started from the window and it vanished without a trace. "That always happens; I can't seem to figure out why the window just vanishes." Harry explained as he went back to his seat to sit down and look back into the fire.
"I don't know man. You always the smartest to figure out these things." Ron smiled as he bent down and cupped a ball of snow in his hands before sitting back up.
"Hey, your not going to be starting another war with me?" Harry smirked and grabbed a cup of snow.
"No Harry, just going to put out the fire. it's about 12:00 at night." Ron said as he got up and walked over to the fire.
"Don't worry about it Ron, I'll put out the fire. I'm probably going to be staying up for some time." Harry replied as he set down the snow and continue to sit there looking at the fire.
"Ok mate I'll catch you on the bright side." Ron said before walking into the tent and to a bed in a different room that Hermione's and Harry's.
"Ok." Harry smiled as he laid back against his seat as the fire sputter and popped sparks into the air.
~@~
I turn to my fellow comrades in amazement; all of us thought we must have been dreaming or something.
"You all saw that right, all of you saw him pull out a wooden stick and say something. and. and. a bright blue spark came out. right." I asked the rest of my team, all of them looked stunned.
"Jack. your not crazy I saw that, do I believe it. I dunno." Brandon said blinking with almost an expressionless face.
John and Xavier both nodded in agreement with Brandon that we weren't going crazy.
"Well." I stopped to think what I was going to say for a minute. "I suggest we go and ask the man why we're on military property."
"Sounds good" The rest of the team replied in unison.
After that we all got up and slowly made our way towards the man and his fire. Our footsteps started to make a trail of sunken steps behind us. A warm white winter frost came out of our mouths with every breath we took, some of our faces covered in frost by the winter slow wind. Slowly we appeared from out of the snow and in front of the man who was slowly going into the dream world. The man look peaceful just laying back there letting the fire warm him, it almost made you want to watch the man all night just to see how relaxed he would be. I looked around to see him and just him; it was kind of odd that one guy could come all the way out here just to have a fire and nothing to sleep in. Brandon seemed to notice that to and started to walk around the man's fire. Brandon moved to the north side of the fire and suddenly turned away and moved back over to me.
"Hey. we have a mission to do." Brandon whispered silently.
"So? We have the time." I responded.
"Oh ok. it's just came up right now."
"I know." I replied to Brandon as I looked to the north side to see that in one area of the snow flat and packed down. I slowly walked over to the place but before I could get there I was interrupted by the man's abrupt grump. I looked back over to the guy to see one of his eyes slowly opening, then with another crackle of the fire his eyes suddenly shot open and he grabbed his forehead in pain. I quickly pointed to the man as John and Xavier both rushed over to him and grabbed him to stabilize the man.
"He's having a seizure! Brandon toss me a gauss!" John yelled as Brandon searched for a gauss pack in his belt.
"Here you go!" Brandon tossed him a gauss. John quickly put a gauss in the man's mouth and just let the man continue to hold his bleeding forehead.
I watched the man start to bleed from the forehead but only in one place a strange scar on his forehead. Right then and there I noticed that a tent just suddenly appeared and a beautiful looking woman exited from the grayish tent.
"Oh my Harry!" Hermione screamed and ran over to Harry and started to push my men away.
"Mam, please let us handle it." Xavier said as he pulled away Hermione.
"Let me go you don't know what's happening to him!" Hermione yelled socking Xavier in the jaw. Xavier stumbled back looking dazed for a second but then regain his composure and pulled Hermione away again.
"I said let me GO!!!" Hermione screamed and thrash about but this time Xavier had his grip around her waist and wasn't going to let her go.
Slowly Harry stopped moving and he look like he was regaining his breath, his chest slowly moving up and down, the red crimson blood was soaked into my partners clothes and the white snow below them.
"Hermione." Harry finally looked up to see her squirming in the hands of Xavier. Harry slowly stood up and looked at the men around him. "Let go of my wife!" Harry yelled as he started to pull out his wand.
I looked at Xavier and waved my hand and he let go of Hermione who instantly ran over to Harry and hugged him.
"Are you alright?" Hermione asked with a little pain in her voice.
"I'm ok Hermione, guess who it was. He's planning something." Harry responded, all of us on Ghost looked oddly at Harry. Harry looked up at all of us in our snow camouflage and our m-16's strapped to our backs.
"Who are you?" Harry asked, we looked at each other before I took a step up.
"I'm Captain Jack Murk of the Ghost counter terrorism team; these are my comrade in arms, Brandon Grey, John Lash, and Xavier Black." I responded in a prideful tone of voice.
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked in a more of harsh toned also looked at Xavier for a moment but then shook his head before turning his attention back to us.
"We came here to check out something some strange flashes of light." Brandon stepped up next to me to speak.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Harry responded as his face shifted from surprised to worry.
"Please don't play games with us we don't have the time, just tell us what you are doing here, and what were those strange lights, along with your vanishing tent trick." I responded.
Harry looked at Hermione who was by his side, then looked at the tent, before looking back at us. Harry then turned his attention back to his wife and looked her in the eyes before he nodded and stood up by her side. Harry muttered something as he pulled out a thin little wooden stick and then muttered something before I saw a red jet fling out of it and hit Brandon dead in the chest. Hermione mutter something and fired another jet straight at Xavier who took it right in the chest. Harry and Hermione both fired upon John who fell backwards into the snow making an imprint. I looked at my comrades who looked dazed and confused, as I watched them, from the corner of my eye I noticed Harry and Hermione say something and fired two red jet sparks at me.
~@~
"Oh man I remember this time that me, Jack, Xavier, and John all went bungee jumping at the Del Mar Fair. Those were great times weren't they Jack." Brandon said looking towards me.
"Those were the best times Brandon." I replied oddly feeling a blank part in my mind.
Brandon, John, Xavier, Harry, Hermione, and I all sat around the huge fire that was glowing in the middle of the dug out snow pit. The fire crackled and sizzled as the snow melted around the glowing coals, slowly releasing water onto them. Morning was just about to begin with the sky right in the middle of changing into a day, with no clouds to bank the morning sun, the trees soaked all its warm rays fulfilling there exceptionally ravenous needs.
"Its going to be a good day." Harry said as we all looked at him.
"It is love. it is." Hermione responded and kissed Harry fully on his lips.
Brandon and I both looked at each other, then turned around heads back to the couple that finished there kiss. "So how long now?" I asked.
"Three years. Right love?" Hermione responded.
"Three great years and still going strong." Harry smiled.
The winds swept low into out small camp and swirled around the fire sparks that lifted off the burning inferno. A small grumble coming from there tent made our heads turn in curiosity.
"Hey Harry, the bathroom doesn't seem to work." Ron came out of tent scratching his head.
"Um. Ron, you must being dreaming, there's no bathroom in the tent." Harry responded.
"Harry are you insane. I think you fell." Ron saw my team sitting right there looking at him.
"Ron you know that you're a little loopy without you medicine." Hermione snicker in a low tone of voice so that no one could hear her.
"Yeh. Harry, Herm. do you mind explaining me why the military is here?" Ron asked curiously as he walked next to Harry and Hermione to grab a seat.
"They were stopping by to see if there was any trouble they saw the fire which makes them naturally to come and help us. Since there wasn't any trouble then we just asked them to say for the day." Hermione answer back as we all smiled at Ron who looked partially blank minded.
"Ghost, come in. Ghost." My radio crackled through the air. I took the radio from my belt and responded. "This is Ghost Leader."
"Jack. where are you?" My commander asked.
"We are south of the command center, we saw some civilians thinking that they were in the military zone, but there just on the border." I returned back to him as my mates stood up and got ready to move out again.
"Get back over here, we have some urgent news."
"Roger that." I smiled at Harry, Hermione, and Ron before putting away my radio. "Well, Harry, Hermione, Ron I thank you for letting us stay and talk and just know what it is like outside of this military world." I turned back over to my partners. "Ready men?" I asked.
"All the time sir." They all replied in unison.
The orange glow of the fire reflected off of our white cameo suits as he marched are way back to our command post.
~@~
"Tell me why you want to leave again Albus?" Fudge asked Dumbledore in the nice green velvet seat across from him.
"I rather not tell Cornelius, it doesn't concern you as of this moment." Dumbledore responded in a lighter tone then normal.
"Well when the press hears that the head master of Hogwarts just up and left, what can I tell them it's none of there business?"
"Tell them, that they should go on with there lives, that there isn't nothing to worry about I'm sure Minerva would be a good head mistress." Dumbledore responded. Fudge just gave off a sigh.
"You know that won't go well with most of your fellow patrons." Fudge said softly.
"I know, but there are things that people can not see, and probably not see until it's to late."
"What are you talking about Albus?"
"I feel something, although I told you earlier that I wasn't going to tell you, but it is probably most important to hear." Dumbledore said. Fudge looked curious at the old head master, but seemed intrigued to what Dumbledore had up his sleeve.
"Fawkes and I have felt a great evil starting to consume this world; no it's not Voldemort and his death eaters. It's something more than what we can conceive even as magical beings." Dumbledore said almost in a rash voice.
"I think you've gone off the deep end Albus, I thought you were bad for loving muggles, but now I see that you might have slipped up and shown what true personality you have." Fudge said in a harsh tone.
"And this is why I didn't tell you, because even though you might be powerful, you still do not feel the need for nothing but to find happiness within one's self." Dumbledore said as he slowly got up from the chair and started to walk to the doors of the room.
"I will miss you Albus." Fudge said softly as he sat in his minister chair in a large oval office.
"I will miss you to Cornelius" Dumbledore said as he slowly turned around and smiled a bit before walking out the doors.
"In some way, I feel that this man is right, he's been right about everything else, and yet continue to set up barriers just to protect my pride." Fudge thought out loud to himself.
Please review what you have just read in this chapter of Apocalyptic Dawn.
"Through times of fear, angst, doubt, toil, and trouble, hope remains in the heart of the ones who can look to a greater and brighter future.." ~ Merlin
The mountains mist just fell below the mountain summits, the trees glisten in the sun light as the scatter rays of prism light blanketed the lower powder valley. Animals of all kinds moved around the woods just trying to escape the ever growing muggle society. A small white blanket covered the ground softly letting the tiniest of creatures to escape there woven dens. Small sprouts of icy green grass popped up around the fresh smelling pine trees. With the smell of senility in the air with the blissful peace of the snow covered forested, It was a heaven for anyone who would stop and listen to the animals, let the wild talk to them, hearing there strange yet. familiar song of nature.
The roaring of the lion broke the utter silence of tranquility and the heavenly bliss. Gray and Sliver birds tour the sky with awesome furiousness and power, The pure Might and Strength that man could create enter these mechanical flying machines. Three F-14 crossed the open sky leaving white cloudy trails behind there wake. Bird scoured the trees taking flight fleeing from the god-awful noise in the sky. A group of four men waked in a line covered in white and gray jackets blending into the scenery. All of them looked up at the jets crossing the forest, two of them I awe to see what men created, one with almost no emotion on his face, the other with a bit of a sad expression on his face. With almost no noise the men crossed the open valley; from the looks of it they were training themselves for a snowy operation.
I raised my hand to signal stop to my other comrades as a strange noise I heard in the distant. Sounds of burning and crackling drifted into the air as all of us could smell the all so familiar scent of burning flesh. Rotten and mold filled the air as the scent of pine mixed into the process. My team slowly march over to the crackling trying to see what we happen to stumble upon. As we approach from our first site John almost barfed, to see a man in pieces his head on a old fashion pike, the torso stretched into un- explored territory, missing body limbs made the scene ever so gruesome. The ground beneath the man was soaked in blood red as it days had passed by since this man was killed. I looked upon the man trying to figure out the monster who could even think of such a think. I kneeled beside the torso to see something slivery reflecting the arid sun. The metallic object dropped to the white snow and fizzed as it cooled off, with relief I slowly picked it up to read the inscription. Lt. Rod Gusman. The rest of the writing was smeared and non-readable. I passed the dog tag to my friends; they all murmured something to themselves, like a prayer as they passed it around.
"Who could have done such an horrid act?" Brandon asked.
"I don't know Brandon, and I'm not willing to find out."
"Sick devil's." John murmured under his breath.
~@~
We formally buried the remains, as we finished Brandon noticed a small letter on the ground where the pike was. He went over to pick it up as I said some final prayers to our comrade in arms.
"With the smell of burning flesh, I run from them, to tell the world about them, I fear that humanity hasn't yet to even dream of what's to come. I must keep moving, if they catch the human race off guard, I fear not even our greatest military commanders could lead us to a victory. These" the rest of the letter ripped off as if someone didn't want us to know what was there. Brandon said out loud as all of us gather around him staring blankly at each other. To take it to be real, all of us would be courted for insanity, but if it was real and the human race is caught off guard we would have to blame selves for not telling anyone.
~@~
"Somebody save me, don't care how you do it. Just save.. Save. Save my soul, I've been waiting for you... "The stereo blared in the small sliver thunderbird as it ran over the dead squirrel once more.
" Aaaa. that bump again." Ron said as he looked in his mirror to see a dead squirrel lying on the black tarmac. Hermione chuckled as she looked behind them to see the squirrel; Harry returned a smile to Hermione as they drove north to the Cleveland National Forest. Out of the corner of Harry's eye he saw three F-14's patrolling the skies, soon after there was a little crackle in the sky.
"Ron do you know where we are heading?" Harry asked.
Ron chuckled at the thought that he really didn't have a clue where he was going, it was the first time ever being up this way. "Um. yeah, sure I know..." Ron replied worriedly.
"Ok Ron." Hermione smirked as she turned to Harry and kissed him on the cheek before laying her head down on his shoulder.
"That sounds very comforting to us." Harry said.
"Of course I do it's no like I'm just driving no where now."
The sliver Thunderbird with three passengers creamed and hugged the road as they trekked north. Scenery slowly turning from dry city life to gazing into a snow covered mountain with thousands of green spires shimmering in sun light.
"Beautiful." Hermione smiled watching the scene unfolding as they skimmed the road. Harry looked at her chocolate brown eyes and kissed her on the forehead smiling. "I've seen better" Harry smirked.
~@~
Harry picked up a snow ball and flung it through the air straight into Ron's face plastering it with a thick cover of white powder ice. Ron fell into the powdery snow laughing as hard as his diaphragm could muster. Hermione smiled watching the boys have there time to play as she sat down by the fire keeping her self warm. Everything seemed surreal as the powder slowly started to fall from the tops of the green spires. Slow smoke rose from the small camp fire next to the grayish magical tent. Inside the tent was practically a whole house, complete with kitchen, bathroom, shower, and a place were a few people could sleep comfortable.
Light brown hair dropped over her face as she stared into the fire, the cinnamon brown eyes reflected the dancing of the fire. Heat rose into the face of the magnificent beauty that sat there with her white snow boots slowly making an angel in the soft wet powder. The fire crackled and burned with fiery yet the soft warm fuzzy glow of orange and yellow tamed a peaceful side of the fire. Time passed on as if it wasn't even comprehended in words, Hermione just sat there watching the fire, amazed with the shapes and forms that were created with the turn of the wind. Slowly her lids shut upon her cinnamon brown eyes and blackness consumed her mind and the dream world began.
Snowy planes of war soaked up the crimson blood that lied on the ground. Slowly the blood started to seep into the ground as the sky cracked and hissed with the mightiest of blows. The wind swirled and bushed against a woman's hair, slowly pulling it into the front of her eyes. Her long brown hair reached to the mid section of her stomach and covered the pure browns of her eyes. Slowly a laugh destroyed what was left of the scene and blackness once again consumed the land.
"Hermione." Harry slowly tapped his sleeping wife. "Hermione." He noticed that the fire had slowly gone out and she was still sweating. "Hermione." a soft grunt came from Hermione as she finally responded.
"Harry?" Hermione opened one of her eyes to see who was disturbing her slumber.
"Hey beautiful." Harry smiled as he took a seat next to her.
"Hello hansom." Hermione replied as her other eye opened up to get a clearer view of Harry sitting there.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked curiously.
"I don't know what you mean?" Hermione responded in a low tone of voice.
"Well." Harry looked at the fire that is now just smolders of ash. "You're sweating and the fire is out."
Hermione wiped her head feeling her own sweat that she created during her dream. "Oh. dunno..." Hermione looked confused. Harry just smiled and hugged Hermione snuggling close to her, at that time Ron came back with a pile of twigs and full logs in his arms. Ron kneeled down and neatly assembled the twigs and logs together to make an efficient fire.
"Incendio" Ron muttered as he had his wand out and pointed directly at the set wood, suddenly they lit a blazed instantly melting the snow around the yellowish orange glow. Ron moved away from the fire and pulled up another chair from inside the tent and moved it towards the other side of Harry and Hermione.
Harry and Hermione still cuddle together keeping there warmth as the fire added to there inner heat. Ron took his seat as he glazed into fire amazed by the swish and twirls of the leaping flames. Smoke slowly rose from the top of the flames into the open blue sky creating magnificent shapes that seemed out of this world.
"Don't you miss the old days?" Ron jerked his head up to see Harry and Hermione looking to each other's eyes. Ron just smiled and gave out a little sigh, noting that his love life hadn't gone the right way since the day with Lavender Brown.
Harry smiled and gave Hermione a peck on the lips before turning his head to Ron who seem down. "What's wrong man?" Harry asked still looking into the fire.
"Nothing." Ron responded with a sad tone in his voice. Harry just looked at him funny, before pulling Hermione closer in responding to the slight wind breeze that swept over there camp.
"Don't you miss the old days?" Ron repeated himself again hoping for response this time. Hermione smiled and looked at Harry, they both smiled at the same time.
"Those were the best times. all our friends. Yule balls, quidditch, marauders." Harry said as Hermione snicker softly; Harry just looked at her with a smile on his face. Ron let out a sigh as he remembered the first time he thought he fell in love with Hermione, but that change when his real love was Lavender.
"You know. I never got why she left me. with a baby on the way." Ron said quietly to himself hoping that Harry or Hermione wouldn't pick it up.
"She might have had her reasons; maybe they were for the best." Hermione heard and try to comfort Ron who just looked like on the verge of tears.
"Yeh. she probably did." Ron let a tear fall onto the white snow below him.
The fire sizzled and hissed with the newly dried branches being put in by Ron. Everything seemed to stop around them. Birds could no longer be heard chirping there wonderful song, no longer could you hear the wolf's cries, nor did the wind bristle with the trees frozen branches. Frozen in time the trio just stared at the fire and reflected there lives, how great times were, how much fun they had when they were kids.
~@~
"That's funny Jack," John and Xavier both said in unison.
I looked at them both, noting that it did sound funny in a way.
"Jack, I think you've gone off the deep end, I mean this is an obvious cruel joke that some kid played." Brandon said to me as he took the letter and looked at it again.
I chuckled and took the letter from Brandon and found my lighter in my pocket before burning the parchment. "Alright men, let's go, training operations tonight." I announced as we all continued to trench through the frozen colorless powder.
"And were off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of oz" Xavier started singing.
The group chuckled and laughed as we treading in a straight line. "You know. I could never remember the second part of that song." Xavier said chuckling to himself.
The rest of use looked at each other, and truthfully I forgot the second part of the song to. "Brandon?" I asked.
"Sorry, I can't remember myself." Brandon replied as we continue to walks through the snow. At that time John noticed that there was a wisp of smoke dancing high in the air. Beautiful figures formed within the smoke with the grains of sand that flowed freely. "We got people in this military center." John announced.
"I think there's going to be a visit." Brandon said as all of us started to march over to the smoke.
"I'm wasting my time, stop to feel."
"Xavier shut up please." I said trying to keep the singing psycho quiet.
"Ok ok." Xavier replied as he put on his white hood making him completely blend into the snow.
I slowly raised my hand up clenching my fist together making my group stop. I took out my binoculars and slowly laid down into the wet snow before taking a look at the group of citizens that were on government property.
~@~
"Hermione." Harry nudged her trying to see if she was awake.
"wha." Hermione fell asleep again but this time lying down on Harry.
"Go into the tent if you are tired." Harry said in a calming and passionate voice.
"Ok Harry." Hermione got up and kissed Harry on the lips before walking into the tent and walking to the back to find a nice and soft comfy bed waiting for her.
"I admire you man" Ron said as he snapped out of his own dream state.
"For what?" Harry questioned.
"For getting the girl of your dreams, holding back Voldemort your whole life, being who you are." Ron said passively.
"Ron. you know it's only because of you and Hermione that I survived this long. Without you guys I would have been killed the first year. You guys were my life line, not for just keeping me from dying but keeping me from making the wrong choice. I admire you two more than you can ever know." Harry replied shocking Ron.
"So you ever get that spell finished?" Ron wanted to switch topics fast.
"The one that I was working on before I left Hogwarts?"
"Yes. that's the only one that you've been working on." Ron replied sarcastically
"It's still not finished. I've yet to perfect it." Harry said was he stood up and took out his wand.
Raising the wooden stick up into the sky then bringing it down level to him Harry muttered something under his breath as a small little blue star shot out and exploded right in front of Harry's face making a small blue transparent window. Harry step up to the window and looked into the blue window. "Hermione." Harry said as the window rippled and showed a young lady curled up in the blankets by herself. Sudden a low hiss started from the window and it vanished without a trace. "That always happens; I can't seem to figure out why the window just vanishes." Harry explained as he went back to his seat to sit down and look back into the fire.
"I don't know man. You always the smartest to figure out these things." Ron smiled as he bent down and cupped a ball of snow in his hands before sitting back up.
"Hey, your not going to be starting another war with me?" Harry smirked and grabbed a cup of snow.
"No Harry, just going to put out the fire. it's about 12:00 at night." Ron said as he got up and walked over to the fire.
"Don't worry about it Ron, I'll put out the fire. I'm probably going to be staying up for some time." Harry replied as he set down the snow and continue to sit there looking at the fire.
"Ok mate I'll catch you on the bright side." Ron said before walking into the tent and to a bed in a different room that Hermione's and Harry's.
"Ok." Harry smiled as he laid back against his seat as the fire sputter and popped sparks into the air.
~@~
I turn to my fellow comrades in amazement; all of us thought we must have been dreaming or something.
"You all saw that right, all of you saw him pull out a wooden stick and say something. and. and. a bright blue spark came out. right." I asked the rest of my team, all of them looked stunned.
"Jack. your not crazy I saw that, do I believe it. I dunno." Brandon said blinking with almost an expressionless face.
John and Xavier both nodded in agreement with Brandon that we weren't going crazy.
"Well." I stopped to think what I was going to say for a minute. "I suggest we go and ask the man why we're on military property."
"Sounds good" The rest of the team replied in unison.
After that we all got up and slowly made our way towards the man and his fire. Our footsteps started to make a trail of sunken steps behind us. A warm white winter frost came out of our mouths with every breath we took, some of our faces covered in frost by the winter slow wind. Slowly we appeared from out of the snow and in front of the man who was slowly going into the dream world. The man look peaceful just laying back there letting the fire warm him, it almost made you want to watch the man all night just to see how relaxed he would be. I looked around to see him and just him; it was kind of odd that one guy could come all the way out here just to have a fire and nothing to sleep in. Brandon seemed to notice that to and started to walk around the man's fire. Brandon moved to the north side of the fire and suddenly turned away and moved back over to me.
"Hey. we have a mission to do." Brandon whispered silently.
"So? We have the time." I responded.
"Oh ok. it's just came up right now."
"I know." I replied to Brandon as I looked to the north side to see that in one area of the snow flat and packed down. I slowly walked over to the place but before I could get there I was interrupted by the man's abrupt grump. I looked back over to the guy to see one of his eyes slowly opening, then with another crackle of the fire his eyes suddenly shot open and he grabbed his forehead in pain. I quickly pointed to the man as John and Xavier both rushed over to him and grabbed him to stabilize the man.
"He's having a seizure! Brandon toss me a gauss!" John yelled as Brandon searched for a gauss pack in his belt.
"Here you go!" Brandon tossed him a gauss. John quickly put a gauss in the man's mouth and just let the man continue to hold his bleeding forehead.
I watched the man start to bleed from the forehead but only in one place a strange scar on his forehead. Right then and there I noticed that a tent just suddenly appeared and a beautiful looking woman exited from the grayish tent.
"Oh my Harry!" Hermione screamed and ran over to Harry and started to push my men away.
"Mam, please let us handle it." Xavier said as he pulled away Hermione.
"Let me go you don't know what's happening to him!" Hermione yelled socking Xavier in the jaw. Xavier stumbled back looking dazed for a second but then regain his composure and pulled Hermione away again.
"I said let me GO!!!" Hermione screamed and thrash about but this time Xavier had his grip around her waist and wasn't going to let her go.
Slowly Harry stopped moving and he look like he was regaining his breath, his chest slowly moving up and down, the red crimson blood was soaked into my partners clothes and the white snow below them.
"Hermione." Harry finally looked up to see her squirming in the hands of Xavier. Harry slowly stood up and looked at the men around him. "Let go of my wife!" Harry yelled as he started to pull out his wand.
I looked at Xavier and waved my hand and he let go of Hermione who instantly ran over to Harry and hugged him.
"Are you alright?" Hermione asked with a little pain in her voice.
"I'm ok Hermione, guess who it was. He's planning something." Harry responded, all of us on Ghost looked oddly at Harry. Harry looked up at all of us in our snow camouflage and our m-16's strapped to our backs.
"Who are you?" Harry asked, we looked at each other before I took a step up.
"I'm Captain Jack Murk of the Ghost counter terrorism team; these are my comrade in arms, Brandon Grey, John Lash, and Xavier Black." I responded in a prideful tone of voice.
"What are you doing here?" Harry asked in a more of harsh toned also looked at Xavier for a moment but then shook his head before turning his attention back to us.
"We came here to check out something some strange flashes of light." Brandon stepped up next to me to speak.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Harry responded as his face shifted from surprised to worry.
"Please don't play games with us we don't have the time, just tell us what you are doing here, and what were those strange lights, along with your vanishing tent trick." I responded.
Harry looked at Hermione who was by his side, then looked at the tent, before looking back at us. Harry then turned his attention back to his wife and looked her in the eyes before he nodded and stood up by her side. Harry muttered something as he pulled out a thin little wooden stick and then muttered something before I saw a red jet fling out of it and hit Brandon dead in the chest. Hermione mutter something and fired another jet straight at Xavier who took it right in the chest. Harry and Hermione both fired upon John who fell backwards into the snow making an imprint. I looked at my comrades who looked dazed and confused, as I watched them, from the corner of my eye I noticed Harry and Hermione say something and fired two red jet sparks at me.
~@~
"Oh man I remember this time that me, Jack, Xavier, and John all went bungee jumping at the Del Mar Fair. Those were great times weren't they Jack." Brandon said looking towards me.
"Those were the best times Brandon." I replied oddly feeling a blank part in my mind.
Brandon, John, Xavier, Harry, Hermione, and I all sat around the huge fire that was glowing in the middle of the dug out snow pit. The fire crackled and sizzled as the snow melted around the glowing coals, slowly releasing water onto them. Morning was just about to begin with the sky right in the middle of changing into a day, with no clouds to bank the morning sun, the trees soaked all its warm rays fulfilling there exceptionally ravenous needs.
"Its going to be a good day." Harry said as we all looked at him.
"It is love. it is." Hermione responded and kissed Harry fully on his lips.
Brandon and I both looked at each other, then turned around heads back to the couple that finished there kiss. "So how long now?" I asked.
"Three years. Right love?" Hermione responded.
"Three great years and still going strong." Harry smiled.
The winds swept low into out small camp and swirled around the fire sparks that lifted off the burning inferno. A small grumble coming from there tent made our heads turn in curiosity.
"Hey Harry, the bathroom doesn't seem to work." Ron came out of tent scratching his head.
"Um. Ron, you must being dreaming, there's no bathroom in the tent." Harry responded.
"Harry are you insane. I think you fell." Ron saw my team sitting right there looking at him.
"Ron you know that you're a little loopy without you medicine." Hermione snicker in a low tone of voice so that no one could hear her.
"Yeh. Harry, Herm. do you mind explaining me why the military is here?" Ron asked curiously as he walked next to Harry and Hermione to grab a seat.
"They were stopping by to see if there was any trouble they saw the fire which makes them naturally to come and help us. Since there wasn't any trouble then we just asked them to say for the day." Hermione answer back as we all smiled at Ron who looked partially blank minded.
"Ghost, come in. Ghost." My radio crackled through the air. I took the radio from my belt and responded. "This is Ghost Leader."
"Jack. where are you?" My commander asked.
"We are south of the command center, we saw some civilians thinking that they were in the military zone, but there just on the border." I returned back to him as my mates stood up and got ready to move out again.
"Get back over here, we have some urgent news."
"Roger that." I smiled at Harry, Hermione, and Ron before putting away my radio. "Well, Harry, Hermione, Ron I thank you for letting us stay and talk and just know what it is like outside of this military world." I turned back over to my partners. "Ready men?" I asked.
"All the time sir." They all replied in unison.
The orange glow of the fire reflected off of our white cameo suits as he marched are way back to our command post.
~@~
"Tell me why you want to leave again Albus?" Fudge asked Dumbledore in the nice green velvet seat across from him.
"I rather not tell Cornelius, it doesn't concern you as of this moment." Dumbledore responded in a lighter tone then normal.
"Well when the press hears that the head master of Hogwarts just up and left, what can I tell them it's none of there business?"
"Tell them, that they should go on with there lives, that there isn't nothing to worry about I'm sure Minerva would be a good head mistress." Dumbledore responded. Fudge just gave off a sigh.
"You know that won't go well with most of your fellow patrons." Fudge said softly.
"I know, but there are things that people can not see, and probably not see until it's to late."
"What are you talking about Albus?"
"I feel something, although I told you earlier that I wasn't going to tell you, but it is probably most important to hear." Dumbledore said. Fudge looked curious at the old head master, but seemed intrigued to what Dumbledore had up his sleeve.
"Fawkes and I have felt a great evil starting to consume this world; no it's not Voldemort and his death eaters. It's something more than what we can conceive even as magical beings." Dumbledore said almost in a rash voice.
"I think you've gone off the deep end Albus, I thought you were bad for loving muggles, but now I see that you might have slipped up and shown what true personality you have." Fudge said in a harsh tone.
"And this is why I didn't tell you, because even though you might be powerful, you still do not feel the need for nothing but to find happiness within one's self." Dumbledore said as he slowly got up from the chair and started to walk to the doors of the room.
"I will miss you Albus." Fudge said softly as he sat in his minister chair in a large oval office.
"I will miss you to Cornelius" Dumbledore said as he slowly turned around and smiled a bit before walking out the doors.
"In some way, I feel that this man is right, he's been right about everything else, and yet continue to set up barriers just to protect my pride." Fudge thought out loud to himself.
Please review what you have just read in this chapter of Apocalyptic Dawn.