DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters and situations created and
owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to
Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros.,
Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is
intended.
((Thanks to all who reviewed, it's very helpful. I've got a long chapter here, which I hope pleases everyone. NOTE: This chapter is close to an R rating for violence! It's not quite there, but just a warning. Also, the Latin at the end of last chapter wasn't mind, I was so stupid I forgot to mention that, because I don't know Latin! The quote is labeled anonymous however. At any rate, thanks for the Latin lesson crater212. Now, on to the story!))
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"We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the
fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never
surrender."
-Sir Winston Churchill
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Harry and Hermione did not fall asleep until past midnight, and yet Harry found himself waking up at 2:30 in the morning. He awoke with a feeling of dread bringing pain to his stomach. He decided to set about doing what needed to be done before he met with the special tasks force at 7:30. They would spend the whole day making final preparations for that evening when they would attack.
Slowly slipping out of the hold Hermione had around him, he made his was to the shower and let the hot water wake him up and refresh him. He felt it scald his skin and give him a feeling being new and fresh. He lathered his black hair clean and silky and when he got out of the shower and decided a haircut and a shave were in order. After he was feeling well enough cleaned he wrapped a towel around himself and headed to his suitcase where he had his clothes for the day packed. He took out a black cotton shirt and pair of loose black pants, both which were easy to move in and would be inconspicuous in the dark. He pulled on a pair of combat boots which his mentor had bought for him as a parting gift. He hadn't seen his mentor at any of the special task group meetings yet and he would be seeing her later that day, something he was glad for. He tried to recreate a mental image of his trainer, Altair Aquilla, and so he thought back to the day he had first met her.
Dumbledore had said Harry could meet up with the so called "contact" at the corner of Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley. Now he waited in the warm summer breeze, trying to stay hidden from the odd assortment of people who were making up the traffic between the two places. Old hags, wizards in long black cloaks, treacherous looking goblins, and even one man who came up to Diagon Alley wiping blood from his lips. The man had short, spiky black hair and a pale complexion. For a moment Harry thought the man's eyes were red, but couldn't tell in the darkness.
"I wonder if that man is a vampire." Harry thought to himself, trying to recall everything he'd ever learned about the undead. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he felt a firm grip seize his shoulder.
He spun around and saw a woman who looked to be roughly 5 foot 10 standing behind him. She looked young except that her eyes looked too knowledgeable to belong to a young person. Her hair was straight and black except for two braided strands alongside her head which were a silver color. Her eyes were a dull green, looking both wise and emotionless. She may have been thought beautiful except that she looked too stern and serious to be any object of lust. Her black robes barely shifted in the breeze because despite the warmth of the summer, she wore a very heavy fabric.
They observed one another in silence and Harry grew puzzled as to how she had snuck up behind him without his noticing. Later he would learn it was just one of her many tricks.
"Follow me." She told him in a commanding voice, and he did what was demanded of him without hesitation. They walked down a silent alley and opened a side door. Harry followed her through, and as soon as he'd crossed the threshold, he felt a tug as though he'd just touched a port key. When the world around him refocused he saw that he was in a dark cave. He saw that woman was still walking and he continued to follow. They went deeper down into the cave until finally they arrived at a dimly lit staircase carved into stone. Harry followed the woman up the stairs to a set of great doors which when opened revealed the breathtaking inside of a mansion.
Harry would later discover that the mansion was the House of the Heavens, an underground mansion where the Sorcerers of the Stars lived. Altair Aguilla was one of those sorcerers and thus was able to wield the power of the stars, an ancient form of magic that only 23 could possess. Harry would later meet all the Sorcerers of the Stars, amongst who was Alpheratz Andromeda, who was overly romantic, Aldebaran Taurus, who was very old, wise and powerful, and his favorite, Spica Virgo, who had a love for nature. Of course, each Sorcerer's first name was the major star in the constellation represented by their last name and Harry came to learn much about mythology and astronomy. He also came to learn that each one of their personalities reflected that of their constellation, this was the same for Altair Aquilla, named for the Eagle constellation. She was faithful, and devoted to everything she did, but also emotionless and cunning. Harry quickly came to understand her character, and at times he still found himself missing the House of the Heavens.
Harry snapped away from his memories and headed off to his other case where he found his wand, the trench coat the Weasley family and Cho had all chipped in to buy him for Christmas, and a .45 caliber pistol. He placed the gun in a holster on his belt and reached for the final item, the sword of Godric Gryffindor. He had a special sheath for the sword he had found in Gryffindor Mansion, and he slid the sword into it and fastened it on his back. Feeling as prepared as he probably ever would be, he walked over to the bed, kissed Hermione gently on the forehead, and left.
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Though it was 2:30 in the morning, Harry was not the only one up. After settling his boys out early in the afternoon, Chrome had the rest of the evening to himself. He took the opportunity to smoke and drink his way into a false sense of security and now he blared his music thru a boom box Hermione had enchanted to work despite magical interference.
Chrome sat at the window seat looking at the lovely Hogwarts grounds and wondering what it was like to grow up in such a majestic environment. He had the window slightly opened so the cold air brushed against him in a cruel, unforgiving way. He did not care though, feeling pleasantly numb to the world. Soon he knew he would feel every pain as he became not Chrome Granger the Muggle, but Chrome Granger the Celtic Warrior.
Chrome pondered what precisely it meant to be a Celtic Warrior. It gave him strength that had become legend to the street folk, and also such fast reflexes that he could knock a gun from a man's hand and have him around the neck before the poor sucker could say "ouch." It also meant he had the mind of a warrior, fierce, cunning, and with out guilt or remorse. He knew that when a person looked him in the eye they saw a maliciousness that frightened them, and he loved that power. Despite all this, his being an abnormality was not outwardly obvious, and sometimes even forgettable.
In the 1st millennium BC, the Celts had dominated much of Western and Central Europe. The Celts were split into three classes, Druids (who were priests), warrior nobles, and commoners. The nobles fought on foot with swords and spears, and many were fierce and powerful warriors. From these, one was born long ago into the blood line of Chrome's mother. He had been a high noble and powerful soldier, blessed with every Celtic warrior quality that made them so feared. Even Dumbledore was not sure if were magic or genetic or something else that had led to the strength, speed and stealth of the so called "Celtic Warrior" but every 100 years the legendary power resurfaced in someone of that bloodline, and it had done so for Chrome.
Tomorrow that ancient blood would set back into battle, perhaps for the last time.
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Ron didn't wake up until 3:30, which was still plenty early. He pulled his messy red head out from under the pillow, and wiped his bleary eyes clean. Slowly he stood and stretched with a loud yawn. He stumbled to the bathroom where he splashed cold water onto his face. Once back in his bedroom he decided he wasn't going back to sleep and decided to wander the hallways for a while, get a good look at Hogwarts for the first time since he'd left.
Ron pulled a white T-shirt on over his head and left his pajama pants on, unable to think of a good reason as to why he needed to change. He grabbed a maroon Weasley sweater on his way out, knowing how cold the corridors could be.
Heading down the hallway he heard someone coming and squinted in the dark to see who it was. Harry was walking briskly down the corridor, already dressed for the day, and looking completely prepared to go.
"Hey there Harry" Ron called out, catching Harry's attention.
"Hey Ron" Harry said, looking a bit awkward.
"Where are you off to this early?" Ron asked, gesturing to Harry's equipment.
"Ah, just getting ready for the day. I figure I'll go over the plan as I take a stroll, and then later I'll have to meet up with the Special Tasks Force."
"Right then." Ron said, shuffling his feet.
Harry nodded, a distant look in his eye. He made a motion to continue moving forward, but Ron put his arm out.
"Wait Harry, if I don't see you again, take care. Come back."
Harry stared into Ron's eyes, and Ron could feel a sort of coldness he thought had vanished from Harry coming back. However, Harry just nodded again, and said, "I will. And you Ron, you'll be fine. You're the only brother I've got."
Ron smiled a bit, a sad smile which did not meet his eyes. They shook hands and embraced in a brotherly hug.
"See you later." They both said, and were on their separate ways.
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Hermione woke up at 5:30 and was glad when she realized she wasn't meeting with Ron to assemble their squad for another three hours. She immediately realized that Harry had already left, and part of her was glad for it. She didn't need any teary farewells, she needed to focus.
She got showered and dressed for the day, and then decided to try to preoccupy her mind with a book. She was pleased to find that the book was successfully preoccupying her, and soon it was 7:30. She knew that somewhere in the castle, Harry was with Albus Dumbledore, Mad Eye Moody, Altair Aquilla, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. They would all be preparing to launch an attempt to take out Voldemort.
When it came down to it that was what this whole war was about, Voldemort, the power craving lunatic who sucked life and happiness from the world. Harry was an example of this. He had once been a kind, regular sort of boy, happy for the first time upon discovering a whole new world lie out there for him. Voldemort had taken away that happiness and over the years turned Harry from his kind ways to becoming a cold and dark person who had only just awoken and was still struggling. Hermione hated Voldemort with every inch of her being, and hoped the Special Tasks Force accomplished its mission and they could put their fear and hate behind them.
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That very group was assembling at that moment, up in Dumbledore's office. Harry had been the first to arrive, and he sat in silence with the head master as the rest entered. Kingsley Shacklebolt who had been selected for his strength and stealth as a wizard came shortly after Harry, and Mad Eye Moody entered precisely on time, not early, not late.
The last one to arrive, and the only one who had made none of the previous meetings, was Altair Aquilla. She swept in wearing her long black robes and looking every bit a death eater, rather than an ally. Dumbledore broke out of his staring trance when she entered the room, and he smiled at her.
"Thank goodness you've arrived." He said to her with a smile, and she smiled back at him, for the first time Harry had ever seen his mentor smile.
"I would never let down a dear old friend." She responded. "Even if he does refuse to join the House of the Heavens."
Harry felt confused. Dear old friend? Altair looked to be no older than 30 years of age. Furthermore, why would Dumbledore be joining the House of the Heavens?
"As lamentable as the loss of Regulus Leo may be, my time here on Earth is not yet finished and I cannot leave until I have served those around me." Dumbledore explained to Altair.
Harry finally spoke up, puzzled. "Regulus Leo died? Of what?" He asked, remembering the middle aged man, face and build of a warrior.
"He did not die of disease, old age or any mortal ailments because he is immortal." Altair said, looking at her old student, proud of how he had changed and grown more powerful. "He could die of a powerful spell, but this time, such was not the case. No, Regulus Leo merely vanished, and now we need a new person to join the House of the Heavens and become the new Regulus Leo."
"Immortal? You aren't immortal are you Altair?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"I am, my mortal form died 500 years ago, and I have lived in the House of the Heavens since. Although, I do not remember my mortal life anymore."
"You see Harry," Dumbledore intervened, "those who are Sorcerers of the Stars loose their memory when they are accepted into the House of the Heavens. Their mortal soul dies and their immortal soul is discharged of the burdens of the past and laid down with new burdens: to uphold their position in the House of the Heavens and whatever calls to duty that may include."
"But you aren't dead, so why do they want you?" Harry asked confused.
"I am very old Harry, and the Sorcerers of the Stars know that I am knowledgeable enough in ancient magic to join them, for that is what it takes, a large amount of knowledge in ancient magic, and a character matching that of your constellation. The Sorcerers want me to let go of my hold on the mortal world and join their haven. Of course, I cannot do that yet."
Harry nodded, well knowing all was lost if Dumbledore died. There was still one thing he didn't understand though. "Why don't the other Sorcerers of the stars join us in the war against Voldemort? If they are powerful in ancient magic, and can only be defeated by a strong spell, we could easily win with them."
"Ah Harry, that is a very good question, but with a very good answer. The Sorcerers of the Stars have tasks set out before them, they do not choose their paths in the immortal life, but rather follow the will of the stars. That could mean both for good and for evil. It has been this way since the ancient magic was created, and will remain that way. It was just so lucky that it happened to be Altair Aquilla's path to train you and join us on this mission. Speaking of the mission, we have gotten off track. Let us recap."
As Dumbledore commenced in speaking, Altair took a seat next to her student whom she had taught so much about ancient magic. If there was an empty space in the House of the Heavens when Harry died, and he matched the character of the position, he would surely be taken in. Until that time he was still mortal, and she sensed something in him that hadn't been there when they'd split ways. He had finally reached a level of emotional control that she was very pleased with, but she suddenly sensed that he had developed a feeling of love. He had softened, and this greatly concerned her. Her task had been to aid him in his destiny of facing Voldemort, though that had not specified weather he win or lose, she did not want mortal emotion interfering with that training when the fight came.
She pondered this for a moment, and then refocused on the task at hand.
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"So you think you could tell heaven from hell, blue skies from pain."
-Pink Floyd
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The hour was approaching at last. Every squad had been prepared, all the Order except for Harry wore their robes, Harry being in his black. The auror squads were added onto the recruits, and the army of close to 100 looked as good as any army. Unfortunately, looks could be deceiving, for fear tore at every soul.
Chrome sat up at the head table of Hogwart's great hall, his feet up on the table and looking every bit of disrespectful he truly was. Hermione came up and sat next to him, Ron following shortly after. They all sat in silence, and the rest of the squad leaders soon joined them.
The tables were filled with the different people involved with the mission, old mixed with young, Muggles with wizards, and all houses sitting together. The port keys were handed out and they began to vanish. Chrome laughed as his the members of his gang's eyes flew open in astonishment.
As every group left, Dumbledore and Chrome descended to the group of Northern Celt gang men, all of them looking cruel, tough, and perfectly fit for the task at hand. They had plenty of illegal firearms, and several of them carried large silver cases. Inside were extremely powerful bombs which they would detonate to blow away the walls of the death eater club in order for the fighting squads to enter.
Chrome nodded at Dumbledore, and they all apparated away. They arrived in a dark alleyway as the plan was. The other groups were located in various sections of the wizarding city, all waiting to advance to their part of the attack. Dumbledore apparated away once Chrome and his squad were situated and Chrome set into action. He had spent almost the entire past month preparing his plan for action. He had had to attack other gangs, rob a few places, and take out a few people who were getting in the way, but everything was all set.
He would take a group for fire cover as four separate groups went to each side of the building and detonated the explosives. Meanwhile, the wizarding squads would begin moving in to take out all magical guards, and head through their newly blasted doorways into the club.
Chrome sighed. He spun his gun quickly in his hand, griped it tightly and pulled back the hammer. "Let's go boys."
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"I believe it is our fate to be here. It is our destiny. I believe that
this night holds for each and every one of us, the very meaning of our lives. This is a war and we are soldiers. What if tomorrow that war could
be over? Isn't that worth fighting for? Isn't that worth dying for?"
-Matrix Reloaded Trailer
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A sudden fury of gun shots filled Ron's ears. "There's our cue!" Ron whispered furiously to Hermione.
Hermione nodded and waved her hand to their 25 person team which was hidden in the back of the alley. They all came rushing forward in a false bravado. Hermione could feel their fear. Most of them were still just kids like her, and the explosion of gun shots was causing their hearts to race in terror. For many, the sound of a gun was something they were completely unaccustomed to, being raised in wizard families.
As the squad raced forward, Ron and Hermione took the lead, brandishing their wands and running in time with their racing hearts.
A sudden explosion hit the side of a building and cast rubble over the group. Dennis Creevy took a piece to the side of the head and was instantly knocked out.
"Didn't take long before we lost him." Ron thought sarcastically dodging for cover. The squad scattered, and soon seven wizarding death eater guards came into the alley, and spells began to fly.
"STUPIFY!" Ron yelled, sending one death eater to the ground, watching Hermione out of the corner of his eye as she took two down in one blast. It take long before the guards were eliminated, and Ron was transporting them to a holding cell with a port key. Many port keys had been made for the occasion, and they also used one to send Dennis Creevy to the medical wing where Madame Pomfrey had enlisted a few of her very best students to help.
Hermione regrouped the squad and they pressed forward. What the poor squad was unaware of was that the Dark Lord knew their every motion out on the streets. They soon found out however when they were encircled by a group of death eaters who had been alerted to the situation.
Hermione felt her heart pound as the sound of Viktor Krum screaming under a torture spell filled her ears. She cast her gaze up to the night sky, so familiar looking, the stars starring down on her. The same stars she had spent just the previous night looking upon with Harry. How much the world had changed in under 24 hours. The stars had looked so beautiful from the comfort of Harry's arms, but now they looked harsh, their cold whiteness bleary against the black night. She watched curses of all colors zip back and forth between ground and sky, and suddenly felt herself pulled to the ground as a curse zipped over head. Ron rolled off of her, hissing in her ear, "we need a plan and fast! Think!"
Hermione tried to focus her mind as she watched Micheal Corner take an avada kedavra to the chest. "Thinking is my strong point." She told herself. "Now think!"
"Send sparks up in the air Ron! Call the other squad's attention to us. Let's try to get our squad to one side of the alley and set up some temporary shielding spells. They won't last long, but it may be enough time."
Ron nodded, just realizing how tightly he was gripping his wand. Hermione ran about, bent over to avoid curses and rounding up the squad members. Ron sent a stream of yellow sparks into the sky, hoping someone was in a position to come to their aid.
The shield spell was set up though their numbers had dwindled from 25 to 20. Now all they could do was wait.
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The Special Task Force was moving swiftly and efficiently. Harry walked in long silent strides along side his mentor. When a death eater guard came they were quickly shot down, and they had encountered none of the difficulties Hermione and Ron's squad had come across. Once they got word from Chrome via firework they would escort the Spells Unit into the death eater club. Hopefully, by the time they got there, much of the death eaters would have been removed and they could get the Spells Unit straight to work taking down all curses and magical barriers.
As they made their way down the zigzagging alleys, they saw yellow sparks go up.
"That's from the South side of the club!" Harry said, panic in his voice, well knowing that it was Hermione and Ron's side.
All Dumbledore had to say was, "Do not fret Mr. Potter, we will head there right away."
Altair on the other hand, looked far more disturbed by Harry's panicky tone. "What has become of my student?" She thought. "Where once he could kill and wield incredible ancient magic now he has regained mortal emotion. He cannot win."
It did not take long for the Special Task Force to realize that Hermione and Ron's Squad had been surrounded. Dumbledore sent Kingsley and Mad Eye to the roof of one building, Harry to the roof of the other, and planned for himself and Altair to close in of either end of the alley. They all split and Harry went as fast as he could to the building, climbing the ladder on the side up to the top.
On the roof Harry saw that there were five death eaters sending spells down into the alley, trying to penetrate the shield spell that Harry could just barely make out in the dark. They did not see the tall dark man climb up behind them, and did not notice as he put out his arm and murmured the words of an ancient spell that caused no sound that could be heard by the human ear, but shook the ground with a tremor. From Harry's hand a forceful blast was issued, one in which sent three of the five death eaters hurtling in an explosion of rock and dust.
The other two death eaters whipped around to see the man standing there, his black jacket caught in the breeze and flapping about him, making him look more menacing than ever. He held no wand, but a faint smoke rose from his out stretched hand.
One of the death eaters began to yell the words to the killing curse as the other sent a stupefy flying at Harry. Harry turned his back to the simple stupefy, and the dragon skin jacket easily repelled it. Before the other attacker could finish the killing curse, Harry waved a hand at him, sending the man flying off the building.
Turning back to the final attacker, he watched as the man's eyes grew wide. Never had he witnessed such wordless and powerful magic. He sent the killing curse flying at Harry, and Harry hit the ground to dodge it.
The man smiled in his triumph, and prepared to finish Harry, who was defenselessly lying on his back. As he raised his wand however, the Harry's hand shot out and he yelled, "expelliarmus!" Before the his attacker could complete the killing curse. Defenseless, the man charged him with his bare fists, but Harry was quickly to his feet. A punch across the face had the attacker out cold.
Harry stood over the passed out man and snapped his wand in half, throwing the pieces on the passed out body. He shook his head and performed the killing curse.
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Hermione smiled as she saw that the firing from the roof tops had ceased. She knew help had come. She pointed this out to Ron, and he grinned hid goofy trademark grin.
"About bloody time!" He laughed, since it hadn't taken at all long.
Suddenly screams went up as three bodies came crashing down from the building top, a long with a lot of rubble. Then again as another body came flying down from the same direction.
Hermione tensed up, and Ron gave her shoulder a little squeeze. "I'm sure those were death eaters and not our guys." He tried to assure her, but no one could tell in the dark.
Ron cast a nervous look down towards Cho who looked quite shaken. He wanted to go to her, but knew he could not. They had agreed to stay separate during the mission so that one would not threaten the others life if they got into extreme danger. Neither wanted the other taking the killing curse or any other curse for them. Ron breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Fred and George were with her and they were settling her down.
The shield gave out and everyone jumped to their feet. "Form a circle!" Ron yelled, and they all did as told. "This way no one's back is to oncoming attackers." Ron told Hermione, who just nodded.
No spells were being fired on them, and for that they were glad, but they still waited to see what would happen. Silence came over the alley. They all stood around feeling a bit on edge. Gunfire still sounded in the distance. Every now and then they could see spells from faraway streak through the night sky.
Ron began to think about his Dad's squad. It was mostly comprised of old friends, around the same age as Arthur Weasley. Ministry workers like Amos Digory, but also old Slytherins who Arthur's partner Snape had selected. Not all Slytherins were bad was what Ron's dad told him, but Ron didn't believe it.
His thoughts then shifted to Charlie and Bill's squad. Percy was there, and though Ron had never been found of the snobby, big headed nuisance, they had made amends, and he wanted him to stay alive and well. He hoped Charlie's dragon trainer friends were up to par and that Bill's friends from the bank would also be able to the job. He looked off into the direction he knew they would be, but saw no spells flying. He couldn't decide weather that was good or bad.
He started remembering Bill and Charlie teaching him to fly, when several of the windows of the buildings exploded. Apparently the death eaters had found a way to get to them.
The shards of glass hit a few of their number, and they fell back a bit.
"DON'T FALL BACK!" Ron yelled, trying to get the group from becoming disorderly.
He felt his heart racing as death eaters poured into the alleyway. "There must be 20 of them." Ron thought, and he suddenly felt dizzy. His attempt at bravery was failing, for at heart he was still truly a little boy, the tall red headed friend who was quick with wise cracks and had a fast temper. Spells flashed all around him, but he held his ground as he always had on missions, with or without Harry.
People were falling as Dumbledore came from his end of the alley. He sent a series of powerful blasts into the masses, and could soon see he'd been joined by Altair Aquilla on the other side. Mad Eye and Kingsley came running up beside him, and they were making little progress into the chaos.
In the center of all the commotion stood Hermione who has trying to keep her attackers at bay. She saw Ron go down and her heart froze. She tried to concentrate, but instead kept thinking, "please don't be dead Ron, please, get up!" She didn't notice when a death eater came up behind her and pointed a wand straight at her head
"Hello Mud Blood." Said a sly voice that sounded just like Draco Malfoy.
((I know, cliff hanger. If you want a quick update, REVIEW! I promise another chapter as soon as I get another 6 reviews. The chapter will come either way, but as soon as get to review #70 I'll post the new chap., so it'll be quicker if you review. Thanks everyone!!)
((Thanks to all who reviewed, it's very helpful. I've got a long chapter here, which I hope pleases everyone. NOTE: This chapter is close to an R rating for violence! It's not quite there, but just a warning. Also, the Latin at the end of last chapter wasn't mind, I was so stupid I forgot to mention that, because I don't know Latin! The quote is labeled anonymous however. At any rate, thanks for the Latin lesson crater212. Now, on to the story!))
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"We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the
fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never
surrender."
-Sir Winston Churchill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Harry and Hermione did not fall asleep until past midnight, and yet Harry found himself waking up at 2:30 in the morning. He awoke with a feeling of dread bringing pain to his stomach. He decided to set about doing what needed to be done before he met with the special tasks force at 7:30. They would spend the whole day making final preparations for that evening when they would attack.
Slowly slipping out of the hold Hermione had around him, he made his was to the shower and let the hot water wake him up and refresh him. He felt it scald his skin and give him a feeling being new and fresh. He lathered his black hair clean and silky and when he got out of the shower and decided a haircut and a shave were in order. After he was feeling well enough cleaned he wrapped a towel around himself and headed to his suitcase where he had his clothes for the day packed. He took out a black cotton shirt and pair of loose black pants, both which were easy to move in and would be inconspicuous in the dark. He pulled on a pair of combat boots which his mentor had bought for him as a parting gift. He hadn't seen his mentor at any of the special task group meetings yet and he would be seeing her later that day, something he was glad for. He tried to recreate a mental image of his trainer, Altair Aquilla, and so he thought back to the day he had first met her.
Dumbledore had said Harry could meet up with the so called "contact" at the corner of Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley. Now he waited in the warm summer breeze, trying to stay hidden from the odd assortment of people who were making up the traffic between the two places. Old hags, wizards in long black cloaks, treacherous looking goblins, and even one man who came up to Diagon Alley wiping blood from his lips. The man had short, spiky black hair and a pale complexion. For a moment Harry thought the man's eyes were red, but couldn't tell in the darkness.
"I wonder if that man is a vampire." Harry thought to himself, trying to recall everything he'd ever learned about the undead. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he felt a firm grip seize his shoulder.
He spun around and saw a woman who looked to be roughly 5 foot 10 standing behind him. She looked young except that her eyes looked too knowledgeable to belong to a young person. Her hair was straight and black except for two braided strands alongside her head which were a silver color. Her eyes were a dull green, looking both wise and emotionless. She may have been thought beautiful except that she looked too stern and serious to be any object of lust. Her black robes barely shifted in the breeze because despite the warmth of the summer, she wore a very heavy fabric.
They observed one another in silence and Harry grew puzzled as to how she had snuck up behind him without his noticing. Later he would learn it was just one of her many tricks.
"Follow me." She told him in a commanding voice, and he did what was demanded of him without hesitation. They walked down a silent alley and opened a side door. Harry followed her through, and as soon as he'd crossed the threshold, he felt a tug as though he'd just touched a port key. When the world around him refocused he saw that he was in a dark cave. He saw that woman was still walking and he continued to follow. They went deeper down into the cave until finally they arrived at a dimly lit staircase carved into stone. Harry followed the woman up the stairs to a set of great doors which when opened revealed the breathtaking inside of a mansion.
Harry would later discover that the mansion was the House of the Heavens, an underground mansion where the Sorcerers of the Stars lived. Altair Aguilla was one of those sorcerers and thus was able to wield the power of the stars, an ancient form of magic that only 23 could possess. Harry would later meet all the Sorcerers of the Stars, amongst who was Alpheratz Andromeda, who was overly romantic, Aldebaran Taurus, who was very old, wise and powerful, and his favorite, Spica Virgo, who had a love for nature. Of course, each Sorcerer's first name was the major star in the constellation represented by their last name and Harry came to learn much about mythology and astronomy. He also came to learn that each one of their personalities reflected that of their constellation, this was the same for Altair Aquilla, named for the Eagle constellation. She was faithful, and devoted to everything she did, but also emotionless and cunning. Harry quickly came to understand her character, and at times he still found himself missing the House of the Heavens.
Harry snapped away from his memories and headed off to his other case where he found his wand, the trench coat the Weasley family and Cho had all chipped in to buy him for Christmas, and a .45 caliber pistol. He placed the gun in a holster on his belt and reached for the final item, the sword of Godric Gryffindor. He had a special sheath for the sword he had found in Gryffindor Mansion, and he slid the sword into it and fastened it on his back. Feeling as prepared as he probably ever would be, he walked over to the bed, kissed Hermione gently on the forehead, and left.
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Though it was 2:30 in the morning, Harry was not the only one up. After settling his boys out early in the afternoon, Chrome had the rest of the evening to himself. He took the opportunity to smoke and drink his way into a false sense of security and now he blared his music thru a boom box Hermione had enchanted to work despite magical interference.
Chrome sat at the window seat looking at the lovely Hogwarts grounds and wondering what it was like to grow up in such a majestic environment. He had the window slightly opened so the cold air brushed against him in a cruel, unforgiving way. He did not care though, feeling pleasantly numb to the world. Soon he knew he would feel every pain as he became not Chrome Granger the Muggle, but Chrome Granger the Celtic Warrior.
Chrome pondered what precisely it meant to be a Celtic Warrior. It gave him strength that had become legend to the street folk, and also such fast reflexes that he could knock a gun from a man's hand and have him around the neck before the poor sucker could say "ouch." It also meant he had the mind of a warrior, fierce, cunning, and with out guilt or remorse. He knew that when a person looked him in the eye they saw a maliciousness that frightened them, and he loved that power. Despite all this, his being an abnormality was not outwardly obvious, and sometimes even forgettable.
In the 1st millennium BC, the Celts had dominated much of Western and Central Europe. The Celts were split into three classes, Druids (who were priests), warrior nobles, and commoners. The nobles fought on foot with swords and spears, and many were fierce and powerful warriors. From these, one was born long ago into the blood line of Chrome's mother. He had been a high noble and powerful soldier, blessed with every Celtic warrior quality that made them so feared. Even Dumbledore was not sure if were magic or genetic or something else that had led to the strength, speed and stealth of the so called "Celtic Warrior" but every 100 years the legendary power resurfaced in someone of that bloodline, and it had done so for Chrome.
Tomorrow that ancient blood would set back into battle, perhaps for the last time.
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Ron didn't wake up until 3:30, which was still plenty early. He pulled his messy red head out from under the pillow, and wiped his bleary eyes clean. Slowly he stood and stretched with a loud yawn. He stumbled to the bathroom where he splashed cold water onto his face. Once back in his bedroom he decided he wasn't going back to sleep and decided to wander the hallways for a while, get a good look at Hogwarts for the first time since he'd left.
Ron pulled a white T-shirt on over his head and left his pajama pants on, unable to think of a good reason as to why he needed to change. He grabbed a maroon Weasley sweater on his way out, knowing how cold the corridors could be.
Heading down the hallway he heard someone coming and squinted in the dark to see who it was. Harry was walking briskly down the corridor, already dressed for the day, and looking completely prepared to go.
"Hey there Harry" Ron called out, catching Harry's attention.
"Hey Ron" Harry said, looking a bit awkward.
"Where are you off to this early?" Ron asked, gesturing to Harry's equipment.
"Ah, just getting ready for the day. I figure I'll go over the plan as I take a stroll, and then later I'll have to meet up with the Special Tasks Force."
"Right then." Ron said, shuffling his feet.
Harry nodded, a distant look in his eye. He made a motion to continue moving forward, but Ron put his arm out.
"Wait Harry, if I don't see you again, take care. Come back."
Harry stared into Ron's eyes, and Ron could feel a sort of coldness he thought had vanished from Harry coming back. However, Harry just nodded again, and said, "I will. And you Ron, you'll be fine. You're the only brother I've got."
Ron smiled a bit, a sad smile which did not meet his eyes. They shook hands and embraced in a brotherly hug.
"See you later." They both said, and were on their separate ways.
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Hermione woke up at 5:30 and was glad when she realized she wasn't meeting with Ron to assemble their squad for another three hours. She immediately realized that Harry had already left, and part of her was glad for it. She didn't need any teary farewells, she needed to focus.
She got showered and dressed for the day, and then decided to try to preoccupy her mind with a book. She was pleased to find that the book was successfully preoccupying her, and soon it was 7:30. She knew that somewhere in the castle, Harry was with Albus Dumbledore, Mad Eye Moody, Altair Aquilla, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. They would all be preparing to launch an attempt to take out Voldemort.
When it came down to it that was what this whole war was about, Voldemort, the power craving lunatic who sucked life and happiness from the world. Harry was an example of this. He had once been a kind, regular sort of boy, happy for the first time upon discovering a whole new world lie out there for him. Voldemort had taken away that happiness and over the years turned Harry from his kind ways to becoming a cold and dark person who had only just awoken and was still struggling. Hermione hated Voldemort with every inch of her being, and hoped the Special Tasks Force accomplished its mission and they could put their fear and hate behind them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That very group was assembling at that moment, up in Dumbledore's office. Harry had been the first to arrive, and he sat in silence with the head master as the rest entered. Kingsley Shacklebolt who had been selected for his strength and stealth as a wizard came shortly after Harry, and Mad Eye Moody entered precisely on time, not early, not late.
The last one to arrive, and the only one who had made none of the previous meetings, was Altair Aquilla. She swept in wearing her long black robes and looking every bit a death eater, rather than an ally. Dumbledore broke out of his staring trance when she entered the room, and he smiled at her.
"Thank goodness you've arrived." He said to her with a smile, and she smiled back at him, for the first time Harry had ever seen his mentor smile.
"I would never let down a dear old friend." She responded. "Even if he does refuse to join the House of the Heavens."
Harry felt confused. Dear old friend? Altair looked to be no older than 30 years of age. Furthermore, why would Dumbledore be joining the House of the Heavens?
"As lamentable as the loss of Regulus Leo may be, my time here on Earth is not yet finished and I cannot leave until I have served those around me." Dumbledore explained to Altair.
Harry finally spoke up, puzzled. "Regulus Leo died? Of what?" He asked, remembering the middle aged man, face and build of a warrior.
"He did not die of disease, old age or any mortal ailments because he is immortal." Altair said, looking at her old student, proud of how he had changed and grown more powerful. "He could die of a powerful spell, but this time, such was not the case. No, Regulus Leo merely vanished, and now we need a new person to join the House of the Heavens and become the new Regulus Leo."
"Immortal? You aren't immortal are you Altair?" Harry asked, puzzled.
"I am, my mortal form died 500 years ago, and I have lived in the House of the Heavens since. Although, I do not remember my mortal life anymore."
"You see Harry," Dumbledore intervened, "those who are Sorcerers of the Stars loose their memory when they are accepted into the House of the Heavens. Their mortal soul dies and their immortal soul is discharged of the burdens of the past and laid down with new burdens: to uphold their position in the House of the Heavens and whatever calls to duty that may include."
"But you aren't dead, so why do they want you?" Harry asked confused.
"I am very old Harry, and the Sorcerers of the Stars know that I am knowledgeable enough in ancient magic to join them, for that is what it takes, a large amount of knowledge in ancient magic, and a character matching that of your constellation. The Sorcerers want me to let go of my hold on the mortal world and join their haven. Of course, I cannot do that yet."
Harry nodded, well knowing all was lost if Dumbledore died. There was still one thing he didn't understand though. "Why don't the other Sorcerers of the stars join us in the war against Voldemort? If they are powerful in ancient magic, and can only be defeated by a strong spell, we could easily win with them."
"Ah Harry, that is a very good question, but with a very good answer. The Sorcerers of the Stars have tasks set out before them, they do not choose their paths in the immortal life, but rather follow the will of the stars. That could mean both for good and for evil. It has been this way since the ancient magic was created, and will remain that way. It was just so lucky that it happened to be Altair Aquilla's path to train you and join us on this mission. Speaking of the mission, we have gotten off track. Let us recap."
As Dumbledore commenced in speaking, Altair took a seat next to her student whom she had taught so much about ancient magic. If there was an empty space in the House of the Heavens when Harry died, and he matched the character of the position, he would surely be taken in. Until that time he was still mortal, and she sensed something in him that hadn't been there when they'd split ways. He had finally reached a level of emotional control that she was very pleased with, but she suddenly sensed that he had developed a feeling of love. He had softened, and this greatly concerned her. Her task had been to aid him in his destiny of facing Voldemort, though that had not specified weather he win or lose, she did not want mortal emotion interfering with that training when the fight came.
She pondered this for a moment, and then refocused on the task at hand.
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"So you think you could tell heaven from hell, blue skies from pain."
-Pink Floyd
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The hour was approaching at last. Every squad had been prepared, all the Order except for Harry wore their robes, Harry being in his black. The auror squads were added onto the recruits, and the army of close to 100 looked as good as any army. Unfortunately, looks could be deceiving, for fear tore at every soul.
Chrome sat up at the head table of Hogwart's great hall, his feet up on the table and looking every bit of disrespectful he truly was. Hermione came up and sat next to him, Ron following shortly after. They all sat in silence, and the rest of the squad leaders soon joined them.
The tables were filled with the different people involved with the mission, old mixed with young, Muggles with wizards, and all houses sitting together. The port keys were handed out and they began to vanish. Chrome laughed as his the members of his gang's eyes flew open in astonishment.
As every group left, Dumbledore and Chrome descended to the group of Northern Celt gang men, all of them looking cruel, tough, and perfectly fit for the task at hand. They had plenty of illegal firearms, and several of them carried large silver cases. Inside were extremely powerful bombs which they would detonate to blow away the walls of the death eater club in order for the fighting squads to enter.
Chrome nodded at Dumbledore, and they all apparated away. They arrived in a dark alleyway as the plan was. The other groups were located in various sections of the wizarding city, all waiting to advance to their part of the attack. Dumbledore apparated away once Chrome and his squad were situated and Chrome set into action. He had spent almost the entire past month preparing his plan for action. He had had to attack other gangs, rob a few places, and take out a few people who were getting in the way, but everything was all set.
He would take a group for fire cover as four separate groups went to each side of the building and detonated the explosives. Meanwhile, the wizarding squads would begin moving in to take out all magical guards, and head through their newly blasted doorways into the club.
Chrome sighed. He spun his gun quickly in his hand, griped it tightly and pulled back the hammer. "Let's go boys."
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"I believe it is our fate to be here. It is our destiny. I believe that
this night holds for each and every one of us, the very meaning of our lives. This is a war and we are soldiers. What if tomorrow that war could
be over? Isn't that worth fighting for? Isn't that worth dying for?"
-Matrix Reloaded Trailer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A sudden fury of gun shots filled Ron's ears. "There's our cue!" Ron whispered furiously to Hermione.
Hermione nodded and waved her hand to their 25 person team which was hidden in the back of the alley. They all came rushing forward in a false bravado. Hermione could feel their fear. Most of them were still just kids like her, and the explosion of gun shots was causing their hearts to race in terror. For many, the sound of a gun was something they were completely unaccustomed to, being raised in wizard families.
As the squad raced forward, Ron and Hermione took the lead, brandishing their wands and running in time with their racing hearts.
A sudden explosion hit the side of a building and cast rubble over the group. Dennis Creevy took a piece to the side of the head and was instantly knocked out.
"Didn't take long before we lost him." Ron thought sarcastically dodging for cover. The squad scattered, and soon seven wizarding death eater guards came into the alley, and spells began to fly.
"STUPIFY!" Ron yelled, sending one death eater to the ground, watching Hermione out of the corner of his eye as she took two down in one blast. It take long before the guards were eliminated, and Ron was transporting them to a holding cell with a port key. Many port keys had been made for the occasion, and they also used one to send Dennis Creevy to the medical wing where Madame Pomfrey had enlisted a few of her very best students to help.
Hermione regrouped the squad and they pressed forward. What the poor squad was unaware of was that the Dark Lord knew their every motion out on the streets. They soon found out however when they were encircled by a group of death eaters who had been alerted to the situation.
Hermione felt her heart pound as the sound of Viktor Krum screaming under a torture spell filled her ears. She cast her gaze up to the night sky, so familiar looking, the stars starring down on her. The same stars she had spent just the previous night looking upon with Harry. How much the world had changed in under 24 hours. The stars had looked so beautiful from the comfort of Harry's arms, but now they looked harsh, their cold whiteness bleary against the black night. She watched curses of all colors zip back and forth between ground and sky, and suddenly felt herself pulled to the ground as a curse zipped over head. Ron rolled off of her, hissing in her ear, "we need a plan and fast! Think!"
Hermione tried to focus her mind as she watched Micheal Corner take an avada kedavra to the chest. "Thinking is my strong point." She told herself. "Now think!"
"Send sparks up in the air Ron! Call the other squad's attention to us. Let's try to get our squad to one side of the alley and set up some temporary shielding spells. They won't last long, but it may be enough time."
Ron nodded, just realizing how tightly he was gripping his wand. Hermione ran about, bent over to avoid curses and rounding up the squad members. Ron sent a stream of yellow sparks into the sky, hoping someone was in a position to come to their aid.
The shield spell was set up though their numbers had dwindled from 25 to 20. Now all they could do was wait.
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The Special Task Force was moving swiftly and efficiently. Harry walked in long silent strides along side his mentor. When a death eater guard came they were quickly shot down, and they had encountered none of the difficulties Hermione and Ron's squad had come across. Once they got word from Chrome via firework they would escort the Spells Unit into the death eater club. Hopefully, by the time they got there, much of the death eaters would have been removed and they could get the Spells Unit straight to work taking down all curses and magical barriers.
As they made their way down the zigzagging alleys, they saw yellow sparks go up.
"That's from the South side of the club!" Harry said, panic in his voice, well knowing that it was Hermione and Ron's side.
All Dumbledore had to say was, "Do not fret Mr. Potter, we will head there right away."
Altair on the other hand, looked far more disturbed by Harry's panicky tone. "What has become of my student?" She thought. "Where once he could kill and wield incredible ancient magic now he has regained mortal emotion. He cannot win."
It did not take long for the Special Task Force to realize that Hermione and Ron's Squad had been surrounded. Dumbledore sent Kingsley and Mad Eye to the roof of one building, Harry to the roof of the other, and planned for himself and Altair to close in of either end of the alley. They all split and Harry went as fast as he could to the building, climbing the ladder on the side up to the top.
On the roof Harry saw that there were five death eaters sending spells down into the alley, trying to penetrate the shield spell that Harry could just barely make out in the dark. They did not see the tall dark man climb up behind them, and did not notice as he put out his arm and murmured the words of an ancient spell that caused no sound that could be heard by the human ear, but shook the ground with a tremor. From Harry's hand a forceful blast was issued, one in which sent three of the five death eaters hurtling in an explosion of rock and dust.
The other two death eaters whipped around to see the man standing there, his black jacket caught in the breeze and flapping about him, making him look more menacing than ever. He held no wand, but a faint smoke rose from his out stretched hand.
One of the death eaters began to yell the words to the killing curse as the other sent a stupefy flying at Harry. Harry turned his back to the simple stupefy, and the dragon skin jacket easily repelled it. Before the other attacker could finish the killing curse, Harry waved a hand at him, sending the man flying off the building.
Turning back to the final attacker, he watched as the man's eyes grew wide. Never had he witnessed such wordless and powerful magic. He sent the killing curse flying at Harry, and Harry hit the ground to dodge it.
The man smiled in his triumph, and prepared to finish Harry, who was defenselessly lying on his back. As he raised his wand however, the Harry's hand shot out and he yelled, "expelliarmus!" Before the his attacker could complete the killing curse. Defenseless, the man charged him with his bare fists, but Harry was quickly to his feet. A punch across the face had the attacker out cold.
Harry stood over the passed out man and snapped his wand in half, throwing the pieces on the passed out body. He shook his head and performed the killing curse.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hermione smiled as she saw that the firing from the roof tops had ceased. She knew help had come. She pointed this out to Ron, and he grinned hid goofy trademark grin.
"About bloody time!" He laughed, since it hadn't taken at all long.
Suddenly screams went up as three bodies came crashing down from the building top, a long with a lot of rubble. Then again as another body came flying down from the same direction.
Hermione tensed up, and Ron gave her shoulder a little squeeze. "I'm sure those were death eaters and not our guys." He tried to assure her, but no one could tell in the dark.
Ron cast a nervous look down towards Cho who looked quite shaken. He wanted to go to her, but knew he could not. They had agreed to stay separate during the mission so that one would not threaten the others life if they got into extreme danger. Neither wanted the other taking the killing curse or any other curse for them. Ron breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Fred and George were with her and they were settling her down.
The shield gave out and everyone jumped to their feet. "Form a circle!" Ron yelled, and they all did as told. "This way no one's back is to oncoming attackers." Ron told Hermione, who just nodded.
No spells were being fired on them, and for that they were glad, but they still waited to see what would happen. Silence came over the alley. They all stood around feeling a bit on edge. Gunfire still sounded in the distance. Every now and then they could see spells from faraway streak through the night sky.
Ron began to think about his Dad's squad. It was mostly comprised of old friends, around the same age as Arthur Weasley. Ministry workers like Amos Digory, but also old Slytherins who Arthur's partner Snape had selected. Not all Slytherins were bad was what Ron's dad told him, but Ron didn't believe it.
His thoughts then shifted to Charlie and Bill's squad. Percy was there, and though Ron had never been found of the snobby, big headed nuisance, they had made amends, and he wanted him to stay alive and well. He hoped Charlie's dragon trainer friends were up to par and that Bill's friends from the bank would also be able to the job. He looked off into the direction he knew they would be, but saw no spells flying. He couldn't decide weather that was good or bad.
He started remembering Bill and Charlie teaching him to fly, when several of the windows of the buildings exploded. Apparently the death eaters had found a way to get to them.
The shards of glass hit a few of their number, and they fell back a bit.
"DON'T FALL BACK!" Ron yelled, trying to get the group from becoming disorderly.
He felt his heart racing as death eaters poured into the alleyway. "There must be 20 of them." Ron thought, and he suddenly felt dizzy. His attempt at bravery was failing, for at heart he was still truly a little boy, the tall red headed friend who was quick with wise cracks and had a fast temper. Spells flashed all around him, but he held his ground as he always had on missions, with or without Harry.
People were falling as Dumbledore came from his end of the alley. He sent a series of powerful blasts into the masses, and could soon see he'd been joined by Altair Aquilla on the other side. Mad Eye and Kingsley came running up beside him, and they were making little progress into the chaos.
In the center of all the commotion stood Hermione who has trying to keep her attackers at bay. She saw Ron go down and her heart froze. She tried to concentrate, but instead kept thinking, "please don't be dead Ron, please, get up!" She didn't notice when a death eater came up behind her and pointed a wand straight at her head
"Hello Mud Blood." Said a sly voice that sounded just like Draco Malfoy.
((I know, cliff hanger. If you want a quick update, REVIEW! I promise another chapter as soon as I get another 6 reviews. The chapter will come either way, but as soon as get to review #70 I'll post the new chap., so it'll be quicker if you review. Thanks everyone!!)