Harry Potter: Way of the Force

by icy manipulator

Giving birth and nourishing,having without possessing,acting with no expectations,leading and not trying to control:this is the supreme virtue. A Harry Potter Starwars Crossover

20. Stand by me

Title:Way of the Force
Author name:Icy Manipulator
Author Category: Romance
Keywords:Harry Jedi Muggles

Rating:PG-13

Summary:Black Queen's Gambit.

DISCLAIMER:

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling and/or George Lucas, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, Lucas Books, Del Rey and Randomhouse, Lucas Arts and Lucasfilm Ltd., and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Author's Notes:I was asked where this story split from the original HP timeline. Well, the answer isn't clear cut. You see, we could say it split around a thousand years before PS/SS. And with the tie up happening far, far away then this is where it loosely split up. Time is such a strange thing, first five years of Harry's life happened the same (since he, hence we, didn't know anything else except cannon.) Harry didn't know of his past. Hence, this author tried to create one for him. The HP and SW universes offers a lot of ways you could tie them up. Unfortunately, I chose a complex one. ;-)

This chapter is unbetaed. (Thank you Liza. I hope you like the surprise. I'll send you the next 3 chappies ASAP ;-))

Can you coax your mind from its wandering
and keep to the original oneness?
Can you let your body become
supple as a newborn child's?
Can you cleanse your inner vision
until you see nothing but the light?
Can you love people and lead them
without imposing your will?
Can you deal with the most vital matters
by letting events take their course?
Can you step back from you own mind
and thus understand all things?

Giving birth and nourishing,
having without possessing,
acting with no expectations,
leading and not trying to control:
this is the supreme virtue.

- Way of the Force.

Chapter 18 – Stand by me

04 October 1996 2200H Local, Gryffindor Common Room, Hogarts.

"You did what?" Hermione practically shouted into his ear. Months of careful preparations, wasted.

"Nothing." Harry answered back warily.

"I just don't understand, Harry. You were there, she's there… you're both alone… it's a lot better than being locked in a broom closet. And… are you sure your not gay?" Hermione said heatedly as she paced back and forth. Practically pulling the hairs out of her head. She was on a mission. And the mission is to get those two together. She just can't understand why wouldn't Harry just give in.

"Of course not!" Harry said indignantly. "I've told you before Hermione, I want to be sure… that we're sure that were not just, you know, that this thing we feel… our getting together is not because we're at the butt end of some cosmic joke!" He replied in frustration. And added in an almost whisper. "Beside, the Jedi code…"

"Bull!" Hermione shouted again. "You know as well as I do that you don't give a damn about the code besides which your line of reasoning are flimsy at best. Stop being selfish and think about all you've done and can do, Harry." She said and turned to him. She closed the gap between them to touch his cheek tenderly as anger drained from her face and be replaced by an affectionate look. Harry by then was still stunned that he'd heard Hermione swear.

"You are probably one of the most passionate people I know. One couldn't deny the fact that you are powerful Harry, but whenever you let go of your walls and your heart speaks… that power multiplies exponentially…"

"But…" Harry tried to intrude on Hermione, but she just took hold of his other cheek, that she held his head and looked into his eyes.

"I was there Harry…that night in the forest in our third year, remember? A happy thought is required to cast the spell but I believe it was your desperation, your fear and your love is what fueled that spell. Tell me, can something as wonderful as a patronus, deigned as its name to be a protector against darkness, fueled by emotions, your emotions… a Jedi's emotions, be of the darkside? A house cannot be divided by itself, Harry. You cannot combat darkness by enshrouding it in more darkness…Evil cannot fight against Evil."

"That have been the of the Jedi way for thousands of years 'Mione, what makes us think we know better?" Harry retorted back.

"Their beliefs might have lasted them a long while, but in the end their complacency became their downfall. It may have been the Jedi's way and on the other extreme of pure emotion the Sith's way… but what about the Force's way? You know I'm right about this and I know that in the end you will do the right thing… you always do."

"you've too much faith in me…" Harry choked out. His eyes shining.

Hermione then gave him a quick peck on the lips and lightly tapped his cheek. "That and I've got a knack of ordering you and Ron around." She said and grinned. "I expect that you'll ask her out for tomorrow nights' dance… and I expect to see your mom's promise ring on her finger come Sunday." With that said she quickly stood up and bounded up towards the girls dorm, leaving a sputtering Harry in her wake.

Same night, in Azkaban

The Dark Lord sat brooding over his last encounter with 'that Potter boy'. 'For some reason, he's become more powerful' he mused. What baffled him was the way he had blocked the mental link between them. But not only that, he had also blocked the mental link he had with young Virginia.

He needed the girl. Although he had become even more powerful than he ever was, he needed that which the girl now held... for him to be complete.

He closed his eyes and searched his memories, delving into a past so long ago. He delved into re-learning his lessons.

He had learned, even while still in Hogwarts, that the gift of immortality always extracts a price. With this he taught himself in the arcane arts of the soul. This in turn led him to a way to preserve himself, if he failed, in his attempts to gain power and ultimately, immortality.

That was part of the reason he created the diary. Not just a medium for his thoughts but also a part of his soul. As long as there is a part of his soul that exists in this world, Lord Voldemort will always survive.

His eyes suddenly opened widely and burned with fervor. A sinister smile formed on his lips.

He then summoned an ordinary looking mirror to him and tapped it with a thin finger. "You know what needs to be done?" He asked, and the smoky figure that appeared bobbed its head in affirmative. Anticipating a question he then added. "Willingly or not, she will come. Of that there is no doubt."

A cackling laugh echoed throughout the fortress.

"Potter may have blocked the mental links, but some bonds just run too deep." He said in amusement. And that ominous mirth lasted most of the night.

05 October 1996 0400H 6th year Gryffindor Boys Dormitory, Hogwarts.

Harry tossed and turned in effort to find sleep. But, as expected it didn't came. His thoughts were a jumbled mess. Too many things have happened too fast and no matter how strong he could feel the strain.

'Too much," he thought. 'Grant me broader shoulders…' he whispered in his mind, echoing an old Jewish proverb.

In too deep in his thoughts that he didn't notice that one of the beds was empty. Only when the dorm room opened, in what he presumed would be four in the morning that he noticed his best friend.

"Harry, Are you awake?" Ron asked after he made his way to Harry's bed.

"Can't sleep, Ron." Harry replied, and then spied under the dim light the haggard features of his friend. He knew this wasn't from lack of sleep.

"You know." Harry then said. A statement answered by a nod and a bob of Ron's Adams apple as he swallowed.

"I won't ask why you didn't tell me…" Ron then said as the silence grew uncomfortable. "But, I will ask that you'd do her right." With that Ron slipped on to his own bed. He heard Harry's pledge before Morpheus claimed him.

"I promise…"

05 October 1996 2000H The Great Hall, Hogwarts.

The rest of the day had gone remarkably well. This caused Harry to be doubly suspicious. Although his life was fairly going along in a swimmingly good way, whoever that was pulling the strings on his life will not leave the status quo alone for long.

For one thing, asking Ginny to be his date on that nights' dance was surprisingly, too him, quite easy. Since it was a weekend, they were able to spend most of the day together to talk about the day before and most other things and then of course a lot of nothings.

As Ginny went away that late afternoon to prepare for the party he remained among the rocks facing the great lake of Hogwarts. He muled over the discussion he and Hermione had the previous night and the promise he made to himself and Ron.

There was no use in fighting what he felt anymore and in a flash of insight he understood what his parents had told him months ago. That the bond he and Ginny share did not necessarily mean for them to be together, but it was his choice of them being together. He was then just fighting the inevitable. He wanted to be Ginny's friend and maybe more, he was sure it wasn't just because of the bond since he practically ignored her for almost five years. It was not a compulsion or control for them to be together, but rather destiny, maybe, playing her odd game of making them 'meet' each other. And these last few months, even with knowing of the bond and promise, thinking of Ginny brought up a slow simmering burn in his chest that felt like a motor running and that turned into a leonine growl whenever she was near.

The promise made a thousand years ago seemed like the blueprint of a plan for him. The Force, if he understood his mother correctly, fulfilled this promise by making sure Ginny turned out to be a girl! This, in turn is the Force's way of fulfilling a part of its promise of him never to be alone.

All it needed now was Harry's choice… and it was a no brainier. He was pretty sure that he's now falling for Ginny. With that, the growl in his chest grew louder in agreement.

B-------------------B

They were locked in an embrace, as the lilting melody of a slow dance played in the background just thirty minutes ago. Ginny had to go 'powder her nose' or something and other. Or maybe it's because Hermione wanted to give her a chat.

But, there dancing another slow dance was Hermione with Ron. From the looks of it, they've been dancing for a while.

So… Where's Ginny?

Harry didn't need to wait long for an answer. For as he had considered the day Ginny was taken to the Chamber of Secrets as the Worst day of his life, today would be the close second.

B-------------------B

There he saw her, just three paces from him. Her big-brown eyes that he could have been lost in willingly, now burned with a hatred he'd never thought to see there. And, never in his mind had he had thought he would see such a thing; those anguished hating eyes, to be directed at him.

"I hate you, Harry Potter!"

It would have hurt had it been shouted at him, but then, the loathing he heard in that low hissing growl cut him more deeply than he would have thought. The viciousness of those words left him speechless as she continued.

"It's all been a lie, hasn't it? You've all were trying to just use me! I can't believe that even my family…"

What brought fear to Harry more was the lack of tears and before Harry could utter a single word, he felt a stinging on his cheek.

The music played.

B-------------------B

Harry didn't know what to think or do. He had been prepared that evening to tell her everything. The bond, their promise and his self discovery of his choice and hopefully she would arrive in the same realization.

What went wrong?

He watched her as she left towards the door. He couldn't follow… he felt like the proverbial 'deer in the headlights'... everything is suddenly crashing all around him and he didn't know what to do…

As couples dance around the ballroom floor, he followed her with his eyes. But, before she could go out past the great doors, he saw someone approached her. He laid a hand on her shoulder as he seems to whisper a few words and she nodded.

A dull ache formed in the pit of his stomach up towards his chest as he saw Michael Corner lead Ginny to his table. He wanted to go there. To confront him. To take back what was his, that he hadn't even thought of where Cho was.

But, it wasn't meant to be…

There, he saw him leading the woman he was now sure he loved towards the dance floor. He stood there dumbstruck. A foreign feeling of his head seemingly expanding along with an uncomfortable feeling not unlike goosebumps, prickled his skin. And the ache, a dull throb in his chest that made it hard to breathe…

He looked on as they grew closer, hands that were once on shoulder and hips, entwined further into a more intimate embrace.

'I've got to get out…' was all he could think off. The instinct instilled while growing up with the Dursley's, thought gone, now, reared up again stronger than he could handle… and of the too primal instincts of fight or flight, he chose the easiest route.

He ran.

'My fault…' he berated himself. 'I shouldn't have waited.'

'I… I, just wanted to be sure… wanted to think things through.' He ran some more till his legs ached and his breath came in ragged pulls. The pain in his chest from exertion not enough to mask that dull ache…

'Too high a price… I should've tried to find out with her with me… Now I've lost her…' Jumbled thoughts.

Harry Potter, Wizard… Jedi… learned an important lesson that night.

And as the once starlit sky darkened. Angry clouds rolled forth to blot even the moons' pale light. Drops of water started to fall from the sky. First in light drops which steadily grew into an alarming rate.

The better to mask the tears.

B-------------------B

Luna had watched them through the night. Although the hurt was still there, if ever it would truly be gone, she saw that finally, Harry was ready. Any moment now and they would start the healing of an age long curse and hope shall truly come to the world. But then her eyes narrowed at what had come to pass. She didn't understand why Ginny had acted as she had.

She and Hermione had been dropping subtle hints at Ginny. Asking her leading questions that were answered, and that satisfied the two young witches. They knew that Ginny would understand...

The time for finding out what went wrong with their careful plans would wait. For now Harry needed her. And as she saw him ran off and out towards the garden, she too suddenly left for the doors to go after the distraught Harry.

B-------------------B

Neville was at first puzzled at Luna's sudden departure. But seeing Ginny dancing with Corner and Harry nowhere to be seen gave him a rough idea of what might have transpired.

He found it odd that it hurt a bit that Luna left without bidding him goodbye. He knew that she had feelings for Harry. They've talked about it and his budding feelings for Ginny. But they both knew it wasn't meant to be and resulted in them gravitating towards each other. They were at the cusp of something... the beginning of healing and maybe more.

But all that would have to wait. His Lord and friend was likely in trouble and the two that could help him were there dancing and still likely unnoticing the events that had come to pass.

B-------------------B

The rain had eased off. Harry sat there on his knees, unfeeling of the cold and all aware of this very unfamiliar sensation of numbing pain in his chest.

The last time he felt something remotely similar was when he was five and asked when his birthday was. He then asked if he too would have cake like Dudley and had eagerly waited till the day arrived. The day came and passed and nothing... not even a brief happy birthday.

At that day he felt that almost same pain, the feeling of not being acknowledged, of being unloved. That day his young mind understood that he was nothing... that he existed only on the sufferance of others...

He felt so sorry for himself then, He loathes himself now. He wanted to be sure the feelings were true. He never want to be disappointed again that he forgot... more likely didn't know... that to love and be loved in return is a gamble one must take. The risk of pain is great but he knew now when it was too late, that with her, with Ginny, it would have been worthwhile. The last few days were proof of that.

His breathe suddenly caught when warm arms circle from behind him. He needed the warmth and grateful he leaned in. Soothing hands brushed his damp hair and it seemed the owner, who he knew was Luna, did not mind getting herself wet in her embrace of him.

"I'm a fool" Harry said in a strangled voice as Luna shushed him. He felt a pull and allowed himself to be lead to the exact same spot months ago when he and Luna shared their kiss.

"In what we think to be clear skies, rainclouds come and rain will fall... but always..." Luna said as she turned Harry to meet her eyes. "...always, a garden is most beautiful after it rains."

Harry knew she was right as the evening flowers gave off their innate magic, soothing the fresh night air with their scent. He gave a somewhat teary smile as he was able to breathe a bit and understand the comfort in the double meaning of that phrase.

"In another time and place..." he began to say but Luna shushed him again with her fingers as she gently shook her head no. "But we are here and this... all this, is yours... and Ginny's. Fight Harry... fight for her. I feel something strange is afoot and..." whatever she had to say next was abruptly cut off as a stomping Ron came followed by a worried Hermione and Neville.

Without a word he pulled the emotionally spent Harry up and gave him a good one on the kisser.

Harry was forced back amid the shouts of alarm by the others. The back of his legs hitting the bench where he was sitting forcing him to over balance and into the rose bushes.

Not a moment later strong hands were holding the front of his robes pulling him up. Harry tensed and readied himself for Ron's next blow. 'God knows i need and deserve it.' he thought. but nothing came except his best friends' threatening voice.

"That was for whatever you did to upset Ginny." He heard Ron say, then again. "Now, what ever are we going to do to fix this?"

Hermione sighed in relief. Ron's emotions where like quicksilver nowadays, but somehow it was tempered 'Ha! Good pun', by his suddenly sprouting maturity. 'Well... at times...' she thought again.

"Hermione?" Luna asked, disturbing the girl's thoughts. "Have you noticed anything odd with Ginny earlier?"

"I haven't noticed anything, She seemed happy enough when we went to the ladies room. We went out together but she had to go back. I think she had to fix her corsage. Until Neville pointed it out to us we thought she was with Harry. But then we did try to get to her but it looked like she and Corner went someplace else." Hermione answered a bit hesitantly at the last as she saw Harry's pained face.

"You see... doesn't that seem strange..." Luna was cut off again when suddenly, alarm klaxons rang throughout the castle and Professor McGonagal's voice came on.

"Breach! Breach! We have a ward Breach, unknown location. This is not a drill!"

Reacting out of instinctive training, the boys simultaneously tapped the badges on their left chest they now always wore.

"Armor!"

They were surprised when both Hermione and Luna too invoked magical armor from silver wristbands.

"Moony thought we should have protection too. It's still experimental though." Luna explained.

The Armor the girls wore was minimal to those of the boys. They were silver, in contrast to the gun black of the original male armor and only solidly covered the hands, forearms, torso, knees, shin and feet. They rest were covered by something akin to chain mail. It was made to be light and flexible... And, to the boys they looked HOTTT!

Shaking off their daze, the group sprinted to their post.

B-------------------B

While the others, prefects Ron, Hermione and Luna, headed for the common rooms and check on the younger students, Harry and Neville headed to the castle's lower levels to report to Frontline HQ.

A heated argument was what they came to.

"... the sorting should have weeded out any traitors" the voice of Gryffindors head of house was the first voice they heard as they entered the Ops Center.

"There are atleast 3 ways that I know off that could spoof the hat, Constant Vigilance! That's what I say what's lacking. A simple mind blocking artifact or a master of occlumency could block out the hats probes." Moody said as he turned and acknowledged the arrival of the two.

Taking their seats Harry asked. "So, what's the status of the breech. It shouldn't be too serious if a call to battle stations was not announced..." He began to surmised, but the solemn expression on the faces of the Headmaster and McGonagall clearly indicated otherwise.

Before he could further query, Tonks came puffing in followed by a rumpled looking Remus. They have had been off duty and were most likely resting. though Harry got a naughty thought of how far they were resting too each other.

"I pulled out a quick scan and the breach came from the inside going out." Tonks said as she pulled out a sheet of paper. Whatever was written caused her to grimace and Remus, who was looking over her shoulder, to cast a wary glance at Harry.

"What?" Harry asked.

"It's Miss Weasley." Dumbledore said. It surprised Tonks that Dumbledore already knew. The Headmaster then explained the charm he had placed on various key personnel

in case such an event happened..

"This doesn't change a thing." Moody interjected. "The attack on Beuxbaton should still go on as planned. We cannot spare personnel for a rescue. Hard as it may seem, there are always casualties in war."

"She won't be." Harry said, daring everyone else to refute him and before he could continue Neville spoke up.

"I'm not part of the assault on Beuxbatton. I could lead a small strike team to go after Ginny"

Harry was about to protest but then, fate and destiny really seems to have a thing for him. Remus reminded him of the importance of him visiting Project 51 and then stressed the importance of this to the war effort. He couldn't do a thing. His responsibilities must come first to any personal need. Besides which, he could trust Neville with his life, so he could trust him with Ginny's the same. He just hope that this would not be the path that lead to his vision of Neville last summer.

B-------------------B

When one is asked to describe black, the usual answer is the absence of light. It has also long been held that true black, the black or darkness that one could perceive when one is placed inside a sealed box, does not exist in nature and unless one searches for it, i.e. the aforementioned sealed box, there is no such thing in the natural universe. Except, that is, until the discovery of the Hypospace.

As Hyperspace is the realm in which the hyperdrives produce a space-time rip (as you will) that envelop the ship in a space-time (subspace) pocket in which faster than light speeds are possible. Thus, breaking one of Earths most brilliant scientists' theories on Energy to Mass conversion.

Hypospace breaks the same equation from the other side of the equation. Though requiring greater energy to accomplish its feat. The Galactic Jump Drive does just that. It enables the ship to 'jump' space, by reducing the distance instead of increasing the speed. Essentially folding space and jumping across the gap.

Imagine a sheet of paper if you will. Draw two points at opposite ends. Put you pencil or pen and draw a line. This is how you get from point 'A' to 'B' in normal space. Increase the speed of you line drawing and sooner or later you'll come to a point where the speed of writing will damage the paper. This is lights' speed limit. Now, place your pencil on point A raise it up from the paper and place it down onto point B. This is Hyperspace. Your hand and pencil still needs to move the distance between points A and B.

Now, pick up the paper fold in and align point A to point B. The gap between is Hypospace. No stretching of light, no subspace vortex, no nothing except black.

One can immediately see the problem of this system. In both the first two cases a course needs and can be plotted. But in the third, one must know immediately where everything is at, at the same given moment.

In all of the universes' people, only one breed could do this and at the same time understand the intricacy of the universe's web. The Jedi. And even in the total black of the in between, they could see their way though to the other side.

B-------------------B

"Transfer Capacitors are at full charge. Retracting energy collectors to transit mode."

"Set and prime primary coils and engage Hyperspace bubble."

"Coils primed and set, Bubble forming and is at 40 percent. Collectors are now in transit. Tunnel Projector coming on line, gyros uncaging, gyros have caged and stabilized. Awaiting link..."

Kaleena then placed a fragile looking golden band across her forehead and secured it to her temple. From the corner of her eye she saw her father do the same. Out of habit, not to mention first hand experience which brought on the habit, she flicked a switch which over ridden the weapons charge safety and left their arsenal ready for immediate use.

One final flick of a switch and a ship wide alert to inform the crew of jump commencement, she opened herself to the force and sought out through it, pathways to the otherside...

"Engage."

Even before she had formed the second syllable, her link to the force and the ship caused the discharge of the storage capacitors to the GJD projectors and boring a hole through folded space. A short forward movement and a few minutes later, the wedge shaped ship rested in a space where all the stars are in a totally different configuration.

"Stand down from battle stations, secure ship for normal operations."

With that command, the entire ship was brought to life again as Stellar Cartography did a full sensor sweep of the local star systems, probes were sent out to all sectors and data gathering for the hyperdrive computers went on-line. In the meantime, the two Jedi maintained their link to the ships mainframe and using sensors augmented by the Force began to plot Hyperspace lanes and most important, began the search for life, intelligent or otherwise. It would usually take 72 hours to complete a local plot of up to 2000 light-years, however, 60 hours later or five hours into her shift, Kaleena suddenly wrenched the band from her head.

"There is a great disturbance in the Force" She heard her father say as he too, removed the band. Although he did not seem as much affected as Keleena was, he did blink furiously a few time before facing his daughter.

Wordlessly, their hands began flying along the ship's hyperdrive computer, overiding most of its built-in safety systems and creating the fastest course to a system 1667 lightyears away which was normally less than a days travel, due to the amount of obstacles along their route would take them just a little over a ten days at half their normal superluminal velocity.

B-------------------B

07 October 1996 – 1800H Local, Gryffins den.

While the Beuxbatton strike team where in their final briefing, a much smaller group of eleven where making their own preparations.

"Um, Moony?"

"Yes, Harry?" Remus replied distractedly. He was busy hooking up the last of the connectors to the Holocron as per instructed by Lily.

"Are you sure this is safe? I mean, I'm pretty sure you know what your doing, but indulge me." Harry asked nervously. Remus just waved an arm at him while still busy buzzing about the contraption.

"What I wanted to know is if this would fry their brains." Harry then asked in a low whisper. However, it was heard by Ron.

"Thanks for keeping our hopes up, mate" Ron said sarcastically.

"Hush Ron, we don't want to disturb the wave patterns. That's why Remus asked us to be quiet and be perfectly still." Hermione reprimanded him.

"So says the…" Ron began but was cut off by Remus' hundredth admonition.

While the 5 Special Forces soldiers detailed to accompany them were busy double checking their gear, the Ministry Crew, minus Ginny and Harry, plus the Weasley Twins were seated around the modified holocron with wires that went out from it and attached to their temples. The weird light and humming accompanied with the sparks it emitted at intervals didn't really help the confidence of those whose head and coincidentally their brains connected to it. Especially of the procedure that was supposed to be done.

"Alrighty kiddies, let's get this show on the road!" Remus cackled as he rubbed his hands together in some sort of mad scientist fashion.

"I demand to see the governor!" Fred shouted followed by an "I'm too young to die!" by George.

"Don't we get a last meal?" that was Ron, while Neville whimpered and Hermione… well she was busy trying to analyze her analysis of whether the pros of going through a virtually untested procedure outweigh the cons of frying her brain. "Well, all for science." She murmured.

"Oh, hush! There virtually nothing to worry about. Harry went through this same procedure to accelerate his training, remember?" Remus said to placate them.

"Yeah, but Harry just needed a connection through his Force thingy. Incase you've forgotten, these are wires, live wires with volts and thingies, connected to my head AND, I'm not Hermione, but I do know that, that thing…" He said pointing at the Holocron, "can generate enough eklektity to light up London!"

"It's electricity Ron and…" Remus did not let Hermione finish her statement. For while he was ignoring what Ron said he was charging up the Holocron that was modified to be a fast learn device that could, theoretically, upload knowledge directly into the brain. And these kids need a lot of knowledge in self defense, spells and tactics.

The light in the training room flickered and dimmed, while static discharge followed the wires from the moded holocron to the teens. They suddenly jerked in their seat as the hairs stood on end and they screamed.

"Ooops!" Moony said as Harry stared in shock.

"Ooops? What do you mean, 'Ooops?" Harry shouted into Remus' ear.

"I forgot to tell them that it might give them a bit of a shock…" Remus said.

"A bit of a shock? Moony… oh… nevermind." Harry said in defeated exasperation.

'Moony, can get a bit carried away when he's engrossed in his work.' Harry heard his mother say as he heard singing in the background which he tried to ignore. He felt a headache coming on.

'Who let the dogs out? Who, who, who, who, who!!!'

'Yeah. Just let him have his fun, Harry. It's been a while since he'd been free to tinker. It's good for him.' agreed his dad.

'Who let the dogs out? Who, who, who, who, who!!!'

'Ok. It's just that ever since, I guess you can call it him getting some closure, and… I don't know what to call what's happening to him...'

'Who let the dogs out? Who, who, who, who, who!!!'

'He's happy Harry. He's getting back to his old self. This is just the tip of the iceberg, once he gets more steam you won't believe the stuff he thinks up.' James then said.

Harry was brought out of his conversation when he heard a still smoking Ron, whose hair will beat Harry's hands down as all the strands were still standing on crispy ends, say in a raspy voice, "I know Kung-Fu!"

Harry groaned, his headache was on full blast. 'Great, a rapper wannabe of a Godfather and my best friend's been watching way too much of the Matrix.'

But, what really almost made him loose it was when a scarily grinning Hemrione turned to look at him with a manic glee.

"Ooooh, what a rush… Can we do that again? Can we? Can we? Huh, huh … Harry... please… Let's try loading up the Britannica, and maybe Webster's Unabridged… oooh, I know… The INTERNET!" Then she passed out.

B-------------------B

The end of its routine two-hour flight from Milan on 06 January 1995 took British Airways flight BA 5061 though the UK's UFO hotspot over south Pennines. It was already dark as it began its descent into Manchester Airport. The time was 6:48 p.m. and the Boeing 737 was flying at about four thousand feet as it prepared to turn towards runway 24...

The UFO flashed by at high speed, missing the right side of the aircraft by as little as three feet. In less than three seconds it was gone.

- World's Greatest UFO Sightings. p.65

10 October 1996 – Dusk, Groom Lake Nevada.

After recovering from a rather bumpy portkey transfer, the first thing Harry noticed was the darkening sky. It wasn't the red purple shades of the disappearing sun but rather the volume of stars that he could see.

Beside him, Remus intoned an old proverb in an appreciative awe of what was seldom if ever seen in the mostly cold humid European climate.

"…the sun and moon that you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him?"

He was about to ask about it when it they were suddenly blinded by bright Arc flood lamps that illuminated their surroundings as well as 2 military jeeps a transport truck and about fifty soldiers dressed in black fatigues.

"Welcome to Area-51 gentlemen, allow us to escort you to the Skunkworks hangar." Said a tall well built man. His gold clover leaf and wings on his breast indicating he was an airforce colonel.

The three followed him to one of the jeeps and within a few minutes the arrived at what looked to be a hardened bunker. Up to now, Arthur Weasley was silent as he took in his surroundings. But clearly he was excited. Although he was and still is worried about Ginny's disappearance, he also knew he had work to do here.

If what Remus told him was half correct, this would be another revolutionary step in Muggle technology combining with the Magical arts.

The group entered the hangar through a series of airlocks and security devices. Their eyes roamed at the various devices that littered the work tables in one of the labs they've entered. They stopped just after the door as the colonel motioned for them to wait and called out at a hunched figure working on what looked like volleyball sized metallic globe.

The Colonel cleared his throat which caught the scientist's attention.

"Good evening Professor Thesing. I'd like to introduce Mssrs. Potter, Lupin and Weasley of Gryffin Enterprise. Gentlemen, Professor Elizabeth Thesing, Skunkworks' Head of Research and Development, Advanced Technologies Division."

After the pleasantries were exchanged, they immediately went into business. From the letter they've initially received, Skunkworks (Black R&D group of Lockheed Martin) which was funded in part the Potter Group of Companies (Specifically, Gryffin Industries), has requested the use of MAXI's AI core.

It was not the request that surprised Harry but rather, the professors' admission of having worked, on the project's theoretical framework and initial design, for almost two years immediately after her leaving from Cambridge with a Double PhD in Astronomy and Physics as well as a Masters Degree in Aeronautical Engineering (Propulsion Major) all of which at an early age of 25, with his mum.

Remus, meanwhile was tight lipped. He'd been too silent the entire time.

"And this…" Prof. Thesing said as she pressed a button from a previously unseen wristband. "… Is the culmination of the dream begun by Lily. This is Aurora." She declared simply as she fondly looked on at the sleek lines of craft. The three where speechless... again.

It was Elizabeth that broke the silence when she continued speaking.

"The military has vested interest in this project. Although, the research and development budget is mostly funded by your company, per Lilly and James' will, the government provided us with the facilities, data on their earlier research and personnel both in the construction and testing phase of the programme. That's why we have four of them built. Two will go to the National Intelligence Agency to be used as spy craft, One will go to NASA for their Hypersonic Near space research… and one." She paused for effect and turned to look him in the eye and grinned, a very familiar grin. "…Goes to you. Think of it as 16 years worth of gift from your Mum and… your Godmother."

B-------------------B

08 October 1996 0800H local - 80 Miles Northwest off Beuxbatton Castle / 300 Miles SouthEast of Paris.

Still hungry, still gritty and…

He heard the sound of a twig breaking from behind him…

Hector whirled around and froze as seven heavily armed men had their weapons trained at him.

"El Tee, we've got a live one here…"

"Hold on…" a voice called and then a man wearing funny looking clothes came bursting out of the bushes. The strange man pointed a stick at him and a blue light engulfed him. "He's clean." The man said with a satisfied look.

"Whoa… hold on there. What'dya do?" Hector asked the man, who didn't answer. Infact nobody was talking to him, just looking at him in a warily. A red light suddenly erupted from the strange man and he blacked out.

B-------------------B

Hector came to in a very different surrounding from what he could remember. Thankfully, it wasn't a foul smelling dungeon hole. The bright white of the hospitals walls, he assumed, blinded him a bit. But as his eyes adjusted he noticed that there were several people in the room with him.

An old man with long silver beard was who he noticed first and a few seconds later, was the only one he noticed for several minutes. He was asked questions as to his family and alliance, his work, ancestry to what he knew. And other strange questions such as if he was suffering from any disease or even more weird, if he was bitten by a vampire or a werewolf. All these were asked as those twinkling blue eyes bored into him and he couldn't look away.

Finally the last question came. It was whether he new of Magic…

Clearly he wasn't in France… or even a stones throw from Kansas anymore.

B-------------------B

20 October 1996 – 2130 Beuxbatton Castle.

"Strike Alpha, This is Team Bravo... We're coming in hot" Kingsly Shacklebolt's voice sounded though gruff and hard through the magic induced static, but to the beleaguered men and women of Alpha it was like the voice of an angel.

"Thank God, Sir. We don't know how much longer we could hold out." The young lieutenant answered in a shout to overcome the noise from the Dark Army's barrage.

"Just hold the line for about five more minutes and make covering fire... once you see the signal pull back towards the castle."

"Not a problem sir, we've been holding for a week now… five minutes isn't worth squat…" Gunfire echoed in the background as multicolored splashes of spells lit the sky. Tracer rounds tracking their targets... – whoomp - and another part of the castle fell in a ton of dust and debris.

"You heard the man people! Lay covering fire..." the lieutenant commanded, and without a second beat added "... and don't spare the ammo, if our guys don't get through it wouldn't matter..."

B-------------------B

In another reality…

Deep Space, aboard the Federation Galaxy-class starship Avalon.

"Captains' Log. Stardate 56843.9. It's now day 28 of our mission to investigate a subspace anomaly at the very edge of the Neutral Zone. So far as me and my staff could determine, the anomaly had grown by roughly a hundred percent and is now a half a parsec across and is impervious to any of our onboard sensors. Probes that have been launched also failed to send back any data as to the interior composition of the anomaly. My X-O suggested a warhead or a concentrated phaser blast might show something that will enable us to determine even the energy form as it might release even trace forms of wave-particles. This action however was the cause of the increase in size. We are currently waiting for the arrival of Voyager since her crew has more experience in…"

"Captain, the anomaly is beginning to emit particles from someplace beyond the event horizon. I read it as some form of Gamma-Tachyon Hybrid." Lt. Cmdr. Hermione Granger reported from the Science Station.

"Very well Commander."

"Captain, recommend we go to Yellow Alert." Security chief Longbottom said.

"Noted, go to yellow alert, shields up." Captain Potter ordered and turned to look at his Executive Officer.

"So what do you think Number-One? It's been quiet for so long then now it's showing activity."

"I've been correlating some data with Hermione, we're beginning to think it's similar to a subspace ribbon that the Enterprise C encountered, but this being a sphere…" The ship suddenly shuddered and lurched to one side, effectively cutting off whatever he was to say.

Alarm bells sudden sounded and the ship automatically went to red-alert.

"Federation Vessel, you are in violation of the Neutral Zone, stand down and surrender your ship or face the consequences."

"Romulans… typical, shoot first then talk…" Ron Weasley, the executive officer said in undertone.

On the main screen the large winged profile of the Romulan War Bird loomed before them.

"On-screen…" Potter ordered and as it was brought to life he saw the Romulan commander.

"This is Captain Harry Potter of the Federation starship Avalon. We have not violated into the neutral zone and by our readings, it is you who have trespassed into Federation space. Leave now or we shall consider you hostile and be forced to defend ourselves." The crew turned to look at the Captain in surprise. He was known to be unorthodox in his methods and clearly 'diplomacy' was very low in his vocabulary.

Needless to say, the Romulans' reaction was to cut communications and fire his disruptor cannons point blank.

Lt Cmdr Granger just rolled her eyes and intoned that the shields were at ninety percent, Commander Weasley commented on their captain's proficiency in 'Hostile Negotiations'.

Captain Potter ordered a preprogrammed evasive maneuver. They were not prepared however for the three more Romulan Warbirds that had decloaked when the shooting started…

b--------------------b

In yet another reality…

The victor in the battle had also been destroyed in the

struggle. This huge humanoid monster was made of stone, its

joints constructed of massive plates of pitted iron and great

brass gears. Its lithic body had been broken and patched a number

of times, and great sheets of metal had been bolted to its hide

to hold it together. The battle with the living forest beast had

overtaxed its pistons and armatures. Its final lunge had

splintered its opponent; now it sprawled forward, facedown, a

bridge over the tepid stream. One of the stone giant's arms had

been ripped loose from the battle and lay a few hundred feet

away, its fingers raised to claw the sky.

-The Artifact Cycle, Book 1- The Brother's War (Magic: The Gathering)

Harry looked at the weather beaten stone in contemplation. The Brother's war was a long time ago and it should have ended there. But, the festering enmity between Slytherin and Gryffindor would not bury the feud. Even after accomplishing much good in their cooperation of founding Hogwarts.

b---------------b

While Mizra and Urza were mainly Artifacters, their Grandchildren where spell-casters. Now, their many times granchildren are on the field of battle again. Not even remembering the original argument that caused the two great brothers to fight. And yet, still now to be continued by their heirs. Hopefully, for the last time…

The battle has lasted longer than any of the participants have anticipated. Hogwarts have once again proved itself to be a formidable fortress. And the siege had ground to a halt.

Everybody was glad for the breather they were now having. After six weeks of relentless attacks by creatures not seen for more than a thousand years as well as Voldemorts 'normal' array of magical menagerie, the castle defenders were wearing thin. But, still even with this large and powerful army, The Dark Lord and his forces could only approach to the edge of the Forbidden forest without being a target.

It was on this third day in the lull of battle that a rider came forth bearing a flag of truce. The castles guards were wary and allowed an arrow to be loosed in front of this rider, to signify that he should approach no further.

Draco Malfoy removed his helm and stared scornfully at the castle ramparts and shouted in a clear voice.

"In view of the impasse we find ourselves in and to avoid further loss of life, the Dark Lord in his benevolence, challenges Harry Potter to a magical duel to the death under the ancient rules of magic… The Gathering."

He who wins, rules all.

b--------------------b

And in another…

This was their third scramble in so many days. It seems that the Centradi forces are gearing up for a full scale assault. Major. Harry Potter had just returned from an engagement when the Macross' alarm klaxon suddenly when blaring, signifying a configuration change due to attack.

Finishing his hot cup of cocoa, the totality of his brunch, he threw it into the waste bin and sprinted towards the hangers and then boarded his waiting Valkerie fighter.

He listened to his squadron as they checked-in, in the meanwhile prepping his ship for launch.

Once in space, the six VF-1 Strike Valkeries, four VF-1X-Plus Enhanced Valkeries and two VF-14 Hunter Fighter/Bomber, which comprised Pheonix squandron, joined up in strike intercept formation.

They've been ordered to destroy the new Centradi dreadnaught rumored to carry a new subspace weapon capable of vaporizing a planet.

"Lead, rumor of that new Cetradi weapon looks to be true…" Harry heard his wingman say.

"Well, let's do our job… and maybe they won't be able to use it… Lock and load gentlemen. Good luck and see you on the otherside…" He said then ordered the squadron to break and attack…

b--------------------b

Another…

He'd been led through the nose and made to jump hoops all his life! To think… No wonder those people… Neville and Luna, went with him to the Department of Mysteries to rescue a man they did not even know. Ron and even Hermione, a muggleborn who he thought knew nothing about him… His best friends or so he thought.

What hurt most was Ginny, even she was brought in to this select group to 'watch over him' and more… to watch over their soldier…

'I was not even the son of the parents I thought I had.' Everything had been preprogrammed into him, in his mind and genetic matrix. No wonder he was small to start with. 'the easier for them to control…'

They thought that by the time his genetically enhanced body asserted itself from under the delaying spells placed over him, he would be totally under their control… believing in all he was told as right… manipulated into being their perfect weapon.

Well, they made a very big mistake in including a phoenix's genes into his matrix.

Phoenix's have an innate sense of freedom, a sixth sense for danger and an aversion to untrustworthy individuals.

It was this that tipped him off that something was wrong and why everybody was becoming edgy around him. Ofcourse, the sudden growth spurt, size increase of his magical core and the painful adaptations his body had to undergo the last two weeks of July was strange. More so, was the silence of his 'friends' and the order.

The angelic though fiery wings which sprouted on his seventeenth birthday were also a pretty good indicator that something was off.

It was then that fireballs erupted around him which in turn resolved in a flock of phoenixes. They welcomed him as one of their own. Surprise, Surprise… he could understand them. And they told him the truth…

b--------------------b

He had stormed into the orders' so called secure meeting in a flash of fire. He was not surprised to find his 'Mom' and 'Dad' alive and kicking. Everything he was is a lie.

Even his so called scar connection is nothing more that a genetic marker, a tracking device weaved into him for one express purpose, his purpose… To track down a genetic experiment, much like him, that failed…

And the reason Tom Riddle chose his name, because ever since he realized what he was and the basilisk's genes that was mated to his made him go insane… he had been escaping from his death… Flight from death… Voldemort.

No wonder Harry automatically hated the guy.

And his so called friends… trained since birth to be his handlers…

The Order of the Phoenix, basically a support group so Harry could do his job…

And the reason he couldn't fight back or run off even though he knew the truth? His chain, so to speak, was another control. They didn't want a Voldemort deux… so they made a mate.

A mate who he would instinctively fight a Basilisk for… someone who could drive his 'people-saving thing' into over-drive, someone who could shut him up and cool him down, even at his worst blow-up.

But, now they were planning to dispose of him. For a reason unknown to them, Voldemort had disappeared. Harry knew this to be true, for the dull throb he'd always felt since Voldemort's rebirth was gone. The Dark Lord wasn't in hiding nor did he die… He simply ceased to exist…

b--------------------b

And Another…

Asha'man Potter, the dragon reborn in the Wheels' seventh age of the Seventh turn, gazed at the widening rift on the black slopes of Shayol Ghul with angry intensity. He could feel both Lews Therin and Rand Al'thor stirring in the depths of his mind.

'The old man was right. The Wheel of Time just repeats itself indefinitely…It's like the final battle… well, my final battle anyway…' Rand said.

'No wonder one would go insane, we've been basically being reborn countless of times… and it's his entire fault!' Lews agreed as he indicated the rift and what lay beyond it.

'So, what do you guys say we finish this once and for all, again.' Harry said and turned to looked fondly at his three wives. All equal in love in his eyes.

He then turned his gaze to his brother Asha 'man and felt them stir as they too joined their mates and bonded.

And the power of the gods flowed through them; Yin and Yang, male and female, polar opposites of each other yet equal in all ways… darkness and light, chaos and order…

Saidin and Saidar wielded in harmony… in Balance.

b--------------------b

And Another…

The prince of evil smiled greedily at the passing events. He could almost taste it, victory over the realms atlast…

A greenish mist crawled over the lands. Decay and death came to all it touched. From the source of this mist, the smell of sulfur and ozone mixed with each other. Static electricity charged by a swirling vortex of black and the same colored mist, caused lightning to flash between the vortex… portal.

Blood was the magic that powered it, a great war is the sacrifice…

The battle for Hogwarts waged on. Classmate against classmate, fathers against sons, wizards against wizards… angels against angels.

For a long while the sword of fire could be seen, hacking against the enemy horde. But then in a flash it was gone…

b--------------------b

And Another…

"Harry, love… wakeup." Luna said tenderly as he cradled her husband's battered form in her arms… "Nothing can hurt you now… you're safe, with me…" she cooed into his ear as tears fell.

"Luna?" Harry said in a groggy whisper… "What…"

"Hush, my love… it's time you rested, you've done everything you could… it's now our turn to rescue you…"

As Harry look again, into those silver pools, warmth again entered him as memories flooded in again… of her… of silver peals of laughter as they rolled on that grassy meadow under the warmth of the spring sun…

But, heroes have no rest, for just as soon as he relaxed he felt a pull, a call against his magical core. He was needed once more.

b--------------------b

Prime Reality.

13 October 1996. Dark Force's Carrier Death's Head.

Ginny was confused. The last thing she remembered clearly was going back towards the loo to meet Corner about, according to his note, a matter of extreme importance that involved her and Harry. The note even said something about a life or death situation.

After that, everything turned hazy. As if she was in a dream…

She had a vague recollection of her mouth saying things she didn't mean. It was like the Chamber all over again.

It was when her eyes had adjusted to the dim light that she saw she was in a cell of some sort. How did she get here? A nagging feeling… a pressure in her mind gave her a foreboding that something really bad is about to happen.

Her instincts were proven right when she heard a hiss and a previously unseen door slid open to reveal her worst nightmare. She gathered up her tattered courage to address her captor.

"Hello Tom" she said not without a trace of fear.

"Welcome my dear Virginia. I've told you, you were mine." Voldemort gloated.

"What do you want from me? Why can't you just leave me alone!" she screamed.

"You are more important than you thought, my Virginia…"

"Don't call me that!"

"Your role in the scheme of things… in the play of Fate and Destiny, yes even in the games of the Gods themselves, is almost, if not, as great as that of mine and my nemesis…"

"What are you talking about… no matter… Harry's going to destroy you…" she said defiantly.

But, at this the dark lord just laughed at her.

"Foolish little girl, do you really think this is just about right and wrong? This war is about power. Why do you think we serve the Darkness? This puny little planet is but a speck of dust compared to the enormity of the universe…" He said manically.

"Where am I?" she asked, fear getting a firm hold of her.

"Why… where you've always belonged since you first wrote in my Diary…"

"What do you mean?" she asked. A terrible knot in her stomach was forming.

"You have a part of me in you Virginia but I can't decide yet if I should take it back or let it grow and have you by my side… of course, it won't be you, for your soul will be sacrificed but then I shall have a mate. A mate that is in her very essence a part of me."

Ginny's eyes grew large in horror.

"You… you cant…"

"Oh believe me, I can…" With that he swept out of the cell leaving a weeping girl behind him.

b--------------------b

"What news on the Devastator and the Eradicator?" Voldemort asked as he entered the command deck. The Death's Head was on station for the past week just 20 mile off the coast of coast of Norway, right smack at the edge of the Arctic Circle.

"Devestator has just arrived at its assigned position, Eradicator will arrive tonight at hers." The crisp reply came.

Per the Dark Lords commands, giant ships were made as part of a show of force of Voldemort's power. The original plan was to have seven carrier like ships to set sail. However, only three had been built while the other were still in various stages of construction. The necessary power required to hold such a ship together as well as power her propulsive systems alone was extraordinarily high. Not to mention the fighters, tanks and others in the Dark Forces arsenal.

Voldemort wasn't able to reply however, when he felt a pain in his chest. A soft blue light suffused him. Hurriedly he went out towards his own quarters where he immediately sat down in a prepared chair situated between black metal like panels shaped like a tulip's petals that could open or close around him.

Directly above him, the ceiling opened to lower a floating torch like object. A sickly green flame burning at its top. The torch suddenly let out a similar green mist as 'black' light shone down on the dark lord…

Along this shaft of black light, a pulsing ball of energy flowed down and into him.

As the panels opened again, he opened his eyes and smiled as he laid his hand on two white orbs situated at the end of the chairs handrest.

Energy was transferred form here to transmission dome at the ships aft and sent to the Dark Fortress. And, from there retransmitted to the two sister ships.

The Green Flame Torch granted immense power but at a cost of a sacrificed soul. The deeper the soul is meshed with life's fabric the more power it gives. And Voldemort is one of balance points of this world. But he couldn't sacrifice himself, can he?

b--------------------b

With a discovery by the Lestrange brothers of 'calling' an alternate form of a person from a different reality solved the problem quite easily. A win-win situation in Voldemorts book; he absorbed the knowledge, a potential rival destroyed, power for his army and new lands to conquer… He just have to conquer this one first and that, to him, was assured. Now that he has the girl and the brat's friends are being delivered as soon as they step a foot on Azkaban. And he was sure, Potter would come charging to their rescue soon after that.

TBC.

AN2: How's that for a freakishly long and crazy chapter? Hope that didn't make your head spin… much. It looks like our friendly(?) neighborhood Dark Lord is doing stuff he shouldn't do… Well, I'm glad I'm done with this so I can move on to the fighting part and that kiddies will be bloody… Bloody! Rating shall increase.

I've done reading the 10 books of a Wheel of Time series and WOW! What could I say more? Ok… WWWOOOOWWW! I can't wait for the 11th installment.

I'm now reading the Riftwars by Raymond Feist. I just can't seem to get the correct chronological order of the books. I'm pretty sure I should start with Magician – Apprentice then Magician – Master, then Silverthorn then Darkness at Sethanon, but I got confused by Riftwars Saga series, the Riftwars Legends series and then there's the Riftwars Legacies. So far, the story rocks and Pug (the lead character from what I could tell) reminds me a bit of Harry.

And that means, No to having read HBP yet. I've got a list of books and I'm wading through them a bit at a time. I was able to get a peak at a bootlegged Episode 3, but I'd rather wait to get my hands on an original DVD and atleast two hours of quiet SW quality time… I'd have to negotiate with my eight month old son for that though.

Icy Manipulator.

Don't you sometimes wish for 30 hour days?