Catcher
A/N: Sorry for the really long wait, everything has been a bit hectic but now I am in the world of uni and I happen to have loads of time free at the moment cause my course isn't that demanding compared to some others. Anyway, on with the story.
Chapter 15; A Ghost Ship
Hogwarts
'I thought you told me he was a spy for Dumbledore though?' Matt was confused at his friends sudden change of view towards the man.
'I searched his mind before the battle, he has never been loyal to the light!' As Harry said this he released his grip on the man's arm and backed off a step, calmed by the waves of reassurance coming through the link from Matt even as the latter headed over to them.
As Matt came to a stop to Harry's left, Albus Dumbledore's voice came from behind him.
"I must insist that the Battle is over and that this man will need to visit the Infirmary as soon as possible professor." He said as he tried to walk towards Severus.
He was blocked by Matt's arm. 'Harry? How sure are you?'
'Positive!'
'You cant kill him though, we could use the information from him.'
'True, we'll send him to Atlanta, they can hold him for a while and keep him alive until we get what we need from him. Besides it's about time you got your initiation and I reappeared don't you think?'
With that decided Matt turned to address the aged Headmaster. "This man is a traitor, Headmaster, by rights my familiar should kill him."
"He is not a traitor," he paused to throw up a silencing ward before continuing, "That's absurd, he is my spy in Voldemort's ranks!"
"What proof do you have of that?"
'Enough,' Harry spoke into both in their minds rather then over the link just as the headmaster was thinking of the right response, 'I will show you what I saw and then we will be leaving with him for a while, I trust you can deal with the lessons we will miss.'
Just as Albus started to nod his eyes glazed over as images flickered through his mind. Undeniable proof of his spy's treachery. He was stunned.
After was seemed like hours but was in fact only about a minute the headmaster came back around. Severus, on the floor, also came around and tried to talk but a snarl from Harry silenced him.
"Very well, take him," He spoke to Matt then turned to Severus, "I trusted you old friend, you disappoint me."
"We will leave within the hour, we must wait for our transportation and we shall do so outside." Matt spoke at last to Albus before casting a levitation spell on the form of Severus Snape and leaving the hall with Harry in the lead and Snape in tow.
In the Entrance Hall they ran into five of the AWD guards and Matt spoke briefly to one about making contact with the base's commander. In reply he was handed a radio but just looked at it curiously.
Harry laughed at his bewildered face but helped his friend out by sending a split second burst of knowledge to teach him how to use this particular piece of Muggle inventiveness.
Soon Matt, Harry and the floating form of Snape met up with General Granger at the gates to Hogwarts. They needed a dock for the Burning Wind to moor up to when it arrived and the Muggle Base had built just such Docks and was the only place nearby with the capability to hold the Burning Wind.
General Granger had briefly called the Headmaster, who had quickly became a friend to him, to ensure that this man and his familiar were trust-worthy and after being assured had allowed them to enter his base, with him as their guide.
During the fifteen minute walk to the Base. Harry used his powers to talk to the City of Light. It was very confusing to do as in essence he was almost two months behind when he had left the City. He left instructions to them to not mention it to their other selves but to have the ship ready to port to Hogwarts.
Rather then confuse matters they were to port the Burning Wind to them the day after Harry and Matt had left the City so another time spell would be used to get the Ship into the right time. The specifics were starting to confuse Harry so he told Damiane, the female ruler he was talking with, to sort most of it out.
As they walked up the paths to the Base and through the gates, Harry saw the confused looks of those around them. A wizard, a panther and a floating, yet awake, body was a strange sight for anyone.
"Welcome to Fort Merlin!"
"Interesting name," laughed Matt, but he couldn't help agreeing that it was suitable as Merlin was a wizard famous to both Muggles and Wizards and therefore a common link between the two.
"I believe it would be best to head straight to the Docks as your transport will be here in about ten minutes. I am afraid that it looks a bit worse for wear as they are still building it up."
"That's quite alright General."
Not ten minutes later they stood on the wide metal jetty that sat calmly in the water fifty foot from the shore in a T shape. Matt and Harry saw the first signs of their ship before the General and the Royal Navy Commander that had joined them. The water in the centre of the Lake went impossibly smooth for a few seconds before a shape started to appear. This method was more discreet than the Orders porting system as it didn't involve the 100 foot wide portal of colours. The Burning Wind was in herself magical, from the keel to the tip of the Masts. She transported herself.
Before the General had recovered from the ghostly form of the ship, her disguise, he felt the light touch of Matt's hand on his shoulder. He felt a spell wash over him briefly and saw the ghostly image in front of him become clear as day. A beautiful, yet deadly ship sat before him almost in dock.
She was a dark red colour with Golden rims to her many portholes. As large as the Victory that many Muggle's had seen. She boasted 100 canons set along her sides. Forty-five along her broadside, stretched over four decks and 150 feet of length. The other ten guns sat, six on her stern and four on her forecastle to give fire either in front or behind her.
Her four masts sat bare of sails as her lines were thrown down to waiting Royal Naval ratings, some of which had to be prodded by their work mates.
Matt spent a little time casting the spell required to see through her deception so that the rest of the onlookers didn't think they were receiving a ghost ship into their harbour. To any normal person she looked like a ghost ship making it difficult to see her from above or from far away, and it was enough to scare many people away from attacking her. Soon all those in the Docks could see her clearly but it would wear off and only those that added a drop of their blood to her Decking could always see her as Matt and Harry had done long before along with all her crew.
"One day General Granger, if she will take you, we will invite you onboard, however not this time, as we must make haste." Matt said in farewell as the three people made their way onto the ship, two willing, one not.
As soon as they were onboard Matt turned to the Master At Arms, "Lock this man into the Brig and have men keep watch over him!"
"Aye, Lord Dragon!" The Elf went to his orders, not noticing the glare from his Lord. On the City's Warships all titles were used unless the people involved were friends, Matt knew it would be impolite to insist upon the use of his actual name.
Matt and Harry, still in his Black Lepra form minus the wings, turned aft and climb the two sets of stairs to reach the Quarterdeck where they knew the Captain would be waiting for their orders.
They had been aboard the Burning Wind once before since they arrived in the Magic Realm. They had joined her on a five day trip to a few islands of the coast that the City of Light lay on. They had joined her on a mission to monitor the Dark that was rising even on the Magic Realm. The world that the City of Light was built on, Harry remembered, was the one that Alandria had mentioned a while ago that the order hadn't been able to reach. The reason why was that the world was there but couldn't be stepped on as it was out of the normal realm. The creator of magic had used his powers to shift the world out of the normal realm in order to stop trespassers. So whilst they knew it was there, portals couldn't be opened to get there and the few planets that were technologically advanced enough for space travel couldn't land there.
They didn't really get to know the Elven Captain in that time as he had been too busy, but they knew he was a man that stuck to the regulations and that was the reason he was in charge of the City's largest Battleship, and the Flagship of the twenty strong Light Battle Fleet.
The Captain, Sea Lord Balakay, answered only to the rulers of the City Of Light, The Battle Fleet Commander and Matt and Harry as the Lords of the City. He saluted them as they walked onto the Quarterdeck and Matt returned the salute out of compliment.
"With your permission, my Lords?" He spoke to both Lords.
Matt nodded in response and turned to the Map with Harry striding at his side. The Captain started the calls to 'Let Slip' and to set the sails.
'A nice visual ward would be nice now Matt!' Came Harry's voice through the link.
'Oh sorry Harry!' He tried to sound apologetic but couldn't stifle the slight laugh. Even as such a powerful creature, the Leprano were still Cats and hated water, if Harry stayed as the Cat he would feel sick. It only took Matt a few seconds to throw up the wards necessary to hide Harry's human form from view.
"Thanks mate!" Came Harry's voice as he morphed fluidly into his human self. "Now then, where to?"
"I was going to leave that up to you, I don't know this world at all. I know it is the one where the Order is closest to but there isn't much of a link left between your world and Atlanta. How do we get there?"
"To be honest I don't know, the last Crysti was a member of the Order and built up the wards so that other Crysti couldn't sense it but I picked up from the AWD Guards minds that Valice and Alandria were at Hogwarts about an hour before us yesterday, caused quite the trouble I found out. I thought that they would have covered their tracks with a memory charm or something. They should be on the Sea Dragon still heading back. They wont port on this planet to reach Atlanta because you can just sail to it if you know how."
"So…"
Harry spoke to the Captain as well as to Matt, "We need to get to the Atlantic Ocean and then rendezvous with the Sea Dragon to get to Atlanta."
"Aye, My Lord!"
"Oh yes," continued Harry, "Try not to scare the Sea Dragon too much Captain. We don't need proof of your reputation in combat!"
Awsome Twin; I was thinking huge entrance into a fight actually.
Kelzery; I am really sorry for the long wait, I feel really guilty, but things came up and unfortunately this dropped in my priorities! Please forgive me!
Horsecrzy; Any ideas what else his Lepra could do?? Email me if you like!
Wytil; I needed to show proof of the Leprano's power because they are really peaceful and would normally be subtle, I wanted to prove that they could be devastating. Hope you don't mind but Snape really never is evil and he is almost the most likely to be so in reality.
Athenakitty; Harry has killed already, he isn't the perfect non-siner, cause in reality noone in a war can avoid deaths, I hate to say it but it is true you can barely ever really solve a war without it coming to bloodshed. Noone sue me for that, I hate wars with a passion.
To, Spectra2, Maleficus-Lupus, Lady Phoenix Slytherin, mjk306 and gaul1, thanks so much, all you reviews warm my heart.
Please review, please, please, please J