Chapter 11

He could hear the blood pumping in his ears as he ran through the forest ducking under or just rushing through the branches that were in his way. As he came up to a fallen tree he vaulted over it hunkering down for a moment allowing himself to catch a breath, listening to the cold silent night.

There wasn't anyone following, not anyone, not that he could hear, for now anyway.

Pushing up his sleeve he glanced at his watch. 10:30 pm. It was December 31st 1999 and he could have been anywhere.

But here in this cold Welsh forest, his blood pumping and slightly out of breath was where he wanted to be.

He could have been anywhere, even now more than a year later people in the wizarding world showered him with praise wherever he went.

He hated that the most.

He'd been officially invited to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes (Exclusive Party Event) with Ron and George, he wasn't sure what the difference to an official invitation and being invited was, but supposedly there was some level of exclusivity that he didn't appreciate, Ron though did seem to like the idea of it the last time they'd met together.

He had needed to make a concession regarding New Year's Eve, Ginny hadn't asked where he was going to be but he had to be at their party for the New Year's Eve countdown. As in dire consequences if he wasn't there.

Hermione on the other had hadn't even blinked when he'd told her about needing to skip their pre-New Year's Eve drinks they were going to have at her rooms at university. That was something she seemed very happy with, ever since she'd gone back and got her NEWTS she'd somewhat despaired at the options within the magical world, even with the reforms that were going through Hermione had said it wasn't what she wanted to do. "Like you Harry. I'm going to make my own path."

Hermione was much more decisive about where she wanted to go and what she wanted to do.

He on the other had had a vague idea, but hadn't really done much about it for a while.

Flashback…

"And quite honestly, I've had enough trouble for a lifetime."

It had been a little under two months since he'd defeated Voldemort and the owls still hadn't stopped.

He'd (in a moment of sleep deprivation caused by the ceaseless owls) considered shooting them. But instead he invested in a magical stamp that overlaid the words 'The recipient your letter is addressed to no longer resides at this address' onto the letter when the owls landed at a perch with a food supply on it of dried meat. Then he'd tell them 'return to sender', or very occasionally 'bugger off I don't want to attend your bloody party for your buggering celebration of the crukking end to the bloody war!'. Though he hadn't said that that often. At least not too loudly.

That had slowed them slightly. At least now they seemed to get the idea; land get a free meal and piss off.

The only owl that knew how to get through the 'blockade' was Ginny's, her letters were embracing, funny, it was odd, she had said going to school where there wasn't an evil wizard in the background and that she was going out with the most famous wizard in the world.

He missed Ginny, and he was pretty sure he could if he wanted walk straight into Hogwarts and sweep her off her feet.

But that would involve beating back the hordes at Hogwarts, he had disliked his fame before, before…well before everything that had happened. Now he really detested it.

Having a holiday was not agreeing with him.

In fact he hated it. Being in the middle of London, being able to go out, have 'fun' or what people considered fun just didn't do anything for him.

He'd got used to the excitement of battle, the rush of adrenaline, the danger.

He'd only told Hermione about this.

Despite his closeness to Ginny, Hermione and Ron were the only two who had experienced everything of the past year, and Hermione really was the only one who'd had a look into the some of the other things behind the scenes.

Harry stared out the window again looking at the owls, occasionally he'd see an owl that was beige-white, reminding him of Hedwig, Hagrid had even suggested that he could get another owl.

Harry had thanked him, but no. He didn't need another owl, there were enough people sending him owls for now, and if in the future he needed to send anything he would find an alternative means.

The time of sending post and owls was in the past.

He turned away from the window and slipped on his jacket, glaring at the window for a moment longer and disappeared in search of some excitement and that spark of an idea he'd had a few years ago.

Present…

Harry peered over the fallen tree, straining to hear the sound of the things legs against the forest floor.

What he did didn't have a name, though neither did what Sarah did, though at least she'd been able to give him some pointers on how to start.

Flashback…

He'd tried parachuting, skydiving, fire arms training, driving fast cars, flying in a 50 year old fighter plane and a variety of other things that were meant to get the adrenaline flowing.

No wonder the Doctor always seemed most excited when he was describing the last time that he'd been in mortal danger Harry thought to himself as he went walked down another street towards his destination.

All the things he'd tried over the past few months all the while trying to avoid the adoration of the wizarding world had been fun, but it didn't beat the excitement he'd felt most recently.

Admittedly that had involved a fist fight with an alien which seemed to twist through dimensions he couldn't comprehend. It also meant that he had admit again he had a 'saving people thing', which just meant Hermione got to be smug at him once more.

It hadn't finished with a fist fight, he'd been shot at and managed to wound the alien and stop it from kidnapping a group of witches and wizards. He'd made himself scarce after that, he didn't need another round of 'lets praise Harry'. Maybe that was why the Doctor didn't stick around for the process after liberating whomever he liberated, or it was probably to avoid difficult questions. Last he heard the wizards and witches whom he'd assisted had put the whole experience down to a dodgy batch of butterbeer.

Harry looked around for a street sign, he really needed to get a car he decided.

He could have apparated straight outside her house. Sarah Jane Smith's house to be precise. But he'd wanted to get the location of her house and the area cemented in his mind.

She had said she'd hoped to meet him again at some point. He'd read some old articles she'd written and she seemed like someone he could make contact with concerning…everything.

Present…

Harry listened and prepared to leap over the log as one of the creatures launched itself over the log.

His knife was already unleashed and he started stabbing it wildly. Spells were useless against these…bugs. Though they seemed to have a taste for it, which explained why they were around so many wizarding areas especially when there was a lot of magic flowing around the holidays. New Year's would be the last opportunity for a while to get at them, after this they'd probably go back lying low and only attacking small things.

He just hoped he got them all, that was the point after all, using himself as bait to lure them out.

Harry stuffed the knife back in his holster vaulting over the log and pulled the around from his back. He didn't really want to use a gun, but the hordes that he needed to deal with there wasn't much choice, the only other thing he'd considered was a long blade, a bit more dapper, he was sure the Doctor would have approved. But the gun was more practical, he was relatively sure as he squeezed the trigger of the semi-automatic that the Doctor wouldn't have been so approving of his choice of weapon, or how he'd decided to deal with these bugs.

Though the weapon was doing its thing. The little critters were dying and he was barely feeling the cold air with the rush of control that he felt over the situation. Harry gave a hard kick to one of the creatures as it made for his foot.

He stopped firing to reload, that was when he heard another person firing and shouting.

Harry cursed to himself, he'd deliberately chosen this area for their deservedness and took off at a run through the middle, of the thinning crowd of creatures when he bumped into someone.

"Hey there," said an American voice, Harry spun around as he heard the click clack of the bugs again and began firing once more, his back to a man in a long coat.

"Captain Jack Harkness?" Harry shouted over the noise of his and the Captain's weapons.

"Who wants to know?" He shouted over his shoulder.

"Harry Potter," Harry shouted as Jack stopped firing. Harry continued to fire at the small movements in the mass of dead creatures, then he turned around.

"Harry Potter," he flashed a grin at him "you beat your Dark Lord then?"

"I did at that," Harry paused looking around the mass of dead creatures. "So what's a nice captain like you doing in a Welsh forest like this?"

"I could ask you the same thing Harry Potter," he said with a smile.

"I think you know what I'm doing here. I didn't know this had attracted Torchwood's gaze." Harry watched Jack's wandering eyes, fix him with a stare.

"How do you know about Torchwood?" He asked suddenly.

"Torchwood doesn't make any secret of it's dislike of the Doctor, I thought it was interesting." Not to mention their somewhat unhealthy interest in the magic world Harry thought to himself.

There was movement in the pile of bugs. Jack let off a few more shots from his gun, the shots echoing in the night air.

Harry took a moment to check his watch. 11:00 pm. "So" he said rubbing his hands together. "Can I give you a lift?"

"A lift?" Captain Jack Harkness looked at him quizzically.

"I've got a party to get to you've got to get back to your secret base now that we've dealt with these bugs." Harry then quirked a sly smile. "Or was there some other reason you were hanging out in the woods?"

"Harry Potter, are you flirting with me?" He grinned at him.

"I don't think my girlfriend would appreciate it Captain." Harry countered.

"Call me Jack," he grinned again.

"Fine Jack, would you like a ride." Harry jabbed a hand backwards to the edge of the forest where he'd parked.

-/

"This is your ride?" He said, surprised.

Harry nodded opening the butterfly doors and climbing into the centrally mounted driver's seat, placing his gun on one of the other three.

The car he'd bought in a brief moment of what Hermione called 'insanity' he liked to think of it as a moment of excitement and rebellion. It was a rather fast and expensive piece of rebellion.

But his McLaren F1 felt a lot more exciting to drive than just apparating somewhere.

"Just here," Jack said as they approached Cardiff. It didn't look like an entrance to a secret base, considering it was a petrol station, and the only interesting thing it had going for it was the price of petrol.

"Ya didn't think I was going to show you the entrance to my secret base did ya?" He grinned as he got out.

"I can hope," Harry deadpanned.

"Look after yourself Harry Potter and maybe we can catch up some time," he said.

"Now that I'm legal you mean?" Harry asked playfully.

"Now that you can handle a weapon. I'm sure we can have some fun," Jack said as he swaggered away.

-/

Harry was blissfully happy that the party wasn't being held in London as he got out of his car, it was interesting he wasn't the only person to have arrived by car. Ginny had just said there was going to be some friends from Hogwarts present.

"Is that blood?" Ginny asked eyeing a splotch of fluid on her boyfriend's trousers as he took her in a hug. He had at least made it, with 10 minutes to spare. Probably a new record for him.

"Don't worry it's not mine," he said. Too casually. His arms also smelt like gunpowder.

Ginny twisted herself around in her boyfriend's hug to face him as they swayed to the music that was playing around them.

"I want to know," she said firmly.

"What?" He asked.

"What you keep getting up to, I'm not a little kid anymore," she said looking at him.

"I don't think we have been little kids for a long time Ginny," he countered in a low tone as they locked eyes.

Ever since the Chamber she'd not thought of herself as a child, now with everything that happened that sort of childish thinking was so far in the past she wondered if it ever existed.

"I want to know what that blood is, I want to know everything. No more secrets," she demanded.

Harry smiled at her, his eyes shinning with mischief. "After the new year's celebrations."

"Why then?" She asked glancing over at the large clock that ticked ever closer to the new year.

"The 21st century's when everything changes, we've gotta be ready," Harry quoted.

"What?" She asked.

"Something a friend told me," Harry answered.

"Is this the same 'friend' you and Hermione have met?" She asked.

"No," he shook his head. "This is a flirtatious Captain."

"A what?" She frowned.

"Let's just enjoy the new year okay?" He said and then whispered. "And later you can worry about the alien blood on my trousers."

-/

A/N:

The Jack and Harry part is in reference to the Torchwood episode Fragments, where (in flashback) Jack mentions something fighting a "Millennium bug" which had "It had 18 legs stacked with poison". Which occurs somewhere around 31st 1999.

Thanks for reading.