Chapter 21

"Of all the things Benton, it's imperative that no matter what, don't use my last name. From now on it's Harry James. Got that?" Harry instructed the Sergeant.

Benton blinked at Harry and nodded as the man's voice took a cool edge. "Yes sir." Harry eyed him. "Harry."

"Better," he paused "observation is the key Benton, that's why I offered to take you along, so the Brigadier wouldn't make another mistake as he did sending Captain Yates to spy on me."

Benton remained quiet, he had been briefed by the Brigadier about Captain Yates' mission to observe Harry Potter, and the Brigadier had said he had forced Potter's hand. But he wasn't one to question orders given to him by his superiors.

"So this is it?" Benton asked as he thrust his hands into his pockets, it looked like an old pub, he'd spent plenty of time inside pubs, both the dingy and the downright dangerous varieties.

"This is it," Harry said as he pushed open the door and led the Sergeant into a world of mystery, wonder and magic.

-/ - \\-

Harry pushed himself up, spasms coursing through his body and felt something in his throat and coughed.

A wad of blood and phlegm landed on the cobbled streets before him.

It was then he realised that he was lying on said cobbled streets, he also had blacked out.

-/

Someone was pushing him over.

"You're alright now young man…" Said what he guessed was a kindly female voice.

"Healer, he needs to be moved to St Mungo's," said an urging male voice.

"No!" The voice said alarmed. "His injuries are too severe, he'd die in transit, bring me my bag."

Harry slipped back into unconsciousness for a moment, then someone was pressing a cup to his lips.

"Pain relief, calming draught and" Harry paused running his tongue around his mouth as he swallowed and cringed. "A touch of skelegrow?"

"You know your healing potions young man now…" She tapped her wand on his chest and his shirt ripped apart. "Oh my you're…" Her voice was lost as he fell into a potion-induced blackness for several non-moments.

-/ - \\-

He'd left Benton at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour with a hot chocolate to observe the Alley.

He'd objected, most likely Harry guessed because he had orders to keep Harry within sight. But he had other things to do, he wanted to meet Gideon and Fabian again as he was slowly beginning to tell them the gist of who he was looking for, or at least they were beginning to understand the sort of people he was looking for, and where said people might congregate to spread their ideas.

He was somewhat starting to worry that Ginny's group hadn't begun to draw attention to themselves, which may have been their message was just mild enough that it didn't, or perhaps it had gathered the wrong sort of attention, perhaps they'd got into the Ministry and started to change things subtly there, or maybe none of them were here, maybe Ginny was the only one who'd got through, maybe she was dead.

All were possibilities, but he needed to make sure either way, that not just the people had come through or not, but that their ideas from the future didn't disrupt the time stream.

He'd arrived deliberately early with Benton, Benton had been somewhat rather willing to sit and observe, maybe it was the stern tone he'd taken with the Sergeant Harry pondered to himself. Though more likely the Brigadier had ordered him to collect as much information as possible.

That said Benton was personable enough and Harry'd spent enough time with the Sergeant since he'd arrived in the past to know Benton wouldn't wander too far off and get himself in trouble, snooping and whatever.

He got himself into enough trouble when he went snooping and whatever, he didn't need to concern his thoughts with other people who went off getting into trouble on their own, though at least Benton would be able to look after himself should something bad befall him, Voldemort was, after all plotting somewhere in the background or perhaps in the foreground and everywhere in between.

Harry looked around him with a smile and a sense of disbelief, despite knowing vaguely when he was coming there had been a distinct lack of knowledge about the bigger details. He knew Voldemort came to power around this time, that certain events would happen, certain people would die (and some would survive) and other things like that. But the history books were somewhat lacking, they dealt with his birth and Voldemort's defeat, some touched on his rise to power. But there wasn't 'A History in detail of the Wizarding War against Voldemort' (though Harry thought ruefully if it existed it'd be called the 'war against He-who-must-not-be-named'). There were none that dealt with this period in any exacting detail, and anyone he might ask was dead or less than likely to speak with him.

In the midst of his pondering he found himself outside a building that he was sure would one day become Weasleys' Wizard Weezes. But was at the moment divided into several smaller shops.

On a narrow door read Muggle-Wizard Orientation – Open Early until Late.

It made Harry raise an eyebrow at the door. He'd never heard of anything like this before.

Hermione had once lamented to him the lack of "services to assist non-wizard born children", he couldn't resist going in and having a look.

Harry exited around 20 minutes later, his pockets stuffed with pamphlets and contact information for his "muggle friend and her parents", there were a dedicated set of wizards there to help integrate muggles into wizarding society, along with information and other helpful things. Harry paused and looked back and wondered where a place like this was in his own time. As he turned away from the shop it happened.

Harry fancied in the second between when it happened and when he was knocked unconscious that he felt it. The explosion wave that expanded out as the building exploded.

It windows shattered outwards, followed by flame and of course sound.

Not just the sound of the explosion, but the cries, shouts and screams. Though Harry thought that that was possibly his mind filling in the gaps in his memory.

-/ - \\-

"Oh my you're…"

Harry clawed his way back from the blackness filled void of remembrance to the present of darkness and death.

"These scars they're…" The healer trailed off.

"Scars from previous battles, not this one," Harry ground out, his throat raw, not just from the potions but the noxious stench around him of bodies seemingly in a quickened state of decomposition and others in the throws of a magically enhanced path of death.

Harry tried to sit up and winced feeling a familiar pain. "How many ribs?" He asked, the question seemingly shocking the healer out of her stupor.

She tapped her wand gently on his chest muttering to herself. "There was an incantation within the explosions, Aurors are looking now, you were hit by the same substance as those poor souls," she said calmly. "Your ribs cracked and will take longer than normally to heal," she continued almost clinically.

"Do they know what it was?" Harry asked calmly, but he really wanted to ask 'has anyone claimed responsibility for it?'

The healer glanced up, Harry followed her gaze and realised it wasn't just the situation that was making the alley way a dark place. Above them was a skull with a snake oozing out of it.

"It's begun," Harry whispered to himself, the Healer was concentrating on mixing up some compounds in a small mortar and pestle.

"Harry, you alright mate?" Harry looked backwards to see Benton squatting down, a concerned look briefly flashing over his face, one hand within his jacket pocket. Harry made eye contact with him and shook his head subtly.

"Benton, just a little bit of an injury-" Then he swore as the healer slapped a poultice onto his damaged rib area.

"The medication needed to be applied with some force to penetrate the spell damaged areas Mr…"

"James. Harry James. Fancy a date?" He said as he swore and drew in another ragged breath as the healer massaged the poultice into his ribs once more.

The healer smiled and reached into her bag again taking a bandage and began to wrap it around his ribs. "If I didn't have a partner Mr James you might have a chance," she said as she finished tying the bandage and stood up. "I imagine I could lie in bed with you, just counting all your scars," she smiled quickly and then was away.

"Can you stand?" Benton asked quietly, still looking around like a hawk.

"This isn't the first time I'm had my ribs broken Benton," Harry said as he pulled his relatively intact jacket around his ripped shirt. Benton offered him a hand up. Harry hissed as he stood up and looked around at the people screaming and shouting, and those decaying before his eyes on the ground.

"Come on," Harry said as he hunched over slightly and guided Benton out of the alley.

-/ - \\-

Harry thought he was going to be okay, as they drove at speed back to UNIT HQ, he thought he'd managed to escape from the explosion relatively unharmed, forgetting his ribs for a second of course.

Then he started to feel a cough, or possibly a sneeze coming on. Then he did cough, and tasted blood in his mouth and he coughed again, this time spraying blood against the windscreen of the Land Rover.

"Benton, I think you're going to need to…"

Harry didn't exactly remember what happened after that, though he had flashes of memory of a field and quite possibly a helicopter.

"…You're going to be alright old chap…" Said the Doctor's voice as his face swam into view against a soundtrack of rotor blades.

-/ - \\-

Lethbridge-Stewart stared through the glass windows separating him from the medical bay in his HQ. The Doctor had ordered out all the doctors and had told him firmly that he would be seeing to Harry Potter's health. Then he'd retrieved an old bag from his TARDIS and some contraptions, before settling with a stethoscope and some other bits of random technology.

Lethbridge-Stewart turned around and walked down the short corridor to where Benton was.

The Doctor had also ordered Benton into quarantine "Just a precaution old chap…" He'd said to Benton as he'd hurried him into the room. Benton would need to remain in there for at least 48 hours until all the tests had been completed.

Benton came to attention as Lethbridge-Stewart approached the glass, he pushed the communication button, activating it between them. "At ease Benton."

"Sir. Is Harry...?" Benton trailed off.

"The Doctor's with him now Benton," he paused. "Is there anything you need Sergeant?" Lethbridge-Stewart asked after a moment.

"Just when I'm going to be out of here, sir," he said with a slight smile.

Lethbridge-Stewart smiled softly. "When the tests clear you Benton, just a precaution, but if the Doctor's concerned…" Lethbridge-Stewart paused once more, he had never seen the Doctor seem so worried about someone.

"Sir."

-/ - \\-

Harry opened his eyes again, he'd had the feeling that he hadn't been unconscious per se, but more that closing his eyes gave him some semblance of feeling as though he was, though couldn't quite get there.

"Harry old boy, how are you feeling?" The Doctor asked ain a soft tone.

"Like I've just fought a kraken and lost," Harry tried to say but coughed several times.

The Doctor passed him a tissue.

"I've removed the toxin that was within your lungs, I must say your ribs were healed remarkably well, considering the tissue damage."

"Magic," Harry croaked.

"Yes well…" The Doctor said uncomfortably. "I should let you get some rest and report to the Brigadier."

"Can't…" Harry tried as the Doctor rose.

"I'm sorry?" The Doctor looked down at him.

"I feel like I need to, haven't, just been pretending…keeping my eyes closed. I was awake while you were doing whatever it was."

The Doctor frowned slightly thinking. "I'll just give the Brigadier a quick report and sort out Benton."

"Is Benton alright?" Harry ground out the question.

"Just worry about yourself Harry, and he's fine." The Doctor said with a slight smile.

-/

The Doctor returned after an amount of time, he wasn't sure how long. Harry felt like he needed to move, but had no energy to do so, he wanted to sleep, to rest but every time he tried he felt something tugging at him, pulling him back to consciousness.

"…something in the toxin, it appears to keep you awake to prolong the suffering." The Doctor was explaining to him with some disgust as he looked as a sealed test tube of 'stuff' the Doctor had extracted from him.

"Couldn't you…give me something to knock me out?" Harry asked coughing slightly.

The Doctor shook his head, "The toxins within your body and the particulars of the…healing performed on you would cause interactions. Something best avoided in your current state."

In his current state he could feel the extreme exhaustion clawing at him like a dragon pawing its next meal.

He so desperately wished for sleep, for rest but knew it felt like it was just out of reach, like a mirage of an oasis on Hypero as the Doctor would say, will say, did say…Harry blinked.

"Shall I tell you a story Harry?" The Doctor asked gently.

Harry tried to say something but words clawed in his throat, the Doctor simple passed him a water bottle with a straw in, the water felt both refreshing and icy cold, like spikes rushing down his throat, but nonetheless refreshing.

"My old teacher, a hermit who lived up the mountain near the house where I lived when I was a boy, he once told me about a time he tripped whilst out collecting fire wood…" The Doctor began, reminiscing.

Harry drifted on the Doctor's words, not quite unconscious but just drifting. He could no longer even pretend to keep his eyes closed, they felt like they needed to be open, or that he couldn't close them.

Through the Doctor's tales he felt like he could smell the flowers on the mountain, see the silver trees with the flutterwings flying between them. Feel the orange sun beating down on his face and the dew settling on the lakes whilst Pazithi Gallifreya hung in the sky on the edge of night and day.

"Venusians are lovely chaps really…" The Doctor was saying, he was playing around with his stethoscope again, seemingly looking into the middle distance thinking randomly to himself as he spoke.

"There was once this song they used to sing, more of a lullaby, I think," the Doctor cleared his throat. "Kokleda partha mennin clatch. Aroon aroon aroon. Kokleda sheena teerinatch. Aroon aroon aroon..." The Doctor continued to sing the lullaby as he twisted the stethoscope casually.

It only occurred to Harry as he was drifting towards unconsciousness what the Doctor was doing. He muttered as he drifted off "Close your eyes my darlings, well three of them at least…"

"Rest Harry." The Doctor patting Harry's shoulder as rose from his bedside once he knew Harry was unconscious and resting.

-/

It was fortunate for Sergeant Benton that he had not taken such a direct impact from the explosion as Harry had, the Doctor told him as much.

"So I can go Doctor?" He asked.

"24 hours Sergeant, best be safe," the Doctor said with a smile despite the Sergeant's fallen expression at the news.

"What about Harry Doctor, is he alight?" Benton asked in a worried tone.

"Hopefully Sergeant. He's resting and I've extracted the toxic substance," he said patting his pocket. He wanted to analyse the substance and make his own notes. Then destroy it, the humans had enough toxic substances without given them any more ideas, especially ones that could be created from elements on their own planet.

-/ - \\-

The Doctor seemed to have just been finishing something in his lab when Lethbridge-Stewart walked in.

"Just a moment Brigadier," the Doctor called as he walked into his TARDIS, at one point Lethbridge-Stewart thought every time the Doctor disappeared into that blasted thing he'd disappear and leave them all in the lurch. But now looking back he considered that he was slightly foolish in trying to hide away the Doctor's key from him. Not that he would ever admit that to the Doctor, Lethbridge-Stewart was sure he'd spend a lot of time gloating at his expense.

Best keep the Doctor in the dark on such things.

"All sorted out Doctor? Mr Potter appears to be resting."

"Of course Brigadier, a light form of hypnosis to push Harry into unconsciousness to allow both his mind and his body to rest and rid themselves of the toxic substance that permeated his tissues and consciousness," the Doctor explained casually as he hung up his lab coat and pulled on his 'regular' jacket.

"Doctor about that substance I…" Lethbridge-Stewart began.

But the Doctor cut him off. "Isolated and destroyed Brigadier, you currently have enough poisons on this planet without new and creative ways to inflict pain upon people."

Lethbridge-Stewart couldn't shake the feeling that when the Doctor said you he meant both himself and the human race as a whole. Sometimes the Doctor managed to give gravity to almost any word.

"I've locked down the quarantine wing, just in case Ms Grant goes wandering, it wouldn't do to have her meet Mr Potter whilst he's under the weather and not able to explain himself" Lethbridge-Stewart said. "Doctor?" He added the Doctor seemed to be in another place, or likely thinking of another planet.

"Yes, Brigadier quite right. Good thinking," the Doctor said offhandedly.

-/ - \\-

The first thing he felt when he awoke was a all encompassing need for the loo. Removing the IV drip in his arm he slipped out of bed.

That about half way to the toilet he realised how tender his ribs were, that he was in a hospital gown and that he wasn't dead.

Having relieved himself he could enjoy the feeling of not being dead.

After making use of the shower he'd noticed his clothes neatly folded in the corner of the bathroom facility along with his wand and the other things that he must of had in his pockets when he'd been struck down.

He was informed by the Private outside the door that the Doctor had ordered him to send Harry off for food before doing anything else. Now his stomach full he was heading to see the Doctor.

-/

Harry peered around the corned of the Doctor's lab, he could see the Doctor working on what appeared to be his dematerialisation circuit for the TARDIS, but couldn't see any sign of Jo.

"Doctor?" Harry called in a low voice.

The Doctor looked over a grinning. "Harry, good to see you up and about!"

"Is Jo around?" Harry asked as he walked in, careful not to shift around from side to side too much. Whilst showering he'd taken note of the large bruises that formed a patchwork of black and blue across much of his torso.

"No, sorting out UNIT's technology store supplier. I ordered 10 high capacity transformers and they guaranteed me that they would arrive today, how the Brigadier expects me to do my job with sub-standard equipment…" The Doctor shook his head as he rested the soldering iron on its holder. "Now Harry how are you doing?"

"After you hypnotised me?" Harry asked raising his eyebrow at the Doctor.

"Ah, you realised that was what I was doing," the Doctor wondered as he scratched the back of his neck and had the decency to look slightly uncomfortable.

Harry smiled and patted the Doctor on the shoulder. "Thanks, I don't know what would have happened if I continued to be in that state. How long have I been out?"

"Oh…120 hours give or take. It was a deep healing sleep you were in Harry. You shouldn't feel too many ill effects of the rest in bed, you removed the intravenous drip I see, my own concoction, the Brigadier wants to roll it out as it were for all the troops." The Doctor said with a mixture of pride and worry.

"You're worried he'd abuse it?" Harry tried.

"Hmm?" The Doctor made a noise.

"You sound concerned Doctor, you're worried that the Brigadier would exploit it." Harry asked.

"The nature of the military Harry is to exploit advantages and weaknesses, while military intelligence may by an oxymoron, there are some that posses a level of intelligence that makes them dangerous for themselves and others."

"The Brigadier is in charge of a paramilitary organisation, fighting things beyond the government, outsider the normal military's purview, surely some assistance wouldn't go astray?" Harry asked as he walked around the Doctor's lab, shifting carefully on his feet, he still felt like he'd gone toe to toe with an Ogron and lost, badly.

The Doctor made an irritated non-noise of not-really agreement. "I'll have a word with him Harry."

-/ - \\-

Harry eased himself out of the E-Type having been requested to attend to this site by the Brigadier, he sucked in a breath of air through gritted teeth, his injuries were healing well, but they were still there and combined with the freezing air in the lead up to Christmas it wasn't exactly the nicest feeling.

"Sir. The Brigadier's over here."

"Thanks Sergeant," Harry said to Benton, who still wouldn't stop calling him sir.

Harry didn't mind that he'd been summoned, he as, slowly working on a method of locating Ginny and her cohorts that came through the rift, but working on things was hard going.

He just wished Moore's Law would hurry up.

"You call this some little prank?" Harry heard the Brigadier roaring in his angry military voice long before he reached the middle of the village.

And…oh…was all Harry thought to himself for a moment or two.

-/

"Pranks indeed," Harry said to himself, looking around at the sights around him.

He really was suspecting that all the things mentioned in passing about the Wizarding War were really far, far more brutish and visceral than anyone really wanted anyone to know about.

"Potter," the Brigadier walked up to him, but had the good graces and security minding not to shout his name at the same level as he had been at the wizard being handcuffed by some UNIT soldiers. "He was carrying this." The Brigadier handed him a wand, he carefully examined it and slid it into a pocket.

"How'd you find out about…" Harry trailed off, ignoring the slight noise of the beings around him. "this." He finished after failing to come up with a better word it.

"The local publican called the police describing 'men with sticks'. Potter what the devil is this…they're…"

"Goats," Harry finished succinctly.

"Over here." The Brigadier lead him to where a stretcher was covered with a sheet. "We found that man waving his wand over this." He pulled the sheet back. "He said he was trying to help."

Harry swallowed and cringed. "A very bad attempt at undoing transfiguration, looks like the poor woman didn't survive the process." Harry pulled the sheet back over the body. "Very nasty." Harry looked back to the Brigadier who was still frowning. "How many?" Harry asked as he studied the Brigadier's frown.

"15."

Harry swore and marched over to the man who seemed now that he approached was younger than himself, he was still being held by the UNIT troops. "What department are you from?"

"What department, what muggle?" He asked incredulously.

"Department in the Ministry of Magic you incompetent murdering idiot!" Harry spat.

"Murder I…I…"

"You think improper transfiguration has an undo spell? You probably did more to further their agenda than they did, unless…" Harry trailed off watching the young man who looked like he was ready to break into tears.

"I…I…" He made a face of concentration.

"Stupefy," Harry said quickly drawing his wand, the UNIT troops to their credit didn't jump at the sight of a spell. The man collapsed. "Your men can take him away Brigadier, no doubt he'll escape, but it should serve as warning," Harry explained as he rubbed his chest wincing, drawing his wand so quickly had pulled at the muscles he knew were still healing.

"Now what Potter?"

"Just a moment Brigadier." Harry said leaning over breathing in a breath of cold air.

"Potter are you alright?" Lethbridge-Stewart asked with concern.

"Just fine Brigadier. Just not indestructible." Harry stood back up straight. "Round up the goats, somewhere preferably where I can sit down and show me to one of the bodies. I need to know I can do this without making the mistakes of that blasted idiot."

-/

Harry warmed his hands on the mug that Sergeant Benton had brought him.

"How many left now Benton?" Harry took a biscuit from the packet that Benton offered. UNIT did make a good cup of tea, where they made it he wasn't sure.

Benton consulted his clipboard. "Another 8 and then just the bodies, the Brigadier said you'd deal with those."

Harry nodded. "They can wait. The Brig's sorting out the survivors I saw, they'll need some help dealing with it."

After some silence Benton spoke up. "What's it like Sir? This transfiguration thing?"

"Thought you'd be scared off this sort of thing after our adventure?" Harry asked as he took a sip of the hot tea, wincing slightly at its heat compared to the rest of the room.

Benton shrugged. "Nothing scares you much after you've been with UNIT for a while sir. It's part of the adventure isn't it?"

Harry wondered if Benton wanted an answer. He enjoyed the adventure, though seeing the past in all its visceral bloodiness was something he'd considered, but hadn't quite counted on experiencing it first hand so much.

So much for a simple drop into the past and grab Ginny and her brigade and then return to his life.

The universe wasn't that simple.

-/

Simple, that was what he thought this would be a simple operation, not even an operation, a sticky plaster, that was what this was meant to be.

He'd sought out a few nice gifts for those that he dealt with in UNIT regularly, plus an anonymous one for Jo Grant. It should have been simple enough to sneak into the common room and leave them under the tree while people were milling about during the UNIT Christmas Party.

"Okay everyone get together lets have another photo," Jo's voice floated across the room.

"Really Ms Grant, do I have to remind you UNIT is a secret intelligence taskforce."

"Come on Brigadier, don't you want some memories to put in all those photo frames you've got on your desk?" Jo asked sweetly. Harry hoped he was hiding far enough around the back of the Christmas tree that no one saw him.

"I have plenty of photos on my desk I'll have you know Ms Grant," said the Brigadier's voice.

"Of old war buddies and photos from your training Brigadier?" Jo teased. "You need some new photos in there."

"Come on Brigadier, gather around and let Jo have her photo," Harry could tell the Doctor said this with a smile and, quite likely a drink in his hand.

"No alien invasions on the horizon then Doc?"

"My dear Captain Yates, I am not a looking glass of terrestrial incursions," the Doctor exclaimed.

"Jodrell Bank's report this morning was clear of anything vaguely regarding aliens, asteroids, meteorites or any other form of incursion Captain Yates," said the cool voice of Corporal Carol Bell, someone whom he'd tried flirting with and who had told him in very coldly that if he tried anything with her she would put his knackers in a vice and squash them to paté.

"Thanks Carol, at least I can spend time with my uncle without being called away for a Christmas invasion," Jo said.

"Are we ready Ms Grant or must we stay in position for all of Christmas?" The Brigadier said annoyed.

"I've already taken my photos Brigadier, but another few won't hurt," Jo said cheerily.

Harry shook his head as he heard her quickly shoot off several more shots and decided that if he ran for the door he'd be able to make it out of the room without anyone wondering why he'd been hiding behind the Christmas tree.

-/

Harry shut the door to the UNIT common room with a sigh, no one had stopped him, whether anyone had seen him was another thing, but no one was following him.

So it made him jump when someone patted him on the shoulder.

"Something of a risk Harry, old chap being in there with everyone?"

"Doctor," Harry said as he took a moment to gather a breath. "I was careful." Then he blinked and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. "Oh."

"Oh?" The Doctor looked at him.

"I just realised I became part of a self-fulfilling prophecy while being worried about not causing a paradox within my own timeline. I should have just posted those presents here," he shook his head with a sigh.

"I was wondering Harry, if you might…" The Doctor started and then trailed off. "If you would like to spend some time in my house, over the Christmas break, I'm sure you heard Corporal Bell before."

"No Christmas invasion, on the horizon?" Harry asked.

The Doctor regarded him with an expression of curiosity. "Don't you know Harry?" The Doctor pondered as the door opened disgorging some UNIT personnel.

"Perhaps a turn around the grounds?" Harry gestured the exterior door leading out into the cool December night.

-/ - \\-

The change of location was helping his mental block of how to find Ginny and her group, plus there were all the gadgets the Doctor had spread around his workshop.

The Doctor was mucking around with Bessie, not that he would tell him what it was he was doing. Something to do with solenoids.

He hadn't actually seriously thought about taking the Doctor up on his offer, the reasons he had come here, to the past were still weighing upon him and worrying him so.

The alterations to the future and web of time Ginny and her fanatics could cause with their disruptions and perversions of the culture, here and now was something he couldn't ignore.

Nothing noticeable had come to light yet, but they were here, and they didn't come all this way for nothing.

But the battlefield was constantly changing, the Brigadier had informed him that he wanted Harry to accompany him to see the Prime Minister when he returned to UNIT to brief the Prime Minister on the current crisis. A crisis, which Harry knew wasn't going to end any time soon and would get a lot worse, how much so he wasn't even sure.

-/ - \\-

She walked calmly through the corridors, and carefully opened the heavy oak doors with one hand.

He was waiting there, as he always did. "You took your time." He said as she stood firm and straight before him, the object in her hand.

She didn't respond to his statement, he didn't need to know.

"I know you've been cultivating your contacts," he said calmly looking up and meeting her gaze, she felt a chill run down her spine. "Well?"

She shuffled forward and placed the box on his desk before shuffling back to her position. "There was an explosion at Diagon Alley, it destroyed several buildings, it wasn't damaged though."

"No, it wouldn't be," he said lifting the lid on the box. Then closing it once more. "The Death Eater's little act of vandalism was rather fortuitous I think. Not something you claim to know about?" He let to question hang.

"I…I said I didn't know much about…" She stuttered.

"You know if you continue on these unauthorised ventures, further applications will be necessary," he said.

"Yes, sir, I know," she stood up straighter.

"Very well," he leaned back into his chair. "You can go. You have the rest of the week to organise whatever you need, all the facilities are open to you."

She stood a moment longer, a smile creeping to her face. "Thank you sir." She said and turned to leave.

Just as she reached the door he spoke again as he lifted the lid once more on the box. "Very good work Ms Weasley."

-/

Minor edit done March 2021.