Chapter 23

Harry leaned over the large trestle table he'd crammed into his lab, he'd laid out a large map of London, whilst tacked to the walls were the reams and reams of data the computer had churned out before it had overheated.

He still had the magnetic tape reels in two large boxes underneath the table should he need to retrieve it again.

Error detection wasn't something he'd factored in, so much of the data was just errors, a result of him shoving together several varied bits of technology and forcing it to work together.

"If only mapping software existed," Harry mused to himself, but while the British Rocket Group and British Mars missions were still moving along nicely they didn't have anything close to the imaging of the Earth he was used to.

It wasn't too difficult plotting on the map, though he'd needed the Doctor to give him a crash course in it, just to get him started.

It was quite fun, sitting down with the Doctor teaching him how to do this.

Running a red pencil through another line of data Harry was beginning to wonder if WOTAN had been such a bad thing. Sure it had wanted to take over the world with mind control and cumbersome 'war machines', but if it could have brought forward computer development a couple of years it would have been worth it.

Harry sighed and decided he needed a break.

-/

"Why do you want to see the prisoner Mr Potter?" The Brigadier eyed him carefully.

"Would you believe me if I said I was curious?" Harry asked sipping the mug of tea the Brigadier had offered when he'd come into his office. Harry chanced a look up over the mug he was holding to the Brigadier who was staring at him, slightly suspiciously.

"No Mr Potter," the Brigadier shook his head.

Harry exhaled. "Mag…" Harry paused for a moment. "The Master and I know each other."

"And that's how you could hypnotise me and me men?" The Brigadier stated, it seemed inferred as a question to him.

Harry merely shrugged. "The Doctor doesn't know yet in any case."

"And you're going to free him?" The Brigadier challenged.

Harry smiled. "My dear Brigadier, why do you think I would do something like that?"

-/

Lethbridge-Stewart stared at the young man, who in one sentence had managed to sound uncannily like the Master. "You're his…friend? I would assume you have some loyalty to him Mr Potter. I should also ask, why should I continue to trust you considering your alliance with a known criminal."

Potter raised an eyebrow at him, smiling as the Doctor did when the man knew more than he did and knew it. "Brigadier, I could have been there when you captured the Master, I could have stopped you, I didn't, I made sure I was well away and un-contactable," Potter explained reasonably as though what he was saying was supposed to be obvious just like when the Doctor sometimes spoke to him.

"You didn't want to be present?" Lethbridge-Stewart asked watching Potter. Potter didn't react, he just shrugged again noncommittally.

"And as far as trust, I am as trustworthy now as before Brigadier. I give you my word I will not assist the Master's escape from your care."

"But you still wish to see him," Lethbridge-Stewart paused "doesn't this jam up the time cables or something?"

"The Web of Time Brigadier, or the time stream if you want. And no, just as my meeting the Doctor does not affect things adversely meeting the Master will not, the Time Lords are used to these odd little meetings. Time travel's in their blood, so to speak," Potter explained draining the mug of its contents and placing it on his desk.

-/

Harry watched the Brigadier deliberate about something.

"And if I said no Mr Potter?"

"I'd just hypnotise the guards, make them forget and go have a chat with my friend before sneaking out and leaving them none the wiser," Harry said levelly before smiling. "That is after all Brigadier what you were thinking is it not?" He asked playfully. "If you said no, then I would take it that you have a good reason, or reason backed with doubts and I would leave it at that and return to my lab."

-/

It was like talking with a slightly more respectful Doctor sometimes when speaking with Harry Potter.

It was satisfying to know that his suspicions about the man had been correct, even if the Doctor had thought it was unlikely.

The Master was dangerous, but was securely under guard on the outskirts of his HQ in a specially prepared holding area.

That was only until Geneva decided how to try him, then they insisted he would be placed in a facility of their choosing, somewhere secure and outside his direct command.

For now though he was in charge of the Master including who was able to visit him; currently only the Doctor who seemed distinctly uncomfortable whenever he visited the Master.

Miss Grant has suggested that it was because the Master's incarceration reminded the Doctor that he was trapped on Earth.

The Master had tried to escape, but extra training and further security devices had ensured that wouldn't happen…again.

However, Mr Potter was still a valuable resource, despite who his friends were. The attacks involving his 'wizarding' brethren had not breached the public consciousness yet but he had had communiqués from the Prime Minister's office requesting further information, it would only be so long before he was requested there to discuss the problem, which would go far smoother if Mr Potter were along as his associate.

-/

"Very well Mr Potter, I will contact you in your lab when it has been arranged." Harry stared at the Brigadier for the moment and grinned.

"Thanks Brigadier, sir," Harry said as he stood and left the office.

-/ - \\-

He looked up as the door opened to his…his cell. "Really Brigadier, if you must send your paltry excuse for 'interrogators' into see me, can you not do it on a regular schedule, it really is most tiresome."

"Not an interrogator Magister." He stared in some surprise as a man walked into the room, the door was shut quickly behind him, the Brigadier had learnt his lesson not to dawdle with the door.

-/

Harry had never really seen Magister look surprised before, he allowed himself to smile widely as the door was shut quickly behind him.

"Hello Magister."

The Master as he was known by all around here smiled at him. "My dear Harry Potter, my, my haven't you changed."

Harry took a seat opposite him at the desk that had been placed there not for the benefit of Magister but for UNIT's investigators. "You seemed surprised to see me Magister."

He chuckled. "Have you come on the wings of the dear Doctor Harry?"

Harry shook his head. "The Doctor doesn't know I'm here," Harry paused "Well he knows I'm here in this time period, but not that I'm here seeing you."

"So Mr Potter what are you doing in the 1970s?"

"Aside from despairing at the lack of technological advancement?" Harry withdrew a box of things he'd cobbled together when the Brigadier told him the time he could see the Magister. "Look at this." He placed it on the table, the Master pushed the box with a pencil that he'd been using to fill in a crossword.

"A jamming device, localised to this room."

"Audio only, I don't want the Brigadier getting too antsy and barging in here, he's already got his suspicions about me," Harry said with a smile, tucking the device back within his pockets.

"The Brigadier," the Master appraised him curiously "what have you been up to Mr Potter?"

Harry shrugged and told him, more so than he'd told the Brigadier and the Doctor, not quite everything but the gist.

"So you're here to kill your romantic interest?" Magister asked curiously.

"Ex and…I would like to take her back alive, but I am beginning to become frustrated," Harry exhaled.

The Master's expression soured. "You do not know frustration Harry until you've been locked up by this excuse for a military operation."

Harry nodded sagely. "I wouldn't worry too much about that."

"You're here to release me?" The Master asked curiously, eyeing Harry and holding eye contact.

"You taught me Magister, and I'm from your future, don't try that on me," Harry said coolly, matching his gaze. "In any case I do believe the Brigadier would probably shoot both of us if that were to happen."

"Wound Harry, he is in the employ of the United Nations and I am his prisoner."

Harry chuckled as Magister smiled.

"So you thought you would visit me, the Brigadier must trust you then?" He queried.

"I think he trusts me enough. The Doctor has vouched for me and I am useful to him for now," Harry conceded.

"With the magical attacks that are currently roaring through this little country of yours?" The Master queried, although framed it as a statement of knowledge.

"You noticed?" Harry wondered curiously.

"It seemed appropriate to keep myself informed Mr Potter, it certainly is interesting knowing the beginnings of this little scuffle that led you to be the man you are," Magister observed.

"And throughout it I need to hold the course to maintain the web of time, all the while knowing he's out there and what will happen," he despaired.

"You are at least aware of the web of time Mr Potter, that is more than your little terrorist friend, who, should the opportunity come, you should eliminate – to further prevent her affecting the culture of this timeline," Harry eyed Magister as he spoke calmly.

"I know, and if it comes down to it I will act," Harry sighed. "But what do I do to stop myself from saving people?"

"Who?" The Master questioned.

"People I know will die. Who need to die," Harry admitted quietly.

"That is more the Doctor's field of operations Mr Potter than it is my area of expertise," he said leaning back in his chair.

"And I've known the Doctor for a while, maybe even as long as you" Harry looked up at the Time Lord "but probably in far more guises."

"And?" Magister prompted.

Harry cleared his throat. "Well, Harry old chap. The time stream is a delicate thing, both the lives and deaths of people help to balance the scales. I once knew the man, a monk on the hillside…" Harry trailed off in his best impression of the Doctor's voice.

Magister started to clap, Harry found that it sounded odd, his clapping without his leather gloves. "A most excellent rendition of the dear Doctor, I'm sure he would definitely not approve Mr Potter."

There was a knock on the door.

"Time's up Mr Potter," said the Brigadier as he walked into the room.

"So soon Brigadier, Mr Potter and I were just starting to enjoy intelligent conversation. Something your officers and interrogators sorely lack."

"Potter, out, now." The Brigadier ordered.

"Yes sir Brigadier," Harry said with a gentle edge of sarcasm. "Try not to kill anyone Magister, they are after all just government employees, their current employ and continued existence is torture enough for them," he said as he pushed his chair in and walked past the Brigadier.

-/

Lethbridge-Stewart eyed the Master as the man in question chuckled to himself.

"What did he say to you?" Lethbridge-Stewart demanded, his hand resting on his gun.

"Me Brigadier? You are the one who approved his presence in this, my humble cell," the Master tutted. "Surely you can keep a security monitor on your 'Number One prisoner'?" The Master asked in a condescending teasing tone before returning to his crossword. "Now let me see, eight letters, military intelligence…" The Master looked up at the Brigadier. "Oxymoron."

-/ - \\-

His chat with Magister had done wonders for his concentration and focus, it was one thing to talk to the Doctor casually about things of the present and vague future. But it was another to receive some cool logic, calm deductions from a friend of equal focus, dedication and honesty.

The portable temporal scanner he'd rigged up confirmed the presence of someone who had used the time turner to facilitate their temporal transference to this era. It had been worth the extra batteries he'd packed into the E-Type's boot to power everything. Trying to power the gear from the Jag's battery had just left him needing the push start the car.

All of which had lead him be standing outside a doorway, in a laneway of inner London in the dead of night being leered or checked out by various people.

It made him glad he'd made sure to hide a gun on his person as well as his wand.

That and to make sure he wasn't being tailed by Sergeant Benton, Captain Yates or anyone else under the Brigadier's command.

The name above the door read 'Action' and according to the directory he'd looked through (how Harry desperately wished once more that the internet, even a megalomaniac WOTAN controlled one existed to conduct quick and easy searches) said this was a club, but he couldn't find anything more on it. Its lack of information may have been down to zero-advertising, or it could be because it was on the list of locations that Gideon and Fabian had given him, which further convinced him that he would find someone here tonight.

Someone he would need to interrogate and then…dispose of.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but people sitting around tables; chatting and smoking, and what sounded like 'Diamonds are Forever' was playing from speakers somewhere.

But somewhere here was someone he needed to investigate and kill.

He had known he'd needed to do this, Magister had agreed. The Doctor likely wouldn't, but the Doctor didn't know about his plans for those of Ginny's group. The fact that he'd be bringing back Ginny, or at least try to bring back Ginny was a compromise he'd made with the Ministry.

Harry looked around the room again and noted (through the smoke) there were a few doors leading away from the room, obviously two were toilets, but there were others.

He wandered over to the bar and ordered a beer then walked over to an empty table, shifting as he sat down to make sure his wand 'accidentally' fell onto the table, he slowly and deliberately clumsily shoved it back within his jacket then he proceeded to try and look as uncomfortable as he could, while still looking around at everyone.

He was surprised it took as little time as it did.

"Hey there. You looking for something?" Smiled a guy who sat opposite him,

Then Harry remembered where he was and when, and how the guy was smiling at him.

Was he being hit on or was he looking for recruits to the cause?

"Uh…" Harry started.

"It's okay, everyone's nervous their first time out," he said, still smiling.

Pretty sure. Harry thought to himself that he was being hit on. 'How do you say my broom doesn't swing that way in 70s parlance?' Harry thought to himself.

"I…I mean a friend of mine said to come here," the man's smile broadened. Harry continued. "About a group who's about the…you know…?"

The man's smile fell slightly and jabbed a thumb backwards. "Over there, they say invite only. Plenty of nervous ones in there." Harry made to stand up but the man lightly grabbed his hand.

"When you're done with the cult in there come by and have a drink," he winked at him.

"Uh…sure." Harry stood up. "I…my…I'm not…"

"But you're still cute," the man grinned.

Harry shook his head but smiled in any case, a compliment was a compliment it was better than Corporal Bell threatening to put his g'nads through a meat grinder, sort of at least.

-/

Harry walked up to the door the man had indicated, as he approached a woman stepped out of a small alcove he also could see the form of a man only just covered by an invisibility cloak.

"Hardly necessary given the amount of smoke in here," Harry said as he reached forward and grabbed the cloak pulling it off the man's shoulders.

"Yes?" He asked staring at him.

Harry exhaled with a sigh. "A friend told me that there was a guy who came here, you're holding meetings about…"

"About?" The man crossed his hands a wand Harry noticed was in his hand, hidden mostly from view.

Harry thought quickly to himself, again his lack of the vocabulary of the time was going to get him killed, or at least thrown onto the grotty floor if he didn't come up with something quickly.

The problem was there wasn't anything really being said about aliens.

Except the events, they were in the news. "About the Yetis some are claiming were aliens" He hissed the word aliens "and other deviant things," he continued as he narrowed his eyes.

The man clapped a hand on his shoulder and Harry tensed and was about to knee him in the stomach and disappear into the forming crowd that had been growing during their little talk. "Good. Got to check, they're all about letting the right ones in."

Harry nodded as he calmed himself for what might next be a pitch battle when he walked into the room.

What it turned out to be is a series of mind-numbing speeches giving reasons for why everyone fell unconscious a few years ago and why wizards were dressing up in silver suits during that time and how the English muggles were tempting fate by going into the heavens and to Mars.

Of all the speeches this was the only one that got close to the ideology that Voldemort used/would use/did use.

Then, as he was beginning to think that he'd die of boredom before anyone turned up someone stepped out of the audience and walked towards the stage.

Harry recognised him as Joshua…something. In matching faces through the various sources of information the Ministry hadn't wanted to run any of said information through their 'information retrieval systems', which probably meant getting some underpaid recent Hogwarts graduate to check the information. They'd merely confirmed they were all wizards and therefore Harry could remove them with less of a moral quandary than disappearing muggles as the turn of phrase might go. Remove them because they were knowingly part of Ginny's illegal activities, they fell within the Ministry's purview and therefore his actions taken on behalf of the Ministry were legal.

He also didn't have the space or really the inclination to take them back to the future.

Harry thought everything was going well, the man was up talking and then he gazed around the room and his eye fell on Harry.

He already was hunkered down in the chair but the man faltered in his speech.

"Oh, shit. Harry Potter." Harry leapt up kicking the chairs out of the way as the man said his first name, there were wizards and witches pulling wands at him shouting and panicking.

Harry also had his wand out and fired a few stunners in rapid progression at those closest and withdrew the gun.

The man on stage stood stock still, staring at him.

"You're not going to get out of here alive!" Shouted someone from the back as Harry ran up onto the stage and pointed the gun at Joshua whilst he kept his wand pointed at the crowd.

"Really, isn't that a cliché yet?" He asked no one in particular.

"You can't be here, Ginny said we were-" He began.

Harry cut him off. "Ginny is a lot of things," he murmured. "You're all going to let me leave here," he continued in a commanding tone half mesmerising half tone as he did for the DA meetings.

Several people started to nod, then someone tried to fire some sort of irritation curse at him.

"Stupefy," Harry said in a level tone as his spell thwacked into the spell caster.

"Or what?" Called someone else.

"Or I start shooting? Or I shoot this man? Do I need to give reasons? I'm holding the weapons," he said looking around. If there hadn't been anti-apparition wards around this room he would have forced a side-along apparition already.

Then something occurred to him, though it was probably too late to shift the blame. "You can let us leave now or bad things will continue to happen. Why do you think there's an anti-apparition ward around this room?"

Harry really doubted that would work, especially after he had started off firing spells at everyone.

But strangely it did start people talking.

'A more innocent time' he thought to himself. Or just more stupid followers.

Harry aimed none too carefully a spell at the door blasting it off its hinges.

And jabbed the gun into Joshua's back.

"Now are we going to walk out of here nicely or do I need to shatter your spine with a muggle weapon and don't apparate, with me this close and this weapon this close you're dead either way," Harry muttered into the man's ear as Harry reached around and grabbed the man's wand with his own wand hand.

Everyone in the room watched, wands levelled at him.

It almost felt like old times. Except in his past they would've already begun to shoot at him and taking hostages hadn't been part of his or Dumbledore's style.

-/

Harry levelled his wand at the man, he was handcuffed to the metal chair and then tied up with rope as well.

Harry shifted his shoulders staring at the man. Side-along apparition wasn't pleasant, forcing someone to go through with it in a room full of people, next to an anti-apparition ward wasn't at all a fun experience. It felt like he'd pulled every muscle in his body.

Harry wondered as he stretched his legs if Joshua would see the irony of being tortured in a factory formerly used by aliens. Not that anyone had come into Auto Plastics since its use by the Autons and it had become a UNIT held property since then, 'quarantined', though all the alien technology had long since been cleared out. Supposedly it was about to be earmarked as a training ground for UNIT soldiers.

"Joshua, I just need to know where Ginny is. That's not too hard now is it?" Harry asked calmly once more. They had been at this for at least 2 hours, well Harry had, the man had fallen unconscious a few times.

"You can't…she said…" The man was frothing at the mouth a bit, red spittle dripping down chin.

Irritatingly the man had had training against hypnotism, he'd bitten his tongue quite hard to pull himself out of the state Harry'd almost managed to slip him into.

The stuttering and slightly dazed look he man was now giving him was likely a direct result of the Cruciatus he'd cast on the man.

Multiple times.

Harry stared at the man looking down into his eyes. "Why now, why continue with your little vendetta of cultural manipulation now? You know what's happening in the wizarding world here and now. Why start your cultural war now?"

Harry watched the man's slightly glazed eyes as he blinked and swallowed some of the spittle in his mouth as he eyed Harry. "Why fight the inevitable Harry Potter, we are in the past, we will triumph, we shall become the future."

Harry opened his mouth about to try and explain the temporal complexities of being involved in the past.

"So how am I here, also from the future, I left after you departed. I should be a revolutionist," Harry reasoned with the man calmly.

"You're a deviant, you actually believe the corruptions that the muggles create with our influence. It's a corruption of everything we are," he continued defiantly.

" 'Corruption of everything we are' " Harry repeated. "I've never heard such-" Harry stopped himself, he had. "Let's go for some simple questions how about it Joshua?"

"And if I don't?" he challenged. "You'll keep casting on me?"

Harry breathed in a breath of air and then looked around the factory floor. "No." He caught the man's eye and replaced his wand in secure pocket.

The man seemed to try and smirk. It faltered as Harry withdrew his gun.

"Muggle weaponry, it's a lot less subtle than a spell, let's get a taste of it shall we?" Harry said casually.

Then he shot the man in the foot.

Harry waited, a calm presence washing over his body. Hard handed spell torture wasn't the way to go, it hadn't got him anything more than a blood and spittle covered shirt when Joshua had tried to spit on him earlier. He was thankful he hadn't dressed in his usual clothing when he'd gone to the club.

"As you can see, or feel, there is something rather interesting about muggle weaponry. So are you ready to answer some simple questions about Ginny?" The mad cow Weasley. Harry mentally added.

The man didn't say anything. Harry shot him in his other foot.

"Where is Ginny Weasley?" Harry asked meeting his gaze again, even though he was quite resistant to hypnosis it couldn't hurt at this juncture.

"I, I, I…" He stuttered as Harry raised the gun.

"Where is Ginny Weasley?" Harry asked again. Bringing the gun's barrel to bare on the man's kneecap, the left one. "WHERE IS SHE?" Harry roared.

"I, I," The man started as Harry began to pull the trigger. "I don't know, I don't know, she visits us at the meeting places."

"Good." Harry took a step back and checked the magazine in his gun. "I guess I'd better re-load." He commented offhandedly to the man.

Harry extinguished the factory's furnace, Joshua-whatever his last name was' body was now nothing put ash his pulverised bones, smashed and crushed by a variety of spells so that there would be very little to run any test on. Certainly they were crushed to a powder beyond anyone could normally do.

The Ministry, back in his own time would likely be pleased, scratch that satisfied with his dealing with the man.

The quality of the information was less than good however.

Ginny was alive in this era, as were at least 10 of her rabid cultural terrorists. But the man didn't know where they lurked.

They weren't stupid, there wasn't some convenient meeting place, a secret house under a Fidelius or anything like that. At the very least it was something the man didn't have any knowledge of, despite how persuasive he'd been.

It did confirm that he was on the right track in terms of his scanning the London area and following up on the list Gideon and Fabian had given him.

Ginny however he didn't know anything more about. When he'd arrived he woke up unconscious in a hospital (a muggle one at that) having supposedly been hit by a truck when he 'fell out of the sky'. Scars along the man's thighs confirmed his broom must have shattered in the accident.

She'd only met him once since he'd been in this era and by the time he'd got that tidbit of information the man was babbling almost incoherently.

-/ - \\-

Lethbridge-Stewart knocked and then walked into Potter's lab, Potter had returned to HQ in the early hours of the morning.

But Potter was awake now, sitting at one of the benches working on one of his 'scanning devices'.

"Mr Potter there you are," Lethbridge-Stewart greeted.

"Here I am Brigadier," he said wearily not looking up at him.

It was a phrase he'd often heard from the Doctor, but from Mr Potter this morning he sounded tired, flat, seemingly exhausted hunched over his equipment.

"Mr Potter. Tomorrow you'll be accompanying me to the Prime Minister's office. He wants to be briefed by my 'esoteric advisor' on the increase in magical incidents on British soil in the lead up to the second World Peace Conference."

"Very well Brigadier, is this my payback for being allowed to chat with the Master?" He said looking up from his work.

"Are you quite alright Mr Potter?" Lethbridge-Stewart felt compelled to ask as he looked at the younger man who seemed to wear an expression of years far beyond him.

"I had an unpleasant, yet fruitful night Brigadier," he quirked a small smile.

"You dealt with one of your terrorists then?" Lethbridge-Stewart asked after a few moments of silence between them.

"Yes," Potter said simply.

"Then you're on the right track Mr Potter. 8 am tomorrow Mr Potter, and we'll be driven up to Downing Street, you're not going in that car."

Potter broke into a genuine smile. "Come now Brigadier, it's a classic, plus it's got things the Doctor's car hasn't."

"Such as?" Lethbridge-Stewart asked.

"A roof," He said with a grin. "And the ability to be a little more inconspicuous than a bright yellow roadster."

Lethbridge-Stewart smiled at Potter. "Remember Mr Potter, dress appropriately for a meeting with the Prime Minister."

"Yes sir Brigadier," Potter gave him a mock salute as he left the lab.

-/

"I said appropriately Mr Potter," Lethbridge-Stewart chastised as they sat opposite one another in the car as they left UNIT HQ for Downing Street.

Harry was dressed as he usually was; cotton shirt, battered brown leather jacket and a wide brimmed hat.

"You're touting me as your esoteric advisor Brigadier," Harry paused "be thankful I don't have the Doctor's penchant for smoking jackets, capes and insulting politicians."

"Small mercies," Lethbridge-Stewart muttered to himself.

Harry gazed out the window as they were driven towards London.

He'd never been into Downing Street, he knew that Shaklebolt had and he recalled vaguely someone saying something about the Ministry being able to contact the Prime Minister.

But it was a very vague memory.

They had been shown into the Prime Minister's office and were sitting before his desk, they'd been asked to wait as he'd been delayed, somewhere.

Harry stood up as soon as the door was closed and started looking around the room.

"Mr P-" Harry cut him off before he could say anything further.

"Mr James if you please Brigadier," Harry said casually as he pulled a notepad out of his pocket and scrawled 'BUG' on it.

The Brigadier blinked in recognition.

"So Brigadier, the weather, isn't it dashing this time of year?" Harry said as he looked around, thinking to himself.

A secret passageway would be somewhat cumbersome.

So that left…the fireplace. He thought to himself as he walked over to it, there was no sign of a floo pot, or the ash that was left over from floo powder around the grate. But that could just mean very efficient cleaning staff.

"And the weather in the North Sea is looking to be a right disaster…" The Brigadier continued.

"Hmm, yes, very much so," Harry added as he looked around and almost winked at it as he looked around at all the paintings that were higher up on the wall, one especially that looked quite bored with itself.

Harry turned away to go and look at the Prime Minister's desk and looked at a small desk clock.

"Look at the time Brigadier, I really think we should have a word with the Prime Minister's secretary, we don't want to miss the Millennium bug discussion forum." Harry said as he walked over to the door, grabbing the Brigadier's shoulder as he did so.

"What the blazes is the millennium bug?" The Brigadier wondered.

"Hyperbole for the most part, somewhat dangerous though not impervious to bullets for the rest," Harry replied distractedly as he shut the door.

"I'll inform the Minister's secretary that we'll move to the board room," the Brigadier said as Harry nodded.

-/

"Brigadier, I want to know that all these random attacks aren't going to disrupt the World Peace Conference."

"It won't sir, Sir Reginald and the other delegates will be under complete UNIT protection for the duration," the Brigadier answered calmly.

Oh…Harry thought to himself it was that World Peace Conference.

"They'd better be Brigadier, UNIT's the only group those delegates are willing to trust," the Prime Minister said with some distaste. "Now what are you doing about these incidents of magic."

"The indicator clock not filling you with confidence Prime Minister? An early warning system gift from someone in the Ministry of Magic perhaps?" Harry asked casually as he poured himself a cup of tea.

The Brigadier coughed slightly. "This is my advisor, Prime Minister."

"Like your 'scientific advisor' Brigadier, I don't know where you get your staff," the Prime Minister commented barely looked at him.

"You could say I dropped by for the duration Prime Minister, but I'm here to help UNIT where I can. So…?" Harry trailed off.

"Yes, he thought it would give me some level of comfort that and that painting," the Prime Minister said with further distaste.

"Yes, two hands 'work' and 'mortal peril' wouldn't fill me with confidence," Harry admitted, he'd noticed the clock when looking around the Prime Minister's office desk.

"Do you have any advice on how I should carry out private conversations in my office, with only the assurance that no one is listening?" The Prime Minister asked in a sarcastic tone.

"I assume you've tried having it removed?"

The Prime Minister laughed. "Scraped, ripped, cut, nothing seems to affect it. According to one expert it'd take a bomb or a missile to dislodge it."

"I think something slightly lower key and lower tech is called for, some redecorating, perhaps in the lead up to the World Peace Conference. Thick curtains around the paintings Prime Minister, that should block out the sound getting to the painting, and they won't be able to see through it either," Harry said as he recalled Grimmauld Place's painting fiasco.

"What if he drops by demanding I remove them?" The Prime Minister asked looking at Harry.

"Shoot him." Both the Brigadier and the Prime Minister stared archly at him. Harry smiled. "I mean tell him that this is your office, and if your armed forces caught a spy in your midst they'd do everything in their power to protect you."

"And what about his…his…magic?" He hissed the word.

"The Ministry won't risk doing anything to you, but if you're worried keep a diary, some wizards, not just within the Ministry may modify your memory, a diary might help." Harry didn't really have any idea if a diary would help recovering hidden memories, with training you could, but…hopefully it'd just make the Prime Minister feel secure.

-/

"Well Brigadier have I earned my keep for another week?" Harry asked as they walked out of Downing Street.

"Yes Mr Potter, well done. It's almost as though you've done this before," the Brigadier's tone suggested he knew Harry had done it before.

"Me Brigadier?" Harry replied innocently "A bit of blackmail and friendly conversation with political leaders, it's all rather simple."

-/ - \\-

Minor edit done March 2021.