Chapter 69
Hermione Granger was asleep.
Deep asleep.
She had earnt not just a day off but the whole week off. The amount of things she'd been dealing with the Ministry had been quite willing to give her the time off and away.
Not that she had been within the building much.
She'd also been assured and had written guarantees that the people she'd had working with her, all those independent people would be paid properly. They had worked as hard if not harder than anyone else within the Ministry's walls and deserved the extra pay she'd demanded.
She'd also, before leaving seen Susan Bones and the Minister about having a proper department head for her department.
Flashback...
"I understand Hermione, I do. Some parts of the Ministry are..." Susan sighed and paused. "Not well organised is putting it lightly," she said eventually. "You've at least got promised support, the Minister said it in a meeting of a lot of people."
"Your department wasn't?" Hermione asked.
"Mine was created behind closed doors and then announced to the public before anyone could get at the Minister or anyone else to convince it's a bad idea. That the 'Ministry is fine' that they 'don't need any new department sticking their nose into everything that's going on here'," Susan snorted.
Hermione nodded. "And I suppose given your new department you can't help me in any direct way," Hermione paused. "You have to be impartial, an unbiased department."
Susan laughed. "That's what I think it would like to be, but this is the Ministry Hermione, small steps," she relaxed into her chair. "You know the problem with your department, what is it?"
"It's currently the Archaeological Response Team, we were in with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Hermione responded.
"And that only worked because you pushed through it with Ron Wealsey and shoved aside all the other problems?" She nodded as Hermione stayed silent.
Hermione exhaled. "I also don't want the job," she admitted.
"You enjoy it don't you?" Susan asked her, watching her and smiled as Hermione shifted.
"Yes," Hermione said in a short tone. "I do enjoy researching and have spent time with the historians."
"Very good and useful witches and wizards there Hermione," Susan praised.
"But..." Hermione trailed off. "I studied at a muggle university and I can put all that into practice and more there's so much here."
Susan smiled. "But you don't want to be buried by the paperwork flying in at every moment or worrying about who's being paid?" Susan watched as Hermione agreed with her. "What you need is the work already done. So that Kingsley...Minister Shaklebolt can simply check and then go forward."
"You mean I need to have a name already chosen, one that isn't politically challenging that he can just rubber stamp in?" Hermione asked critically.
"Yes?" Susan replied simply.
Hermione sighed. "Honestly I didn't think I would have to play these games."
"These games are what the Ministry runs on, has run on. I am trying to change it Hermione," Susan replied. "Slowly, about the speed of some mould."
Hermione snorted as a thought occurred to her. "I could always ask Harry, he and Malfoy are thick as thieves, Malfoy's got his hands in all sorts of pies."
"I don't think we're in such a dire situation that we need to ask Draco Malfoy for anything. Even if he and Potter are on polite terms," she tapped her fingers on the edge of the desk. "Have you met anyone or been anywhere where you've seen someone who might want the job?"
Hermione was silent for a while. "When I'm not here Susan I try to live a muggle life," she said honestly.
"Oh course, it can be-" Susan was cut off as she started to speak.
"There was a garden party I went to," Hermione suddenly said and then paused. "After the ghost invasion," she said careful not to use the terms Cybermen or Dalek. "Ward Lock was hosting it."
"Ward Lock," Susan repeated and waved her wand bringing a book flying into the room, she flipped it to a page. "The publisher?"
"Yes. Or would that be a conflict of interest?" Hermione chuckled. "Or am I thinking too muggle, 'conflict of interest' doesn't exist."
"Oh it exists. But we all have interests in this world Hermione. It's just about balancing them. From what I understand his son Wardle Lock has taken over a majority of the running of the business," she closed the book. "Mention it to the Minister."
-/
Present...
Hermione had told the Minister that she wanted, she almost demanded the proper department he'd promised, not just this thing where she had almost infinite money but also infinite responsibility and all the other things on her plate.
Throwing money at this wasn't going to solve the problem, not exactly. Not efficiently.
She'd mentioned Ward Lock's name and hadn't mentioned speaking with Susan.
Hermione Granger was deep in sleep.
She'd had a night out with some friends from university, whom she'd lied to about where she worked just 'for the government' line, which seemed to work. It was believable enough that the government needed archaeologists.
She'd had a couple of drinks and nice meal and then returned to her lodgings late into the night. She'd been assured by the Ministry that she would have a week off, no one would be contacting her. Any problems would be referred to other people, other departments. There was nothing that couldn't wait. After all archaeology was something that could wait. It's what it did.
So, Hermione Granger didn't hear the tapping of an owl on the half open window.
And not only because she was soundly asleep, but also because there was complex spell work around the window frame that stopped the noise of the near by train station from coming into the flat that she rented. She'd taken it because it was nice and close to London, even though she could apparate from anywhere she liked to be in London.
The noise of the train line didn't concern her, nor did the suggestion that it was 'haunted'. Hermione had quickly fixed both those issues.
Any owls came to an area on the roof that her land lady had allowed her to set up for her 'pigeon mail' which her land lady had completely believed was a new government initiative. With the last few governments the UK had had it wasn't that impossible.
The owl however did not go there, it continued to tap and push at the window until there was enough room to force itself through the window.
It landed at the foot of Hermione Granger's bed and proceeded to hoot.
Hermione Granger blinked awake suddenly tense at the hooting of an owl. It was getting to the end of October and the temperature was dropping. But this house that she rented and had practically to herself because of many of the factors she'd solved with magic that kept other tenants away, had been insulated up to and above the current standards. Which basically meant having spent all that time at Hogwarts she felt too warm a lot of the time. So she left the window open a little bit. She could always close it during the night.
Never had an owl forced its way into her room, nor had she ever been awoken to it hooting at her.
It watched her as she sat up right and then flew up a little ways and dropped a letter onto her bed covers before settling back down at the end of the bed.
Hermione eyed the letter.
Grabbing her wand she checked the letter, just in case and then opened it.
Hermione sucked in a breath. It was marked 'absolute urgent', just one or so steps below a howler. Something was amiss.
The letter had obviously been written in the field. The ink was slightly smudged and the size of the paper fit that of a portable letter kit used by senior Aurors and other agents of the Ministry when they were out and about.
Urgent assistance required. Archaeological Research Team. Senior Assistance required.
Artefact disturbed.
There was a set of coordinates, followed by phrase apparition danger.
The letter gave another set of coordinates that appeared to be a short distance away.
It was signed, but Hermione couldn't make out the signature but it was sealed with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's seal of an Auror.
Hermione sighed again and pulled herself out of bed and grabbing a quill and paper writing off a quick 'I have received your letter and will assemble some people shortly'. Signing and sealing it into an envelope she motioned at the owl. It flew over to her immediately.
Pushing up the window so it could leave more easily than it arrived Hermione sighed and wondered if she could floo people in her dressing gown.
"Perhaps not," she said to the empty room.
Having quickly changed she grabbed her directory of names, people she'd been working with during this week and went out of the room to the lounge room which also contained a small fire place that she'd had connected to the floo system.
"Peregrine Derrick," she said into the floo.
A house elf answered the floo and it was several minutes before a weary voice came out of the floo. "Granger, have you any idea what time it is?" He asked in a tired tone.
"More than you know Peregrine. Ministry's sent me an urgent notice. They'll pay you triple time, I know-" She started.
Derrick laughed. "Granger, the Ministry very rarely gets up early to be worried. It should be interesting," he laughed gruffly.
Hermione leaned into the chair, she'd tried Emma, she wasn't answering her floo. She'd worked with Orla Quirke the day before yesterday and had promised her she'd not be called up. But like Peregrine she'd been amused at the Ministry's owling her. Orla had done some work with the historians, some quick research that needed doing. Hermione appreciated her passion for knowledge, much like her own.
The last person she'd contacted was Stewart Ackerley. She'd not directly worked with him during this week of...whatever it had been. Hard work. But he'd put his name into the 'work for the Ministry hat' because he was apprenticing with something to do with potions or potions work. Emma had told her about him because he was very nifty with a potion. Hermione had decided to contact him because whatever this was, it sounded urgent and possibly dangerous. They'd need everyone who was capable, plus whatever had happened the Ministry had already thrown an Auror at it and then called her.
-/
Hermione apparated to the position given and she'd been waiting barely 2 minutes when Stewart and Peregrine apparated. They were standing in recently trampled thick grass.
"Granger," they both greeted.
"I'm not sure if you've met," Hermione paused. "Peregrine Derrick, Stuart Ackerley."
"Pleasure," Stuart grabbed Peregrine's hand firmly.
Hermione rubbed her hands together and shifted her emergency bag on her shoulders. She probably shouldn't take her work home, but it was far easier than digging around in the Ministry. The other two men seemed to have also brought bags with them.
A mere moment later Orla apparated. "I see I'm keeping you from whatever it is," she looked between the three. "Hermione."
"Orla," she greeted. "You know these two," she said of the two men.
"Of course," she said with a quick smile rubbing her hands together against the cold.
"Good. Let's see what the Ministry got me up and is paying you lot for," Hermione said casting a point me spell with her wand before moving through the tall grass in the direction it showed.
-/
They trampled grass eventually led to a path and over a small crest before a slope revealed a flat piece of land with the remains of a couple of barns, each separated by some overgrown farming equipment.
"This looks like one of the Ministry's overflow storage facilities," Stuart commented from beside her.
"Overflow?" Hermione asked, she'd never heard of such a thing and said so.
"It's a sorting house until they can decide which department gets whatever it is. Things usually rot in places like this. Some business pay dearly to..." Stuart trailed off. "Liberate things the Ministry forgets about," he continued casually.
"Steal in other words." Orla asked.
"That's a very harsh way to describe things Quirke," Stuart Ackerley replied in a hurt tone.
"Accurate though. Nothing wrong with appropriating something the Ministry has forgotten about," Derrick commented jovially.
"Better for someone to grab it before it rots and does untold damage to the local environment," Hermione reasoned as she patted her bag, just to make sure it was there.
"There. Granger agrees," Peregrine Derrick said with a grin.
As they approached the area around the barns. Several things were revealed.
The barn looked like it had had slices taken out of it, like some random spells had been fired removing pieces.
There were several Aurors around but none of them were near the object within the barn. From where Hermione was it looked like small ziggurat with some holes in it.
As they approached a senior Auror walked up to them.
"Who's Granger?" She asked, Hermione for the moment couldn't place her accent.
"I am," Hermione stepped forward to shake the elder and senior Auror's hand.
"Æthelflæd Fenwick," she took Hermione's hand, firmly shaking it. "Thought you'd be a man the way some of the Aurors talk about you," she said letting go of Hermione's hand. "You're the Archaeological Research Team?" Æthelflæd Fenwick asked.
"Response. Research is best kept out of the field," Hermione corrected. "What is it that was such an emergency that rushed us all out of bed?"
The elder Auror snorted. "Dragged me across the country and out of bed Granger. Come on. You can introduce your team as we go."
Hermione had just finished introducing Peregrine, Orla and Stuart when they reached a perimeter that had been laid out in what appeared to be chalk dust.
"Interesting," Hermione commented.
"Chalk dust," Peregrine observed.
"Hasn't held it for long," Æthelflæd Fenwick said.
Hermione frowned, beyond the chalk were three piles of grey dust one larger than the other two. "Did someone attempt to set up an aligned reflection spell?" She asked of the three piles.
"No," Auror Æthelflæd Fenwick began darkly.
Hermione felt her blood run cold at just the start of the elder Auror's sentence.
"They are what's left of some of the Aurors who arrived here," she finished.
"Oh Merlin," Orla said beside her.
"Let's all take a step back," Hermione said of whatever the ziggurat was. "I want to speak with the who ever survived that and what is this thing we're looking at?" Hermione breathed in a deep breath taking a step back. "Whatever did it we're too close to the chalk circle."
"Indeed Granger, we have a tent set up just over there," Æthelflæd Fenwick pointed and Hermione realised she'd missed it in introducing the people that made up her team for the day.
"What do you think Peregrine? Too close?" She asked the older man whom she'd come to trust his eye for some things.
"Still too close Granger, if anything happens-" He started.
Hermione cut him off. "We should be ready to run," Hermione turned to Stuart. "Get a small sample of the chalk and the soil near to that ziggurat, don't get too close."
"Don't worry, I won't. The chalk should say something," he grinned and wandered a short distance away.
Hermione returned her gaze to the Auror Æthelflæd Fenwick. "We'll talk to this Auror out here if that's alright... Æthelflæd? Or Fenwick?" Hermione asked and then added. "Or Auror?" She asked.
"Anything is fine Granger. I'll go fetch the idiot that began this," she paused before walking away. "The survivors portkeyed to St Mungo's he's still here," she shook her head as she walked away leaving Hermione with Peregrine and Orla.
"Well?" Hermione looked between the two.
"Too many spells could do that to Aurors," Peregrine began.
"Could be ancient wards, ripping out. The chalk circle should help to fold the spell craft in," Orla mused. "But any capable Auror would have checked before going near something like this."
"We have been seeing a lot of this...wild magic recently," Hermione mused. "It doesn't conform with anything we have in our books. I've had historians searching," Hermione reasoned as she exhaled slowly. "Once we know who did this and what happened then we can go forward. I honestly don't know who would start crawling around something like a storage facility without an expert with them," Hermione wondered in an annoyed tone as Peregrine's expression changed, evidently as he saw who Æthelflæd Fenwick was bringing to see them. "I refuse to turn around and see what has made your expression change like that."
"I will, however," Orla grinned and then laughed in a dark tone.
"This is the idiot that has gotten a Ministry Auror likely killed and two grievously injured." Æthelflæd Fenwick said to Hermione as she turned around.
"Ron," Hermione stared at him. "I should have known."
Ronald Weasley was too busy staring over her shoulder at Peregrine Derrick. Hermione was going to slap him to force him to look at her but Æthelflæd slapped a hand down on his shoulder. "Focus Auror Weasley. This is the woman that you should have flooed before you came out here."
"Not likely," Orla muttered softly by her shoulder.
"What happened Ron?" Hermione exhaled looking at her...
"Hermione what's-?" Ron started still looking over her shoulder.
"Just the facts Auror Weasley." Æthelflæd grabbed his should tighter. "As of their arrival Granger and her team outrank you," she practically growled.
"I...I didn't mean to do it Hermione," Ron began in a small voice.
"Do what?" Hermione asked but didn't ask the question she wanted to know was how did 2 Aurors end up missing what she assumed limbs and one dead.
-/
"Well," said Peregrine as Ron finished his explanation. "You are very much a-" He started but was cut off by Ron opening his mouth, who was cut off by Hermione.
"Shut up Ron. I need to think for a moment. You have already done far too much," Hermione said with a silencing glare.
"Do I need to send him away?" Æthelflæd asked.
"Not at the moment. We may need him as an errand boy," Orla smiled.
"A courier," Hermione corrected as she thought quickly through Ron's story.
-/
He'd been left with various reports in the Ministry, she suspected he'd seen the work that her not quite Department had been doing and decided to have a look for himself.
The amount of reports that had been coming in it would have been easy for him to redirect some of them. Or maybe there were some that were going to Law Enforcement. If what Stuart Ackerley had said about people 'liberating' things from facilities like this it was entirely possible that Aurors would be sent to investigate.
He and a team of 6 Aurors had arrived at this storage facility and begun investigating. They'd heard something coming from the ziggurat, with what looked like spell fire coming from it, or perhaps some sort of identified energy coming from it. Ron said it looked like there was something inside it. There had been fewer holes when he'd arrived.
He'd "decided" that they should look inside so ordered some of the Aurors to blast it open. A few moments after a 'whip' of a spell had lashed out, disintegrating one Auror and hitting the other two on the upper and lower body. Of the two that had been injured one had lost an arm and the other a leg. Hermione did not enquire how much so they'd been injured, that was not her focus at this time.
-/
"It could be many things," Hermione said. "Peregrine and I will do a long perimeter walk around. Æthelflæd I presume some of Ron's Aurors survived this?" She nodded. "I hope some of them investigated the other barns to make sure there's nothing else that could set off whatever is in that zigguarat?" Hermione pointed to the whatever it was and looked at Ron.
"Well Auror Weasley?" Æthelflæd asked.
"I...I...Hermione I didn't...it was just a boring old thing, I've seen you deal with dozens of them," he babbled.
Hermione sighed. "Orla-"
Orla nodded. "I'll check and secure anything that's dangerous."
Hermione was about to set off when Stuart returned to them. "I've got the samples Hermione where should I go?"
"Far back from here, I hope you didn't get too close?" Hermione asked.
"Not too close. But there's energy there I could feel it on my spells," he looked around. "Not that tent but further back?"
Hermione nodded. "Peregrine and I are doing a walk around."
"Gotcha," he gave her a thumbs up.
Hermione walked around to the edge of what she'd determined to be as close as she could get and cast a range of spells that hung in the air around her.
There was a lot here. And a lot missing.
There were no wards, no traditional ones. There was what remained of a notice me not over the whole area and probably what had been anti-apparition wards, but nothing a capable wizard couldn't navigate through.
There was something though, she couldn't exactly put her finger on, something felt familiar.
Which really could be anything. That was the problem.
She decided to shift positions and try elsewhere, but not before digging some omnioculars out of her bag to attempt to see further into the ziggurat.
As she zoomed them in she realised it wasn't a ziggurat, not a true one. It was the hieroglyphs on the outside of it suggested Egyptian origin. But the design was most definitely a ziggurat.
Which could just mean wizards built it with their similar sense of anachronism that they did anything.
Perhaps that's why Ron decided to stick his nose in, because Bill knew some things about Egypt.
Hermione forced herself not to think about Ron. He had enough problems especially with Æthelflæd Fenwick, but also with whoever would investigate or discipline him for what happened here today.
Pushing the omnioculars in further she tried to see within the structure. There was some colour within, but it seemed to be just white. With elements of grey, but she couldn't make out anything distinctive.
Putting the omnioculars away she walked on slightly further and began a new set of spells, testing the structure and the energy coming off it, even at this distance for its age, to see if it was a genuine Egyptian structure or something else.
She almost exclaimed out loud as her spells indicated something else and something dangerous.
There was time turner-like effects drifting off the structure.
Hermione continued to walk around testing various areas until she reunited with a grim looking Peregrine.
"This is beyond my knowledge Granger," He admitted.
"Time turners," she explained. "Similar craft work."
"I see," he sounded worried.
"Ackerley should confirm it," she said.
-/
They found that Ackerley had set up a small table to do his tests on and found him to be quite brightly enthused.
"Time travel!" He grinned.
"Yes Ackerley, time travel," Hermione repeated looking around for Æthelflæd Fenwick and saw she was supervising the packing up of the tent. Or rather she was ordering Ron to do it by hand while she observed with a stern expression.
"You have discovered what is amiss Granger?" Æthelflæd Fenwick asked as she came over to them.
Hermione nodded. "I need Ron and some others to go back to the Ministry."
Æthelflæd Fenwick pulled out a small notepad and made a continue motion to her.
"You will need to go to the Department of Mysteries, there are devices they use to craft time turners. We may be able to use them to control this...whatever it is by absorbing the energies that have been released." Hermione explained.
"Shouldn't the Unspeakables come here?" Ron asked in a small tone.
Both Hermione and Æthelflæd turned to look at him.
"The Unspeakables rarely go out into the field Weasley. They prefer Aurors to do the job of an Auror to protect us," Æthelflæd said in a cold tone and looked him straight in the eyes. "Do not think about abandoning your post Weasley," she handed him the note she had been writing. "This will allow you and what remains of your team access."
-/ - \\-
Hermione had never seen the devices that were used to create time turners, only read about them and how they functioned. Now that they were set up on plinths they were seeing a reduction in the field that was emanating from within the ziggurat, but not nearly fast enough. They had managed to redraw the chalk circle, reducing its diameter slightly.
"Hermione!" Orla called out from one of the points where they were observing the ziggurat from.
Hermione walked quickly over to her where she was pointing. It looked like the energy within, the time energy had silently pulsed outward going through the barn's ceiling and out.
Hermione cast a set of spells that she had, over the past 2 hours become very proficient at casting.
"Oh dear," she said. The time turner devices were absorbing some of the energy, but it looked like whatever it was inside was becoming more unstable because of it.
"Do you have another plan?" Orla asked quietly.
"Of course." Hermione said as she opened her bag and felt around inside. "Come on, let's get everyone back to a safe distance. Time to call in someone who likes dangerous things," she muttered to herself.
-/ - \\-
Harry looked grabbed the phone, and wondered who was calling him. There was nothing on the radar, no red flashes from the security services, his nightmares had even settled down a little bit. Now there were just other things to worry about, other mostly normal things, but nothing dangerous.
"Hermione! How are you?" Harry asked brightly as he heard Hermione's voice. "Oh," Harry said as Hermione explained what was happening and where she was. "Oh dear. And you're sure it's time turner related?" Harry nodded. "I see. That was smart," he said as she explained what she'd already done to try and contain it. "That should have worked if it's something wizard based. Those devices should be able to absorb something like that. Even on a bigger scale you should just be able to increase it, my estimates-" he was cut off. "Yes Hermione I am rambling. But if you need LPI's help we'll get down there immediately."
Harry put the phone down and grinned to himself. "Time for work."
-/ - \\-
"Wet grass," Harry said as he slowly drove through said grass.
"Will stop armies, frustrate off roaders and provide a meal for horses," Judith said from the back seat.
"Energy readings?" Harry said as they continued to drive along the overgrown path that suggested everyone had apparated in, everyone who was already here.
"Rising, temporal energy is getting dangerous already," Ioan said worriedly. "Still within your translated sections," he said of Harry's new energy detector, still based on some Dalek tech.
"When it hits the untranslated bits then you know we're in trouble," Harry commented.
"Still having trouble with their counting system?" Judith asked.
"Oddly, Dalek poetry doesn't mention numbers," Harry commented. "At least I don't think it does," Harry said as the energy scanner Ioan was holding beeped. "Beeping isn't good."
"No," Ioan said in a low tone.
"Almost here. Lots of wizards watching us," Judith mused leaning forward. "I think we're in the right place. Hermione Granger and a team."
"And woman who looks like she wants to rip the bollocks off your mate Ron." Ioan wrinkled his nose.
"Yes..." Harry trailed off. "Well, let's get the gear out and see how far up shit creek we are."
-/
"Above our gum boots is how far we are Harry," Judith commented.
The three of them were standing ignoring for a moment the beeping warning tone of their energy scanner that Ioan was holding.
"They are in a barbed wire boat without a paddle. We've just arrived Judith," Ioan commented lightly.
Harry was tilting his head to the side trying to look at the thing in the barn from another angle and was pulling a face deep in thought. "Something about that looks familiar," Harry said mostly to himself before looking to the other two. "Energy baffles. We'll set them up and see if we can suppress the temporal energy."
"Between the time turners?" Ioan asked gesturing over at the plinths.
Harry nodded. "We shouldn't interrupt what they're doing."
"Looks like ball tearer lady is coming to see us," Judith flashed him a smile. "I'll go and help Ioan," she said as she wandered off back up the incline to where they'd parked the Defender a safe distance away.
Harry looked down at the energy scanner as it continued to beep. Where he was standing was in the danger zone. Just not too dangerous...yet. But certainly courting with danger.
He walked away a short distance to intercept the older woman who was evidently an Auror who was with Hermione. Ron was following some ways behind with a...Harry couldn't quite fathom the expression.
"Harry Potter. League of Paranormal Investigations. Sorry I didn't meet up with you first. I wanted to appraise the situation," he held out his hand to the Auror.
"Auror Æthelflæd Fenwick. Understandable. Granger tells me you're the Ministry's expert on these things," her grip was firm and her gloves weathered.
"You're not familiar with LPI?" Harry asked looking to Hermione.
"Remote assignment with the Ministry I've been in the Orkeys for a while," she explained. "Nothing alien up there I hope?"
"I couldn't say." Harry replied honestly. "They prefer London," he paused. "We'll attempt to control the temporal energy flow with energy baffles," Harry explained pointing to where Ioan and Judith were. "Similar to what you've got there. We should be able to tune to the temporal energy to get it down enough to enter the structure."
"And you think you can turn it off Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Or destroy it." Harry said as he heard Judith shout for him. "Sorry I have to go."
-/ - \\-
The baffles were in place and powered up.
Harry looked through the binoculars. They weren't technically just binoculars, they were made in Filipino Protectorate in, according to the copyright sticker 4993. He was using them to enhance and look into the ziggurat, which had revealed more of what lay within.
"Harry, the baffles are at 90% and declining," Ioan said as he walked up.
"How long till complete failure?" Harry asked in low tone.
"If we connect to a high voltage mains power supply we could get a week's out of them," Judith offered.
"20 hours at the moment. From our scans the temporal energy is going to start breaking out in between the gaps, we've already lost one of the baffles," Ioan explained. "I can unpack the backup ones." He offered.
"You know what it is?" Judith asked as Harry passed her the binoculars.
"I've never seen one intact, I didn't know they even had a second one," Harry said, he'd looked through the binoculars enough and studied the cuboid structure.
"There aren't too many things that would leak this much energy," he said as Judith passed the binoculars to Ioan.
"You think it's a time ship?" Judith asked.
Harry nodded. "So I'm going to call some people in to help, but first I need to tell you what I did," he said with some resignation.
-/
Ioan and Judith looked at him as he explained his deal. "It was with me...I was-"
He was cut off by Ioan. "Curious?" He laughed.
"You're not very surprised." Harry was at their lack of reaction.
"Judith explained what she suspected after finding your datacore in the barn," Ioan explained.
Harry glared at Judith. "I knew I should have moved it," Harry exhaled. "It was too good an opportunity to miss and as the Doctor has revealed in that alternate timeline. Defence and knowledge is not guaranteed. We need to look to other places for information on the future," he continued darkly.
"And you think they're trustworthy?" Judith enquired critically.
Harry shook his head. "Not at all. But..." Harry trailed off and shook his head. "My curiosity again," he smiled. "You don't need to stick around after I give them a call."
Ioan slapped him on the back. "I'll stay, I want to see you not get exterminated."
"And I want to see how chummy you are with your blue friend," Judith grinned wickedly. "It's the wizard in you. You've got all these weird fetishes Harry. You should see someone. You've got no normal friends," she teased.
"You two being the core example of that?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "Guess we should clear out the rabble before I make the call," he said as he dug around in his bag for the secret pocket he'd put the communicator Darla von Karlsen had given him.
Ioan and Judith made to walk back up to the Defender, Harry hung back ready to make his call. Judith remained close for a moment suggestive of further words. "We will talk further after all this Harry."
"Of course. I have a nice brandy I got off Napoleon," Harry said in a gentle tone.
Then she walked briskly away to catch up with Ioan leaving Harry on his own near the temporal field.
-/
"What do you think they're talking about?" Æthelflæd asked Hermione. They had moved back to behind Harry's car while they three of LPI worked.
"With Harry and LPI I couldn't guess," said Hermione honestly.
"Whatever it is they seem relaxed." Æthelflæd looked at the energy scanner Judith had left on the Defender's bonnet.
Hermione followed her gaze. "It hasn't changed tone, which hopefully means whatever they're doing is succeeding."
"Looks like they're coming over," Æthelflæd Fenwick said as Ioan and Judith approached while Harry looked like he was on some sort of mobile phone.
-/
Harry pushed the few buttons that were on the device in the sequence Darla von Karlsen had told him to do to activate it.
Her image appeared on the screen. "Harry Potter. We did not anticipate your contact."
"Hello Darla," Harry said. "Nor did I expect to need to call you so soon after visiting. I think I need to my mate the Strategist here and probably someone who's good with time travel devices, or maybe a scientist or something."
"What is there that requires Dalek intervention?" She asked calmly.
Harry turned the device around and pointed it at the ziggurat. "Can you see that?"
"No. What is your assessment?" She asked as Harry turned the device back around to him.
"It appears to be a Dalek time ship. One that's leaking a lot of temporal energy. I've attempted to control the energy coming off it in order to shut down the vessel, but there are extreme levels of temporal energy coming off it." Harry paused. "Containment failure in less than 15 hours at current rate."
Darla von Karlsen was silent for a moment. "A craft will follow your signal Harry Potter." Was all she said before the phone...communicator or whatever it was went dead.
Harry looked at it and frowned and then looked up at the sky before walking back over to where Ioan and Judith were waiting.
-/
"You should go Hermione," Harry said in a quiet tone as he rejoined the others and looked to Ioan and Judith. "Everyone else?"
"Took our dire warnings seriously. Not Hermione," Judith said.
"I know you Harry Potter. Have you called the Doctor in for this?" Hermione asked in a light tone.
Ioan snorted. "No."
"No." There was a boom of the sound barrier being broken above their heads. "I've called in something almost as dangerous as the Doctor. You should leave Hermione. If you stay, do not interfere." Harry looked up as a bronze saucer flew above them.
"What is that?" Hermione exclaimed.
"Something very dangerous," Judith paused. "Obviously they're Harry's mates," she said brightly as Harry wandered over to the adjacent field where it looked like it was settling down to land.
-/
Harry, not for the first time today wondered if this was remotely a good idea. In fact he'd wondered about this whole arrangement and whether it was a good idea.
He probably had just about enough time and possibly enough firepower here to go back on his deal. It wasn't as though any of it was binding, that in fact had been some of the appeal of it. Very casual was their agreement.
"Too late now," Harry said to himself as the hatch to the saucer opened and a large blue thing came gliding out of it.
"Harry Potter," said the thing. The Dalek. One he'd essentially invited here.
"Should we hug or shake hands or..." Harry wondered. He decided to shake the plunger, which as he did it the Strategist looked at his hand. "Or not," Harry dropped his hand down.
"Why have you summoned us?" The Strategist asked as another Dalek followed it out of the saucer. It was electric yellow.
"Wow, who's this?" He exclaimed.
"I am the Eternal," it said.
"How very enlightening," Harry said and gestured over at the ziggurat. "Over here. I'll explain."
-/
A short distance away, Hermione stood mouth agape as Harry seemed to shake hands with a Dalek and converse casually with the blue one and the yellow one.
"He seems relaxed," Ioan commented in an almost surprised casual tone.
"He seems Harry," Judith said. "It was during his time saving Draco Malfoy," Judith explained to Hermione. "He encountered the Strategist during that outing," she smiled. "His adventures in a cabinet with Draco."
"And now he's on shaking hands terms with that?!" Hermione exclaimed.
Judith shrugged.
-/
"The wizards who arrived before us attempted to absorb the temporal outbursts and manage it with shielding. I've attempted to further control and suppress the temporal energy with energy baffles," Harry explained.
"These are controlling the temporal reactive energy, but will fail in approximately 10 Earth standard hours based on current energy consumption," the 'Eternal' Dalek said beside him.
"That was our assumption. If we hooked them up to mains power we might get a week out of them," Harry agreed with the Eternal as the Strategist moved forward. Harry without thinking put his hand on the Strategist's casing. "I wouldn't approach further." He said pulling his hand away as the Strategist swivelled its eye around to look at him. "Those three piles are testament to the energy, vaporisation," Harry indicated.
"I understand Harry Potter," the Strategist said it said halting its approach.
"Harry Potter is correct. Temporal energy levels are extreme within the controlled field. Temporal baffles are controlling and intensifying temporal energy load," the Eternal surmised.
"So...what now?" Harry asked the two Daleks as he mused to himself how odd his life was.
"We will conduct scans and attempt to breach the temporal energy field," the Eternal explained addressing him.
"Right...okay Eternal. I'll go and make sure my friends don't rush in," as Harry said that both Daleks swivelled around to look over at the Defender where the three of them were observing down from.
"Your associates are beside the vehicle?" The Strategist asked.
"Indeed. I won't introduce you. There's only so much socialising with aliens to do in one day," Harry said as he resisted the urge to pat the Strategist on the back as he walked away from the two Daleks.
-/
Harry walked back over to where Judith and Ioan had curiously bemused expressions on their faces and Hermione...Hermione's expression was somewhat unreadable. Which Harry suspected meant it wasn't good.
"Very chummy," Judith commented.
"Yellow?" Ioan asked.
"Eternal. Whatever that means. Time expert I'd assume. He seems very chatty about temporal stuff. They're going to have a think about it. Thought I'd come and make sure you don't come in guns a blazing," Harry said looking back to the Dalek saucer, which seemed almost at home next to the barn in the verdant green field. Which was odd.
"It's almost like an art installation piece," Judith mused.
"Don't start taking photos. It was bad enough with those paintings that tried to eat people," Ioan shook his head.
"At least we got to have lots a champagne," Harry added.
"Cheap champagne," Judith added further.
"They were wizarding artists. Can't expect them to provide fancy champagne," Harry continued.
"Harry," Hermione said in a very short tone.
"Yes Hermione?" Harry asked brightly with a smile.
"They're Daleks," she said.
Harry nodded pointing down towards the pair. "That's the Strategist, he and I share a history," Harry tilted his head. "Mostly crashing spaceships and killing Cybermen, it's a long story. I don't think he's the telling long tales sort of thing, so I can explain later if you want."
Hermione grabbed his arm, possibly to stop him from babbling. "You said they were one of the most dangerous things in the universe."
Harry nodded agreeing with his earlier sentiment, whenever he told Hermione this.
Hermione stared at him in judgement.
"I'm not suggesting you cuddle up to them," he offered. "You'd have to have some weird fetish to do that. And I don't. Have a weird fetish."
Judith snorted.
"Not for Daleks. Cuddling Daleks I mean," Harry continued.
"Harry, just stop now," Ioan laughed.
Hermione stared hard at him. Seemingly not distracted by his rambling.
"What Jack said to me, back when I first met him. 'The 21st century is when everything changes'. We have to change too Hermione," he explained reasonably.
"They're Daleks! What about what you told me about them?" She hissed at him, angry and looking to Ioan and Judith.
"I made a deal, a non-binding one, but one that is useful Hermione," he exhaled. "Shades of grey," he finally said.
"What?" Hermione looked at him.
"Something the," he was going to say 'the Master' but decided not to say that given...everything. "A friend said to me. You can't see the universe as good or evil, at best it's shades of grey. People doing what they want for reasons that are complicated and detailed," Harry turned around and pointed at the two Daleks. "Those two haven't exterminated me, you or invaded this planet," Yet. Harry silently added cynically. "We couldn't have held the time ship safe indefinitely Hermione."
Hermione opened her mouth to retort and then closed it. "It's a time machine?"
"A Dalek time ship," Judith clarified.
"What about the Doctor Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Sometimes the Doctor isn't here to defend the Earth, sometimes you have to take control," Harry answered in a dark tone surprising Hermione in how dark and serious his tone was. Harry shook his head trying to clear those darkened alternate Earth memories, as though that could help and tried to smile. "Who better than to call in than the Daleks? It is their ship."
"Harry Potter," called a loud voice of a Dalek.
The four of them turned around to see the Strategist looking over at them, but it hadn't attempted to approach.
"Looks like your mate wants you," Judith waved at the Strategist.
"Want to come?" Harry asked Hermione, Ioan and Judith holding out his hand.
-/
Returning alone to the blue and yellow Daleks Harry looked between them. "Well?"
"Passage to the time ship is currently impassable. We will utilise Soldiers better equipped for passage," the Eternal explained.
Harry looked at it. "Okay?" He said. "You're informing me because...?" He asked. While it was nice they were telling him he was relatively sure he couldn't help with this bit of what they were doing.
"We are providing this information so you may not interpret our actions as a hostile act towards you, your associates or this planet," the Strategist explained.
He blinked. "That's...good?" Harry wondered if there was anyone he was meant to have called before inviting the Daleks to provide a bit of assistance. Certainly letting whatever they deemed 'Soldiers' onto British soil suggested he should check with someone. The government wouldn't be any use. "They will remain under your control?" He finally asked the Strategist who seemed to be waiting while he mulled it over.
"Yes," it said in a short tone as it turned around to look at the saucer as 5 Daleks came gliding out of the craft.
"Oh. I recognise these ones," Harry said. These were the ones that Torchwood had let out.
"These are the ones the Cult of Skaro let out." Harry said forgetting who he was in the company of.
The two colourful Daleks turned to look at him, as did the others.
-/
"Uh oh. Harry's pissed them off I think," Judith said.
"Heavy artillery time?" Ioan wondered.
"Against them?" Hermione asked drawing her wand.
"Hold off for now, it is Harry Potter," Judith wondered watching the group around Harry. "He might just be asking them about poetry."
-/
"The Cult of Skaro? Explain." Asked the Strategist.
Harry blinked, he'd only found out the details after Torchwood One had been raided and he'd been able to look through Torchwood One's oodles of security video. "Void ship, Earth, they released some Daleks like you lot." Harry pointed at the bronze coloured ones with the blue eye pieces that were staring at him. Thankfully he noted their gunsticks were pointed down, so if they decided to shoot it was only his feet that would be exterminated. "They disappeared using an emergency temporal shit."
"Emergency Temporal Shift," the Eternal corrected, almost idly.
"Oh...Shift." Harry nodded. That makes so much more sense." Harry laughed to himself.
-/
"Is Harry mad?" Hermione muttered to herself. They were just about close enough to see what was going on but she had taken out her omnioculars to watch Harry's body language. Awkwardly relaxed, he hadn't reached for his wand, despite being surrounded by 7 Daleks.
It was like he was surrounded by psychopathic killing machine-tank things, and Harry was casually standing there.
-/
"Your information is noted Harry Potter," the Strategist said turning to one of the bronze Daleks. "Prepare to enter temporal field."
"I obey," it said as it moved towards a gap between the baffles and time turners.
"Stop," Harry said as he remembered something. Both it and the Strategist turned to look at him.
"Harry Potter?" The Strategist enquired.
"Can you hover over the chalk circle?" Harry asked.
The Strategist turned around to look at the Eternal, which remained silent.
"It did something to contain the initial energies. We don't want it reacting more so than it is, especially as you, me and your ship are the closest things to it," Harry reasoned. "I don't want to join the grit already there. Being grip for the road isn't in my short term plans."
"Elevate," ordered the Strategist to the Soldier Dalek.
"I obey," it said.
"Not very chatty is it?" Harry wondered aloud. Disappointingly no one answered him.
Harry watched as the Dalek rose off the ground, hovering over the chalk circle and entering the field.
It then started to make some odd noises.
"Temporal fluctuations are higher than anticipated. Harry Potter's controls are effective at controlling temporal energy, higher than expected for Level 5 planet," the Eternal reported as the Dalek that had just entered the field seemed to go all wibbly wobbly and something began to ooze out of it.
Then there was a fzzt and it collapsed inward into bits of chunky dust.
There was silence for a several moments.
-/
"Well," Judith said who passed the binoculars to Ioan. "That was unexpected."
"Hopefully they don't blame him," Ioan mused.
"You two are remarkably calm. Harry's surrounded by Daleks," Hermione sighed. "If it wasn't for Harry I wouldn't know how dangerous they are," she breathed in again. "Harry likes danger far too much."
Judith laughed. "That's Harry Potter."
-/
Harry was sure he could hear Judith laughing.
"Why are your associates making that noise?" Asked the Strategist.
Harry sighed and wondered how to explain this. "They think you'll blame me for that Dalek's demise. They find me being surrounded by Daleks amusing."
The Strategist stared at him for a long while before ordering in a second Solider without another question.
After the second Dalek met a similar fate Harry felt like the eyes of the other Soldiers were on him and the Strategist but he resisted the urge to make small talk.
Right up to the point the Eternal disappeared back into the saucer.
"Where's the Eternal gone?" Harry asked.
"Further equipment will be utilised to monitor in more detail the temporal energies emanating from the time ship," the Strategist said.
"I see," Harry said and turned around and looked at the remaining Soldiers. As he was about to ask one of them a question the Eternal returned, several somethings in its...not plunger, claw, it having swapped it out.
"I could've come in given you a hand with your equipment," Harry offered, he also wanted to have a look inside a Dalek saucer one which wasn't damaged or full of Cybermen.
"That is not necessary Harry Potter," it turned to the Soldiers. "Enter the temporal field."
"Here we go again," Harry commented.
-/
"Looks like they're getting more out of the saucer." Ioan commented idly as Judith handed him a cup of tea out of their thermos.
They'd watched the Daleks burn through the initial 5 Daleks and seemed they were getting more.
-/
Harry looked at the new line up of Soldiers that had come out of the saucer.
"Can I talk to them?" He asked the Strategist who was there unmoving while the Eternal did...something to its equipment. It wasn't as though the Daleks were amazingly chatty, unless you prompted them.
The Strategist turned to look at him. "Yes," it said in one long tone watching him, watching him.
Harry strode over to the Soldiers who were all there waiting.
-/
"Looks like Harry's got bored standing around the Daleks," Hermione sighed.
"And doing something to satisfy his curiosity no doubt," Judith said as she pushed a button on her binoculars switching it to lip-reading and audio enhance mode. The former for Harry and the latter for the Daleks.
-/
"You're all Soldiers correct?" Harry asked.
"Yes," the next group of 5 Dalek Soldiers all said together. They also all turned to look at him.
"I see," Harry said looking between them.
"How do you feel?" Harry asked the open question wondering on the answer.
"Feel?" They all said at once.
Harry shifted his position so he was in front of one of them, then decided to stand off to the side.
It didn't matter, they all followed him, their blue eye stalks looking at him.
"That you are waiting to enter that field," he jabbed a thumb backwards. "waiting to potentially be turned to rubble by the temporal forces at play there."
"I am a Soldier. I follow orders," said the Dalek nearest to him.
"I see," Harry mused.
"Do you want to exterminate me?" Harry asked looking the Dalek in the eye piece and then down at its gun, which was pointed at his feet.
The Dalek remained silent.
"Do you have a desire, burning within you, that overwhelming desire to kill?" Harry asked watching the Dalek curiously.
"Harry Potter," this was the Eternal's voice.
"Shhh," Harry waved distractedly backwards at it.
"Are you a Soldier?" Harry asked looking at the Dalek.
"Yes," It replied.
"You fight?" Harry challenged.
"Yes," it said.
"You will die, at some point," Harry challenged again.
The Dalek seemed to hesitate. "Yes."
"Under orders?" Harry asked.
"Yes." The Dalek said.
"Harry Potter," The Eternal said again and Harry looked around to find it standing, hovering, whatever nearly behind him. The Strategist was where it had been. Harry looked past the Eternal to it and failed to read anything on it.
"Lack of body language, that's your problem," he muttered to himself.
"I have calibrated our scanning equipment for the temporal field. It is time to begin anew!" It said in a triumphant tone.
"Alright, off you go Soldier," Harry resisted the urge to pat it on the back.
Before it entered the field it turned around and looked at him, then elevated and went in.
"What did you seek to accomplish by conversing with that Dalek Harry Potter?" the Strategist asked once there was another pile of dusty fragments of Dalek within the field.
"A chapter for my potential book on Dalek psychology?" Harry said with a shrug, he looked at the Strategist. "What did you think I was trying to achieve with that conversation?"
"Book?" The Strategist asked.
"I haven't thought of a title yet." Harry mused. "That's probably the last thing to do."
-/
"Is that what they're going to continue to do?" Hermione asked Judith and Ioan. "Continue to put more Daleks in there until they work it out?"
"It's the methodical way to do things, simple, slow, they'll eventually work it out," Judith calmly noted.
"It's..." Hermione trailed off.
"Awful?" Judith asked the other woman curiously.
"Well, yes. They're still living-" Hermione began.
"They're Soldiers," Judith cut Hermione off. "They follow orders. It's the command structure."
"So they just follow orders? That's it?" Hermione asked.
"It takes something culture changing to make a Dalek question a superior's orders." Judith looked at Hermione. "But if you want to get into a discussion of Dalek psychology you should talk to Harry. He keeps wanting to write a book on it."
-/
"Well, Eternal?" Harry asked. "Me and the Strategist are getting tired." The Eternal ignored him.
Harry admitted to himself that had someone said that to him he'd probably ignore them as well, especially if roles were reversed.
In fact, Harry wasn't sure what that would be like.
Instead he decided to return to the problem at hand, their literal ticking clock. They couldn't keep throwing mud, of in this case Soldiers at the temporal field.
"Have you got enough data to postulate what would happen if we took the time ship out of the field?" Harry asked after a while of silence.
"What is your hypothesis Harry Potter?" Asked the Eternal.
"What if the field is holding and concentrating the temporal energies?" Harry wondered.
"Continue," the Strategist beside him demanded.
"Could we transmat the time ship out and then...?" Harry trailed off looking between the Eternal and the Strategist. "What were you planning to do with it?"
"Contain the malfunction and establish a temporal prison around the time ship," the Strategist said.
Harry nodded. But was interrupted by his musings by the Eternal.
"Transmat control will not function to transmat the time ship," the Eternal said.
Harry frowned at it and turned around to the Strategist. "What does that mean?"
"Transmat control systems' function controls are for transmatting Daleks from our ship to a location. They cannot be used in the way you propose Harry Potter."
Harry smiled. "We've got some gear, if you've got the power, we can rig something up I think. Better than waiting for the ship to explode or for you to throw all your Soldiers at it hmm?" Harry looked between the Strategist and the Eternal.
"Very well Harry Potter," the Eternal finally said. "Your proposal will be trialled." It paused. "A suitable location must be established to transmat the time ship to." It paused looking around. "This location has multiple energy eddies."
"I have just the person to deal with that," Harry beamed at the Dalek, he felt though his smile was wasted on it.
-/
Harry trudged back over to his friends who were waiting, watching him.
"You've been gone long," Judith observed.
"You could have come over, had a chat, they're really very chatty," Harry said to Judith.
"Liar," she punched his arm. "They're Daleks. Chatty is not something they do."
"What's up? You've been getting chatty with them then?" Ioan asked.
Harry nodded. "Did we bring the transmat control systems?"
He shook his head.
"Can you apparate back and get them?" Harry asked.
"Why Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Don't worry, you've got something to do as well Hermione." Harry said. "You need to find somewhere to put the time ship."
Hermione asked. "Put it?"
"Briefly. I think the field has reached a point where it's only being sustained by the Dalek time ship." He paused. "If we can get it out, then the Daleks can sort it out."
"You don't think they'll get through the field?" Judith asked. "Not in the time that we've got left before it explodes or whatever it does."
"I don't know what it'll do," Harry admitted. "But from what I know of machines of a temporal nature, one exploding could blow up the solar system." Harry recalled from the memories of his alternate self and the Paradox Machine and Martha and the Doctor's warnings of blowing one up.
There was some silence between them.
"So not helping them isn't an option," Harry surmised giving Hermione a challenging look.
"I'll walk over to where we passed that circle of grass, I assume that's where your Auror friends were apparating from?" Ioan asked Hermione who nodded.
"I'll accompany you back to the Daleks, if you're worried about them," Harry said to Hermione.
"I'll gather the connections and cables, we've got those in the back, we can start hooking things up," Judith said to Harry as he waved towards the Daleks with Hermione.
Harry nodded as he and Hermione walked towards the gathered Daleks.
-/
"Harry Potter, how can you work with these...things?" Hermione whispered to him as they walked towards them.
"There's something about them isn't there?" Harry asked. "Something that immediately stops you, makes you think. Makes you think, this is an alien and I shouldn't trust it. Not one bit."
Hermione agreed with him.
"Yes. Intriguing isn't it?" Harry asked brightly.
"Harry," Hermione stopped and looked at him. "What's happened?" She looked at him.
Harry raised his eyebrows and sighed dramatically. "So many things. None of them related to what's happening here or really the decisions that led to me being here and getting chatty with them," he pointed over to the Daleks that were waiting.
Harry had walked Hermione through the throng of Daleks though she hadn't wanted to be introduced.
"Your associate is searching for a site for the transmat location for the time ship?" Asked the Eternal who it seemed had packed away whatever scanning equipment it had unpacked.
Harry nodded. "My other associates are getting extra equipment and" He stopped and saw Judith wandering towards them. "Judith you-" Harry stopped she had an annoying amused expression. "What is it?"
"UNIT's noticed that we've got a Dalek saucer here," she said.
Harry looked up at the sky, not that he could see a satellite, not from here. Then exhaled a sigh.
"United Nations Intelligence Taskforce have detected us?!" The Strategist exclaimed. Or something, Harry wasn't sure.
"Don't panic. I'll deal with this," He paused and looked to Judith. "How'd you find out?"
"Your mates in Section D called. They found out from a spy in Geneva via Six," Judith supplied effortlessly. "UNIT are launching jets to intercept."
"When did UNIT get jets?" Harry wondered.
"The United National Intelligence Taskforce cannot interfere!" exclaimed the Eternal.
"They've actually had a bit of a rebrand it's Unified-" Judith started.
"Not now Judith," Harry hurriedly said. "Do you mind?"
"Being left surrounded by Daleks while you go and stop us being blown up by the United Nations?" Judith teased. "Why would I mind?"
-/
Harry ran back up the Defender to grab his phone.
"Pearce. What's going on?"
"What are you up to Potter? I have a satellite image that shows-"
Harry cut him off. "I hope you're about to say a secure red listed area that is so top secret no one should know."
"The Prime Minister would know, failing that the Home Secretary knows and informed us this is LPI's purview. You are dealing with whatever it is?" Asked the head of Section D.
Harry looked down to where there was a Dalek saucer and Daleks that he'd invited to land on Earth. "Yes." He said confidently. "What about UNIT?"
"Ah yes UNIT. Potter they are sending planes to 'investigate' it's all within our agreement with UNIT. Although they've never enacted this particular part of it. They've never been this active with us in the past."
"Jittery after what happened on the Valiant, they don't want another death of a president on their hands," Harry mused.
"That is where they are launching from." Pearce added.
"I see. I'll deal with it Pearce. Potter out." Harry said as he ended the call and dialled another number. "Potter. Raven. LPI," he said as he gave his clearance codes and waited. "Ah, Group Captain. I have a situation brewing that I need your attention." Harry paused as the man asked his questions. "No, it's not an alien invasion exactly." Harry looked down to where Judith was standing with the Daleks while Hermione was doing something further away. At that moment Ioan wandered past with the bags of equipment from his house. "But UNIT is sticking their noses into something that is outside their purview," he paused. "They're about to fly jets over Britain and I very much think they'll start shooting at targets on British soil." Harry smiled at the Group Captain's response. "Yes, that was my reaction," he lied, but he had felt it. "If you could get some of your planes in the air, I'll give you the coordinates. Just to remind UNIT whose country and airspace they're in? Thank you Group Captain," Harry ended the call. "One crisis down. More to go," he said to himself as he exhaled.
Harry wandered back down to where the Daleks were. Where Judith was setting out the transmat relays with Ioan's help.
Hermione was observing from a distance, under the careful gaze of the Strategist and Eternal, the pair just seemed to be standing around watching everyone do things.
Someone, Harry didn't know who had got some cables from within the saucer.
"Spared us from being shot?" Ioan asked as he lifted up a third bag so he could take the equipment out.
"In a few minutes we shall see how good the RAF is at diffusing the situation, if not there's a broom in the back of the Defender," Harry said as he helped him set up the equipment.
Ioan raised an eyebrow at him. "Will I be playing diplomat in the air?"
"If it comes to that I'd suggest something a little more taking a more astringent style of diplomacy," Harry nodded to the Soldiers who were still standing there like salt shakers without a meal.
"The power's not on is it?" Harry asked as he reached down to take the control cable and power cable, and to work out which was which.
"No Harry Potter. Power and control are disabled," the Strategist said, having been silent during his and Ioan's banter. But obviously watching.
"Which one's which?" Harry asked holding up the two cables."
"That cable links to the transmat control. That is the power conduit," Indicated the Strategist.
"Okay," Harry said dropping the power cable and patting down his pockets. "Sonic screwdriver or..." Harry muttered to himself as Ioan handed him a set of pliers.
"Or these?" He asked.
Harry took them, using them to break off the end of the cable and find the array of meshed optics, cables and everything else that passed for a Dalek cable that had been packaged and industrialised into this thing. "Interface I think." Harry said as he flicked through the cables with his fingers. From their past experience with transmats they knew not all these cables, wires, optics, whatever it was directly related to the transmat systems, some were control interfaces, others were some sort of checking something. Laying the cable out on a table that Ioan had set out in front of two matt black objects that he'd hacked together some time ago Harry handed Ioan back the pliers and took out his sonic screwdriver whilst placing the cables next the smaller destructible box. It was the thing he could weld cables to and would be the first to explode like a surge protector. The other larger box had within it many days' worth of steady state micro-welding which felt like it had taken him forever to do and was the interface that did the complicated stuff.
"Now..." Harry trailed off as he held the cables and activated the sonic screwdriver. Edging the lower half of it around as he adjusted the controls as the main box hummed.
Then there was an audible click and a blue light lit up on it. "That's it." Ioan said as he plugged that box into another larger set of controls. "We've got relay control."
"You are very proficient with transmat technology Harry Potter," the Strategist observed. Harry doubted it was praise. He didn't need his ego stroked by a Dalek.
"If you needed anything stroked by a Dalek Harry I would have concerns about you," said Judith who had crept up on them while he was working.
"Set it all up?" Harry asked and looked past her to where Hermione had been observing them. "Any problems?"
Hermione shook her head.
"Get back over there then Hermione. Now's when things start to get dangerous," Harry shouted and as if to emphasise this a set of jets flew over their heads. Given their speed he couldn't tell.
The Daleks had also noticed.
"Whose were they?" Ioan asked the collected group.
"The aircraft were Eurofighter Typhoon variant F2 fighter aircraft identification states it is the Royal Air Force part of the British Armed Forces in this era," said one of the Soldier Daleks who was looking up into the sky.
"Let's get this up and running before we have UNIT and the RAF dog fighting above out heads," Harry said after being momentarily distracted by the Dalek. "You lot better get over there and ready for when we do this." Harry said to the group of Soldiers.
"I've keyed in the coordinates," Ioan said and stepped away from the controls.
Harry looked to Ioan and the Strategist and Eternal. "Do one of you want to check that we've got out relays and coordinates fixed before we try this?" Harry asked of the two colourful Daleks.
The Eternal glided forward and looked at the mish-mash of technologies which was built out of bits of Dalek tech, bits of other alien tech, some 1980s gear and some contemporary computers and interfaces. It worked, that was the main thing.
"You have correctly inputted the required information," it paused. "Are you ready to begin?" The Eternal questioned.
"Just have to put the power in." Harry picked up the other cable and took it around to the 'circuit breaker' that they'd last used while sorting out a Bandril ship and plugged it in. There was a 'thunk' and 'fzzt' as the multi-adaptive interface locked in to it. From what he understood it was designed for multi-adaptive docking rather than power. But from what he and Ioan could fathom with this docking interface power was also carried in addition to other things. In any case it had survived more than a few uses.
"Power and control on," Harry said hopefully.
"Initiating power and control to cables," said the Strategist.
There was a hum everywhere around them and not, Harry was relieved to find a smell of burning. But that might just be that they were outside and not in an enclosed space.
"Better get ready to send your Daleks in and ready the temporal prison." Harry said as he adjusted some sliders on the control board to balance out the power and control signals between his systems and the Daleks' ship and looked over at Ioan who was monitoring another part of their rig. "Nothing overheating?"
He shook his head. "Everything's fine. Of course we've just switched it on. The difficult bit is transmatting something that big." He said as another set of aircraft flew over their heads, these were low enough that Harry felt he could have hit them with a spell.
"That's UNIT," Judith said as she walked back after checking that the Soldiers hadn't disrupted anything.
"Can you get on the radio" Harry paused. "And if they decide to shoot at us-" Harry paused.
"I'll think of something that won't cause too much of an international incident. I think you two shooting would cause more problems than it would solve," Judith said as the Strategist had turned to face her and seemed like it was going to say something.
"Very well," It said sounding defeated.
Harry forced his concentration back to the current task at hand rather than wanting to investigate more things about Dalek psychology and Judith and all the other things that kept him in deep thought some of the time.
"Let's do this," Harry said as he twisted the controls up to full and threw the leaver down.
There was a shimmering hum of a transmat and a sound of something in the Dalek's ship changing pitch and the time ship disappeared.
Then Harry smelt burning and then the time ship reappeared.
Then alarms started going off.
"Temporal energy at high alert. Soldier enter the time ship. Isolate power systems." The Eternal ordered quickly as it move up over to the time ship.
Then less than 10 seconds later Harry heard the Eternal say "Initiate temporal prison."
The four Daleks remaining around the time ship scooted forward at perfect distances around it and a ring formed around the time ship.
"Temporal prison established," said the Eternal in a slightly less panicked tone.
"That it?" Harry asked.
"Yes. Harry Potter. The time ship is contained," said the Strategist.
-/
Later when all the tech was packed up Hermione stood with Judith and Ioan watching Harry and the Daleks down by the saucer.
"Did you want to be down there? Listening to them?" Judith asked her.
"I'd like to be doing a lot of things. Harry said he wanted a word," Hermione replied critically.
-/
Harry looked between the Strategist and the Eternal. "Well. I didn't expect to need to call on you so soon. Darla seemed annoyed. Hopefully I won't need to again any time soon." Harry looked up at the sky. "Also a plus. Daleks on Earth and no one was exterminated."
"Yes. Harry Potter," the Strategist moved up to the ramp of the ship as the Eternal moved away from where the time ship had been.
"Your control methods to contain and control the temporal energies will continue to function and assist in dissipating the temporal energies Harry Potter," the Eternal explained looking from where the time ship had been to where it had originated.
"That's good and it was interesting to meet you Eternal." Harry said. "And you Strategist, again. We at least didn't have to crash spaceships or kill Cybermen. Always a plus," Harry said looking around the Eternal. It remained silent.
As the Eternal passed him to enter the saucer it paused, seemingly attracting the attention of the Strategist. "Be careful Harry Potter."
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Of what?"
Then the Eternal said something that he didn't understand. Or rather he recognised what was being said, did not understand what it was saying, only about 1 word in 5. It was Dalek, native Dalek. Something he'd been trying to learn to read. Having it said out loud didn't really help. But he at least recognised it.
Harry just stared at the Dalek. "Don't suppose I could have a translation of that?"
"No," it said as it moved to follow the Strategist.
"No farewell, au revoir or is this just auf wiedersehen, an adieu until next we meet?" Harry wondered aloud, loudly as the Daleks ascended the ramp and it closed without another word from them. "No hugs, no goodbye just..." He stood there as the saucer quietly lifted off the ground and took to the skies with some speed. A sonic boom and it was away.
Harry waved at the sky regardless of the fact they were gone.
-/
"Waving your chums farewell?" Ioan asked.
"Odd conversations at the end," Judith observed.
"Very. The Eternal said something to me," Harry said. "In Dalek." He continued and repeated what the Eternal had said looking to Judith.
"Doesn't mean anything to me. I don't know Dalek, only relayed it," she said in a short tone.
Harry nodded and looked over as Hermione slowly made her way over to them.
"Well? Are they gone Harry?" She asked.
"Yes Hermione, they're gone. The Daleks never really went in for the invisibility thing. They're not hiding or lurking," Harry commented.
"Too much temptation to shout 'exterminate' all of the time to be stealthy," Judith commented idly. "Terrible spies."
"And that?" Hermione asked.
"That will need more time turner control monitor clocks and we'll have to put in more temporal energy buffers. But we should be able to control and dissipate it now that the time ship is gone." Harry gestured over to the Defender. "I'll get our scanners and double check but even with what's there it should be dropping it down."
"Good." Hermione nodded. "I'll retrieve my team and the Aurors so we can get this sorted out." She looked at him. "Sometime Harry we should talk about your fr-"
"They're not my friends. They're just...useful," Harry paused. "You're talking about the Daleks right?" Harry asked after a bit. "These two are my friends," he suddenly added worried.
Ioan clapped a hand down on his shoulder. "Take on armies for us. Even more than his journey through the cupboard for Malfoy."
"What?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing." Harry said quickly.
"Yes. You don't want to go into detail with Hermione about your closeted adventures with Draco Malfoy," said Judith.
"No. Hermione doesn't want disturbing dreams," Harry commented wickedly.
"Ugh." Hermione muttered.
-/ - \\-
Much later Harry and Judith were in his house. A glass of brandy each in their hands.
"That was an unusual day," Harry sipped his brandy.
"Indeed," Judith looked at him. "Do you know?"
"More than I should less than you think." Judith looked at him. "I had to check up on you. Joining something like LPI, I needed to. You did great things back in the 70s and 80s."
Judith smiled, a distant smile. "I wouldn't be who I am without their interference," she paused. "I wanted to find out. Another tribute to the Chronovore, when I first encountered you, with Ioan and Akalina. In that field."
"Tribute?" Harry asked. "With the Travellers?"
"Way back I wanted to find out, to trace my timeline, what might have been," she explained. "It's not like the Doctor was around to ask," she sighed. "And when I first met him I didn't realise who he was, all breathless and blond."
"There was also a trip to pre-history for you to be worried about. Plus he doesn't often get into the what might have been," Harry sipped his brandy. "But I understand your curiosity Judith."
"I didn't. Understand at first. But I did, later. What might have been," she paused to sip her drink. "Back then, in the 60s, I'd have ended up with a small obituary at the hands of people who should've done the opposite, had they not..." She trailed off taking a sip of her brandy. "I am very much indifferent Harry, to them."
"I'm not advocating hugging them or anything. Despite what you or Hermione may think I don't have any weird fetishes for them," Harry said.
Judith looked at him with an amused expression. "You were the only one going on about fetishes." She smiled. "Perhaps you do have something for them?" She played.
Harry shook his head. "I don't want to even think about how-" He stopped suddenly. "I don't want to even speak it."
Judith just looked at him amused. "Just let me give you some advice," she looked at him. "Even if you don't think you need it Harry."
"I'm always ready for advice, especially from someone as wise as you Judith," Harry answered playfully.
"I tried to impress you, when we were first working together. That passage on the ethereal plane manoeuvre for example," she motioned at him with her glass. He refilled it.
"Something you've not done much since." Harry pointed out. "You looked wrecked from that."
"And for long after it. Showing off. It's not even my field," Judith explained hesitantly. "I had access to a lot of different things back when I was... 'mentored' by them," she smiled an odd smile. "After meeting you I wanted to re-explore some things," she paused to sip her drink. "Pushed too far in the wrong way. The Travellers wanted to go in the other," she exhaled. "After my other job they seemed like the way to get away from it all, an escape."
Harry was silent for a while. "I hope I've not pushed you in any direction," he finally said after some silence.
Judith shook her head. "No Harry. I did initially wonder if I influenced you," she paused. "But I think no one could have imagined this is the path you would have wandered down."
"Friends with Draco Malfoy, in love with Daphne, LPI and an...agreement with the Daleks. When I was at Hogwarts it was all friends with Ron and Hermione a future in the Aurors and marrying Ginny Weasley," Harry laughed softly to himself.
"The 'mad cow'," Judith commented idly.
"Draco's very fond of that salutation," Harry added idly. "How things change."
Judith smiled. "To things changing." She raised a glass to him.
"May they continue to change," Harry toasted her glass.
"Can't have a boring life. That'd probably kill us," she laughed.
-/
A/N:
The last part of this chapter, the bit just above with Harry and Judith needed to happen because of her connection and Harry's current relationship with the Daleks.
Regarding Judith I wanted to not so much explain things, but just rectify some things about who she is and explain some of the things she did when I first introduced her, as between chapter 15 and now who she is has shifted slightly.
I did consider splitting this chapter in two, the Hermione side of things and the Harry side of things. But it blends together better as one piece.
Originally when I wrote this out it was 3 Aurors that died, when I came to write the following chapters and edit this one I decided to change it down to 1 dead two wounded. As while I think wizards are probably more forgiving of workplace accidents, there's only so much I think they'd forgive.
Æthelflæd Fenwick is (distantly) part of the Fenwick family who exist within the HP universe though she is my creation. She was originally a man, but when I started to write I wondered why this character couldn't be a woman. She was going to be 'Æthelflæd Savage' Savage was stationed with Tonks in HBP in Hogsmede. However I wanted someone who definitely hadn't encountered Hermione or anyone else. The other thing to note was Æthelflæd was at one point going to be Æðelflæd (which is another spelling of the name) but the ash (æ) is easier to know how to say than the ð.
What the Eternal said would, were this a TV show be in subtitles so you the reader knew what it said without Harry knowing. This is what the Eternal says were if I could have put subtitles 'on screen'.
When the bees/winged creatures disappear/leave he/we/they/us will capture this planet/the planet/planets. Prepare/Be ready we/them/us will/seek/sought attack/exterminate/destroy them/you.
I quite enjoy writing the Daleks, especially when they're not shouting 'exterminate'. I like them when they're intelligent and the colourful Paradigm Daleks I think allows for more creativity with them as they're supposed to be the 'officer class'.
