Chapter Eight: Innovations

Seven Months Later / November 4rd, 1984 / Hawkins Laboratory, Hawkins, Indiana

Harry's time at Hawkin's Laboratory had been spent with nothing but work. Work, work, work. So much work that Harry contemplated faking his death once again just to get more than four hours of sleep each night. But it was good work, and so he stayed in his lab every day to continue his research. The research he did in the lab was complicated. So complicated that only four other scientists could be found who understood the concept of his work and were able to assist him. Harry had then been given his own department, the size of his team reaching the size for such a thing to be necessary. And so the Magical Sciences Department was born with Harry as its Senior Director.

Together, the group worked on sciences that were once thought impossible for several decades or centuries. Their first project had been a working vessel capable of reaching at least the Moon, and at most Mars. They had achieved a useable design within a single month, delivering the design to Dr. Owens and his team of engineers. But it wasn't a simple construction, seeing as the vessel was supposed to be layered with complex runes, wards, and enchanted mirrors Harry had designed after the mirrors Sirius had given him in the past. The ship took almost three months to make with a lot of time and effort. But when it was complete, the ship - named the 'Firebolt' - was a masterpiece.

It could travel to the Moon in a fraction of the previous time, and at the right time, it could reach Mars in only six days. The hull itself was made of seven layers; the exterior mirror layer, exterior layer, liquid-plasma layer (which provided extra power to the rest of the ship), the second exterior layer, the wiring and piping layer, the interior layer, and finally the interior mirror layer. The liquid plasma layer had been thought of by the team's second lead scientist Dr. Maria Graves. She had gotten the idea from something she had read years prior and had suggested trying to implement it into the design. It worked magnificently, providing the ship with a backup power system that could be used in the off-chance of a system failure.

And the mirrors had been an ingenious stroke of pure luck. Harry had gotten the idea to use two enchanted mirror surfaces that were always calling the other, making it possible to see from the interior of a space to the exterior. And so the entire exterior was covered in mirrors, while the interior was covered in retractable mirrors that wouldn't get in the way during flights. There were no windows, and there were zero ways to see outside without the use of the cameras or mirrors lining the outside of the vessel. All in all, it had been a masterful work of science and magic together, one that had earned Hawkins Laboratory a lot of prestige among those in the government. Including President Ronald Reagan. And the more fame the lab received from Harry's team's work, the more funding that piled in from all over the place. And thus more projects began, resulting in Harry's constantly growing +pile of work.

But he pushed forward, relying on his Occlumency to keep himself awake during the day. He now worked on the Planetary Defense Ring, which would act as a large spherical shield around the planet, protecting the atmosphere and surface from solar radiation, solar wind, solar debris, and meteorite collisions. Harry also worked on his own variation of the Dyson Sphere, which would involve colonizing Mercury and setting up several million reflective mirrors in orbit around the Sun. Those mirrors would then refocus sunlight towards specialized solar arrays that would then distribute energy to a special particle beam that Harry had designed himself. With the energy produced from sunlight stored on Mercury, that energy would then be catapulted off of Mercury in the form of a bright blue beam of light, which would then hit one of Harry's Receiver Stations on Venus or Earth. The Receiver Stations would then do the same as the solar arrays had, and would distribute the pure energy collected throughout the planet. Harry hypothesized that with only three Receiver Stations, humanity would be able to live off of the energy collected for at least 1.4 billion years. Meaning only one station provided almost five-hundred-million years' worth of power.

And while he worked on these two enormous feats, his team was working on just as important projects. Dr. Graves was making plans for the first human colony on the Moon, which would then function as a mid-way point between Earth and Mars. The colony would consist of main scientists, engineers, and workers at the start. But they hoped to one day allow civilians to move to Luna - the Moon - and establish the first civilian colony. This would be a huge accomplishment for humanity, who had only stepped foot on the moon fifteen years before. If all went well, the first colonists could be set up on the surface in just six months. But Harry suspected that with more to be done, they wouldn't have the colony up and running for another year or so.

Dr. Talia Holman was deligating her time towards setting up warehouses across the country filled to the brim with the best engineers they could find. They needed more Firebolts to establish a functioning system. They needed ships to carry supplies, personnel, as well as ships to carry precious cargo that would be transported to and from the Moon. So she and her division worked on those ships, and they had made good progress over the past few months. There were four Firebolts completed after the original prototype, and all of them seemed flight-ready. After several ongoing tests, they would be sent on real tests within orbit before being sent off to the Moon in a trip that would take roughly eight hours.

Dr. Jason Salgado was the fourth member of their team, and he was working on the medical aspects of Harry's research. He and his division were working on special vaccines and cures that could be used to benefit humanity, with most vaccines containing a success rate of 98%. And the newest member of their team, Dr. Robert Huber, was working alongside his security task force tasked to track down and capture Russian spies within the US government. Their team was responsible for the more heavy-duty work happening in Hawkins Laboratory, and thus they were rewarded well. They all received awards for the Firebolt and were given raises, bonuses, and pensions that would do them well upon retirement. And the best part? After the first few months, no one question Harry, his knowledge, or his power. No one questioned his being a fourteen-year-old boy. He was too smart to be considered a child.

Harry sat in the center of his personal lab in the depths of Hawkins Laboratory, examining the display sitting in front of him. The Planetary Defense Ring held an 81% chance of successfully preventing a meteor strike from hitting the surface of Earth. Which was good, but the 19% margin was something that worried him. If he couldn't figure out a way to strengthen the bonds between the molecules within the shielding, Harry would have to enter in a flawed design to Owens. And thus the president. And if the results were seen as they were, then the project would be scrapped for more reliable results. It all rested on discovering a practical solution that could be carried out with today's technology. Even fifteen years in the future, technological advancements made life easier. But now without those advancements, Harry had to create innovations of his own.

"Potter. How's the P.D.R coming along?" Harry was drawn out of his thoughts by Dr. Graves, who had entered the lab looking rather green in the face. She didn't care about the Planetary Defense Ring, but Harry was going to reply anyway.

"It's going well. I'm hoping to have it completed in the next few weeks or so,"

"Right. Good. We have a situation on the cameras," She logged into her computer nearby, accessing the cameras as she pointed to Camera C22. There, clear as day, was Will Byers. He was lying on a bed in the middle of one of their medical rooms, with several people around him. Dr. Owens is one, accompanied by Joyce Byers, Mike Wheeler, a man Harry didn't know, and...Hopper. Harry frowned at the sight of them, unsure as to why they would possibly come here of all places. Dr. Graves seemed to have shared the same question and had a response. "The Chief, Joyce Byers, and Bob Newby were discovered in the depths of the Upside Down tunnels below the city. They were accompanied by the two children. And the one in the bed started screaming like some crazed lunatic when we started the tunnel burns. So we brought them here. I figured since you knew them before you went KIA, you'd know something about this,"

"I've never met Will Byers or Bob Newby," Harry spoke, watching the group on the camera with interest. "But perhaps Wills time in the Upside Down affected him somehow. Perhaps a mental link is still open?"

"A mental link caused the boy to go into a trance?"

"Not the boy,"

"The Upside Down," Graves said in understanding. "So when the boy entered the Upside Down, it established some kind of link to the boys' mind and nervous system. So when we began the burn on the tunnels, Byers felt the pain the tunnels felt,"

"What were the tunnels made of?"

"Vines. Living vines that screamed when we started burning them,"

"Right. So you're right, when the tunnels began to feel pain, so did Will. This means that whoever rules the Upside Down...must have some kind of control over Will. Like its control over the Demogorgon and the tunnels," Harry hypothesized. "The connection between the tunnels and Will scream some kind of hive mind, which would explain a lot. But what can't be explained is how the connection is formed. Have you run any tests on him?" Graves nodded, pulling out a large file that she handed to Harry. "Any viruses? Abnormal growths?"

"Nothing we could see but increased brain activity all over," Graves motioned to the head scans, where abnormal readings were occurring over almost 80% of Will's brain. And it was spreading. "What does this mean, Harry?" Harry wasn't entirely sure himself, to be honest. He had formed several theories in the span of a few seconds, but each one seemed equally ridiculous. Until an answer seemed to show itself in the x-rays themselves.

"It's not his brain activity," Harry concluded, getting to his feet quickly. He waved a hand over himself, casting several glamours over himself as he and Graves entered the elevator. He continued. "It's the Upside Down. Whatever rules that place has control of his mind, and is filling up the vacancy," Harry explained. "If those x-rays are accurate, we won't have much time until Will Byers is nothing but a shell used to hold the Upside Down's ruler,"

"Have you seen this ruler?" asked Graves.

"Only once, when I went into the Upside Down myself. But its shape was hard to make out, and it was made out of shadows. I wasn't impressed," Harry stated. Everyone on his team knew of his special abilities, seeing as they were the only reason his division even existed. So Graves nodded, understanding perfectly. He was the supreme shadowmancer in this side of the universe and thus wasn't impressed by a large shadow monster that seemed to get scared over two kids entering its realm. "Hopefully with the help of a bit of magic and shadows of my own, I can rip this thing out of Will as easily as one might rip a branch from a tree,"

"Good luck with that," Graves spoke, peeling to the left as soon as the elevator doors opened. Harry took a right, moving towards the medical section of the Laboratory. He caught himself in the mirror, checking to make sure his glamour had been successful. He was now blonde, he had bright blue eyes, was 5' 11", and he had a bit more muscle on his bones. It was a simple glamour, but he knew it would work to fool everyone in that room besides Dr. Owens, who had seen this glamour many times. Stepping foot into Will's room, Harry quickly cast a glamour on his name tag, having forgotten. While it had once said 'Harry Potter - Head of Magical Sciences Department' it now read 'James Longbottom - MD'.

"Mr. Longbottom, can I help you?" Owens asked, having spotted Harry at the door. No one turned to him, being too focused on Will.

"I have a hypothesis regarding the youngest Byers' condition," That seemed to get everyone's attention. All eyes were on 'James' as he continued. He stamped the earliest and latest of Will Byers' x-rays to the wall, pointing towards the red growth occupying the boy's mind. "I've been studying the Upside Down for quite some time. And have come to a conclusion regarding Mr. Byers' status. To put it simply, I believe he's being possessed,"

"Possessed? Like a demon or something?" Newby asked.

"Perhaps. But not quite. Everything within the Upside Down seems to operate from a Hive Mind. When the Demogorgon is hurt, the vines are hurt. When the vines are hurt, Will is hurt. And when Byers is hurt, the cycle continues to whatever else lives in the Upside Down. This would explain how burning the vines seemed to affect him. But that isn't all. While Byers is a part of this Hive Mind, the connection between him and the host will continue to grow until the host is all that's left. The boy will be gone and the host will do with the body as it likes. I give it maybe...five hours or so until the connection is complete,"

"Five hours?" question Joyce. "What can you do?"

"I can try many things that may or may not work. But I'll need to talk with my team before we can begin testing. That is if Dr. Owens would allow it,"

"Of course. Of course. The quicker the better," Owens replied. Harry didn't need to be asked twice. He pulled a small needle out of a nearby drawer and quickly stuck it into Will Byers' arm. He ignored their protests. He didn't have time. He instead focused on the task at hand and proceeded to push Wills bed out of the room. The boy soon passed out, his weight pressing down on the bed as Harry maneuvered it into the elevator. There was no room for those who had followed him, and so they had to wait for the next elevator to come back down. It gave him ample time to prepare things down in the lab. He would need to stall until the time was right to remove whatever part of the host had lodged within Will. He knew he could do it with magic, but that wouldn't be possible. Not with Joyce Byers, Mike Wheeler, Bob Newby, and Hopper all hovering over Will for his entire stay here. And there was absolutely no way in hell Harry would reveal himself to them again. He had done so once before for a good reason. And he was doing good work here.

So of course he needed to stall. Stall until he could either get Will alone or find a way to cover his magic up with medical science. "Mr. Potter, what's the boy's status?" Dr. Talia Holman asked as she joined him. She had already replaced the sign leading into their office. Instead of 'Department of Magical Sciences' it now reads 'Department of Extraterrestrial Sciences'. It was a sound cover. One that made sense given the past of Hawkins Laboratory. Graves, Salgado, and Huber were all waiting for the two of them at the center table, waiting patiently as Harry sighed. "The mental connection is strengthening. I can sense it. If we don't remove the host in the next...five hours or so, it will have full control,"

"So what do we do?" Huber asked. He was fidgeting slightly in his chair. The man had only been working with them for five weeks and hadn't grown accustomed to the more...unique aspects of their work. But it was clear that the man was trying his best to push through the nervousness he was feeling, and Harry had to commend him for it. This was not the easy work that they did. And the presence of the Upside Down only made it more difficult. Taking a small step towards his terminal, Harry switched it on. He keyed off of his work on the P.D.R and instead switched to an image pulled from the Laboratory archives. It was a drawing from Will Byers, which displayed the same shadow monster that Harry had seen in the Upside Down. "The Shadow. It's the ruler of Earth in the Upside Down and is the host of the hive mind-controlling the Demogorgons, vines, and Byers. A piece of it seems to be within him like it is all of its subjects,"

"So to save the kid we need to remove the host. That's simple. You just yank it out with your magical telekinesis," Tolman spoke.

"Not so simple. The kid's mother, friend, and two others will be down here in a matter of seconds. And they don't have the clearance necessary for me to reveal my magic to them. And I would need at least half an hour to perform the procedure," Harry countered. Talia knew what this meant. He would be completely spent after removing the host and would be unable to oblivate the guests or even keep them away with any type of wards. Meaning as he said, they needed to discover a way for him to perform the procedure in a way that appeared like a muggle procedure. A muggle procedure that didn't exist. "Graves. Come with me," The older doctor followed Harry out of the room just as Joyce Byers, Mike Wheeler, and Bob Newby entered. Hopper and Dr. Owens were nowhere to be seen.

When the two scientists returned, it was with a crash cart, electro-shock therapy plugs, several restraint bands, a mouth-guard, and a few other odd and end tools. Behind them were three guards who were members of one of the department's many subdivisions. The National Security Division. They were outfitted with pitch-black outfits made of upgraded dragonhide armor, which was able to resist most mid-grade firepower while being nearly impenetrable by melee weapons. They were also outfitted with black helmets, goggles, masks, stun batons, sidearms, and a semi-automatic rifle slung around each of their necks. At the sight of the shock therapy plugs, Joyce Byers yelled. "You are not using those on my son!"

"Ma'am, calm down," Dr. Holman warned.

"NO! I know what you did to Terry Ives with those things! I won't let you mentally kill my son! I won't let you!" Joyce shouted, breaking free of Bob Newby's embrace as she ran towards Harry. He was able to quickly evade her tackle, grabbing her arm and spinning her around in one fluid motion. She tripped on a large cord leading to the crash-cart, falling backward. Harry caught her quickly, holding her still as she tried to regain her composure. Her head was inches from the table holding Will Byers. A later catch would have ended in a fatal crash. She seemed to realize this, her eyes wide and her breathing heavy.

"I assure you, Mrs. Buyers. No harm will come to your son that cannot be helped. Dr. Brenner and his lackeys are gone. And the research we've been doing in the past few months has led us to many helpful conclusions regarding The Shadow and the Upside Down," Harry explained. Joyce didn't seem at all convinced, but she quickly regained her temper and allowed herself to be helped into a standing position. Mr. Newby was conflicted, and Mike was watching the scene with wide eyes. He spoke. "So...what are you going to do?"

"We have two ideas that may allow us to remove The Shadow from your son's mind. The first thing we'll try is physical shock therapy using the crash cart. With it, we hope to...well...simply put, we hope to piss it off enough to drive it out," Harry spoke, running his hand through his now neat blonde hair. "If that doesn't work, we'll try shock-therapy to the brain. We'll be giving him a new drug we've developed to keep his mind stable, but we're hoping for a positive effect," He finished. Anyone who knew anything about science knew this was bullshit. No kind of shock therapy cured parasites, and the thought of doing so like this was idiotic. But it was the only thing he could think of that would draw attention away from his magic and shadowmancy. Because what he had planned for this evening wouldn't be pretty.

"Right...a new drug. A drug that protects the brain. You expect me to believe this?" questioned Joyce.

"We don't expect you to believe anything we tell you, because we're members of the government and the government is untrustworthy. But we're just doing our job, ma'am," Harry replied. His answer seemed to shock her, and he took that as his chance to get to work. He pulled the two defibrillators from the crash cart, setting the output to 150 joules. Dr. Graves pulled out a syringe filled with nothing but water and food-coloring used for when small amounts of liquid were necessary for experiments, poked Will in the arm. She inserted the liquid, and Harry got to work.