Chapter Twenty-Eight: Progress
June 17th, 1996
Eleven months after the activation of the Planetary Defense Rings, the production of the Dyson Sphere was in full swing. The outpost on Mercury was now complete, and production of the Dyson Swarm had begun. There were over a thousand wizards on Mercury, and all of them were working. They had built the first four mirrors from scratch. And now the wizards and witches on Mercury were within specialized warehouses duplicating the mirrors hundreds of times. Normally the duplications wouldn't last long, but it seemed that after a zap from plasma energy, duplicated objects stayed around for a long time. Longer than ever recorded by any wizard. So they were hard at work, and in only six months they had created over a million mirrors that were ready to be fired out into orbit.
That was why Harry now resided on Mercury. He was accompanied by Alyssa and Eleven, who had both volunteered to accompany him to the outpost. They were accompanied by Vice-Admiral Matthias Gardner. The man had been a Konter-admiral in the German navy but had left Germany behind to pursue a career in the IAF's navy. He had risen to the rank of Vice-Admiral in under a year. This was due to the IAF splitting itself into three different branches. A Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The Air Force resided solely on Earth, operating in aerial missions. The Navy resided on both the sea and space, operating sea warships as well as advanced starships. And the Marine Corps operated on land, sea, and space.
Vice-Admiral Gardner had been one of the first from any military to volunteer for the Navy and was given command of his own fleet of Firebolts. Eventually, he would lose the fleet and would be given his Fleet Carrier, which he would then use to control his fleet of Frigates, Destroyers, and Cruisers. But seeing as those didn't exist yet, Admirals, Captains, and Commanders would instead be given command of Firebolts. They never complained though. The larger Firebolt Dropships or 'Fireship' manned by the higher ranking officers were very powerful in both flight range, weapons capabilities, and computer systems, and could hold twenty people each with housing for everyone. These Firebolts acted as flagships for their miniature fleets of smaller Firebolt Starfighters or 'Firefighters', the ones Harry had developed at Hawkins Lab.
So while they piloted and commanded several hundred fleets of Firefighters, Dr. Graves was busy building the big ships. She was starting with Carriers first and was working her way down through Cruisers, Frigates, Destroyers, Corvettes, Gen2 Fireships, and Gen3 Firefighters. She was working on Carriers of different sizes and had already finished the construction of five other smallest class carriers. The Relentless-class Cruisers. Those were being outfitted with thirty Fireships, ten Firefighters, twelve jeeps outfitted with plasma weaponry, four plasma-powered tanks, one hundred and fifty drop pods that could be used to drop directly into the atmosphere, six bombers, and it could hold up to 1,300 personnel.
They were in the final stages of testing and would be handed out to those with the highest ranks in the IAF Navy. But their largest Carrier would be much harder to construct. The Aeon-class Carrier. It would be outfitted with two corvettes, thirty-six Fireships, twenty-four Firefighters, twenty-four plasma jeeps, twelve plasma tanks, three hundred drop pods, twelve bombers, and it could hold 2,100 personnel. It was going to be one of the biggest ships in their fleet at three thousand meters long, and it was going to be built to handle a large amount of stress. The process was going to be extremely difficult, but Dr. Graves had stated that she was more than ready for the challenge that sat in front of her.
So Harry currently resided on Mercury, carefully going over the plans to launch the first hundred Dyson Swarm orbits around the Sun. It would take roughly nine hours to complete the process, but when it was done they would be able to see the mirrors clearly. And they were all orbiting the star, they would launch the Stellar Engine Array, which would collect energy from the sun, prolong the sun's life, and act as a Distribution Station within the Energy Dispersal Project. Harry was excited to see the first steps of his project being launched, though he wasn't that excited about the fact that it was taking place on the day of the Third Task. That made him a bit anxious.
But what made him most anxious was that the next day was a special day in history for him. June 18th, 1996. The same day he, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Ginny, and Luna had invaded the Department of Mysteries. The same day he had fought in the battle and lost Sirius. The same day he was thrown directly into the hands of Umbrella Corporation. It was going to be a very rough week. But Harry would prevail. He always had on anniversaries. All he had to do was busy himself with enough work to make any sane person give up one life, and eventually, he would pass out and sleep through the day. It was how Harry usually did things. That, or Hermione or Daphne would busy him in certain ways to keep his mind off things. Those days ended quite well.
But they weren't here. They were back within the Marauder Enterprises Headquarters, conducting their important work. And Harry needed to stay on Mercury for the next two weeks to ensure the project - his project - went smoothly. So he would be alone. Left to drink and busy himself to sleep. Harry was doing that tonight. He sat within the corner of the outposts public mess hall, silently looking over his HoloDesk and all of the work that was piling up in his inbox. Harry needed to sign off on a hundred new projects being developed in a dozen departments. He needed to call Sirius and warn him about the rebellions occurring in Sweden. He needed to sign off on the development of the Gen3 Fireships. And he needed to get an update from Dr. Graves regarding any possible planets suitable for colonization outside of Earth. Harry had a lot to do.
"You're busy," Someone spoke. It was El. She took a seat across from him, spinning around his HoloDesk to examine the work in his inbox. Harry took the moment to down his bottle of whiskey. He refilled it magically and decided to watch her read. She had changed a lot since they were kids. Her hair now fell to her mid-back, though she had tied it into a neat ponytail for a 'formal' look. El's brown eyes had gotten slightly darker, and she now had a faded scar on her left cheek. An accident that had occurred in one of her earlier training sessions with Will. The younger wizard had just started practicing banishing charms and had banished a piece of sharp wood directly at Eleven. She had managed to dodge, but it had cut deep into her cheek, leaving a scar.
Eleven had stopped wearing colorful clothing as she got older and now wore more practical clothes when she wasn't wearing her lab coat. Right now she wore slim-fitting blue jeans, white sneakers, and a white buttoned-up shirt that she tucked into her pants. Harry noted that she looked quite nice in the outfit. He thought about saying so but decided against it. After a few moments, she let out a soft laugh and spun it back around to him. Eleven spoke. "That's a lot. But I'm sure you'll have it empty by the time we leave here,"
"Yeah, probably. It's an anniversary after all," Harry commented, scrolling through the workload once again.
Eleven raised an eyebrow. Then she understood. "Oh...right. That was tomorrow," Harry had told everyone the specifics of his old life, and she still had the memories of his life implanted within her mind from the bus. She remembered what day it had been when he went through the Veil. Harry nodded gravely, continuing to scroll as he downed his sixth glass of whiskey. "Are you sure that's healthy?" El asked, motioning to the glass. Then she smiled. "I don't think you're setting a good example for Alyssa. She'll think alcohol is a way to be more productive,"
"I wouldn't know. I don't get drunk," Harry said sadly.
"Right, but you convince yourself you're drunk, and so your body acts drunk. You are the master of your mind and body after all," Eleven replied with a grin.
"Yep. That's me. Convincing myself I'm drunk so that I turn drunk. I'm sure that's how that works,"
"It's the placebo effect,"
"I know what it is,"
"Really? Because for a second -"
"Really? Because for a second -" Harry imitated, nodding his head and smiling as he did so. Eleven glared at him, but soon let out a burst of laughter. Harry joined her with a soft chuckle. But then his smile faded as a new letter popped into his inbox. And then another. And another. Then four more. He took a deep breath. "You remember the Snowball Dance?" Eleven raised a questioning eyebrow but nodded. "And how I didn't want to teach you and Max how to dance because I was too stressed?" Another nod. "I wish I could go back in time and punch myself in the face for thinking that was stress. I could use a dance. Or a nap," Harry confessed.
El let out a soft giggle. Something he hadn't heard in a while. And then before he knew it, Eleven had circled the table and was now beside him. She was pulling on his arm, trying to pull him to his feet. He reluctantly allowed the movement, standing to his feet as she dragged him into the center of the room. Eleven levitated a few tables out of the way, and then rushed over to a nearby terminal. Harry watched her type away, and then the music started to play. Harry smiled, looking up at the ceiling in disbelief as she returned. El grabbed his hands, laughing as she gripped his right hand and placed his left on her waist. She then placed her right hand on his shoulder and began to lead him in a dance.
This was surprising, seeing as he had taught her how to dance. And it hadn't been how to lead. So she must have gotten practice or danced again after the Snowball. Harry didn't remember. But he appreciated the gesture, seeing as he was still a bit tired and not fully in control of his movement. So El pulled him along on their makeshift dancefloor, with the two smiling brightly at each other. Harry took a deep breath, his eyes falling on hers. "I remember the first time I saw your eyes," He spoke, startling her. "It was on the bus. You all didn't know I was there, and I was watching you specifically. I was looking into your mind, and it amazed me just how unintentionally protected it was. Not even a master Legilimens could reach your mind. It was the most unique thing I had ever seen,"
"You helped me change it," Eleven told him.
"I did. Through years of practice and yelling," Harry joked. Eleven laughed lightly, remembering those years. Harry was still watching her. "And when I look into them now, I see only what you let me see. A bright forest filled with trees the size of skyscrapers. At the center is a winding river of pure aqua water. A beautiful image that I remember vividly. And it wasn't until recently I remembered from where,"
"You've seen my mind somewhere before?" El asked.
"Yes. Only once before. It was in the Outside, the day I fought the Mind Flayer for control of Will's body. I told you all that I almost gave up. That I almost walked into 'the light'. The light wasn't a light at all. It was a forest,"
"My forest," Eleven realized.
"Yes. I was mesmerized by it. I almost left everything behind to stay in it," Harry replied.
"I...what does that mean?"
"I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps you saw it in my mind and forgot, and eventually used it to create your mindscape. Or maybe you saw it too when you're Aiúa was separated from your body, and you forgot. I have no idea," Harry explained. The two continued to dance for a while before Harry was pulled away by a call going through on his HoloDesk. Eleven didn't seem to mind, seeing as she was deep in thought about what they had discussed. Harry sat down in front of his HoloDesk and read the name on the CallerID. It was Vice-Admiral Gardner. He accepted the call. "Admiral? How can I help you?"
"Well. Our scanners recently uncovered a massive spike in magical readings in Scotland. The readings spiked an hour ago, and haven't stopped. We wanted you to come up to the control room to check it out," Gardner explained.
Harry raised an eyebrow. A magical spike? That could be attributed to anything. A magical gathering, a Quidditch game, or even a Ministry operation. But it seemed bigger than those, so Harry was willing to take a look. "I'm on my way," Gardner nodded in understanding and Harry hung up the call. He turned to Eleven, who was watching him. "Gardner and his team picked up a massive spike of magic down in Scotland. Normally I wouldn't be worried, but he made it sound urgent," Harry explained.
"Then come on," Eleven replied, grabbing his hand as she pulled him out of the mess hall. Harry didn't think this was completely necessary, but he allowed himself to be pulled into the elevator that would take them up into the control room. The outpost wasn't large, but they had decided to build it underground. Only the garages, warehouses, control room, and observatory were above ground. It made things easier. The trip was quick, and Harry stepped into the control room. Eleven moved to the side, understanding that this was an urgent matter. Gardner met Harry at the HoloTank in the center of the room. "Lord Potter," The man spoke, extending his hand for a handshake.
Harry shook it and turned to the table. "Vice-Admiral. You said there was an emergency?"
Gardner nodded, swiping at the holo-display as a satellite image of Scotland appeared over the table. He then zoomed in on what appeared to be Hogwarts. But off to the side was Hogsmeade. There was smoke billowing into the air above the village and it looked like the Forbidden Forest was on fire. "When we picked up the magical spike, we hadn't heard or seen anything. But then we started getting distress signals over the radio," Gardner swiped again, and a voice line appeared. It began to move as a voice spoke.
"This is Headmistress Minerva McGonagall of Hogwarts School. Hogsmeade is under attack. Send help immediately!"
"Ministry and MACUSA have already responded, but they lost contact half an hour ago. We've already sent the marines' Delta Company to assess the situation accompanied by Knights. But there's an even bigger problem," Harry frowned. Bigger than Hogsmeade being attacked? There were civilians all over the town, and even more people in Hogwarts. The term hadn't ended yet, meaning there were over a thousand students in the castle. But Gardner swiped the display again. This time to the center of London. It was the Ministry of Magic building. "Ten minutes ago, there were three planned strikes on three important sites. The Ministry of Magic building," He swiped again, revealing the MACUSA building. "The Woolworth Building," Another swipe, this time revealing Azkaban. "And Azkaban prison. We have Knights and marines closing in on all three, but we keep losing contact,"
"Some sort of magical interference," Harry decided. He swiped back to the Ministry building and zoomed in all the way. There were bodies all outside the building and Harry struggled to make out who they were. And then he took a deep breath. He shut off the display and turned towards the window looking out over the horizon. The Sun was visible and would be blinding if not for the extremely tinted windows. But he stared at the Sun. Trying to think. Gardner moved to his side. "Sir? Do you have an idea whose launching these attacks?"
"It's impossible,"
"Impossible, sir? What's impossible?"
Harry turned back to the display, turning it one once more. He zoomed in on one of the bodies and cropped out a single portion. And then he carried it to the next display and pulled up an identical image. Only slightly different. They were Death Eater masks. But there was a problem. "The Death Eaters are all dead. Put to death by a Dementor's Kiss. I watched it happen. Bellatrix, Lucius, Lestrange. All of them died years ago. But that's not all. The masks of our Death Eaters -" Harry motioned to the mask on the right, the one he had pulled from their archives. "-are bright gold. But these ones-" He motioned to the mask to the left, which had been on the dead Death Eater. "-are dark silver,"
"So? They probably wanted to change their style," Gardner said.
"No. That's impossible," Eleven spoke, finally understanding. She had seen his memories after all. She moved to Harry's side. "Are you sure?"
"The Death Eaters didn't change their outfits for eleven years. Even after the death of their master the first time, they never strayed from the gold mask. But these Death Eaters. They're silver,"
"Care to explain for those of us who don't understand why this matters, sir?" Alyssa had arrived. It looked like she had just woken up, seeing as her hair was tied in a sloppy ponytail and her face showed exhaustion.
"The Death Eaters of my universe wore silver masks," Harry replied. "Or any other universe. It's the only explanation. Even in hiding, the Death Eaters of this Earth wouldn't be able to gather enough forces for four large-scale attacks. This has to be a massive army. And when I was pulled into this universe, The Watcher told me that in my universe the light was lost. Voldemort won and all the people I loved were gone. If he won, then he got what he wanted. Immortality and complete control over the entire planet. And an armada of psychopathic wizards,"
"So...the Voldemort of your universe has crossed into ours? To do what?" Gardner asked.
"Conquer? Kill? I don't know. But we have to kill him. Kill him before he destroys everything," Harry replied.
"We're going to war," Alyssa concluded.
Harry sighed. He leaned against the HoloTank, trying his best not to lash out. He had killed Voldemort. It seemed like yesterday. But nowhere he was again threatening to end everything Harry had accomplished in the past decade of his life. Harry wasn't going to allow it. He would kill the son of a bitch and drive his forces into extinction before he let them gain a single inch of land on this planet. He would drive them out if it was the last thing he did. Harry pulled up a control terminal, turning to Alyssa. "Yes...we're going to war,"
He tapped the terminal and spoke. "All IAF personnel. As many of you may know, there have been several coordinated attacks on several high-priority structures within the magical world. And I have reason to believe that the once deceased Tom Riddle is responsible. He carries with him an army of wizards, witches, and magical creatures that he has already used to overthrow Azkaban prison. And soon, he may take control of the Ministry building, the Woolworth Building, and Hogwarts itself. This is a Tier 2 event. I repeat. This is a Tier 2 event,"
"Tier 2? Are you sure?" Gardner questioned, fear etched over his features.
"If Voldemort is alive down there, then he won't stop until he's killed me and everyone I love. But until he does that, he'll use the resources he has to take over the planet. We can't allow that to happen," Harry explained.
"He can't possibly take control of Earth. We outnumber him a hundred to one," Alyssa spoke.
"Never live off of odds, Alyssa. My friends and I were outnumbered ten to one before I went through the Veil, and we almost won. If Voldemort is even half as ambitious as I remember him to be, he'll find a way. He always does," Harry replied.
"And then you'll kill the son of a bitch. Just like you did before," Garnder added.
"Yes. I'm going to kill him. For good this time," Harry promised. And he would keep that promise. He would kill Voldemort. Even if it was the last thing he did.
"All IAF personnel. As many of you may know, there have been several coordinated attacks on several high-priority structures within the magical world. And I have reason to believe that the once deceased Tom Riddle is responsible. He carries with him an army of wizards, witches, and magical creatures that he has already used to overthrow Azkaban prison. And soon, he may take control of the Ministry building, the Woolworth Building, and Hogwarts itself. This is a Tier 2 event. I repeat. This is a Tier 2 event," The voice of Lord Potter rung in all of the Knights' ears. That was new. A Tier 2 event? That meant warfare. A real war. Not skirmishes or petty rebellions. The Knights would be fighting in a real war for the first time in their existence.
The Kight Squad Echo were all seated in their Fireship alongside a dozen or so Marines, all preparing for the first battles of the war. Echo Squad would be the first squad to reach Hogwarts. The Squad Leader Knight Reyes got to his feet and addressed his squad and the Marines. "You heard Lord Potter. This is a Tier 2 event, meaning we are authorized to use lethal force to complete our mission. Guns off of stun," It was some of their first times having their rifles off of stun-mode. This was lethal. "Our mission is simple. Rendezvous with Headmistress McGonagall at the school's entrance. Once there, we defend the castle from any and all enemies attempting to enter. Romeo and Yankee Squads will be joining us as soon as their sector of the school is clear. Understood?"
"Yes sir!"
"Good. We make this a clean one boys and girls. No one dies and no one's injured. Echo Squad and her Marines have never lost a member in combat. I intend to keep it that way. That clear?"
"Yes sir!"
"Good! Now let's move out!" The ramp to the Fireship slowly lowered, and the members of Echo Squad poured out of it with their sleek-black plasma rifles raised. Their heavy metal boots hit the ground in silence, and their HUDs activated beneath their helmets to display the coordinates of their rendezvous site. "Area's clear," Reyes announced, motioning for the squad of Knights and Marines to follow him into the forest. They could hear screaming in the distance, and what sounded like spell-fire. But they focused on their assignment. Bypass the battle occurring in Hogsmeade and meet McGonagall at the school. Because Hogwarts was the target.
"Enemy contacts to the east!" Someone exclaimed. Half of the squad spun to the east while the other half spun to the west, ensuring no one was on their flank. The Knights and Marines opened fire on the Death Eaters running through the forest and were relieved to find that there were only six. They continued their journey through the forest. "I thought Voldemort and his Death Eaters were killed. How the hell are they back and stirring up trouble?" Knight Morgan asked, her visor flashing as she scanned through the forest.
Knight Waters shrugged. "No clue. Lord Potter said Voldemort was only alive the last time because of these things called Horcruxes. They break apart your soul and store the pieces in objects or even people. Maybe he had more?"
"Who knows," Knight Ortega spoke. "We should focus,"
"Couldn't agree more," Reyes said. And then they reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest. The Quidditch Pitch was in view, as well as Hagrid's Cabin and of course the castle. None of Echo Squad or her Marines were magical, so this was the first time they had ever seen Hogwarts up close. But after the Statute was repealed, they - along with everyone else in the world - got to know about it and the other buildings fairly well. A small red flare could be seen being shot into the air. The Death Eaters were getting closer. "Ok, double-time it Echo!"
Everyone was on the same page. The entire Squad took off at a sprint, rushing up the hill while the Marines struggled to keep up. But the Knights knew they would catch up eventually. They needed to get to McGonagall before the Death Eaters did. They got up the hill, sprinting down the covered bridge as they entered the castle walls. Reyes had studied the layout of the caste extensively, and led his squad right into the Entrance Hall, where McGonagall was waiting for them. She smiled a grateful smile and extended her hand, which Reyes quickly shook. "Lord Potter sends his regards. Something tells me you have a black-robed problem," Reyes spoke.
At the mention of Potter, McGonagall smiled warmly. And then she nodded. "Yes. They haven't managed to break through the wards, but they're close. And when they do, we'll be forced to defend the castle,"
Reyes nodded, grimacing through his helmet. "We have Marines following us to guard the Viaduct. Two more Knight squads will arrive soon to cover the covered bridge and the boathouse. And we have a company of Marines that will arrive soon to ensure the castle is secure. Where are the students?"
"Those who are too young are down in the dungeons. And those who are old enough to fight are being debriefed in the Great Hall," McGonagall motioned to the large set of doors to their left.
"Good. We can use all of the backup we can get. Unfortunately, we had to reroute most of our troops to the Ministry and MACUSA buildings, so what I just told you is all that'll be here. But don't worry ma'am, Echo Squad is the best in the IAF for a reason," Reyes explained.
Knight Proctor took a step towards the door, tapping the side of his helmet. He was scanning through the doors leading outside. He then raised his rifle, pointing it at the door. "Sir. There's an estimated three-hundred outside," Proctor spoke, his voice even despite the worried stance he was taken.
"Three-hundred? Sir, we're outnumbered and outgunned," Kaiser warned.
"We have orders, Knight. We protect this castle with everything we have," Reyes replied. He raised his rifle and turned to Proctor. "Open the door Recruit," Proctor nodded and grabbed one of the large handholds. What normally would take magic to move the door was done in a few seconds by the Knight, who pulled the massive door open in a few seconds. Echo Squad funneled through the opening, moving down the steps into the Entrance Courtyard. They passed through the yard and stood at the edge of the Viaduct, their rifles aimed forward. The entire Death Eater army was on the other side of the bridge, waiting. Death Eaters, werewolves, house-elves, goblins, vampires, trolls. Everything.
Morgan lowered her rifle. "What are they waiting on?"
"That," Reyes pointed to the rear of the army. There was a cloaked figure standing on the shoulders of a troll. He wore a silver cloak and carried an oddly shaped wand. He was pointing it at him.
"The wards will hold. But not for long," McGonagall warned them from behind.
"What kind of defenses does this castle have?" Reyes asked.
"We've already placed the shield," She motioned to the blue bubble surrounding the castle. "And we have stone guards that will fight all those that wish the students harm. But I am afraid that is it,"
"We can work with that. How long does the shield have?"
"Anywhere from an hour to two weeks," McGonagall replied. A large rumble on the floor caused everyone to turn back to the army in front of them. The figure was firing spells at the bubble. They were sent in a tight rhythm. And then the Death Eaters followed. Joining one by one until there were hundreds of spells being fired on the bubble every few seconds. "If they keep that up, it will only last a few minutes,"
Reyes sighed. "Great. Our timetable just dropped," He pressed on his gauntlet and held it up to his helmet. "This is Master Chief Petty Officer Reyes with Echo Squad reporting to IAF Command. We have three hundred Death Eaters and magical creatures ready to knock down the door of Hogwarts. We need back up,"
"Negative Echo-1. All of our resources are going into the attacks on the Ministry and MACUSA. I'm sorry, Echo-1. You're on your own," IAF Command replied.
"Fuck," Ortega breathed. "Well, sir. We're all dead,"
"That is not a very positive outlook," Everyone turned back towards the school. It was Albus Dumbledore. "I heard the news of the situation and wished to offer my services. I'm quite good at Transfiguration. Even in my old age,"
"Albus. It's good to see you," McGonagall spoke, pulling the old man into a hug that he returned.
"As it is you, Minerva," Dumbledore replied.
"As sweet as this is, they're almost through the shield," Waters warned.
"Right. You two fall back into the castle. We'll hold the Viaduct," Reyes ordered the two magicals.
"Sir," Proctor tapped Reyes on the shoulder, motioning towards the doors leading into the Entrance Hall. There were dozens of giant statue guards funneling through the courtyard, marching towards the Viaduct. "I'm pretty sure they'll hold the Viaduct,"
"Right. We let the stone men go first. We hold back in the Entrance Hall," Reyes ordered. Echo Squad all gave understanding nods and sprinted back towards the Entrance Hall. They ducked behind pillars, preparing for the upcoming battle. Dumbledore and McGonagall took notes and hid behind their own pillars, both clutching their wands tightly.
"This reminds me greatly of the first war in the 40s. I was younger than I am now and filled with life and adventure. I couldn't help but get involved," Dumbledore spoke.
"Sir, you need to stay quiet. You'll give away our position," Reyes spoke. Dumbledore went to apologize but was silenced by McGonagall. Reyes' gaze fell on the bubble above them. It was cracking quite badly. A roar. And a rumble in the ground told them a powerful spell had hit. And it had. The entire bubble shattered and dissolved into ash, which fell on top of them. They heard war-cries being yelled, spell-fire, collisions, trolls, and giants roaring. They were making their way across the bridge, plowing through the stone guards. Reyes wasn't entirely sure how they would stop them, but he would fight. He wouldn't run away. Because this was a war now. The IAF and the people of Earth needed them.
"Contact!" Waters shouted. He got out from behind cover and opened fire on the bridge, the rest of Echo Squad following suit. McGonagall and Dumbledore joined them as well, firing powerful spells as the Death Eaters and less powerful creatures. Before he knew it, Reyes watched the last stone guard be destroyed by a giant. And then the entire army turned to them, charging down the long Viaduct. "Rain fire!" Reyes screamed, switching to automatic mode as he began to blast away Death Eaters, werewolves, vampires, goblins, and house-elves.
"Grenades out!" Kaiser exclaimed, tossing an entire plasma-grenade pack out onto the bridge. The army stepped over it, and there was a massive explosion that took out a few dozen of them, as well as a troll and giant. But it wasn't enough. There were so many of them. And there were more coming over the hill in the distance. They were dead.
"WATCH OUT!" Morgan screamed. She jumped forward, tackling Reyes to the ground as a large explosion rang through the air. Proctor tackled Dumbledore and McGonagall to the ground, protecting them while stone and rubble went flying. "What the hell?!" Reyes exclaimed, getting to his feet quickly. He peered into the sky and spotted a Fireship hovering over them, its plasma cannon aimed down at the Viaduct, which was now gone. It was taking heavy spellfire from the army at the other end of the ravine, but it seemed to be holding steady.
"Echo Squad. This is Lord Potter. You needed assistance?" A voice asked over the comms.
"Sir? Oh, thank god. I thought we were dead," Proctor commented.
"Well, you're not dead yet, Knight," Potter replied. "Any of you know how to pilot one of these? I do better on the ground,"
"I can sir. I served in the U.S Air Force before joining the Knight program," Waters spoke.
"Great. Clear the courtyard. I'm landing," The Fireship slowly descended from its position in the air. It eventually landed in the center of the courtyard, blocking spellfire from the army across the valley. The ramp in the back opened up and out stepped Potter and two females. One was wearing civilian clothes. And the other was wearing a Marines uniform that had no name on the breast. One of the spares from the back of the Fireship. But it proved she was sticking around to fight. Reyes stepped up to Lord Potter, extending his hand. "Thank you for stopping by, Lord Potter,"
"And thanks for saving our asses," Proctor spoke.
"Shut it, rookie," Ortega said.
"No problem to you both," Potter smiled. "Hogwarts is my home and you're my people. I couldn't live with myself if I saw either fall today when I could have been here to fight alongside you,"
"Then you are as insane as people say you are," Kaiser commented. Reyes moved to snap at her for insubordination, but Potter let out a humored laugh and shrugged.
"Well, I do my best to please," He said, before turning to Waters. "You said you can fly this thing?"
"Of course,"
"Good. You're on aerial support. Try to take out any stragglers on brooms, and then work on thinning their numbers from the air. Romeo and Yankee Squads are dealing with their opposing forces on the northeast and northwest sides of the castle. And our Marine backups are held up at the top of the castle dealing with broom operators. The sooner you help them with those, the sooner you Knights will have Marine support down here," Potter explained. Waters nodded and took off at a sprint into the Fireship. He got it started immediately, and took off at high speed into the air. Potter turned to the rest of them. "We have them in a bad situation. The only way into the castle is across the Viaduct and through this courtyard. As long as we keep them in that funnel, we can pick them off one by one while Waters provides aerial support,"
"And the civilian, sir?" Reyes asked, motioning to the woman in the white button-up shirt.
"She's no civilian, Knight. Watch and learn," Potter gave the woman a nod, and she grinned brightly. And then she shoved her hands into the ground and went flying into the air. Echo Squad spun around to watch as she flew into the air, suddenly stopping to stand on...nothing. She reached down into the valley, and Echo Squad watched as the rubble that had once been the Viaduct soared into the air around her. Was she going to recreate the bridge? She did just that. But she made it narrower. And the pieces left over she flung at the army of Death Eaters. Specifically the trolls and giants. She took out a dozen of them before returning to the courtyard. The army was kept away from the bridge by a small barrier only visible by the Knights' scanners. "What the hell?"
"She's the telekinetic," Ortega spoke.
"Yes. And this is Doctor Alyssa Truit. She works with me in the Magical Sciences Division. She grew up hunting, and is more than capable with a rifle," Potter explained.
"Well, that's great. We've got six Knights, a Lord, two magicals, a telekinetic, and a hunter. We might survive this," Proctor spoke.
Morgan turned to Proctor angrily. "Rooke, I swear to -"
"Enemies incoming!" Reyes shouted. They had gotten through the invisible barrier, and were once again sprinting their way through the much narrower Viaduct. The bridge needed to remain there. If not, the enemies forces would just circle the perimeter and join the enemy forces on the other sides of the castle, overwhelming Romeo and Yankee Squads. They needed to fight her and nowhere else. It was the only way. Potter's clothes dematerialized and materialized into his famous grey, red, and gold cloak. But it had been upgraded from the last time it was seen. The cloak was now gone, leaving only the pants and high-collared button-up shirt. He now wore grey gloves, and a small visor had materialized around his eyes. Next-gen nanotechnology.
His staff appeared, and he fired a massive curse straight down the bridge, hitting a troll square in the face. There was no face after that, and the troll fell back on top of a dozen enemy troops. Reyes felt a lot better about their odds. Dr. Truit was firing her own plasma rifle, and the telekinetic was throwing invisible balls of pain at the enemies, which caused them to explode. Something that slightly terrified Echo Squad. Potter then stopped firing spells and stared directly towards the cloaked figure still standing on the troll's shoulder. He tapped a button on the side of his visor and spoke. "IAF Command. Voldemort is here at Hogwarts. I have eyes on him right now," So the figure was Voldemort. He was here. Why?
"Negative Lord Potter. Lord Voldemort was just spotted within the Ministry Building," IAF Command replied.
"Negative IAF Command. Voldemort is here in the Woolworth Building! He's taken out half my squad!" A voice exclaimed over the comms.
"Negative Foxtrot-1. We now have eyes on Voldemort's location. He is currently within Azkaban prison," IAF Command reported.
"What the hell? He can't be in four places at once!" Kaiser shouted over the noise of plasma and spellfire.
"Negative IAF Command. We have reports of an attack on the United Nations Headquarters coming through the channel! And another from the ICW! What's going on?!" Someone asked over the channel. Potter shut it off, breathing heavily.
"He's launched a full-scale attack against all of our strongest locations!" Potter shouted. "We need to finish up here at Hogwarts and report to the other sites!"
"Sir, we're trying! But they're still coming over the hill!" Proctor exclaimed.
"Lord Potter. This is IAF Command. We've localized and tracked Lord Voldemort's magical signature, and I have to tell you I'm very worried. We read over ninety-seven identical signatures spread across the planet," IAF Command reported. Reyes stilled. Ninety-seven Voldemorts? How the hell was that possible? "We're getting reports of attacks on dozens of magical outposts and government structures across the world. Each report is the same. A massive army of Death Eaters and magical creatures knocking on the door. This isn't just a war, Lord Potter. It's an INVASION!"
