A/N: Sorry for the delay. I'm having RL issues, which has affected my motivation and creativity. On another note, I need a beta since my original seems to be out of touch. If anyone is willing to take up that role to help with plot development, characterization, grammar, and spelling, I would be very grateful. Chapters get posted so much quicker when I have a little assistance! Not to mention overall quality is always noticeably better. Thanks for reading!

A/N2: I'm sorry, but this hasn't been beta-ed. Fortunately, I can report that all chapters preceding this have been edited, if you want to review them. Nothing drastic has been changed. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

…

The Enemy of My Enemy

Harry woke slowly. He was hot and something heavy was holding him down. It would have been uncomfortable if he hadn't immediately recognized that it was his brothers' arms pinning him in place. A big smile stretched across his face even before he opened his eyes. He was safe!

Memories slowly trickled into his awareness. He remembered the pitch-black tunnel, remembered walking through a dark town and into the hills to find a ramshackle house. He remembered reuniting with Quatre and Trowa and being pushed up against the strange dog-man, but that was it.

Curious, Harry cracked open his eyes. His vision was blurred from sleep, and he blinked rapidly to clear them as much as he could without his glasses. A soft snore captured his attention and his smile widened upon seeing Duo's sleeping face inches from his own. The brunet was sound asleep, which was all to the good. Harry could see dark circles under his eyes and that Duo's hair was oily and heavier than normal, too. Harry snuggled into Duo's embrace and the arm holding his waist tightened, trying to pull him back to the middle of the bed.

He turned to see that it was Quatre, and Harry's smile was sleepy reflected on the blond's face. Harry sighed. Quatre's empathy must be wide open for him to react in sleep to Harry's emotions. He wasn't sure how long he'd been gone – less than a week, certainly – so his brother was not in danger of overloading, but Harry would be sure to remind him to shut it down once everyone woke up.

Lifting his head revealed exactly what Harry expected. He spied Heero and Trowa sleeping beside their respective partners. The bed was huge! A king, at least, maybe even bigger. Harry expected the rest of the room to be just as extravagant, but it was actually kind of shabby. It was on the smaller side, the bed nearly filling the room completely. The warm light that came in through a window to the left fell on faded maroon wallpaper and sagging book shelves. A torn poster of some kind of athlete in red and gold robes hung on the wall in the corner.

Harry went limp, content just to know he was no longer trapped in his prison in the school. He felt cocooned in safety, surrounded by people who loved him, who would stop at nothing to protect him. His family had been thrust into a whole new world and it had taken them less than a week to get him back. It made Harry's chest feel tight with pride. He'd almost fallen back to sleep, his cheeks damp with happy tears, when his stomach growled loudly.

"S'mornin?" Duo mumbled, only semi-coherently.

The bed shifted under them as Trowa sat up, propped on his elbow. His long bangs were tucked behind his ear, giving Harry a rare view of his uncovered face. He caught Harry's eyes and smiled. "Good morning, little one."

Harry smiled up at him tearfully. "Morning, Trowa."

Trowa yawned and lazily ran his fingers through his golden brown hair so his features were obscured once more. "I'll start breakfast. What do you want?"

"Anything will be fine," Harry answered and was about to offer to help when he felt eyes on him.

He knew who it was immediately. Harry knew of only one person with a stare so intense that it made the hair on the back of your neck stand on end. He looked over and saw Heero sitting up with his back against the headboard, his cobalt blue eyes watching him solemnly. He definitely looked more ruffled than normal. His hair, usually full of volume, lay flat and mussed with an oily sheen. He had dark circles under his eyes and his tan skin was paler. Harry felt a pang of guilt for putting his brothers through so much.

"Sorry for waking you," he murmured, dropping his eyes from his brother's. He knew what Heero wanted, but he didn't want to relive his kidnapping right now.

"We had an adequate amount of sleep," Heero answered, solid and unshakable.

Harry ducked into Duo's embrace to avoid that steady look. It was weak, but he wanted to hide from reality for just a little longer.

"Leave 'em 'lone, Hee-chan," Duo slurred, blindly hitting out. His palm landed on Heero's stomach with a loud smack. Unlike Quatre and Duo who slept in loose shirts and shorts, Trowa and Heero both preferred to sleep topless.

"Can't you leave off for one morning, Maxwell?" Wufei grumbled from the floor, still out of sight.

Harry snickered, amused that Wufei was already annoyed with Duo and that he'd had to sleep on the floor.

Quatre's sleepy laugh echoed him. "Good morning everyone," he said with a cheerful smile as he sat up and stretched his arms above his head.

"Good morning," Harry returned before he caught the blond's eyes with a serious expression. "You're still open. You need to shut it down for a while to rest."

"Yes. You're right." Quatre closed his eyes, his expression turning pained for a brief moment as he closed his connection to everyone around him. When he opened his eyes again, he smiled, but Harry could see tension there.

Harry wished more than anything he could help his brother. He knew that in a few hours Quatre wouldn't feel the loss so keenly, but Harry still hated that he had to suffer at all. He wrapped his arms around his brother's stomach and hugged him tightly. Quatre laid a gentle hand on his head, his voice rumbling softly through his body and into Harry's ear.

"Why don't we let the others take care of breakfast while we make use of the rather spectacular bathroom."

Duo sighed loudly. "Think that's the only thing that could get me outta bed." He curled into a tight ball, hugging a pillow to his chest.

Harry sat up, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Quatre. "That sounds great, but maybe I should help with breakfast…"

"No." Heero vetoed that immediately. "Take a bath with Duo and Quatre. After we eat, we can talk."

Harry cast his eyes down to his lap unhappily.

"We should find time for our morning routine, as well." Wufei got up from the floor and stood at the foot of the bed. He gave Harry a knowing look. "I'm feeling rather stiff today."

"I am, too," Harry admitted gratefully. The talk with Heero and the others would be a lot less uncomfortable if he centered himself first.

"First, let's take care of that mess you call hair…" Quatre tugged on a bit of it, playfully wrinkling his nose.

He blushed and ducked his head again. He couldn't help noticing that Quatre's hair was clean and relatively neat even now. "They didn't give me a brush or a comb…"

"Easy to fix." Duo's violet eyes sparkled from under his bangs. He uncurled and dramatically held his arms out to Quatre and Harry. "But I'm still so tired. Carry me?"

Quatre laughed. "You've got two good legs. Get up and use them."

"Aw! I bet you'd carry Harry!" the brunet whined.

"Can you not be silent even upon waking?" Wufei snapped. He left the room, muttering under his breath in Chinese.

Duo stuck out his tongue childishly, making Harry giggle.

"Baka," Heero muttered, rapping Duo softly on the head with the back of his knuckles before taking his leave. Trowa slipped out of the room after him, shaking his head.

"Traitor!" Duo called after his lover, chucking a pillow through the doorway. He huffed, crossing his arms and scowling.

Harry snickered, pleased for the chance to get one over on his mischievous brother, and looked up at Quatre with his puppy-dog eyes. "Carry me?"

"Of course, my little prince," Quatre answered promptly and hooked his arm under Harry's legs, lifting him in the bridal position as he stood.

"Cat! No fair!" Duo cried loudly, getting up on his knees and putting his hands on his hips.

"You don't really have to carry me. I was just teasing," Harry muttered as Quatre moved toward the door, still carrying him.

"Better be careful what you ask for, then."

Harry blushed bright red, but he didn't struggle to escape.

The hallway they stepped into was narrow. A dark brown carpet ran down the middle of the wooden floor. He thought the walls were a darkened cream, but it was hard to tell because swords, paintings, and pictures covered nearly every available space.

"Hey, Wu-man, can you bring us some clothes? Don't forget Harry's!" Duo called loudly as he followed them.

"I am not your slave! Get it yourself, you menace!" Wufei yelled back from another room.

The Chinese pilot stepped into the hallway, his hair now pulled back in his customary tight, low ponytail. He was also dressed in his down-time attire: white silk pants, a Chinese style shirt, and slippers. Thin, silver glasses were perched on his nose. He also had a pair of pants and shirt of Harry's folded neatly in his hands. On top was an extra pair of Harry's glasses. He passed all this to Harry, who took it, balancing it on his stomach since Quatre still wouldn't put him down.

"Thanks, Wufei," he said softly, staring into his brother's onyx eyes.

"You are welcome. Unlike Maxwell, you had no way of knowing where your things were."

Quatre continued down the hall, saying to Wufei, "See you at breakfast."

Harry's attention was soon caught by the portraits and pictures on the wall. He even forgot to be embarrassed about being carried. They moved! Children waved, ran, and played within the black and white photos while adults scowled or shifted poses. Some few would smile, but most turned their noses up at Harry. It was amazing!

"We're using Black's house for now," Duo informed him as he rejoining them with his own bundle of clothes. Harry noted he also had clothes for Quatre. "He's a wizard who can turn into a dog! Can you believe it? He saw a news bulletin about your being missing and contacted us. Apparently he'd checked up on you before and approved of you staying with us, so he thought he'd help get you back." He reached past them to open the bathroom door for Quatre. "He's not so bad, really. And his bathroom is spectacular!"

Harry's mouth fell open. The bathroom was enormous! The floor was done in white marble while the sink and large claw-footed tub was done in black. A huge mirror hung above the sink, and in the corner was a water closet with a massive dragon carved on the door that contained the toilet. Quatre set him down on his feet next to the tub, and it came up to Harry's waist and would easily fit the three of them.

"Well, get undressed!" Duo pulled on Harry's hair with a wicked grin. "I'm dying to see the bubbles this thing makes. Kitty-Cat said it's beyond awesome."

"You'd have had a chance to see for yourself if you took the time to bathe properly," Quatre quipped as he turned two of the six dials. Steaming water immediately began filling the tub and thick clouds of bubbles surged across the surface of the water until they were threatening to spill over the sides. The scent of strawberries filled the room and made Harry's stomach growl again.

He practically flew from his filthy clothes and jumped into the hot water. Bubbles exploded into the air and floated around the bathroom lazily. Duo copied him and jumped in, nearly knocking Harry under. Quatre undressed with more dignity and stepped carefully into the water, but it was for naught as Duo splashed him in the face as soon as he was seated. Harry laughed again. Magic had seemed so threatening when he'd been held by Dumbledore, but with his brothers it seemed so much more amazing and exciting.

"You look like a drowned rat," Quatre teased, splashing Duo back.

Duo huffed, crossing his arms as he pouted. "Least I don't look like a spoiled prince."

"Hey!" Harry cried, filling his face with mock hurt.

"I didn't mean you." Duo rolled his eyes and blew bubbles at him.

"Turn around so Harry can work on your mop while I work on his," Quatre ordered, taking charge.

Duo sighed and obeyed, looking over his shoulder apologetically. "Sorry, Harry-chan. I know it's a mess."

"That's okay," Harry reassured. "Mine, too. Sorry, Quatre."

"It's fine," Quatre reassured softly.

The heat of the water, the closeness of his brothers, put him in a happy trance. Harry's fingers worked almost independently to unravel Duo's braid, and he washed it thoroughly, twice, before putting in conditioner. Harry wrapped the thick hair into a large bun and set it atop Duo's head so the conditioner could sit for a few minutes. Quatre had already done the same for him. Fortunately for the blond, Harry had less hair than Duo. His brother's long hair fell around his hips once unbound while Harry's hair fell just past his rib cage.

"We should contact Une," Duo murmured drowsily. He was hanging half over the tub, completely boneless. His violet eyes were nearly shut as he practically purred. "Let her know Harry's safe."

Quatre sighed and began washing his own hair. "They aren't going to be satisfied with that."

Harry frowned up at his brother in confusion. "They?"

Quatre quirked a half-smile at him. "You didn't think we were the only ones upset with your disappearance, did you?"

"President Darlian's here. So is Cathy and Dr. Po. I told them we had it under control, but they're on stand-by just in case." Duo turned around and flicked Harry on the nose. "Silly little boy. You should have guessed that they would help us tear the world apart to get to you."

Harry blushed hotly. The women were close friends, but he hadn't quite realized they'd go so far for him. Relena and Sally were both really busy people. And Cathy was the manager of the circus now. She couldn't just up and drop everything to come looking for him… But apparently all three of them had done just that. He felt his stomach flip happily.

He looked up at Quatre and Duo and gave them a teary smile. "Thank you for finding me."

Duo grinned back and drew him into a loose hug. "Aw, ain't nothing we wouldn't do for you, kid."

Quatre nodded. "Just like you would do the same for us. We're family, and that's what family does."

There was a sharp pop that made Harry jump, but before he saw what was going on, Duo slammed him down under the water. Air escaped him in a storm of bubbles. Before his lungs could burn from lack of air, Quatre was pulling him back up. Harry sputtered and wiped at his eyes, heart hammering a mile a minute. When he could see again, he stared in shock at the grotesque creature standing in the middle of the bathroom. It glowered at them before disappearing with another crack.

"What was that?" Harry asked faintly, still staring at the spot where the creature had stood.

"That was a house-elf. It lives here with Mr. Black," Quatre explained. "Black insists it's harmless."

"Harmless, my ass," Duo grumbled, but he put his gun back on the floor near the tub and began to rinse his hair.

Now that it was clear they weren't under attack, he was actually kind of curious about the strange creature. He turned to look up at his brother, his long hair hanging wet around his face and shoulders. "What'd it want?" Harry questioned.

Quatre smiled and flicked suds off Harry's cheek. "To tell us breakfast is ready," he answered and pushed him toward the facet to rinse.

In less than ten minutes, they were leaving the bathroom. They would have been finished sooner, but it had taken Duo and Quatre working together, both armed with a brush, to get Harry's hair untangled. Duo had quickly braided it before doing the same to his own long hair.

This time Harry walked on his own feet as he followed his brothers down the hallway again and toward the stairs. Now that he had some glasses, he could see the interesting things on the walls much more clearly. Quatre had to urge him on twice when he stopped to stare. Curiously, halfway down the stairs, Duo put a finger to his lips and dramatically tip-toed past a section of the wall covered in heavy, dark red curtains, causing Harry to giggle. Quatre also walked softly and Harry followed suit, wondering why in the world it was necessary.

"A madwoman's painting hangs there. If you wake her up, she screams like a bloody banshee," Duo explained, whispering in his ear once they reached the bottom of the stairs.

Harry had to bite back a loud laugh. It was so crazy. His invincible brothers were scared of the painting of some woman?

"It's not like shooting her shuts her up. Heero's already tried," Duo answered with a shrug. "It's just best to let her sleep."

Harry snickered and followed his brothers toward the delicious scent of breakfast. The kitchen was small, but Harry smiled upon seeing it filled with his family. Harry's smile morphed into a grin at seeing Trowa in his pink polka dotted apron. Duo had given it to him as a birthday gift last year. Wufei and Heero didn't understand why Trowa hadn't just thrown the offending garment away, but Harry understood. For someone who hadn't gotten a lot of gifts, each one became precious. Had Duo given it to him, Harry would have worn it, too. (He diligently ignored the mysterious Mr. Black who sat at the table reading a newspaper.)

Trowa reached out his long arms and pulled Harry into a hug. Harry went into his arms more than willingly and hugged him tightly back before being gently pushed toward an open seat at the table. "Do you want cheese on your eggs?"

"Yes, please!" Harry usually didn't, but he was starving and everything sounded good at the moment.

Trowa nodded and turned back to the stove.

The wizard caught Harry's eyes and grinned widely. "How are you feeling, Harry? I'm Sirius Black. You can call me Sirius or Padfoot," he invited with a wink and a laugh. There was a mischievous air about him, like Duo when he was feeling playful.

"Fine," Harry answered shortly. Wizards kind of set him on edge now, and he looked to his brothers for clues on how to react to the man. Duo was smiling, Trowa and Quatre appeared neutral, Heero was staring at the dog-man suspiciously, and Wufei was studiously ignoring him as he drank his morning tea. All in all, Harry supposed that some caution was still required, but that Black had passed their preliminary tests.

Black's smile faded a bit but it came right back. "I'm glad. Let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"Yeah. I'll do that," he muttered.

They didn't talk much during breakfast. Harry sat between Duo and Heero. Black sat at the end of the table so that Trowa and Quatre could sit across from them. It wasn't until they all finished having seconds that someone spoke up.

"So what's the plan?" Black asked, looking between Heero and Quatre.

"Duo and I will do the dishes while Heero and Trowa take a quick shower. Why don't you go over the list of spells that the others thought would be essential. You can make any changes or suggestions you see fit, just make a note of your reasoning in the margins, please."

Black nodded. "I can do that. Maybe take a nap. I'm still bushed from yesterday."

Quatre began collecting the plates, offering the wizard a friendly smile. "We might end up doing the same."

"Sounds good." Black looked down at Harry intently as he stood. "Maybe we can do some catching up tomorrow, then?"

Harry said nothing to that, just shrugged. He could tell the wizard was disappointed, but Harry wasn't in a hurry to associate with wizards anytime soon. Wufei gave him a sharp nod and stood. Harry hurried to follow, accepting another hug from Duo as he passed.

"I'm so glad you're back," Duo whispered in his ear, sounding on the verge of tears.

Harry pulled away to stare up at him with wide eyes. "Are you okay, Duo?"

Violet eyes full of pain closed as his brother took a deep breath and pulled him close again. "You almost died."

Harry's breath caught, a sharp pain twisting his chest as he wrapped his arms around his brother tightly. He bit his lip, remembering Snape standing over his brothers once more, intoning that horrible spell on top of the Eifel Tower. He wasn't the only one who'd almost died.

Wufei gently pulled Harry away. "Come."

Heero held Duo against his chest, reaching forward to ruffle Harry's hair with his free hand. "Go on. He's fine."

"I love you," Harry whispered, meeting Duo's wet eyes.

"Love you, too, kiddo," Duo answered with a shaky smile. "Go with Wufei and have fun. I'll be fine."

Harry gave him one more hug before he turned reluctantly and followed Wufei out of the kitchen. He looked back to see Duo huddled in Heero's embrace. The braided pilot had his hands over his face and his shoulders were bunched with tension. Quatre stepped up to Duo's side and murmured something into his ear. Heero caught Harry's eye and nodded, silently telling him everything was okay.

He turned and followed Wufei down the hallway, away from the kitchen. Twisting his hands in his shirt hem, Harry looked up at his brother. "Is Duo okay?"

"Your apparent death took a lot out of us. Having you back is a great relief."

Tears burned his cheeks as they fell. "I'm so sorry, Wufei. I didn't mean to…"

Wufei spun and sank gracefully to his knees, grabbing hold of Harry's shoulders. "It was not your fault. Did you manufacture that horrific memory? Did you plan your own abduction?"

"I couldn't stop them," Harry protested miserably. He wiped at his cheeks, hating that Wufei was seeing him cry.

"Neither could we. Do you blame us?" Wufei asked sharply, his thin eyebrows lowered and small mouth bunched with tension.

"No!" Harry denied instantly and was amazed to see his brother's expression relax, as if he had really expected the answer to be different. "No, Wufei. They had magic. We had no idea what was going on, and despite everything you got me back really fast!"

"We did," Wufei agreed and released Harry's shoulders. He stood and guided Harry into a small room. "Here. This should be good enough."

Wufei gestured at the furniture cluttering the space, and with a lopsided grin, Harry used his telekinesis to push everything against the walls. In the now cleared area, they stood face to face and bowed, their hands pressed palm to palm over their chests. Straightening, they breathed deeply for several minutes, consciously relaxing their bodies before they began to move through the first fluid steps.

xXxXxXx

Remus opened his eyes slowly. His head felt stuffed with cotton and he could hardly swallow around his clumsy tongue. Pomfrey must have set alarms to monitor his consciousness because she came bustling out of her office, a glass of cool water in hand. He moaned as soon as the delicious liquid touched his cracked lips.

"How are you feeling?" Pomfrey questioned him as she ran a diagnostic. "Any dizziness? Nausea?"

"No," he croaked. Pushing himself up into a sitting position, he rubbed at his face. His fingers tingled, but he didn't mention it. He didn't want to be trapped here any longer than he had to be. "I'm fine."

"I'll be the judge of that," the matronly witch said firmly. She handed him another glass of water. "You're dehydrated. Drink that. I'll be back."

Remus watched her bustle away through dull eyes. He sipped at his drink and tried to figure out how things had gone so terribly wrong. He'd just finished the water when the infirmary doors slammed open. Dumbledore strode toward his bed with a thunderous expression, his robes snapping behind him. It had been a long time since Remus had seen the Headmaster in such a temper. His robes were even turning black around the hems, the color spreading like ink up the vivid purple material.

"What happened?" Dumbledore demanded, his blue eyes painfully clear behind his glasses.

There was a loud snort from behind the elderly wizard, and Severus stepped into view. He stood stiffly with dark circles ringing his eyes. "The wolf betrayed us. That's the only logical conclusion."

McGonagall stepped up to Dumbledore's other side and cast Severus a stern glare. "Let him speak!" She turned to look expectantly at Remus. "Go on. What happened to you?"

Remus knew he'd made mistakes, but he wasn't convinced that contacting Harry's family was one despite what had happened, so he lifted his chin and composed his expression into something neutral. "I contacted Harry's family and guided them into the castle through the Honeyduke's passage."

"Why in the world would you do something like this without talking to me first?" Dumbledore's magic crackled around him dangerously as he towered over the hospital bed.

"I tried talking to you, but you were so certain Harry's family was a danger to him. There was nothing else I could have said," he answered calmly, hoping his shaking hands weren't obvious.

"You think you know better than the Headmaster?" Severus hissed furiously. "Those men killed two of our number, if you recall! They rendered you unconscious in a manner that prevented magical resuscitation and nearly killed me during their escape!"

"They were defending themselves," Remus snapped back.

"Tell me everything, Remus," Dumbledore ordered lowly. "Harry's life may very well depend on what you can tell us."

Remus' heart thundered in his chest as sweat broke out along his hairline. "I slipped out of the castle after my last class. Harry had given me telephone numbers to reach his family. I Apparated to London and made the calls from there. The first number went to voicemail, but I reached Harry's brother Duo on the second…"

He went on to explain everything that had happened. He had to stop frequently to answer questions from both Dumbledore and Severus. Things like what the young men wore to how they carried themselves. Nothing was left out. At the end of it all, Remus felt utterly exhausted and there was no hiding it. His hands shook so badly that both arms visibly trembled. And even then Dumbledore wasn't done. He put his wand to Remus' temple and extracted a copy of the memories.

McGonagall stared down at him as he fell flat on his hospital bed, Dumbledore and Severus having already departed to view the events in a Pensieve. "I hope you realize how far reaching the consequences of your actions will be."

"You should have seen him," Remus answered back, his eyes falling shut. "Harry was happy… so happy to see him… He was crying… I just wanted him to stop crying…" The last thing he felt was a warm hand brushing his forehead and a soft voice telling him to rest.

xXxXxXx

Harry gave a detailed recounting of his kidnapping, sitting between Heero and Wufei on a couch in yet another sitting room. Trowa stood leaning against the wall behind the armchair Quatre had pulled up close to the couch, while Duo sat on the floor at Harry's feet. All of them had grim looks as the silence stretched after Harry's retelling.

He sighed and pressed his cheek to Heero's shoulder. It had been hard telling them everything that had happened, especially the parts about the Death Eater scroll, the photo album, and what really happened to him that long ago Halloween night, but Quatre was right. He did feel better now that his brothers knew everything.

"When can we leave?" he asked, opening his eyes and catching sight of Duo's hesitant expression. The brunet cast his violet eyes up at his lover expectantly, and Harry knew that meant they were staying.

Quatre reached forward to capture his hands. "We have to finish things here," he said regretfully.

Harry wanted to yell at them. To tell them that they didn't have to do anything. That they could go back home and forget all this ever happened. They were fine before they came down to Earth. They could go back to that. They could!

A strong hand gently cupped his chin and pulled his face up. Harry's tears spilled over as he stared into Heero's determined eyes. "We can't run away. You know why."

"Because I'm in danger, and we don't leave enemies behind who can attack us again," Harry answered roughly, resignation spreading through him.

"It's your connection to this Dark Lord that worries us," Wufei explained.

Harry turned to look at him, eyes wide. He'd completely forgotten about that. His hand lifted to touch the lightning mark.

Wufei nodded and gently pulled his hand away from his forehead. "He can get to you no matter where you are. We won't allow that to continue."

"But what if you get hurt? Like Dumbledore said?" he demanded.

He looked around at his brothers and knew his protest was futile. Duo was smiling, already dismissing the risks. Quatre was reassuring him that they weren't as vulnerable now that they understood the situation. Trowa merely looked at him, his steady stare communicating that risks to themselves were irrelevant when Harry was in danger. Heero's expression said the same while Wufei assured him they'd be careful and plan wisely. Harry balled his fists, suddenly furious. If any of his brothers were hurt over this, because of him, then he would make sure the Wizarding world regretted ever coming for him.

"Have faith in us, little man," Duo scolded, whopping him playfully on the forehead

"We are well trained, Harry. You know this," Heero added and pulled Harry into his lap.

Harry leaned back against him with a sigh. "I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

He was about to say more when excruciating pain boiled through his brain. Harry screamed, his back arching as he clawed blindly at his head. Through the agony, he had vague impressions of hands grabbing his arms, holding him close, voices ringing with distress, and then he was outside. The bright sun made him scream, but he couldn't close his eyes or look away!

The pain didn't let up as he walked forward over tarmac. Through the blinding light, he recognized shuttles, a spaceport. His head turned as he watched a plane pull away from a gate. His hand lifted… His vision distorted as the pain spiked, blinding him briefly… But he could hear it… Screaming …

He squinted, trying to see… Red, God, it hurt!, and flickering… The plane was on fire! The metal was melting onto the tarmac like taffy. It was like no fire Harry had ever seen. He could almost make out demonic faces in the flames, their large hungry mouths stretched wide as they consumed the air craft. The passengers, must be dozens of them, were shrieking as they cooked. Then there was nothing but the sound of hungry flames… and ringing laughter.

Harry was laughing, laughing in sheer delight as he turned and faced the spaceport once more. Alarms blared and sirens pierced the air as the windows exploded inward. Harry could just hear the terrified cries from within. Harry tried to stop it, but he was pinned helpless in his own body as his hands lifted once more, one holding a pale, long wand. The spaceport began to collapse in on itself, folding like origami, killing all within.

Thrashing, trying to get free of this nightmare, Harry found himself flying into the air. Still laughing, he watched as his hands flung fireball after fireball, hitting more shuttles and targeting the emergency vehicles. Everything was blood and fire, screams and death, and under his horror he felt exhilarated. The burnt and broken bodies littering the tarmac made him simultaneously sick and gleeful.

He begged through a throat that felt like molten lava for it to end. "Please… no more… stop it, please…"

"Come back to us, Harry. You can do it. You're all right. You're safe."

That was Quatre, and he could hear Heero's barked questions somewhere to the right. Could hear the wizard, Black, sputtering responses that did nothing to calm Heero's temper. Harry blinked swollen eyes, found himself on his back on the floor. He wasn't outside, couldn't smell smoke and burning meat. Duo and Quatre were crouched at his sides. A hand on his forehead had him looking up into concerned green. Trowa mopped at his forehead, his touch as gentle as ever.

Harry closed his eyes and went limp, exhausted and shaken.

"Harry? Harry, can you hear me?" Duo demanded, close enough that Harry could feel his breath on his cheek.

"He burnt it down… The port… They're all dead…" Harry reached up blindly and wrapped his arms around Duo's neck. "It was like… I did it…"

"No, Harry. No. You didn't do anything," Quatre argued, voice low but firm. Harry felt the blond's fingers wrap around his wrist where they held to Duo's shoulders, checking his pulse.

"I'll contact Une," Heero announced. "Wufei…"

"I'm with you."

"Duo…"

"I'll stay here," he answered, his voice rumbling in Harry's ear, still caught up in Harry's death grip.

Harry was pulled up into a sitting position and propped up against Trowa's broad chest.

"Open your eyes. Let me check you over," Quatre ordered softly, his hands on Harry's face.

But he couldn't. Not yet. He released Duo and turned so he was curled around Trowa, his face pressed firmly to his brother's stomach.

"Leave him be, Cat," Duo murmured. Harry could feel him stroking his hair. "We'll check him over later."

"Does he need potions? I have potions…" Black offered, clearly distressed.

He heard Quatre sigh and pick up where Heero had left off interrogating the wizard.

"Sleep. We've got you," Trowa promised, holding him secure.

Harry was too exhausted to disobey. Everything faded to black as he passed out.

xXxXxXx

Albus straightened from his Pensieve with a deeply etched frown. He'd almost gotten to the end of Remus' memories when he'd heard the alarms. A brass gyroscope on one of his shelves glowed red-hot. It was the emergency alarm connected to the Order. Albus ran for his fireplace, tossing the floo powder down and yelling out the address to Order headquarters.

Nymphadora Tonks stood waiting. There was soot smeared on her cheek, her hair was black and limp, her face pale. She didn't give Albus time to question her as hysterical words fell from her mouth as soon as she caught sight of him. "Death Eaters are attacking the Muggle world, sir! Every major airport is being destroyed as we speak! The Aurors are doing all they can, but we're spread thin! They're battling it out in plain sight, sir!"

As she spoke, more Order members were flooing and Apparating in, the emergency alarm having summoned them.

"Don your Pheonix robes!" he bellowed, and his group of witches and wizards obeyed, pulling on their red-hooded robes so that their identities would remain hidden. "Pair up! I want a Disrupter at each airport activated in the next minute! We don't have time to spare! Move!"

Albus had hoped to keep the defensive weapon he'd developed in reserve for later in the war, but it couldn't be helped. This was disastrous!

"The Dark Lord's at the spaceport outside London!" Kingsley Shacklebolt cried out as he stumbled into the gutted cottage.

Everyone froze and looked at him with wide eyes.

Albus squared his shoulders. "Hurry. We cannot allow the Magical world to be outted in violence. Go! The situation must be contained. I'll deal with Voldemort." His Order members scrambled to obey, only Kingsley stood rooted to the spot, his expression grave. "Return to your post in the Ministry," he told the loyal man. "I'll be fine."

Spelling his robes red, Albus clasped his friend on the shoulder before Apparating away.

xXxXxXx

Une snapped her phone up as soon as she saw who was calling. "01! Report!" she barked, glaring at the back of her driver's head, silently ordering him to go faster.

Her office had been bombarded with panicked reports of explosions, smoke, and fire at several key points across the UK. Fire and police stations were reporting that their officers that had been sent to the scene weren't reporting back. Satellite images were so hazy they couldn't make anything out, and all the cameras in the affected areas had gone off line. This had led her to jumping into a car, putting on the siren full blast, and racing to the closest scene herself, which just so happened to be one of London's international airports.

"What's the situation?" Yuy asked, calm as you please.

"You tell me, Agent," Une hissed, not for one moment believing he was ignorant of recent happenings. Her gut told her that the boys were deeply embroiled in whatever was going on, and she was shocked nearly speechless that they had let this happen. "Every major airport and the spaceport are under simultaneous attack by unknown offenders. What do you know?"

"What's your position?"

"En route!" she snapped. "Talk to me, Agent, or I'll have you thrown in jail for conspiracy! We're supposed to be in place to prevent this sort of thing!"

"Agent Chang and I are on our way. ETA fifteen minutes."

"What am I looking at here?" she demanded, slamming her fist down on the seat in frustration. "I'm working blind!"

"Focus on rescue and evacuation. Do not engage. I repeat, do not engage." Then Heero Yuy disconnected the call.

Une calmly shut her phone. "I'm going to kill him," she announced calmly, fire burning in her eyes.

Seven minutes later, she was stepping out of the car onto an impossible scene of absolute devastation. The sprawling airport had been flattened. No building was left standing. Every airplane had been melted into slag. Police cars and fire trucks lay on their sides or broken in half. Smoke hung so heavy in the air that very little sunlight illuminated the area. Soot and ash coated the ground like snow while glass shards sparkled dully. She could smell blood in the air, along with cooked flesh. It was a scene from her nightmares come to life once more. It was as if she stood years in the past during the Space-Earth war, when military machines and endless weapons had ravaged cities and towns, killing millions.

But it was impossible! Everything was silent. She could have heard a pin drop. The fires were out, the debris had settled; it was as if the attack had happened days ago! She'd arrived within fifteen minutes of the first alarm coming in! Where were the attackers? Where were the flames? They were at an airport for god's sake! The threat of gasoline tanks going up should still be a number one crisis. Not this stillness, this deathly silence.

A little Honda pulled in behind her. She turned and faced down the newcomer with a fierce glower. Yuy ignored her as he surveyed the devastation. Chang walked past them, likely going to check for survivors, though she knew there wouldn't be any. The sound of sirens echoed in the distance as the second wave of emergency responders drew closer. Une ignored it all, focused entirely on the young man's face beside her.

Navy blue eyes ran unblinking over the landscape. He was shorter than her, his body compact and lean. His dark, messy hair whipped around his face in the wind. His features were tight with stress, making him look years older than the last time she had seen him. He was a good soldier, the best actually. She normally would trust him unconditionally, but she knew, just looking at him, that that was no longer the case. He'd been compromised somehow, most likely through his child, Harry Potter.

"Report, Agent Wing," she ordered quietly. Testing him one last time. Giving him one last chance. She didn't move to grab her handcuffs, but she prepared her body for that eventuality.

His eyes met hers. "There's a group of terrorists in the UK, mostly located in England. They are obliquely related to the kidnapping. Last night, we underwent a mission to get Harry back and succeeded. This may be retaliation for that act. I believe it is a message that Harry cannot escape."

Une relaxed. She had not lost her agent just yet. He still trusted her, at least minimally, to be willing to reveal even this much. "Do you know the aim of their group? How this was even possible? What weapons did they use?"

"Unknown," Yuy answered and looked away, his eyes instantly latched on to Chang's form in the distance as the Asian pilot dug through the wreckage.

Une frowned. That was a lie, but she didn't have time to pursue it right now. Ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, and news crews were screaming onto the scene. Cries and shouted questions filled the ash-heavy air as people spilled across the area where an airport had once stood.

"I want a detailed report presented to me in three hours back at HQ," she demanded, voice cold.

Yuy nodded, understanding that should he fail to do so he would be under arrest.

Une glared a second longer before striding into the panicked crowd. It was time for some damage control.

xXxXxXx

Albus collapsed in a chair at the cottage they used as the Order's headquarters. Reality said the massive Death Eater attacks had happened fifteen minutes ago, but for those who had fought, it had been five hours. The Disruptors he had created took a mile of land and displaced it from the timeline. Had he not had such a magical item to fall back on, true Armageddon would be upon them. They had managed to capture or chase off the Death Eaters, put out the fiendfyre, and transport all survivors to Muggle hospitals before the effect of the Disruptors had faded, leaving the Muggle officials with sites as cleaned up as the Order and the Ministry could make possible.

It still wasn't enough. The Muggles would know now that there was a group out there with terrible power. Fortunately, the Muggles had no reason to think of magic as the cause. Everything they'd left behind after the battle could be attributed to Muggle weapons, but Albus knew that the Muggles would be looking harder than ever at any strangeness. The Wizarding world would have to be extremely careful or they would be exposed.

Albus was all for accepting Muggleborns, of assimilating into their culture the advances the Muggles were rapidly making, but he wasn't naïve enough to not understand the risks of coming out to the Muggle world in an uncontrolled way. The Wizarding population was miniscule compared to the Muggles. Their powers would be feared and lusted after. Magical artifacts would be stolen and creatures would be hunted to extinction. Wizards, themselves, could possibly end up studied in scientific labs. That was a reality Albus was fighting to prevent. He believed that under the right circumstances and done carefully there could be peace and understanding. There could be tolerance. That was his greatest dream.

Then there was Voldemort and his Dark followers. They wanted total and utter isolation, and once that was achieved, they wanted to annihilate the Muggles from the face of the Earth. 'Let them have their Colonies out in Space. The Earth is Ours!', was a slogan from the last war with Voldemort. The Dark Lord had fed the fear wizards had of the Muggle's technology, of their blood, and used it to gain power over their world. If it hadn't been for The Boy-Who-Lived, the Light would have lost that first war, and the face of the Earth would have been irrevocably changed.

Albus sighed deeply, remembering his confrontation with the Dark Lord.

"What are you thinking, Tom? We are not in a position to defend against a focused Muggle attack! You are courting your own destruction!"

"No, old fool! I am courting immortality! It will be mine at last once Harry Potter dies."

Albus dodged a vicious spell and gritted his teeth against his old student's insane laughter. It was all the more horrific that such evil came from the visage of a healthy and handsome sixteen-year-old boy. It tormented Albus, wondering what had corrupted the brilliant wizard so.

"Don't think you actually kept him secret from me! I know you had him in your clutches, and I know he escaped you! Lord Voldemort knows all!"

Albus blocked a spell that would have severed his arm and sent back a wave of boiling water, ready to drown his opponent. Tom blocked with fire and they lost sight of each other behind a curtain of steam.

"Don't worry, Dumbledore. I'll succeed where you have failed. He won't ever escape me! He'll never leave England again!"

"Are you all right, Albus?"

He looked up into the aged face of his good friend. "Minerva," he said softly. "I fear for young Harry. Tom clearly has lost his grip on reality. He nearly doomed us all today." He sighed again and closed his eyes to hide his tears. "So many died, Minerva. So many helpless people destroyed at Tom's whim. All because he wanted to prevent Harry from leaving the country."

"Do you think he will?"

Albus opened his eyes and smiled when he saw she had conjured a chair to sit next to him. Her warm hand covered his where it clutched the armrest. "I don't know. Destroying the airports would not stop those young men if they wanted Harry out of the country or even back in space. I do know Mr. Winner and his husband would remain behind. He agreed to a weekly meeting to exchange information. At least one of their group would have to attend. I am hoping that if one stays, they all will, including Harry, and what kind of man does that make me?" He turned to look into her face imploringly. "That I wish these young men and a child barely into his teens to stay in such a horrible situation and put themselves at risk?"

"It makes you a desperate one," she answered honestly.

They sat in silence for a long time after that, side-by-side and holding hands.

Chapter end.

A/N: Another reminder that I'm looking for a beta as my original seems to be out of touch. If anyone is willing to take up that role to help with plot development, characterization, grammar, and spelling, I would be very grateful. Chapters get posted so much quicker when I have a little assistance! Not to mention overall quality is always noticeably better.

A/N2: ! VOTE ! Do you think the boys should come clean to Une about magic? Or should they isolate themselves from the Muggle world while they deal with the Wizarding one? If the first, then which GW character are you really wanting to see interact with the Wiz world? Please note that only the GW boys are magical. All other GW characters would be written as wholly Muggle.

A/N3: ! VOTE !How many of you want to see Wufei paired off with someone eventually in this story? A few reviewers have brought it up and I thought you could help me decided. If you do want him paired off, who would you recommend? I could see him paired off with either a male or a female. He had a significant other who was female so that is a strong argument for his orientation, but it was an arranged marriage and he seems a bit sexist. The problem is there isn't really a candidate his age from the HP world. Would you hate it if I made an OC for him?