When All Is Lost…
The wind howled with a horrific sound through the old castle as Harry picked his way through what was once the library. Three years on from the destruction of Hogwarts and the levelling of Hogsmeade, and nobody visited the place since Voldemort had attacked and killed almost everybody there in one swoop. A few had managed to escape either for the hills where they had been tracked down and killed or for other countries. The only people left in the country were Voldemort, his supporters and his prisoners all caged up in camps where they worked in fields and became playthings for the dark magic users. Very few people remained free, if freedom to occasionally starve counted as being free, and they were gathered at the ruins of Hogwarts.
"Have you been able to find us a place to stay?" asked Hannah.
"I had thought about the Chamber of Secrets, but it actually makes more sense to use the rooms under the castle where the Mirror was kept – each chamber can be sealed off if needs be and slow down any attacking forces"
"That sounds like a good tactical plan… We could wire up the doorways with explosive charges which should slow them down if we're taken by surprise" a much older woman spoke.
"Thank you, Your Majesty" Harry nodded. During Voldemort's reign of terror, he had killed most of the Royal Family – only the Queen and Prince William had been able to escape after Harry, Hannah, Susan and Luna had fought their way through the Death Eaters and got them out of Buckingham Palace. They had offered to try and get her out of the country to Canada to regroup with Muggle military forces there, but she had outright refused saying that if Voldemort wanted her nation, he would have to personally take her crown from her cold, dead fingers. She'd thrown herself into helping in whatever way she could and allowing her former military training to come from hidden depths. Although not magical, her skills with a gun had never diminished and she could take on many opponents without trouble.
"What about our defences?" Susan asked.
"If we put up wards around here, Voldemort will be sure to find out and know about it" Harry shook his head. "Saying that, though, we can place wards and stuff in the rooms and chambers down below – he'd never think of placing detection charms below ground. Once we get set up down there, we can search around for stuff to salvage and clean up"
"Why not use magic to change something into what we need?" asked the Queen.
"Because that would take a lot of energy that would show up on the detectors Voldemort has set up here. Cleaning and household charms are so weak they wouldn't register once we get down far enough"
"How far down is it?"
"I'd say about a hundred and fifty feet – so it makes for a good bunker"
"You've really got to tell us that story, Harry" Hannah chuckled.
"Maybe I will, one day. Your Highness, how is Luna?" Harry's attention turned to where Prince William was looking after Luna.
"Still asleep, but her temperature seems to be cooling down a bit" the boy replied.
"That's good"
"Even if we get a place to live sorted out in this underground complex of yours, Mr Potter, on what are we going to live on?"
"We have enough tinned food, Your Majesty, to last us a few days. The elves here used to can a lot of stuff Hagrid used to grow to save for later" Harry told the Queen.
"I thought you had preservation charms"
"We do, Ma'am" Hannah looked up from where she was massaging her sore legs, "But some magical plants and fruits need to be stored in non magical containers"
"That makes sense… However, once that has run out, what do we live on?"
"I'm thinking one or two of us could make a trip to Hogsmeade and see what food might still be edible under any preservation charms that might still be active – it is a risk, but one we will have to take"
"Well hadn't we better get inside?" asked Prince William with a frown on his face.
"We could, but we might be walking into dangerous magic" Susan said. "This place was the centre of magical learning in this country for over a thousand years – with the levels of stuff needed to destroy it, we could face a backlash even after things have seemingly settled. It only took this long because Harry was doing this himself and not with my help"
"Why did he do this on his own?" asked the Queen.
"Because Harry ordered me and Hannah to stay with you, the Prince and Luna and to defend you, Your Majesty, if we were found. Seems silly to say this, given our numbers, but my orders come from him"
"I see" the Queen could tell there was more behind that, but she wisely decided to not press the matter at the current time.
"Look… It's safe enough to try and get down there" Harry sighed, feeling an argument coming on, "So we better make our way to the shaft and try and get down"
"I thought you said the beginning of the tunnel was on the third floor" Hannah remarked.
"Yeah, but there was no magic involved – just a straight drop… It therefore has to have a shaft of some sort" Harry explained. "Right, Hannah, stay with Her Majesty, Prince William and Luna. Susan, you take rear guard… I'm going to go on ahead and make sure the path is clear stage by stage"
"Are you sure?"
"If Luna was awake, I'd take one of you two with me, but as it is…" Harry shrugged. "I'll be fine for now – just be ready to move when I say" and he moved off.
"Miss Bones, a moment" the Queen spoke softly to Susan.
"Your Majesty?"
"About Mr Potter… You care for him deeply, do you not?"
"Of course – he is one of the dew friends I have left"
"Do not fool an old lady, Miss Bones… I know you love him"
"He came to my house and saved me and Hannah from being being torn to shreds and raped… Why wouldn't I love my rescuer?"
"You and Miss Abbott?"
"I know it is against your laws, but we're happy" Susan stood up and nodded once to the Queen. "Ma'am"
"She really needs to get snogged"
"William!"
#
Two hours later, they rested in the chambers where the Mirror of Erised had once lay and took stock of their situation in more detail. After determining that the use of magic could not be detected so far down below the ruined Hogwarts, Harry, Hannah and Susan had used their remaining strength to transfigure items and create new rooms for themselves as well as make some furniture to last them until the three working magicals could look around the castle and see what could be salvaged. Luna was put in a room with monitoring charms placed on her – she'd not been the same since the fight at Witchhead several days previous and had gone into some form of coma.
"So where do we stand on food?" asked the Queen.
"We have about three weeks of supplies, but that is only if we ration it and we're not doing any good with that at all right now anyway" Hannah looked at her notes. "Its possible we'll find more stuff when we make a raid on Hogsmeade"
"Is there any way down to where the Slytherin dorms where?" asked Susan, looking up from where she was mending a torn skirt.
"I didn't look round that far, but there might be" Harry shrugged.
"I was thinking that Snape kept a lot of his potion stuff near his House's dorms – if they are still there, we can use them to make nutritional supplements and things"
"Could we take soil from above ground and use it to grow plants?" asked Prince William.
"We could, but we'd need to be careful about it" Hannah shrugged. "We can speed things up a little by spells and charms, but only so much – growing is an exact science with most things"
"Perhaps myself and William can handle the planting of seeds. No offence to yourselves or Miss Lovegood, but we're feeling a little left out of things" the Queen said.
"Its not much"
"Its something"
"Fair enough. Now, for the next issue, we're running low on medical supplies both magical and otherwise. There is the remains of a hospital several miles away from here, but it is several days away by foot, so I'll unpack a broom and fly there and back at night" Harry said. "Hannah, while I am gone I want you to see if anything survives in the Black Lake and, if so, what is their status and situation"
"They've never shown interest in the surface world before" Susan snorted.
"Maybe not" Harry admitted, "But perhaps they might allow us passage through their domain"
"I'm sorry" the Queen frowned, "Are you telling me you have mermaids under the water?"
"Mermaids, mutated sea bass, Giant Squid… We have it all"
"What about Nessie?"
"Oh, we have the Loch Ness Monster, but it prefers to be called Sir Squidgy The Third" Susan told her.
"Now you are having me on"
"No, Ma'am… His close friends call him Derek"
"I see… I think I will file that piece of information under the heading 'Very Very Odd'"
"Lets get back on track… I'll fly to this hospital tonight and at night – its dark and there is no moon so that will help me stay undetected. One advantage, however, is the fact we will have the ability to use non magical devices because the magical energy field surrounding Hogwarts is almost completely gone"
"What sort of devices?" asked the Queen.
"Heaters, radio, cameras… Assuming it hasn't been ransacked, I might even be able to get a cooker from the hospital kitchen"
"No more cauldron cooked meals…?" Hannah commented dreamily.
"After all we've been through, we need a better way to cook and eat" Prince William said.
"And would you do all the cooking?" the Queen asked her grandson.
"I… I can do bacon"
"I'll handle the cooking" said Hannah. "Harry, I was thinking that you could get a fridge or something too"
"Yeah, but I will only have a few hours to get there, search for stuff and then get back" Harry replied with a sigh.
"I think, Mr Potter, that the primary concerns should be medical supplies, consumables such as food and then a fridge" the Queen's voice held a tone of finality. "We need the medical supplies most of all if we are to treat Miss Lovegood to the best of our ability"
"Your Majesty, I know all about that" Harry sighed, "But it would be like giving Prince William the repair manual for an aircraft – he could get the concept, but without actual training, the things would be bad. If Hermione had made it, Ma'am, she'd most likely be able to build a fully functional x-ray machine using two bits of toilet paper and a rubber duck. My point is, though, that we can only do so much for Luna by reading instructions and looking through medical texts"
"And then she could wake up whilst you are away"
"Yes"
"Well we need the medical supplies… Lord Potter, would it matter if you went to the hospital tomorrow?"
"I don't think so, why?"
"You have that memory viewer – could you fly over the nearest city and see what the state of it is?"
"I can do that and the hospital in one trip… What is so special about this place?"
"I have no information about how my country and subjects are apart from those we may accidentally encounter. Harry…" the Queen paused before going on, "I don't even know if my country has survived"
"Your Majesty, so long as you have myself, Hannah, Susan and Luna to be Queen over, your country exists"
"Rather philosophical of you"
"Something I read in a book"
"Ah"
# # # # #
"Damn…" Harry muttered softly. He was flying over Inverness and could see the devastation that the Death Eaters and their supporters had caused. Every building was ransacked and damaged to various degrees and he wondered what was going to be left for him to grab. Deciding to go to the hospital, Harry changed his course and headed towards what the map said was the major hospital for the area. Shrinking and packing away his broom, he took out his wand and started searching the building for medical supplies that might still be useable in some fashion. To his surprise, he found an almost entirely full supply cupboard and grabbed everything that he could get his hands on before going around and hunting for equipment to help Luna. As he walked through the dark corridors festooned with hanging wires, he heard a noise close by and he withdrew his wand and aimed it down the corridor. "Show yourself" he demanded.
"Okay" came the sound of an injured woman. There was a shuffling noise and out came a figure in a hooded cloak who looked at Harry and gasped. "Potter?"
"Greengrass!" his grip on his wand became tighter and he started to mentally run through combat spells.
"I wish I wasn't" the woman said sadly and removed the hood.
"Astoria…?" Harry blinked in surprise, but he wasn't ready to drop his guard just yet. "The codephrase?"
"Tora, Tora, Tora"
"Gods… For a minute I thought you were a spy or something… What are you doing here? How did you survive the Battle of York?" Harry lowered his wand and rushed over to gather the witch in his arms and hold her as she sobbed.
"I managed to crawl into a ditch and stay there for two days until everything was quiet" she explained through the tears. "Death Eaters went around the field blasting those still alive to pieces, but they ignored me because I was on my front in the water filled ditch so they just left me alone. After that, I had to search the bodies for any survivors, found none, so took what I could from them to survive. I spent days and days walking here at night because I figured that Voldemort and his Death Eaters would be more likely to search during the day time" and Astoria pulled away and looked up at Harry with eyes that should not have belonged to someone her age. "Harry, I came here to die at Hogwarts with almost everyone else"
"I need to get you back to the others"
"Others?"
"Yeah" Harry hugged for a moment once again, "I've got Susan and Hannah in an underground chamber at Hogwarts. Oh, and I managed to get the Queen and Prince William out too"
"Muggles?"
"Well of course, but I couldn't leave my Queen alone"
"You do what she says?"
"Of course, I follow her orders"
"Which are?"
"Engage the enemy and prepare for a counter attack… Look, I better get you back to Hogwarts before daylight. Is there anybody else here?"
"Yes" Astoria looked back into the ruined room she had been in. "Its okay, its him" and a smaller figure emerged – covered in a thin cloak and nursing a broken arm treated with scavenged supplies.
"Bonjour Harry Potter, c'est un plaisir de vous revoir"
"Gabby?" Harry rushed over and held her gingerly. "How did you two meet? I thought you were dead"
"I was dead… Then I got better" Gabrielle replied.
"Right… I'll file that one under something to be talked about tomorrow" Harry shrugged. "Now then, how do I get you two back to Hogwarts?"
"There is a car down in the garage" Astoria said. "We could take that to get as close to Hogwarts as possible before the charms around it go bad"
"Story… They've gone… That entire area around Hogwarts is almost devoid of magic" Harry said sadly. "There is some magic down below the ground if you go deep enough, but who knows" he added with a shrug. "Do you know if there are any clothing shops nearby?"
"A couple" Astoria blinked, "But why?"
"Need new clothes"
#
"Your Majesty?" Harry called over to where the Queen was discussing something with Hannah. It was several days after the discovery of Astoria and Gabrielle and the pair had quickly fitted in to the group and they were able to help out in a number of ways. Astoria, for example, had been training to become a Combat Medic and she was able to scan the still unconscious Luna and devise a sort of medical treatment for her.
"Mr Potter…?" the Queen came over to where Harry had placed a cover over a raised area of the Mirror Room.
"Ma'am, when me and Susan were scouting for any possible things from the castle ruins, we discovered the old Headteacher's throne in one piece. The pair of us have cleaned it as best as we can, added more padding and, well…" he pulled the cover off to show the slightly beaten up throne sitting on the pedestal of rock on top of some patched up carpeting.
"What is this?" the Queen could feel tears about to burst from her eyes.
"You are the Queen, that is your throne – we await your command, Majesty" Harry added with a bow. "I know it is not much, but until we can restore you to your rightful one, this will have to do" and the Queen smiled before taking a seat.
"Thank you… It has come to my attention that there has been a fall of the magical government and there is no legitimate ruler. Therefore, I decree the Ministry of Magic to be dissolved until further notice. Mr Potter, I would like you and your friends to find a way to restore this country to how it used to be before – do whatever it takes" and then she seemed to hesitate. "Mr Potter, Harry… I have seen you do that message ghost of yours – could it send a message to non magicals?"
"Yeah, all I need is a location and addressee" Harry replied with a frown.
"Can it be sent to somebody underwater?"
"I'm not sure… Maybe"
"Good enough…" the Queen whispered something quietly and Harry's eyes widened.
"Your Majesty… Are you sure? I know about these things, more so than anyone apart from Susan – just one could…"
"I know what they can do, Mr Potter. I was around the first two times they were used after all. I do not want to do this, but if I am to win this war, I have no choice but to do so"
"Very well" and Harry cast a Patronus as strongly as he could. "Listen" he told the ghostly figure of a stag, "This message is for the following person" and Harry gave it very detailed instructions, a long message and then sent it on its way. "Is there anything else I can do for you, Ma'am?"
"Pray, Mr Potter, pray that the message gets through"
#
"Captain?" the officer was startled by the sudden appearance of his Commanding Officer.
"Pilot, plot me a course directly from our position here to this location" he handed the officer a set of numbers and turned to the rest of the gathered people. "Helm, prepare for a new course change. Engine Room, push the reactor to maximum possible pressure. Weapons, prepare all missiles for launch within ten seconds of me giving the order"
"Sir?" the Pilot looked up from his maps, "Whats happened?"
"We've been given new orders from Her Majesty to prepare to fire on the UK"
"What? What about the Government? Norwood? Admiralty?"
"They no longer exist"
"Sir, Chief Engineer reports he can push the reactors to one hundred and fifteen percent"
"Very well… Get me one hundred and twenty" and as the crew rushed to follow their orders, HMS Vengeance turned and raced to defend her Queen and Country…
