CHAPTER 132: Aftermath

Michael Evans-Verres addressed the Wizengamot not as a prisoner nor as a person of any power, but as a hero. "We have won through. But we should tremble and quake in our boots. The weapon that we used was beyond reach of Tom Riddle this time, but my son tells me that he shall swiftly return and he cunning and patient and wears many masks. As for me, I shall return to my studies and keep the phoenix as a pet. For now I have something worthy to look into. I shall find the marker of Atlantis in the blood. The Elder Wand I have no right to, but it has chosen me and while any of you can take it by power from me none by right. It shall pass to my son.

"But humanity shall reach for the stars. I shall do whatever I can to see to that. Though the magical devices wither away, and spells are slowly forgotten, the raw power of free transfiguration shall not be lost and while it is ours to hold the stars shall be within our grasp. And even though the stars die in the heavens I say to you humanity shall not fall."

Harry Potter spoke next. "I see that I have for the time but one task. Every day I must cast patronous and seek Tom Riddle. I suspect that nobody else can cast patronous with that intention. I must ask of you that we may accept his surrender; else it might not work right and leave us exposed."

Amela Bones gasped. "Why should we show the Dark Lord mercy?"

"Because he is wise enough to know he is beaten and the patronous cannot be cast to end life but only to save it. If I cannot offer him his life in return for surrender I cannot cast it with the intention of finding him."

And all there was in the great hall was an uproar for some time. It was Lucius Malfoy who managed to first make himself effectively heard. "I remember you facing me and would stop at nothing to save this Hermoine Granger from Azkaban. Now you would save the Dark Lord. What have you become that you think you can bend the Wizengamot to your will whilst taking neither side? I cannot imagine the arrogance required."

"Lucius Malfoy, as you know, I will not risk the world's destruction. An intelligent dark wizard is not a threat, but rather an extintion event. Swiftly shal this one return, and swiftly shall we deal with him, while we still can. Look to your numbers. The side of Dumbledore has been bloddied, but the side of the Death Eaters has been massacred."

Lucius Malfoy roared, "How dare you accuse me openly of being a Death Eater? You shall pay for this slander upon my house and upon my name."

"My father is not an occulmens, and you failed to recognize the phoenix under disollution."

"Pah. Your father is a muggle. His testimony will not be considered valid."

At that, Amelia Bones cut in. "But your own words spoken before the Wizengamot just now will suffice."

To which Lucius made no reply but lifted his cane and before any could react he blurred out of existance before them. Several finites were sent in his general direction, but nothing strong enough to contend with his artifact-level disollution, quietus, and other subtle things all woven together.

Alastor Moody said, "Good riddance. He'll be more trouble later, but not as much now I hope, since he has been unmasked."

Michael Evans-Verres reached out and plucked the starship from high orbit and delivered it to Queen Elizabeth, then his wife from the International space station and went home.

NASA retrieved the plans for the warp drive from the International Space Station. Between London and Washington there were many words but they agreed to jointly develop the technology because between the two of them they had the two pieces to reverse engineer all of the technology involved. But they would be utterly stumped, because the enhanced capacitors were beyond their making.

High above the earth, beyond the moon's orbit, was a satellite that man did not place there. A week ago it had recorded the unique signature of the unshielded Alcubarre drive and transmitted its report to its owners. Twice it had confirmed its findings. Its owners were considering what they observed. It was too soon and too fast but there were only two alternatives. Either humans had developed a warp drive out of time, or somebody else was interfering and didn't care who knew. Either way it was time to investigate.

Tom Riddle gazed upon the stars. In the strange form between life and death he bore no resentment nor hatred nor any other deep-set emotions, and the only character trait that he could posess was curiosity. But he knew this state would not last for long. Soon the resurrection stone would do his bidding and he would find a body of someone willing or someone too weak to resist. He was pretty sure Bellatrix Black was dead, and if not he knew where she would be. But whom shall he take? It didn't take him that long to realize that someone currently unknown to him would be a far better choice anyway.

Tom Riddle gazed upon the stars. The sun was masked by the dish. Ahead was Aldabaran. His view rotated regularly, retaining the momentium imparted to it by the Centaur long ago. By the blindest luck he was in the right place in the right time. He saw a distortion and a glint of light tracking across the heavens towards the sun. He was in deep space, and he thought he knew he was farther than any man had ever journied, so "Who was this?" he wondered.

Then Lord Voldermort, master of legilimency, made his first move.

He listened. "No more clams for us eh. We are indeed fortunate to take a look at a world that has turned up star travel in an instant." And then he was out of range.

But they knew he was there. Nameless horror. Cunning mind.

As swiftly as the encounter began, it was over, but the damage had been done. Of all the people to represent humanity, this was the worst. They would approach stealthily and not actually make contact until they could determine the threat level of this planet.

Satosi Yamamoto had been watching the telescope. There it was, the same signal of an antimatter power source again, but this time much weaker, almost as though somebody was masking it somehow. That really ought to be impossible he thought. Or maybe somebody got a warp drive one hundred times more efficient. Or maybe something else entirely. Then he cursed under his breath. That signal was barely above background noise; they could have been seeing it for years and ignored it as random stray neutrons as it didn't form a point source. He didn't like the implications much of what he was looking at.