Title: Code of the Griffin
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.
"What just happened?" Young Hermione Granger asked, pushing several of the fallen books off her lap at the library table.
"We got hit." The Grand Marshall replied, thumping the no longer operating holographic table
"No shit. Why did we get hit?" Hermione Potter asked, picking herself up off the floor.
"I had to leave an opening to get the fifth guy. If I didn't we would be dead." The Grand Marshall said.
"I'm not getting anything on the external feeds." Hermione Potter said.
"We are in a coma." Young Hermione said, opening another book. "Harry will take care of us."
"Why did we go to Harry?" The Grand Marshall said, rounding to face Hermione Potter. "Or were you just thinking about your husband?"
"He was closest and it would give away the least to the recruit. Anyone else and Dumbledore would have gotten involved." Potter replied, earning a grunt from the Grand Marshall. "And I am always thinking of my husband."
Hermione stood on the observation deck, looking through the black of space at the hunk of rock that would be her new home. She had fought a second war against Voldermort's son and had lost the last of her old friends and most of her new ones. Just when they thought the war was won, the Dark Lord had stolen a spaceship and fled Earth. After that the whole world had seemed like a graveyard, haunted by the echoes of all those she had lost. Despite her fame, in the Magical world as a Hero of two wars and in the Muggle as the person most responsible for the great Space Colonisation, she had signed on this ship, establishing a mining colony, as a simple miner.
The weight of her life support suit pressed comfortably on her shoulders as Hermione searched through the underground network of passages. The torch light was the only illumination as she rounded a corner and came upon a large a cavern, its walls glittering with valuable metals and its arched ceiling almost reaching the planetoid's surface. This is where she would stake her claim. She spun around at a noise, her dress swirling around her legs and the familiar weight around her temples, as she turned to face Harry. She was still in the same cavern but it looked very different.
The floor was smooth and polished; the natural columns had been carved and decorated. The original tunnel had now developed into a proper corridor, with gilded doors. The roof of the cavern had gone, now replaced by a clear dome that gave the most spectacular view in the galaxy. Amongst other stellar phenomenon one could observe a brilliant blue nebula being slowly devoured by a black hole. In the centre of the room there was a large throne.
"How bad is it?" Hermione asked.
For five hundred years she had mined this cavern. When the planetoid, Mangath, had been mined out, instead of abandoning the colony, it became the centre of administration as they began their own process of colonisation of the worlds around them. For three hundred years she had ruled the colonised worlds, known as the Empire of the Eastern Reach, of which she was Empress.
"Pretty bad." Harry replied.
Hermione nodded. This room had never been this deserted after it had become the throne room. Advisors, petitioners, guards, there had always been someone around. Now it was just her and Harry, watching the cosmic dance above. The throne room of Mangath was known across human space as the single greatest stellar observatory in existence.
Suddenly the scene changed. Guards firing. The bodies of advisors on the polished floor. A guard dragging her to the ground, his body shielding her from spells and bullets. The last attacker being cut down by a burst from a dying guard. Then there was silence. The silence was shattered by Hermione's scream. A scream of rage, pain and hate. She was lost to herself and would remain that way for a very long time.
Harry walked into the spare room of his apartment, moving to the bed side to check on Hermione and the intravenous drips keeping up both her fluids and nutrient levels. She had been unconscious for two days. Yesterday Susan had come around to clean Hermione's wound and give her a sponge bath. If she did not wake in the next few hours then Harry would call Madam Pomfrey. Having checked the drips, Harry turned to leave when he heard a groan. Harry turned back and saw Hermione start to open her eyes.
"Hey." He said, as she focused her eyes on him. "How are you feeling?"
"Sore." She replied. "Water."
Harry quickly grabbed a glass of water and helped Hermione drink it.
"You would have loved Mangath." Hermione whispered before falling into a normal sleep.
Harry took the glass back out to the kitchen, feeling relived that Hermione had come out of her coma.
Hermione winced as the healing wound on her back stretched as she performed the slash with her wooden training wand. It had only been a week since she awoken from her brief coma, and she had been working out, slowly at first, in order to keep her mobility and flexibility. Some medical advances included in the infirmary in her chest had sped up the healing process. Her sparring opponent noticed the wince as she blocked the strike.
"You alright, Major?" the woman asked.
Hermione's sparing partner was fairly compact but had a lithe physique. Her dark redish brown hair was held back from her face in a simple ponytail. Like Hermione she was dressed in a pair of track pants and a tank-top, the only difference being the medical patch on Hermione's lower back covering the healing wound.
"I think that's enough for today, Captain." Hermione replied. "What do you think Harry?"
"I think you push yourself too hard." Harry replied from the door, where he had just entered the simulation room.
"Who's you friend, Major?" the sparring partner asked.
"Oh, sorry." Hermione said. "Captain Jenny Weasley, meet Harry Potter. Harry, Jenny Weasley."
"Nice to meet you. I have heard good things about you." Harry said, shaking Jenny's hand.
"Always nice to meet a friend of the Major's. She has so few." Jenny replied. "Potter, huh? You related to the Major?"
"Computer. Shut down simulation." Hermione ordered and Jenny froze then disappeared.
"What did she mean by that?" Harry asked.
"Must have been some errors in the data stream." She replied.
"Just wanted to let you know that the first of the new recruits have arrived. Sergeant Diggory is setting them up in barracks one." Harry said.
"Thanks." Hermione replied, towelling off her sweat. "I'll be out shortly to brief you, Cedric and Luna on the first phase of training."
Hermione walked into her parent's house, her back still aching from the now mostly healed wound. Her parents were sitting in the living room.
"How was your stay with your friends?" Jane Granger asked.
"It was fine." Hermione said, completely exhausted.
"Dinner will be in two hours." Jane said.
"Right." Hermione said, heading upstairs.
"Do you think she has any idea?" Peter Granger asked when Hermione was out of earshot.
"Not a clue." Jane replied.
Cornelius Fudge fumed as he watched the Wizarding Parliament in the aftermath of the vote. Only with the multiple votes of Lord Potter and Ruling Lady Granger had managed to get the damn Judicial Separation act over the line. The two young upstarts were standing with the bloody thorn in his political side Sirius Black. He had to do something to get those three under control. The members were dispersing when he saw two other youngsters, a pair of boys maybe a year older than Potter and Granger, one a redhead and the other a brunette, both dressed in some kind of uniform in red trimmed in yellow.
As they exited the chamber he saw the two youngsters pass a bundle each to Potter and Granger. When he saw what was contained in the bundles an idea was sparked in his devious political mind. This would neutralise Potter and Granger and severely weaken Black.
Harry walked along the ministry corridors with Sirius and Hermione, adjusting the hang of the Potter sword at his belt. Fred and Cedric, dressed in formal Order uniforms, were providing an honour guard. Hermione and Sirius were discussing the vote and how close the vote was.
Harry was frustrated. Several weeks had passed since he cared for Hermione in her coma but she had barley spoken to him about anything other than the training regime for the new Order members, who had almost graduated, or the vote. He had saved her life and she had barely even acknowledged it.
"So. Restaurant or takeout?"
Harry looked up from his thoughts.
"What?" he said.
"I'm buying you dinner as a thanks. So you want to go out or get take away?" Hermione repeated.
"It was just the vote." He replied.
"Not for the vote. For the other week."
Harry gulped.
TBC…
OMAKE.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville and Susan all sat around Harry's apartment having a chill out session. Hermione occasionally wincing from her wound.
"Man you are so lucky Harry." Ron said.
"What exactly do you mean by lucky?" Harry replied.
"Money. Fame. This sweet apartment." Ron clarified.
"You really want to know how lucky I am?" Harry said, an edge to his voice.
Harry looked around and saw confusion from most of his friends, except Hermione who had a look of both regret and resignation. She knew what he was about to say.
"Twenty-two broken bones. Three skull fractures. A perforated eardrum. Two dislocated shoulders. Four broken ribs. A punctured lung. A ruptured spleen. Nine concussions." He paused for a second. "And two suicide attempts. And that was all before anyone was actively trying to kill me."
"Holy Shit!" Ron said.
"Merlin." Susan breathed. "But there was no evidence of that on your last Order medical."
"Why do you think I spent so much time in the Infirmary at the end of First Year. The damage from the battle with Quirril was healed in a matter of hours."
"I stand corrected." Ron said softly.