Disclaimer: All characters, names, settings etc belong to their respective copyright holders, only much of the convoluted plot, Night Wolf and a few other things are of my own creation (but inspired from many things under copyright).

Chapter 13 – Information for thine friend

Alistair woke up with a start and looked around his room, the dark walls, the curtains half opened…looking out into a small inner courtyard where parts of the mess spilled out into…

"Night Wolf then…" He muttered to himself as he pulled himself out of the comforts of his warm bed towards the shower.

Following his shower and a new set of clothing he took the phone.

"Hello Doris…" He said smiling hearing her voice.

"No…no aliens…" He smiled, she had eventually signed the Official Secrets Act…despite knowing most of it…and following the Ice Warriors…'event' it seemed only right…she had also signed an amended agreement similar to the amended articles…it just made things easier…and Geneva…in certain circumstances was compassionate…However Alistair couldn't share everything with his wife, but could advise her not to go to a town, or to avoid certain madmen in robes…

"If nothing else happens today…tonight."

"So what was it this time Alistair?
"Nothing much Doris…some wizarding trouble…"

"Alistair were you in Tellus?" He frowned.

"Yes…"

"It was in the news this morning, a brief mention…a gas leak…it sounded a bit flimsy…"

"Yes it does…" He started.

"UNIT is normally more careful and logical with their cover stories…considering there isn't a gas line through Tellus." Alistair caught himself chuckling.

"I have an idea who is responsible, it isn't UNIT though…"

"So…"

"Yes…well should be going Doris."

"Keep safe Alistair."

"I always do Doris…I always do…love you."

General Lethbridge Stewart headed down stairs having a quick breakfast while checking over the reports from yesterday and the previous night, included was a note about Tellus, highlighting exactly what Doris had said, Tellus's complete lack of a gas line.

As he left he grabbed a tray and loaded it with some breakfast for his young guest still sleeping in his office.

As he walked through his office door he immediately noticed that he had a gun pointing at him…this wasn't the first time someone had held a weapon on him…it probably wouldn't be the last…

Lethbridge Stewart also noticed the wand which was carefully aimed at his torso, he didn't give any outward signs that he was worried about them.

"A Uzi, what you used last night?" He said placing the tray in front of Harry who regarded him and the tray with an almost paranoid regard.

Harry shrugged flicked the safety off and replacing the wand inside his coat and held up his hands in a sign of peace.

He regarded the food in front of him for a moment longer before settling down and began to eat.

The Brigadier watched Potter watch him every so often between bites of the food as he gathered up certain forms which he would need Harry to sign.

There was no doubt in his mind that he was going to allow Harry to be a part of Night Wolf…but there was still paper work involved in allowing him in…they couldn't just go around telling anyone.

As Harry finished his meal Lethbridge Stewart motioned to a his desk and a chair which was close enough to it that Harry could lean on it in order to sign the requisite papers.

"So I expect you want some answers Harry?" He asked curiously, there was an outside chance that Potter might say 'no…thanks a lot' and leave, some people in the past couldn't cope…didn't want to cope with the possibility, happy that they were rescued but that was all…They still had to sign various agreements, but as long as they didn't scream from the rooftops at what they witnessed…

"That would be nice. I remember everything you said about UNIT, about the magic. But why, and why someone from the Dept of Mysteries? Why a research base in a castle?" He asked logically with a large amount of curious wonder.

"UNIT was originally set up to deal with alien incursions and the like. But we gathered various pieces of information and technology along the way…" He trailed off and pushed the Official Secrets Act and the Amended Articles across his desk towards Harry Potter.

"Tick the top box that says Sorcerer. Then just your name and signature. It just says basically that you won't go to the press or share secrets with the enemy. You already have one of the highest clearances, given your status."

Lethbridge Stewart stated, it was…sort of true, in theory any wand using wizard who approached UNIT, the United Nations, Night Wolf, and the Armed Forces of any country within the United Nations had the highest clearance, simply because they were part of the world that they were a part of, knowing magic and the like.

"My status?" Harry raised an eyebrow curiously at him.

Lethbridge Stewart explained to Harry that his status meant that he already had it…more or less. But there were things that his clearance didn't cover.

The Brigadier watched carefully, Harry flicked through some of the pages and glanced over the amended articles, which in themselves didn't reveal anything…at all.

"Right." He said taking the two wads of paper and placed them within a secure envelope. "UNIT picked up a lot of technology, equipment and know how along the way, including some interesting artefacts. Artefacts that could lead us to explore a little more than we could previously. It let us build ships; like Firefox…" Lethbridge Stewart trailed off, despite welcoming different people to Night Wolf…he sometimes got carried away with the spiel. "But I'm getting away from myself. You asked about magic. The UNIT Sorcery department was set early…during Voldemort's last reign. The boffins were a bit unsure about it after the debacle with the Paranormal Division…" Which was understating Lieutenant Hamlet MacBeth's involvement in the Paranormal Division, a small division of UNIT back in the early days when they were willing to invest in almost anything, Macbeth wasted a large amount of UNIT's budget, and while the reports attest that he was able to recruit several human psychics later investigations showed that one of those was an a natural at the wand user's mind arts…enhanced by her natural ability…the others were so traumatised by an event in the late 60s that wanted no contact with Macbeth or UNIT. Macbeth had been dismissed from UNIT shortly after an investigation into the event.

"But due to various…threats…and we had some help…started with just one 'wizard', and we've been growing since…this facility is the largest of the research, development and training facilities…there are others…" He muttered the last part but was interrupted by Harry.

"You said help? From who?" Potter asked.

"Harry, I'm sure you know the 'wizarding' society. Who does it exclude?" He asked curiously of the young man sitting in front of him, he poured some tea for each of them and watched as Harry started to think and seemed to hit upon and idea.

"Lycanthropes…squibs…"

"UNIT has always been an equal opportunity workplace." That was made clear to anyone pompous enough to suggest that any of their personnel should be removed because they happened to be a werewolf, or something such as that…the UN didn't stand for that sort of discrimination, despite how rife it was in the Ministry for Magic's corridors. "We gave them the assistance, the option of working within an environment that wouldn't judge on something so minor. Birmingham was the first to come to us. He left the Department of Mysteries. I think all of this will make sense once we start the tour." He added seeing Harry's wide eyed shock.

"But why bring me here? I doubt that I would be much use in something like this." Harry said taking a sip or tea and gestured around the office and staring at the tea pot.

"I would disagree, you handled yourself better than a lot of trained soldiers did last night. You had some nifty weapons, and you took control of the situation." He commanded the situation in the pub Lethbridge Stewart thought to himself. "Do you know how many soldiers from the regular army don't make it through the training or bow out after less than a month with UNIT?" He asked curiously, Harry merely shook his head.

"85. UNIT is a complex operation." It used to be much higher…but prioritising of information and who knew what had helped…spread out the impossibilities… "It takes the right people, even to help. Harry I think we might be able to help you….with Voldemort."

Harry raised an eyebrow and drained his tea, Lethbridge Stewart had finished his at some point and rose.

Harry nodded to him and asked. "So where to first Brigadier?"

Lethbridge Stewart lead the young man, who now seemed to leap with life through the corridors of the heavily modified castle.

Nodding to the various personnel they arrived at the heavy oak doors, which were necessary for various departments to have old wooden doors for their respective assignments.

This particular door was to the main Sorcery Department.

Lethbridge Stewart noticed that Birmingham had a slight look of surprise as they walked in.

"Harry James Potter." He said shaking the young man's hand. "General." He nodded to Lethbridge Stewart.

"I thought you were a Brigadier?" Potter spun around staring at Lethbridge Stewart…he also had reached for his wand, and a weapon Lethbridge Stewart noticed and was glancing around taking in Birmingham's stance and his own.

"I was, but everyone calls the Brigadier, he's just trying to seem professional." Birmingham raised an eyebrow at him, he continued and looked at Harry. "I can leave you two to talk if you want. Or I can stay…for the moment." Birmingham was generally better at explaining…everything.

Potter regarded the two of them in the room. "Stay Brigadier. I don't trust easily but let's say I'm warming to the idea." He said not taking his eyes off Birmingham.

"So Mr Potter. I didn't think the Brig would run into you." Birmingham said casually leaning against his desk. The Brigadier watched as Harry focused on Birmingham, like a hunter sizing up its prey.

"I know that with the scar and all I'm pretty much noticeable, but you talk as though you know me." He asked suspiciously.

"There is a prophecy Mr Potter." Birmingham now said carefully staring at Potter, not even looking at the Brigadier.

"Call me Harry. I know it, would have liked to know sooner…" Harry seemed to almost laugh…in an ironic and some what bitter way.

"The Prophecy?" Birmingham asked slight surprised, but didn't stop staring at the young man when he said 'prophecy'.

"Yes." Harry said bluntly.

"That's a relief." Birmingham did indeed sound relieved, more so than Lethbridge Stewart had ever heard him before.

"Why?" Harry seemed genuinely curious now, his hand slipping away from his holstered weapon, but the Brigadier noticed he still had a hand near his wand.

Birmingham seemed to sigh. "Because I was the one who set it on its shelf, I heard it and tried to follow the instructions." He said letting out a breath of air.

"Instructions?" Harry Potter sounded intrigued and confused, The Brigadier had to admit that despite being in charge of Night Wolf for all this time, 'prophecies' were something that UNIT tended not to pay attention to, especially prophecies as defined by the wand using magical world.

Occasionally they encountered evidence of a stochastically driven alien incursion…which more or less proved that using a stochastic process didn't always pan out…

Birmingham was now looking around his office and was talking to both Harry and the Brigadier asking Harry's question.

"When a prophecy is made, some instructions must be followed, if the person can be identified, even if there is a possibility of the person being the one in the prophecy they must be informed to prepare for their foretold fate, even if it turns out to be erroneous."

"And why wasn't I informed?"

The Brigadier nodded with Harry's question, if these were the instructions why not inform the person it was about.

"I tried to and was stopped by someone claiming to be your magical protector. I tried several times in fact… after I left the ministry…"

Now Lethbridge Stewart saw Harry sigh and seem to massage the bridge on his nose.

"Let me guess, Mr…" Birmingham picked up Harry's comment.

"Albus Wulferic…"

Lethbridge Stewart was mildly surprised, it was something extra to add to Dumbledore's file.

"Dumbledore. Remind me to have a chat with him when I see him again. Might have to break something worse that his office for this one." Harry said, surprisingly calm, though his voice betrayed the tired annoyed and slightly sarcastic tone associated with someone who was sick of being...used.

He seemed to be staring off into space before looking again at Birmingham.

"How old are these instructions?" He asked.

"Before Merlin, when magic was first acknowledged when the first prophecy was made and no one paid it heed. The one it was destined for died, unprepared. The instructions were for those who recorded the prophecies to pass it on to those who needed to know. They are some of the oldest laws in magic." Birmingham rattled off knowledgably, Lethbridge Stewart knew that Birmingham was a veritable fount of knowledge, on many subjects and some more besides.

Harry Potter shrugged. "And he broke them that easily…Huh…" He seemed to mutter something to himself. "So you joined UNIT after that?" He jabbed his thumb back towards the Brigadier.

"Yes, after that I tried to go and release the information to you and your guardians. But the ministry found out that I was a werewolf and bound my memories."

Lethbridge Stewart perked up at this, Birmingham had explained this portion of his dismissal…that something had happened but he wouldn't be able to explain the whole details of the something until the whatever had happened was there to 'release the information'…or something like that.

"Not unlike oblivating, they are bound within a person, so I can still talk to the one who the prophecy was made about. Even they didn't want to mess with ancient magical law. So I can talk to you about it. I know the prophecy, I expect you do…" Birmingham asked not breaking eye contact with Harry Potter.

"Only since last year, the end of the school year. It was destroyed by myself and Voldemort. Dumbledore only then decided to tell me then."

Lethbridge Stewart frowned again at the mention of Dumbledore, who was much like most people with power…

"But, but he was…he said he would tell you when you attended Hogwarts." Birmingham was shocked and angry…

"I guess he didn't specify exactly when." Potter shrugged, but there an underlying anger there at this revelation.

"That makes my offer all the more relevant. That's why it is good that the Brig is here…" He glanced at Lethbridge Stewart for the first time in the conversation. "Could you perhaps tell us how you came to be here? I know it's bad but I believe that it will help. I think we can offer you a great deal and you us." Birmingham glanced at the Brigadier again. He nodded a small nod to Birmingham, Birmingham was one of the people Lethbridge Stewart trusted implicitly, and was pretty much second in command of Night Wolf…

Potter shrugged as Birmingham lead them to the back of the room where an old yet sturdy table sat with some chairs around it.

As they sat down Potter closed his eyes taking a deep breath.

"I suppose I should start at the beginning, context and that sort of thing." Harry Potter said looking at the Brigadier and Birmingham.

Birmingham and the Brigadier listened as Harry told Voldemort's first war from his perspective, who ever had told him of the first war had told him a…thankfully short version of it.

Their guess that the ministry's actions following their 'official' end had obviously not been mentioned to the young man, but he also knew much more about the details of the supposed end of the first Voldemort War.

Potter explained how he had been 'left at the Dursley's by Dumbledore', on their doorstep no less.

Had Dumbledore done and had witnesses he would have been prosecuted for child abuse, abandonment...why not knock on the door? How did he know that no one would take Harry when he was sitting there as a baby during the night?

He shook his head sadly listening to Harry recount his years with the Dursleys…it sounded like a Charles Dickens tale…but Harry seemed to acknowledge that it was bad…yet until now had not done anything…seemingly after going to Hogwarts putting his faith in Dumbledore.

His years at Hogwarts were hardly something which encouraged Dumbledore's assurance that Hogwarts was 'the safest place in the world'.

More like a death trap. Lethbridge Stewart thought to himself.

Why keep a valuable element such as the almost legendary Philosopher's Stone, inside a school? If not to lure Voldemort there? The Brigadier agreed with Harry's assessment of this.

His second year sounded like a plant, in fact as he clarified matters it seemed that had the matter been pursued this Malfoy chap should have been charged…not that the Ministry would have done anything to a Voldemort supporter…the ministry was just as corrupt as they had read from their reports.

It angered him that his godfather had been imprisoned without a trial…but as Dumbledore was head of a committee, even at that point he should have been able to push for a trial…

His tale of how he and his friend Hermione had rescued his godfather…worried him slightly, time travel did that, despite working around…the Doctor, but it seemed that that event was the only time he and his friend had used the time travel device. It was something that while Night Wolf had looked into it had proved too volatile to use in any practical sense.

It saddened Lethbridge Stewart, but it did explain the fury with which Harry fought the Death Eaters, that he had seen a school mate murdered at such a young age, and then to see his godfather murdered the following year…

He listened with interest as Harry recounted his journey thus far this year, his discoveries, the wood and shielding devices such as the ones Lethbridge Stewart had witnessed in Tellus and his study of calling on the Gods and Goddess.

He watched Birmingham nod appreciatively at this knowledge, Birmingham was proficient in many forms of Sorcery including various things that Harry had mentioned.

"So that's it." Harry said glancing at them, himself and Birmingham looked back at the young man, who despite telling them his life story seemed very calm…

"Harry, you've done more, gone through more than most UNIT officers. I think both myself and Birmingham have an offer to make." The Brig started before Birmingham made the offer, glancing at the Brig again.

"We want to help you prepare. Through different avenues of magic and the technology that UNIT has been developing. Train you further, for this war…" Birmingham added.

"Train you in all the weapons we have here, that we're developing, the others that we're testing." The Brigadier paused, Harry was nodding. "We'd like you to help us, as a person, to work out everything to prepare for the war. We're making this offer to you as the generation coming forth. That's why we're not making it to the Ministry or to Dumbledore, neither of them seem ready to fight for the world." The Brigadier finished only lightly bitterly.

"Well. Umm. Yeah I accept. I'd love to. So cool gadgets and stuff." Harry grinned making Lethbridge Stewart chuckle.

From there on Harry spend most of his time with Birmingham, Scott and Captain Jones, as part of his training.

Lethbridge Stewart still had to deal with the increasing reports of 'activity' both the Death Eaters and the minisirty's 'muggle relations' which seemed to consist of groups of wand users going to some, not all though affected areas, wiping their memories and repairing and replacing items, buildings and whatever. Much of the time it left the residents of the town with 'black out' periods, and other such jarring elements such as missing time, jarring events and houses not the colour or locations they should be.

As he was reading through another report the phone rang.

"Birmingham? What is it? Yes…just a moment." The Brigadier tapped a control on his computer and glanced at the large screen on the wall which flicked from the UNIT logo to a security camera view, a ship, the ship, the ship that had been grown/built from remains of something they'd found, it had the original samples had readings of a inter-dimensional crossing.

"That's the ship Birmingham." He said looking at the image, but it seemed to be twitching, ever so slightly the same way it did when they had tried to find a pilot for it.

"That's Harry." Birmingham said over the phone.

"What the devil…?" Lethbridge Stewart muttered.

"Well we thought we'd give him a shot in the ship…yes this ship."

"Stop the ship from leaving the base, god knows…remember what happened the last time?" Birmingham muttered…not much had happened, the air trials were going fine when the ship just 'decided' to dump the pilot in a nearby loch, then it returned to the hanger, all the tests couldn't say exactly why it had done it, and the pilot…he now worked in Antarctica, as far as he could away from the ship.

"How exactly should I try and stop him?" Cam Birmingham's amused voice over the phone.

The Brigadier was thinking of something when the ship disappeared from the screen, he groaned and punched in a command to the computer finding the frequency that Harry and Birmingham were using.

"Night Wolf can you hear me, over?" Came Harry's voice albeit a little nervous.

"Harry this is a secure signal. Where are you?" The Brig smiled, at least Birmingham was calm.

"Above the clouds. This is an amazing craft, I've never felt anything like it. Tell Firefox to expect me when they see me. I want to see how we do. Over." This made the Brig smile, not just because the Harry hadn't been dumped in a loch, but that he had realised, or known to sign out. It had taken him a long time to make the Doctor say 'over' when they were using radios.

Glancing at the computer on his screen it showed the teleport stone that Harry had on him being tracked by the equipment in Night Wolf, it disappeared somewhere above the atmosphere.

Frowning he pulled up the communications relay with…he glanced at the shedule. RSCS Firefox.

"This is the RSCS Firefox, repeat Identify yourself or we will consider you hostile." Lethbridge Stewart raised an eyebrow…but it was good that they were on the ball, however he didn't want Harry to be blown out of the sky by several of the weapons on board the Firefox.

He clicked onto the computer opening the radio frequency between Night Wolf and Firefox.

"RSCS Firefox, this is Greyhound Leader, Night Wolf. Ship on sensors is an unscheduled experimental ship. It is non-hostile, repeat non-hostile, Greyhound Leader, Night Wolf, Out." There was a few moments pause.

"Received Alpha One, confirmed, Firefox, Out."

Lethbridge Stewart paused as Firefox connected their sensor stream to Night Wolf. On the screen displayed RSCS Firefox's location, the 'unknown vessel' and other things the sensors registered.

Then suddenly the 'unknown vessel' disappeared from the sensor image.

Lethbridge Stewart was already out of his office and walking at a quick pace towards the hanger.

"Never a quiet moment…" He muttered to himself as he entered the hanger and saw the ship sitting there, he glared at it, if he was into anthropomorphising things he could have sworn the ship was smug.

"Mr Potter, Harry. How did you, how were you, how did…?" Birmingham was looking at the smug looking ship.

"Never thought you'd be gob smacked Thomas." The Brig smiled at Birmingham.

"What happened Harry?" The Brig asked calmly.

"Brigadier it was… I don't know. The ship is sentient. I felt I could talk to it." Harry rushed out seemingly out of breath and excited.

'He's doing better than most…' Lethbridge Stewart thought to himself, although Potter had already been on board RSCS Firefox it was another thing to exit the atmosphere and come 'face to face' with a space ship…all within 48 hours.

"But considering I sometimes talk to myself I guess that's not surprising." Harry paused thinking for a second. "Anyways, I was thinking, sitting in there, since I couldn't see any doors if, since this it is partly magical or organic or something if we could apparate. And we did."

"You keep saying we?" Birmingham said eyeing the craft warily.

"Me and the craft it was like we were working together flying it. I think you have to get into it knowing that you work together, it's not something you instantly know how to fly it has to know you and then you with it, it lets you feel as much as you need to from what ever you're doing. It's an amazing craft." He paused looking to the Brigadier and then back to Birmingham and Barry Davis who was in charge of the small air division that was located at Night Wolf, a separate division from the large ship building facilities of the Northern Highlands and Gibson Desert facilities.

"Birmingham, do you have any books on animagus transformations, I've got a one or two, I'd like to investigate something." Harry asked glancing upwards, he didn't seem to be out of breath or anything.

"We have some. Maybe tomorrow." Birmingham smiled patting Harry on the back.

Lethbridge Stewart walked slowly back to his office shaking his head.

It was never a quiet moment at Night Wolf…but at least is wasn't an unquiet moment as in alien invasions…and alien beings taking control of local towns…and aliens crawling from the sewers…

This was a much more interesting life at Night Wolf…

--/

The events of this chapter occur co-current with Chapter 13 of Sorcery, UNITed, Independence, Space

No future chapters will draw so directly from Sorcery, UNITed, Independence, Space.

There will continue to be varying emphasis on Night Wolf, UNIT and other events in the world.