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, which aren't mine).
Chapter 23
"Will all passengers and staff please make your way in an orderly fashion to the exits… Will all passengers and staff please make your way in an orderly fashion to the exits…Will all passengers and staff please make your way in an orderly fashion to the exits…"
The announcement ended with a tone before repeating once more as the last of the passengers were cleared from the largest passenger hubs in the United Kingdom.
Outside police, UNIT-UK troops, British Army plus Fire and Ambulance people were dealing with the mass amounts of passengers that were all coming through Kings Cross Station, Kings Cross, at peak afternoon…when it happened.
30 Minutes Earlier…
David Jones, (Colonel) David Jones, newly promoted from Captain with the blessing of all involved during the…incident at Buckingham Palace and the clean up following the event…was in charge of monitoring Kings Cross station, in particular the main, secondary and tertiary entrances, platforms 9 and 10, the barrier which separated the wand user's station known as Platform 9 and 3/4's and also the platform itself.
Night Wolf had been gathering a steady stream of intelligence, from its own sources with teams in the field gathering information, watching and listening for any recent events…or even gossip.
They also had other parts of UNIT-UK on the look out for anything…that didn't quite fit the bill for alien invasions…then there were also their other sources of information, people like Remus Lupin who had been brought into the fold recently, and also Harry Potter…who had recently taken the war firmly with his hands, Jones hadn't been part of the investigation into the explosion at the manor house owned by the Malfoy Estate, but he was satisfied that he'd instructed Harry to an acceptable standard with regards to explosives…the wreckage of the house had been cleaned up and taken away for further study…just in case Night Wolf needed to blow up something of similar scale and of magical content in the future.
"Tiger to Jackal, report status?"
"Nothing so far Tiger, people have been trickling in, but no solid numbers yet…nothing else to report. Over."
"Received…" Jones changed the frequency of his radio marginally. "Tiger to Hover Alpha, report."
Following at some speed and some distance above a red train moving fast towards London was a UNIT helicopter designated for this operation Hover Alpha.
The helicopter had been kitted out with various devices allowing it some degree of ability to see inside the train known as the Hogwarts Express.
It had been as much an experiment as a practical opp, while Night Wolf knew where Hogwarts was and were sure in their ability to gain access to Hogsmede station and the town, their knowledge of the Hogwarts Express despite the information provided by those Sorcerers within Night Wolf who had been a part of the wand user's world they still only had basic information pertaining to it.
However, once Hover Alpha was in the sky and flying above the train the high powered infrared cameras and various other methods of surveillance was (more or less) able to see through into the train.
"Rattler 25 minutes approx inbound…no major disturbances to report." Came the slightly noisier voice into Jones's earpiece.
"Received, continue surveillance. Tiger to Hover Beta; take flight to main position."
Sitting on a building not much distance from Kings Cross the pilot started the engines of the large helicopter.
"Received Tiger, over and out."
Colonel Jones nodded to himself, Hover Beta had some air – air weapons on board, just in case the wand users came out in force.
He really hoped it wouldn't come to this level, however, while the new wand user's minister was much more pro-active in dealing with Voldemort, he was also more prone to using…other methods, then 'cleaning up' afterwards, and Jones for one didn't want his mind altered by a person with a wand mucking around in his mind.
15 Minutes Later
Following the Hogwarts Express the helicopter designated as Hover Alpha dropped its altitude another few meters, the pilot was beginning to worry as he followed the request from the Night Wolf personnel in the rear part of the chopper, they were very close to the top of one of the carriages that they'd zeroed in on as a possible faction of the wand users on the train that could be plotting.
In the rear part of the chopper various people were adjusting the signal from the cameras and scanning equipment that were blasting the carriage below with an array of EM energy, energy they were more or less sure was harmless.
But it was needed, whilst the train and its carriages were more or less normal which meant they could fly this close without it affecting the chopper, or requiring them to fly with a magical jamming device on board. The interior of the train was shielded some what…requiring some power to punch through the façade field.
"I think its definitely not a normal school meeting…"
"Can you make out what they're saying Doctor?" The pilot asked from the cockpit as the chopper was buffeted once more from the air slipstream above the train carriages. Briefly he wondered if the wand users could hear the chopper above them. He had watched as various minor charms had been placed on the helicopter before they'd left Night Wolf, but it still needed to look and sound like a helicopter should he need to fly into other areas.
"Play it back again…I'll try and lip read them."
The image wound back, it was a combination of various scanning, infrared and other pieces, giving them a slightly fizzing brightly lit image, however they could make out individual body outlines and facial features, but mouths…
"Ok let me see…the guy is saying to the others 'we're in a ship load…trouble' I think…" There was a set of static as the picture pixelated. "'I think we're in…trouble…' something, something…umm…on of them is saying…maybe asking 'on the station'." He pointed at one of the fuzzing figures on the small screen set into one of the seats. "Now the main one's talking again…uh let me see….'I saw…Snake last night on the which wick fields…talking to a bunch of slept with uns about things…looked happy…not, crab, toil, trees others…"
The other three exchanged a look, even though it was broken up, and through lip reading it did sound as though a meeting had been witnessed, of a plan of an attack, their information had been correct…unfortunately.
"Hang on we're getting to a long conversation…'If Snake is involved then…." He touched the control and winded the recorded back once more. "'Dungle…no…Dumbledore…" That the three others look and stare at him and the picture. "If Snape…yes Snape…he's saying… 'If Snape is involved, then Dumbledore should know because Snape is a spy in the Death Eater ranks, however if there is an attack and Dumbledore knows nothing…'" He trailed off.
"What's the girl saying?" The captain who was commanding the group pointed.
"Just a second…" He wound it back again once more. "She's nodding and asking…no saying…postulating, look at her body language…'That means…that Snape is a spy…just not for Dumbledore….'"
The captain nodded considering this new information.
"I'm calling this one…do you concur?" He asked as he grabbed his radio, the other three Night Wolf personnel nodded.
"Hover Alpha to Tiger…"
Jones hit a button and ruffled his newspaper as he looked around.
"Receiving Hover Alpha."
"Confirmation, attack to begin on platform at arrival of Express."
"Received, continue to follow, continue scanning of train, attempt to penetrate barrier's field with equipment but do not breach field with the chopper, who knows what would happen if you flew in."
There was a slight chuckle.
"Received Tiger, out."
Jones thought for a second as he readjusted his radio, he looked at his radio, the train was 8 minutes away, it would take most of that to evac the station.
"Parkin. Begin evac procedures on the station, bring in all services, prepare for wide scale attack originating from platforms nine and ten."
"Received…emergency services on route from standby positions…"
Jones looked up as a tone sounded, he dumped the newspaper he was holding.
"Will all passengers and staff please make your way in an orderly fashion to the exits…"
Jones looked around, while there was some degree of panic, and considering it was late afternoon there was a large flow of people around him, but it wasn't…as frenzied as he had worried it would be…but then with the Real IRA around, plus Voldemort's own brand of terrorism, the public was much more subdued, and ready to inconvenience themselves to save potentially their lives and that of their peers.
"Jackal to Tiger, they've…oh my…it's a full attack repeat…." There was a flare of static... "…read…-----me…--ger….am falling back….it's a fully fledged battle here…"
Jones nodded to himself throwing off his coat, under it he was wearing a fully kitted out Night Wolf tactical vest, along with a S/K-1, and also a silenced set of pistols on his belt.
"Stealth team to barrier entrance, Parkin take over liaison of squad."
There were a series of acknowledgements as he walked calmly towards the barrier through the remaining people on the station.
Jones had specific orders, had it come to this; he and a stealth team were to engage any hostiles…however they had to do it under stealth conditions; silenced pistols, or use of S/K-1. They would assist in getting any non-wand'rs out of the battle space, and remove any hostiles from Voldemort's faction.
Jones was met at the entrance to the barrier by two other people, they both wore a thin mask over the face, a cap and sunglasses on, Jones pulled out of a pocket similar attire and quickly pulled it on.
"Everything ready?"
"Yes sir."
"Good..,, let's get invisible then."
The other two Night Wolf people nodded and removed the activation pads and crystals from their tactical vests, slapping them into position, they turned around and put similar pads into position on each other's backs.
Jones sniffed the air around him and smelt a slightly acidic dull tang around him, a sure sign that the invisibility was taking affect, he pulled the two pieces of deep purple-black crystal and muttered the incantation, that was going to be written on the package, however the system had only recently been approved by Night Wolf for large scale battle deployment.
Jones felt the air around him ripple slightly and the two others that made up his team rippled slightly becoming slightly opaque.
"We all covered?" Jones asked, patting his sides for his weapons, double checking for everything.
"Yes sir." They acknowledged.
"Good, once we get in, remember, Jackal is in there…and probably Harry Potter."
"That's good isn't sir…he's a good shot…"
"Yeah, but we're invisible to everyone Nick."
"Come on." Jones muttered and braced himself, thinking clearly about the station on the other side of the brick wall, he and his small stealth team had done plenty of intrusion training, part of the inability to enter was a psychosomatic response which forced you out, rather than any actual wand user barrier…of course it wasn't just that, there was also a physical barrier to keep wanderers out of their own personal world.
But if you pushed just the right way and stayed the course….it was…
Then he was through.
Jones could smell it, the smell of burning flesh and hear the cries of someone under the torture curse.
It was a fully fledged battle, it wasn't the scale and intensity of a warzone, but it was close…there were also three 'guards' standing just in front of them, in front of the barrier between this platform and the regular one, which went some distance to explain why everyone, all the parents and the children not fighting or incapacitated hadn't made their way to the barrier.
Jones looked to his fellows and nodded, withdrawing their pistols they each put a bullet into the brain stem of the guards who were picking anyone off with whatever curse came to mind.
Had someone been watching they would have seen the three guards, who had been chosen specifically because they were inept at powerful offensive curses crumple to the ground, without a shot fired; either from someone holding a wand…or Harry Potter 'the-boy-who-lived' who had at that moment reappeared on the station in a swirl of wind, wings petruding from his back.
Jones motioned to his the two others to begin moving people through the barrier, he would locate Jackie, for a moment as he moved through the crowd of both spell affected bodies, and deceased bodies he took a moment of satisfaction that Harry had learnt a lot, in a very short amount of time from his time with Night Wolf pretty much a year ago.
A person, almost a man moved through the crowd, the wand using world knew him by the designation 'the boy who lived', he hated the term, preferring his name; Harry Potter, he moved through the crowded station as shots from wands were fired left and right around him. He released the spent magazine from a pistol and slammed in a new one aiming for the Death Eaters that were around, killing most of them, but some that were too close to crowded people he took careful aim, wounding them (sometimes mortally) but distracting them enough to stop their torture (or killing) of the innocent Hogwarts students and parents that had been waiting on the platform.
Jones bent down, well aware there were still spells being fired downwards at the people who were trying to keep down away and out of the firing line of bullets, spells and general insults that were being flung around the station.
"Quick, get up, the barrier is clear…" He whispered to family who were crouched, the mother and a younger sibling had their father holding strips of material against what appeared to be on-going affects of a deflected cutting curse, which had unfortunately for them delfected onto their soldiers.
"Where are you?" The man looked around wildly trying to get up.
"Stay down!" Jones barked in a stage whisper as he upholstered his gun and put 2 bullets each into two white masked death eaters who approached their position firing random spells, none of which were particularly fatal, not unless their were very lucky, or a very good aim.
"I'm…" Jones quickly tried to think of what was the exact name for invisible in the wand user's terminology. "I'm invisible…get through the barrier, there's people on the other side to help."
They looked to where his voice came from doubting before looking to two children both appeared to be younger than Harry though still older than 1st form.
"But we're muggles…I can't undo the spell damage…we'd need to go to the hospital wing…or St Mungos…" He whispered fingering his wand and looking to his parents worriedly.
Jones smiled helpfully, despite the fact he was invisible.
"There are people who can help outside the barrier, trust me…and go…I'll cover you make sure you're okay." He rested a hand on the father's shoulder, he twitched under his hand.
"Go!" Jones ordered and stood, taking down and wounding another approaching set of Death Eaters, they crashed to the ground of the station as his bullets shattered their kneecaps, their cries of pain were cut out as someone the other side of the battle aimed a pair of stunners at them.
Jones took one further look at the family before moving to the last reported position of Jackie codename 'Jackal' was a brilliant covert opps Night Wolf member, she was probably, Jones thought with a smile still cataloguing events in her mind for a later report.
Jones made his way through the thinning crowd which was slowly making its way toward the cleared barrier, he could make out the two other Night Wolf team moving through the crowd urging them forwards while incapacitating or killing various death eaters, they and indeed Jones was using bullets rather than their S/K-1, there were a lot of spells around, but not enough for them to miss them if they let off their energy weapons, they wand users had enough intelligence to trace the energy line back to an invisible person.
The bullet were at least relatively invisible, that is until they hit.
Jones rounded a pylon and found two guards standing over an unconscious Jackal.
"…did Snape say why we should watch this muggle?" One asked the other.
"It's a wold, and a muggle, maybe he wants her for some fun…Snape's weird like that."
"You think, spending all that time working for Dumbledore…I wouldn't mind some fun."
"With a wolf? And it's a muggle." He spat.
Those were the last words either or them spoke as their brain matter shot out the back of their heads and they crumpled to the ground.
Jones grabbed at his tactical jacket for a small bottle, it was more or less a modified bottle of smelling oils, but a the stuff in the bottle had been cooked up (probably literally) by the people within the Sorcery Division.
Holding it carefully under her nose for a moment she jerked and then rose, grabbing for her weapon by her side.
"Jones." She said as she rose to a crouch, it wasn't a statement, although she couldn't actually see him.
"Yes, how'd you know?"
"Lucky guess, plus I rescued on the last opp we worked on, only fair you rescue me." She said looking around. "A mess."
Jones nodded.
"Can you get out under stealth?" Jones asked as he rechecked weapons and shot off 3 rounds at an approaching trio of death eaters who'd obviously seen them, they weren't kill shots and as they hit the deck they made loud pops and disappeared.
Jones looked around and saw Nick making a motion at him from a fair way down the station, it was a code that they worked to.
He was indicating that more wand users had arrived, that weren't death eaters.
Which was actually acutely worse.
"I saw." Jackie said.
"Probably Dumbledore's possie." Jones said.
"I'll get out…I've got some concealment powder with me, you get the last people around, there's some of them incapacitated by and under the benches." She said as she gazed around slowly.
Jones nodded and walked quickly off.
As he approached the station it was worse than he suspected, not just Dumbledore's posse but Dumbledore himself in what could be described loosely as a conversation with Harry, who looked quite a bit worse for wear, he had multiple curse wounds, his wings were drooping around him and appeared to have been punched in the face numerous times, most likely a bludgeoning curse.
Jones wanted to help, but it was something Harry needed to work through himself, plus he had orders not to interfere in anything here directly meaning he couldn't show himself, but it seemed that Harry had everything in hand.
Jones could just about hear the conversation that was going on.
"…and what about the spy within your midst Dumbledore? What about him?" Harry almost spat, though Jones couldn't tell if he was spitting in disgust or spitting blood, literally. Harry sounded like he may have broken a rib or three.
Jones leaned down carefully waving the bottle of wake up stuff under the noses of the bodies on the ground, they were all thankfully alive and being ignored by everyone as Harry and Dumbledore…had a conversation.
"This would not have happened Harry…"
"If what? If you hadn't told Snape, trusted him with everything and then told McGonagall that you weren't going to come because you trusted him!" Harry coughed and spat onto the station.
"Harry…" Dumbledore said gently as though trying to console a small boy. Jones helped up two younger children towards their parents, all four were bleeding from chest wounds, nothing fatal…probably.
"Everyone has been moved to either St Mungos or Hogwarts. Remus, Draco Nocturnis, Hermione Granger and her parents are the only ones missing." Dumbledore said firmly as if scolding a boy.
Jones let out a snort, as if Dumbledore had moved everyone to safety, it was likely that his posse had moved those standing and fighting, but those people that were unable to, or just too scared to do anything but try and keep their siblings and parents alive…and Dumbledore was just calmly patronising Harry.
Jones felt for Harry when he stunned Dumbldore, flinging him up against a pole.
Jones carefully looked around the station aside from the bodies he couldn't see anyone still alive.
Jones moved toward the barrier.
"They're all through, these are the last lot." Said a large shimmer.
"Didn't think you had enough for a group."
Jackie patted the people on the back.
"Get through there'll be people to help you."
"With those two going at it, I thought discretion would be best."
She jabbed a thumb towards Dumbledore, Jones turned and watched Harry kneel down, she could hear Harry's parting words, though Jones she thought might not…
"Good people were hurt and died here today, you are in part responsible for that, for not keeping the students safe, for not using the Order, which you claim is to keep 'us' safe. You're finished Dumbledore." Harry disappeared a rustling of leaves the only thing indicating he had left.
"That's our cue." Jones muttered, Jackie nodded and passed through the barrier.
Jones did one more visual sweep of the now quite silent, except for the still hissing steam train. There didn't appear to be anyone on the ground alive.
Outside the barrier there were people everywhere, being treated by ambulance officers and Night Wolf personnel, those that couldn't be helped by the ambulance officers were helped by the field medics from Night Wolf and the various people who had been brought in.
"Jones to Hover Beta, report."
"Scout team approached station one-zero minutes ago sir, destroyed targets, clean up team is removing wreckage. No other targets in range, holding position."
"Received, continue to hold position in case of further assaults." Jones paused. "Hover Alpha, return to base."
"Received, out."
Jones walked out into the station and grabbed a field medics kit and moved around the wounded prepping the worst to be moved to a UNIT London facility, rather than the hospital, at UNIT they could more easily bring in alternate treatments, rather than having to duck around security cameras and probably the clumsy and invasive Ministry for Magic, or worst Dumbledore and his posse.
It was only as he looked down at his hands as he prepared to pull on gloves that he realized how much blood he had, and that it was if he heard correctly; Dumbledore, Snape and obviously Voldemort that had caused this…
The latter was obvious from the get go, but the former…it was yet another on the list of Dumbledore's…actions…or inactions that had lead to the pain, suffering and death of people.
--/
This chapter was hard to get started, quite hard finding the right sort of tone.
It started as a sort of 'moving around in time' sort of chapter like chapter 20, but I didn't want to do it for the whole chapter, it did help me start the scene though.
Everything on platform 9 and 3/4 is a new view and a re-extrapolation of what happened in chapter 36 of Sorcery, UNITed, Independence, Space.
I have tried to include more of Harry Potter action while still keeping everything fresh and new.
Harry will be more prominent in some upcoming chapters (hopefully).