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 29

'Initial information suggests that private individual Harry James Potter has removed himself from the ties of Earth on an unknown trajectory…'

That was what started the initial investigation, a note in General Lethbridge Stewart's inbox.

General Lethbridge Stewart trusted Harry Potter with his life, probably more than that…but he also couldn't ignore what the information started to suggest.

He had put a small research team on it, they were thankfully in the lull between fights, with their attack on Voldemort himself obviously having stalled the Death Eater rampage for the moment.

The dragon dissection was progressing with Night Wolf command's cellars now fully converted into large freezers and beast sized morgue, the work was still continuing inside the Icy Block but the army had a contingent there as well as the roating Night Wolf troops keeping watch as the dragons were carefully dissected and transported back to Night Wolf.

Then there was this…

Craft: Fighter, Bio-technical experimental craft, removed from Night Wolf Command Hanger (Air Division – Barry Davis).

Craft currently under the assignment of private individual Harry James Potter, current designation Shadow Blaze.

Lethbridge Stewart noted that they were still working through all the camera footage, searching for Mr Potter, who had well and truly disappeared…quite possibly from Earth.

Rising and gathering up various other reports he walked to the door sparing a final look at the preliminary report before leaving his office for a status meeting.

"What does the blood work say on Voldemort?" Birmingham asked from his place at the large table that accommodated all the heads of the divisions inside Night Wolf Command.

"We've analysed and separated out all the blood samples taken at the Icy Block site." Said Gemma Cranwell who was part of Night Wolf Command's battle forensics division, a relatively new division which more or less crossed over throughout the Research, Sorcery, Medical and Xenology departments. At the end of the table on the wall a large screen showed the various blood samples that had been analysed.

"Of the major blood samples we collected from the main assault group, there were a total of 13 donors inside the gates. We've excluded 4 of those…"

"Why?" Lethbridge Stewart asked glancing at the screen, the results were slightly unfathomable, blood to a soldier was a sign that the battle was either going well, or was not, it was something to clean up and staunch, it was something to remove, but when it came to analysis…

"They're female. Another 3 were excluded given the age." She clicked the image again, and then smiled.

"But even if we hadn't excluded those, we would have recognised Voldemort's blood. Look." She clicked the image again, it was displaying various characteristics of the blood sample, the deep scan results, the spectrographic analysis, the DNA breakdown…and the morphological analysis.

"The sample supports what we know about Voldemort. The DNA is corrupted in an extreme way, he's most definitely not human."

"Coming back from the dead will do that to most people." Doctor Katie Baker, Head Physician within Night Wolf Command muttered.

"Yes, however there are signs of recent development of the genome. The blood itself has some similarities with the sample sent from UNIT HQ." Cranwell continued.

"Mr Potter's blood sample." Lethbridge Stewart added at the questioning look from Baker.

"So, that small sample has replicated itself throughout his system?"

"From the report of the incident it is was a tiny about, it seems that that small amount was cultivated by Voldemort."

"Would that explain his less than human blood?" Birmingham asked curiously.
"No…We've been comparing the analysis to everything we've got on file, the recent dragon blood work was the closest we've got."

"He's got dragon blood? That stuff is pretty toxic." Baker stated.

"No…but it's close enough to be within the same family as a dragon, its more reptile than mammal, but it's been mixed in suggesting that it was inserted into his system along the same lines as Mr Potter's blood."

"What assumptions have you drawn so far from the sample?"

"There are several other elements within the blood, myself and the others have been running it them through the Sorcery databases, they're various extracts and substances, plus a lot we don't know. It's a collection of stimulants and relaxants, at a guess the series of stimulants and additions to the body would be incredibly painful, if not psychologically destabilising, the relaxants some could put down a horse are present to keep him conscious and lucid."

Lethbridge Stewart digested this information, it wasn't anything outside what they didn't already know, but it was better for understanding the enemy.

"What about the others Gemma, anything aside from the basics?" Doctor Baker asked.

"They all have present in their system the same base line exogenous response to violent trauma, untreated, though most likely repetitive assaults."

"The torture curse." Birmingham said simply.

"Can you send me some samples?" Baker asked.

"My department could do with a copy of that Katie…if this is to continue to go on we'll need to develop a better recovery bar for all personnel, and something to wake people from the aftershock of it, when they're too out of it to do something for themselves." Birmingham said grimly.

Katie nodded writing something down on her computer in front of her.

"What's the status on our magic jammers?" Lethbridge Stewart asked Sarah Palmer, the woman who headed the Utilities and Magical Strategy Devices, she looked grim.

"In one word, bad. Through these assaults, particularly in Northern Ireland and Wales, the jammers covering those assaults have been damaged beyond repair, their core focuses were destroyed and the power packs are worse than useless, it's basically unsalvageable."

"How many are out of commission?" Lethbridge Stewart asked with a frown.

"It would be easier to say how many we do have."

"It's that bad?" Andrew Scott, Head of Magical and Non-Magical Integration asked surprised Sarah nodded.

"I want an estimate on how many we can have in the field, and how many we can fix up, pull people from where ever you need." Lethbridge Stewart said.

"Yes sir…we have been keeping spare parts on the shelf for them…but some are just gone, it's going to take months, even with all the people we need." Sarah stated firmly.

"Very well." Lethbridge Stewart admitted. "What's the next bad news?" He sighed reaching for his mug of tea.

"We've been expending a lot of resources, especially over the past 72 hours, not only us but the British Armed forces and UNIT." Mark Fraser, Head of the Research, Information and Logistics division within Night Wolf Command stated after slight break in proceedings.

"On that I'd like to try something…" Lethbridge Stewart looked at James Renwick who had tan odd gleam in his eye.

"What is it?" Birmingham asked curiously.

"The Icy Block factory, we're moving the dragon parts out as quick as we can, but it's a compromised site."

"Yes…" Lethbridge Stewart started slowly.

"I had a look on our records the site wasn't being used for anything…and well…" James paused. "I'd like to set a trap."

"A trap."

"For the Death Eaters, according to Max…" James nodded to Max Robinson, head of Apothecary division.

"According to our pre-lim tests on the dragon blood there's a degree of residue, I've instructed all the gloves and clothing to be kept after each session in sealed containers, we can use that as a lure, it should be enough, with a few additions to make it appear as though we still have a dragon or at least more than one in pieces."

"And you believe you can lure the death eaters to the factory?"

"Yep, I've got a few things lying around that need testing in a battle environment, we clear everyone out…put in some recording equipment and see what happens." James said casually.

"Worst case scenario?" Birmingham asked.

James looked puzzled for a moment, "Nothing happens…and they get away with various used medical supplies, gloves and Max's concoction…which he tells me is like a pepped up version of MSG and smelling salts."

"Very well, but I want an official proposal before I sign off on it…how much damage to the building?"

James shrugged for a second. "Depends how thorough you want me to be…" He said vaguely, Lethbridge Stewart sighed.

"I'll make sure no one needs anything inside the building."

"Any other business…?" Birmingham asked as they approached the end of their meeting.

"There is one thing…as the war with Voldemort wears on…I came across a research project…" Andrew Scott flicked through a pile of older files. "It was listed as an 'Endgame' Project."

"What information could you find?" Lethbridge Stewart asked after a moment, there were a few 'Endgame' Projects on file, they were generally; big or complicated or a 'solve your problems with a large explosion' sort of projects.

"All it says is that it's a 'Project to ultimately disrupt and destroy a wand user's magical power base'. It's head of project is a Professor Gustav Fiodor Timothy Hinton."

Lethbridge Stewart let the name hang in the air, that particular project had been in its early stages when he'd taken over Night Wolf Command, and he had been willing to let it run its course…Unfortunately, Professor Hinton quit put all his research behind and obscure UN security wall and removed himself from UNIT. He'd been informed by Geneva that he would be permanently unreachable.

"The project was…it was designed to be a wide scale attack, isolating and destroying a wand'rs ability to use or manipulate magic, aside from that Professor Hinton refused to tell me, and kept it all in the dark."

"Could you find out sir? If the rating on this is to be believed, we could use it to remove Voldemort's base of operations from play."

"Do you know where it is?"

"Mark has…"

"We're only starting…we're still waiting for accurate position to begin plotting out exactly where the battles occurred then we can start with the Sorcery Division's help plotting it backwards and start coming up with some ideas…"

"Andrew I will look into your project for you…"

General Lethbridge Stewart stuffed his hands further into his coat as they looked around the tundra that they were in.

What they were standing in front of was a bunker that wasn't on any map, it wasn't listed in any official information as far as anything and anyone was concerned it didn't exist.

It had been a left over from the Cold War days, the UN had 'appropriated' it to keep a person or people safe, from or who was never discussed.

Lethbridge Stewart had dug up his old files on all the 'Endgame' Projects, they were mostly unworkable, but not 'worst case scenario' projects.

The worst case scenario plans and projects were an ever growing and developing arm of UNIT, in fact every UNIT base around the world had at least a filing cabinet devoted to worst case scenario plans.

This project….when Professor Hinton had removed himself the research had been reclassified 'No Eyes Only' and then destroyed, the ashes spread around a convenient park, any computer disks and files had been shredded and buried concrete at a large building site, all with the UN's approval, because of some obscure law, which didn't exist any more.

Lethbridge Stewart had had some success, Professor Hinton had agreed to meet him and discuss 'his findings'.

"So this is it Brigadier? When the UN hides people away they do a good job of his." Colonel Jones's voice was muffled behind the coat, like the General her goggles over his eyes and his jacket and snow mask covered his face.

"They didn't hide him away Colonel, he chose this location. Is the team set up?"

Jones turned and looked back, their vehicle was sitting back on its wheels, the turret had been released and was free.

The team was small, 4 people from Night Wolf plus Colonel David Jones for this mission which technically didn't exist, the UN had guaranteed that they would leave him alone, and even though they sat outside the usual instructions technically he couldn't order or use any form of coercion to get the information that they wanted.

That is without contravening an unknown and now removed (although not retroactively affecting) law.

Jones received a signal from his team.

"They're all ready, with have a secure zone, the…vehicle is primed should we need a quick escape."

Lethbridge Stewart nodded and looked towards their vehicle once more, it was a 'concept' battle mover that the Northern Highlands Research Facility had built, seemingly just in case. It was a little longer than a standard UNIT Land Rover and about as wide as two of them. What made him 'borrow' it, for a 'field test' was its ability to hover, it had two backwards engineered hover pads, plus chassis enhanced by wood known for its levitation enhancement, plus a lot of scanning technology.

All of it incredibly useful considering they were currently standing in the middle of one of the most dangerous and deadly minefields ever constructed.

"Very well, remember…he may be unstable…in fact he may anything…"

"Don't shoot unless you give the word sir."

"If it comes to that Jones." Lethbridge Stewart walked over to the large concrete doors and opened an old panel and pressed a button.

"Yes?" Came a cultured middle European voice.

"General Lethbridge Stewart and Colonel David Jones."

"Of?"

"UNIT, Night Wolf."

"Brigadier didn't I say…"

"You said I could bring one person 'if I was worried about you." Lethbridge Stewart stated.

"Then what about the 4 others patrolling around the perimeter?" Asked the voice accusingly.

"You said nothing about not bringing back up, they won't be coming in with myself and Colonel Jones."

"You know I could remove them as simply as peeling an apple."

Jones looked at the Brig, it wasn't the most used of metaphors.

"Of course, Now Professor Hinton may we come in, or do I have to use some excellent explosives to see how strong they built these old bunkers?" Lethbridge Stewart asked curiously as he removed in his finger from the talk button.

There was a chuckle…slightly odd though from the speaker where ever it was located.

"Of course you could try Brigadier, but this is a nuclear bunker, even a nuclear weapon, that is one big enough to carry around, would do nothing but melt a bit of snow, and all that would accomplish would be leaving you with wet feet, and me with some ice to slip on when I came out to investigate your dead bodies."

There was a pause and Jones tensed.

"Come in, to my abode." The doors in front of them parted and opened with noting more than a crunch as they moved the snow that had piled up out of the way.

"Said the spider to the fly." Jones muttered to himself.

Jones and the Brigadier sat in a study which looked like it had been taken right out of a country estate painting.

From their entrance they had been directed through a series of corridors before being asked to sit and wait.

"Colonel Jones, General Lethbridge Stewart…or should I call you Brigadier, that's what everyone called you back in our Night Wolf days…" Professor Gustav Fiodor Timothy Hinton said, or greeted as he walked in the door.

He was a man of medium height around 175 cm with greying brown hair.

When he turned to look at Lethbridge Stewart and Colonel Jones, that was when the surprises started, it wouldn't be the first surprise of that day.

"Yes, it is shocking…and perhaps I found it shocking when I…but after the first time…it is something to get used to…."

Jones couldn't help but stare at the man before them…it looked…in fact he'd seen it before...something the Death Eaters liked to do occasionally to their victims…but…it wasn't what was different it was what was exactly the same.

"Colonel Jones…of the people who have seen my condition…you seem to be coping rather well…something in your line of work I presume?"

"I really couldn't say…" Jones said casually, Lethbridge Stewart smiled to himself at how casually David Jones was taking the site before him.

"All in the name of my research, my project…I take it that is why you're here?"

"Yes."

"I destroyed all my work, made sure there was no one to follow…it is a significant price to pay…for such a project…" He said casually sitting in front of them.

"There was a…description of sorts…" Jones prompted.

"Oh yes?"

"' a wide scale attack, isolating and destroying a wand'rs ability to use or manipulate magic'" Lethbridge Stewart quoted.

"Ah yes…I didn't think Night Wolf operated that way, it certainly didn't when I left…the wand users had finished their war…we were about research…that's when…" He gestured to his body.

Jones and the Brigadier shared a look.

"What was the project Professor Hinton?" Lethbridge Stewart asked calmly.

"The project…the name of the project was Project: Guillotine." Jones's eyes went slightly wider as the Professor said the name in a silky tone.

"This Project Guillotine…"

"Yes...curious as always Brigadier…it was a project which took advantage of the very natural designs…and mixed them…creating a catalytic mix of creative forces…which rupture and confine an area of land…"

"Right…" Jones couldn't stop himself from muttering.

"Very, very wrong Colonel Jones…that was what made it so…seductive…" He chuckled to himself.

"You know about ley lines?"

"Powerful lines throughout the land, some people can tap into them, move power through them, walk them even on the psychic plane of existence." Lethbridge Stewart stated casually.

"Exactly Brigadier…but you do have to have a pre-disposition to such ability, it can be learnt in order to protect or control yourself…but there must still be a pre-disposition, but I am, of course getting a head of myself…"

"Project Guilliotine…was a project I designed and tested should we ever need to…isolate a power base of the wand'rs…not all their power is routed in their wands…of course a lot of it is, in the lower power and less experienced users this is true…but as they move up in power…that's why Voldemort was such a problem, and the one who worked with the Nazis he knew how to use the power…"

Jones glanced at the Brigadier who just shook his head and continued to stare at the rambling Professor.

"They are most dangerous in a town…or a focal point of a town…usually a large manner house or castle…if they're powerful enough they tie it all in, ley lines, flora and fauna, their 'wards', shielding and everything, it becomes more than a home…a power base if you will to work from." He paused taking a sip of what appeared to be water. "They would further enhance their power by centralising attacks, advancing out in symbols of power, outward and back from their base of operations…"

"How do you know this? When you left Night Wolf we hadn't even begun to analyse their battle tactics, we could hardly even enter their power bases…" Jones exclaimed in query, then had the good grace to look to the Brigadier.

"It is a valid question Professor."

"My research…I took things into my own hands…some field research, some interviewees were very helpful…" He chuckled to himself again once more.

"The project…" Lethbridge Stewart prompted again.

"Many of the average wand user might have forgotten the power in older signs, and symbols, but used properly they can be quite powerful…did you know for instance the power of the Cross…a very powerful ward generator…used in the correct way of course…" He took another sip of his water. "Like wise used in the correct manner, these symbols can be the beginning of their undoing…"

The silence in the room was noticeable mainly because there wasn't any other sound. Except when the Professor started to chuckle once more.

"Sorry…dramatic effect…where was I…? Ah yes powerful symbols…not the only thing to use…in order to truly destroy their power base an attack needed to be made on all levels…on the physical, the ley lines, the wand user's style of magic, other methods of Sorcery…other places…" He took another drink of water. "There weren't any natural psychics, none that would join me in my researchers, they'd all been…well Hamlet Macbeth wasn't the nicest of fellows within UNIT, and after the shut down of his Paranormal Division well they got as far away from him and us…so I took matters into my own hands…I'm not a psychic…but I knew that I wanted to use the ley lines...and other methods…"

"So?"

"I sought Death."

"Death." Jones repeated again. Lethbridge Stewart sat silently.

"Death…there is a…ritual of sorts to allow you to descend…and speak with her…sort of…that's how I got these…" He gestured to his eye and throat…

"So you did do it yourself…" Jones said slowly.

"Oh yes…I made sure I'd be found…a rather interesting concoction swallowed before hand would give my body the shock it would been to bring me out of it…and the blood pool would have been hard to miss, even in those days…"

"Death?" Jones prompted the man who was staring off into space stroking his throat.

"It was me belief in order to manipulate the ley lines…and use the wand'rs power against them I'd need Death's approval…the decent into her world…affects the mind and body…you have to leave everything behind…but it's the backwards way…a psychic in theory can manipulate the ley lines without the journey…but I wanted a method that anyone could use…Macbeth proved that you couldn't trust them…" He suddenly sounded very bitter. "You must sacrifice your senses and your body…the directions that I had were very…" He trailed off. "In any case…I descended…sacrificed what I did…and spoke with death…you know…she spoke…her voice…she said could destroy a brain such as mine…a human brain…but as I'd sacrificed something…she wouldn't keep me there…not forever…" He trailed off again. "She didn't say much…she didn't tell me anything…but I looked into the dark holes that might have been eyes…and I saw pure darkness…then I knew I was in the wrong place…and that we were all headed for darkness…I took it as a sign…"

"Right…" Jones said slowly, Lethbridge Stewart admired him staying calm in the face of a madman.

"I also think you're leading us into death…that maybe I should do to you what I did to myself…so you'll understand…" He was quick, unbelievably quick for a man who had crushed out his own eyes and looked as though he'd attempted to decapitate himself, he was up and across the room grabbing Colonel David Jones's head and holding a knife to it, chuckling again to himself.

"She also said…that I'd have my life and my senses back…for a deal…a deal with…death…" He pressed a knife to Jones's throat.

"Definitely mad." Jones muttered mainly to himself. As he reached to his back, where either the Professor didn't 'see' or didn't know.

"Ah your gun Colonel…now…do you think you can shoot me quicker than I can shoot the Brigadier?" He asked calmly pressing the knife against Jones's throat.

"Probably not, but I can." At that moment and the moments that followed Colonel David Jones of UNIT – Night Wolf was thankful and shocked by several things.

He was thankful that the Brigadier was a good aim, that from an almost impossible angle and at amazing speed had drawn a weapon and shot Professor Hinton through his dead eye sockets, two bullet holes one for each eye, so close he'd heard the bullets whiz by.

The other more shocking thing was in the Professor's death throws he'd whispered to him while all the time grabbing a hold of him, not slumping, not collapsing, despite the taste of death around him.

"Death is Eternal, she walks everywhere, I have walked in Death's footsteps, I have engaged Death…"

It wasn't the words, it wasn't even the intention, it was something deeper, something subtler, almost primal that shocked David Jones, something about how the words were spoken to him, the intention seemed of more importance than the words.

The Brigadier moved carefully over to Professor Hinton, prising his stiff fingers away from the knife and pushing the body away from Colonel Jones.

"You alright there David? Colonel Jones?" Lethbridge Stewart regarded him, he wasn't hurt, not in any physical way.

"Yes sir…just a bit of ringing in the ears…"

"What did he say you as he died? Something about death?"

"Sir?"

"He had a slight lisp on the word death…almost as if he were savouring it…" Lethbridge Stewart said slowly. All Night Wolf personnel had advanced anti-hypnosis training but there was sometimes a chance, with the right amount of shock and circumstance to break through that.

"He said to me…'Death is Eternal, she walks everywhere, I have walked in Death's footsteps, I have engaged Death…' but…"

"But?" Lethbridge Stewart regarded his officer.

"I think when we get back to base we should get the research department to run it…I don't know…it almost…" He trailed off.

"Almost what David…it's just us…and him." The Brig nodded to the stiff body on the ground.

"It almost frightened me sir…not the words…but…"

"The intent…something more psychological…yes…most likely it was something underlined in the metaphysical method that he spoke, some sort of underlying grammatical structure…"

"Sir?" Jones sounded slightly puzzled.

"You're right we'll talk to the research when we return…Now…we search this base for anything…useful…"

Lethbridge Stewart sat in their concept carrier as the hover pads hummed with power lifting them off the ground and over the extremely powerful and more than slightly sensitive minefield.

In the small cargo area at the back of the carrier were a couple of boxes of documents, plans, ideas and details of projects and various other things that the Professor pursued both during his time with UNIT and following his seclusion away her.

Some of it might be useful, some of it, perhaps not.

What was clear was that they would need to pursue his research with care, if not they may end up like him…

--//

I'm not quite sure where I got the majority of this chapter.

It was going to be a 'exposition' chapter (or that's how I thought of it) for some of the things that Harry has been getting up to (that will be explored further next chapter).

A lot of the stuff that Professor Hinton goes on about will be explained further in chapter 30 (which will hopefully be a chapter of some action).

Thanks for reading.