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 30
General Lethbridge Stewart sat in the meeting room with the researchers that he'd assigned to investigate Harry Potter's 'disappearance' using UNIT technology and information.
Only he and Birmingham were present, everyone else was still preparing for their assignment latter that week.
"Harry Potter, here after known as the subject…following his recovery and release from UNIT UK under the command of Brigadier Winifred Bambera, he was escorted to Grimmauld Place London."
Lethbridge Stewart looked up at the screen displaying a few photos of a dark looking close in the outer suburbs of London.
"The subject was then appeared a day later inside the Gibson Desert Research Facility." The images on the screen switched to security camera footage from inside a science lab. There was a ripple as though a gust of wind went through the room, sending papers and maps and other things flying everywhere.
From the 'centre' of the maelstrom a figure appeared swaying slightly.
It was Harry Potter, to the side of the main screen zoomed in close ups of his face and hands appeared, his hair was laying limp and his face had a sheen of sweat, his hands were shaking as he riffled through the papers and star maps and whatever else research was in the room.
He grabbed a handful of the papers and then disappeared, a veritable small hurricane following in his wake.
"A catalogue of the subject's movements and a catalog of the missing research material and star charts reveals that the subject took information pertaining to the location of the Q40 element."
"Q40?" Birmingham asked.
"The element necessary for construction of the jump gates and jump engines, it's one of the things we scan for…the Gibson Desert is working on probably systems, so we can build the jump gate construction and transport ship…" Lethbridge Stewart answered before the researchers could.
"Yes sir…"
"How many systems did Harry take information to?"
"The subject removed information pertaining to a set of 10 possible systems, this number increases to 20 when including systems currently outside the 'close' range of the hyperspace window generators."
"Define close?" Birmingham asked once more.
"Around 5 days at full power is our close range." Lethbridge Stewart answered again. "Even with a list of 10 that's still too many to search."
"Sir…the subject was then observed inside within Night Wolf Command stores…" The images switched showing Harry in the same condition arriving and pulling out his trunk and throwing in several packets of MREs.
"Estimates based on the footage suggest the subject taking enough sustenance for one month and 20 days, based on a three meal ration."
Birmingham stared as Harry appeared to say something before disappearing again.
"What did he say to himself?"
"Analysis of the footage suggests he says 'water' before he departs."
"Logical if he's thinking about going some where…foreign." Birmingham postulated.
"The subject then move to the Night Wolf Command Hanger, their the subject appears to speak with the bio-craft designation Shadow Blaze, given the location of the Shadow Blaze craft we were only able to obtain partial angels on their conversation."
The screen again changed showing three separate angels of the hanger that the cameras covered, the place where the Shadow Blaze was kept the Brigadier knew was an alcove that wasn't used often, until Harry had come along they hadn't had much luck or use for the partially organic, sentient craft that the scientists within Night Wolf had grown / constructed.
"After a ten minute conversation the subject accessed the craft, the craft then departed through the main entrance of the Hanger."
Lethbridge Stewart nodded to himself and flicked through the report trying to remember that day's ship positions.
"Where there any ships in orbit or within scanning range when Harry left?"
"Yes sir, the Australian Space Core Ship Flinders was entering the atmosphere on approach for Gibson Desert Research Facility for unloading of cargo. Their scans confirm the Shadow Blaze leaving orbit and engaging a hyperspace window generator. The direction is unknown…"
"Any further information?"
"No sir, further detail on all activities of the subject is inside my report."
"Thank you Captain."
"Sirs." She saluted and left the room promptly.
"Well?" Lethbridge Stewart asked Birmingham.
"She's very thorough." Birmingham said glancing through the thick report.
"That's why I asked her. What do you think about her research and report?"
"Do I believe that Harry has run?"
Lethbridge Stewart stayed quiet on that proposition.
"No."
"Neither…Harry I don't believe would do that, he has always been ready and willing to see this through to the end." Lethbridge Stewart said thinking of their sometimes brief but straight to the point conversations he'd had with Harry Potter.
"I concur, but the information here does suggest that he could be making a run for cover. Just to play devil's advocate." Birmingham tapped his folder as he rose from his chair to pace around the room.
"Harry has been suggesting that he has a plan, we can only hope that he returns to Earth soon…" Lethbridge Stewart said slowly.
"Do you think he's run?" Birmingham asked curiously.
"Do you Birmingham?"
"No, Harry knows the prophecy, he may not like it, I can't imagine anyone who would like it, but if he was going to make a run for it, he wouldn't do it this way…"
"No…but I still had to follow procedure and investigate it…"
"You know…he technically hasn't done anything wrong…" Birmingham offered.
"Why?"
"Because he technically isn't with UNIT, or Night Wolf…he's an independent…so he doesn't know the procedure for this sort of thing…" Birmingham offered with a knowing smile.
"Yes…I had thought of that Birmingham…now that we've got that out of the way…what of our other project?"
--//
General Lethbridge Stewart stood in a small dug out against a hill, he pulled his hands out of the warmth of his coat and looked through his binoculars once more down at the small town the according to most surveys stopped existing at some point in the late 60s.
1 Week 2 Days Ago
"General. We have The Location." Lethbridge Stewart could hear the capital letters in the two words, and understood the significance of them.
"Well Rick?" He said slightly wearily, he had after all just finished briefing his superior, Mark Fraser, head of Night Wolf's research division on the details of his and Jones's venture with Professor Hinton.
"Birmingham's in the meeting room…"
Birmingham was in the meeting room along with Sarah Palmer head of Utilities and Magical Devices and James Renwick from Weapons research.
"Brigadier…according this group we have a location."
Lethbridge Stewart nodded sitting into his chair and looking at the screen, they needed this piece of information, otherwise they would be…firing blind.
The image on the screen showed a map of the UK displaying all the attacks which had occurred; the Dover attacks, the Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland attacks and many of the other attacks that happened over that nigh such as the attacks on the Icy Block factory.
"My department and James's we've been out since the attacks plotting the arrival of each of the Death Eater groups, going back and tracking the magical alignments in the ground right up to the weather patterns on the night of the attacks." Palmer said as she clicked a button in front of her.
"We've used an algorithm designed to estimate various things such as apparition ability and portkey accuracy and tied that in with what we already know about how the wand'rs ability to matter transport works." James said with a hint of excitement.
Lethbridge Stewart nodded, impressed.
"Once we put all of that information into a couple of our computers, along and removed any of the likely sites."
"Likely?" Lethbridge Stewart asked.
"Places such as central London, Hogwarts castle, Hogsmede Village, places which might skew our results just because of their intense relationship between various sources and such." Birmingham replied from where he was standing at the end of the table.
"So?" Lethbridge Stewart gestured questioningly.
"Here…track back to a certain location, north of London." Palmer said as she pushed a button; on the map lines illuminated and showed them tracking back to a small town in England.
"What is it?" Lethbridge Stewart asked.
"It's a town that fell off all maps some time in the late 1960s, we can't be certain when. The main town is called Greater Hangleton, Little Hangleton ceased being of anyone's concerns in the late 1960s, according to our research it was 'quarantined' and forgotten about." Rick said.
"Quarantined…by who?"
"No information exists, it's in a remote area around 32 kilometers from Greater Hangleton. We haven't tried for a more detailed survey…"
"No, this is excellent work…so you're sure Voldemort's base is at Little Hangleton."
Palmer looked slightly worried. "While we didn't do a detailed survey…we did get UNIT London to do a drive by survey, just to test the waters…"
Lethbridge Stewart wasn't sure whether to commend her initiative or criticize Palmer for a lack of clarity in this regard.
"And?"
"As soon as he got within the town's limits 'intense feeling of cold, an almost primal want to leave…' It goes on like that, he observes some people dressed in cloaks before he leaves. He was one of the men who backed up Bambera in the vampire clean up."
"Alright, but together a mission to set up observation, I will get on MI5 to set up observation on Greater Hangleton, there is most likely there are a few people maintaining a watch just in case of any large build up."
1 Week Ago
"You're certain?"
"Please General, my people have been in this for a long time, they know when someone is being manipulated and being paid off…"
"I would have thought it was one of the other Harry."
"It is a strange world. General."
"That it is…thank you Harry." Lethbridge Stewart took the report slipping into the bag he was carrying on his way to another, slightly trickier meeting.
"And my people?"
"Can you keep them there for the next fortnight…after that…there shouldn't be any…large problem with Hangleton."
"I'll want an explanation one of these days Alistair."
"Perhaps Harry, perhaps." They came to a stop at an unassuming door inside Thames House, this was another favor that Lethbridge Stewart had asked Harry Pearce of, a 'secret' meeting with the Prime Minister, not the easiest thing to do.
"Thank you Harry." Lethbridge Stewart walked in where the Prime Minister of Great Britain was waiting in a comfortable study.
"General Lethbridge Stewart…your note suggested it was urgent…I'm guessing not aliens…they don't give warnings…is it…the wizard problem?" He said after a moment, he was slightly less paranoid, not that he had jammers protecting him and his family, and allowing his to be cut off from the wand'rs world.
"Yes…I have request…a plan as it were to take care of Voldemort's base of operations…"
15 minutes later Lethbridge Stewart had finished explaining the gist of what he had planned.
He or rather Mark Fraser hadn't worked out many of the kinks which might stall his plan…but he still needed permission to do it…after all you couldn't…
"This is a…are you sure it will eliminate this Voldemort?"
"No." Lethbridge Stewart said simply.
"What?!" The Prime Minister exclaimed.
"However it will give Voldemort cause for a re-think, and we think give us enough time to reassess our methods of attack…" And for Harry to come back with his plan…not that Lethbridge Stewart said the second part.
"During this current wave of attacks they were all operated out of Little Hangleton, this is the same with any other terrorist cell…we are simply annexing their base of operations…"
"It's a little bit more than that Lethbridge Stewart what about the normal people in this town…"
"As you'll see from our survey and MI5's investigation Little Hangleton had not existed in any official capacity since the mid 1960s, there is no electricity, water or sewerage connected to the town, in fact all services bypass it in a wide berth…which has cost a lot in the past and with the upgrade going through later this year…"
The Prime Minister was nodding.
"Yes, Yes I'm sure, an MP mentioned it some time ago. But General, this plan…the residual pollution alone, do you know the long term effects?"
"If you'll see in my…"
"No, General, I'll sign off on this…but I want UNIT's guarantee that it will clean up the site back to…whatever it was before these…wizards took over…"
Lethbridge Stewart almost said 'anything else'?
"And I want your personal guarantee that this business is going to be over before 12 months."
"You know I can't give that guarantee Prime Minister."
"I think you do Lethbridge Stewart. This is as you've said only the first stage, all I'm asking is for a personal guarantee that Voldemort will not be party to any attacks after 12 months. Your word of honor."
"Very well." Lethbridge Stewart barely paused as he agreed, he didn't know how he would, but he had knew that the final battle was fast approaching.
6 Days Ago
"Brigadier…these plans…"
"You've had enough time to go over them Mark?" Lethbridge Stewart asked calmly of Mark Fraser one of the people from Night Wolf's research division.
"They're insane, I can't believe anyone tried it."
"You got my files and the secure documents?" Lethbridge Stewart asked calmly though after reading exactly what Professor Hinton had got into it had…worried him slightly.
"Yes…"
"Yes?" Lethbridge Stewart was hoping for more than an unsure affirmative.
"I've had my division, and some people from Magical Utilities, Apothecary, Sorcery, Weapons, Weapons Integration…"
"Basically everyone Mark."
"Yes…We think we can do it…but we're going to have to bring in a few people…and it's going to anything but safe."
"Who am I going to have to call? And will it work?" Lethbridge Stewart asked sighing and breathing in the cool air that they were walking around in outside Night Wolf Command, he'd needed after a day and night in London to walk around and stretch his legs in the fresh and cool morning air.
"We'll need the RAF for the initial run, artillery on the ground either or both from UNIT and the Army, ground troops on all sides to go in after secondary attack…and we'll need four people from UNIT – Psi Research."
Lethbridge Stewart was nodded along with his requests, he knew it was going to be a long one but…the last name.
UNIT – Psi research was re-assembled just after Lethbridge Stewart had taken command of Night Wolf.
It was composed of some of the people that Hamish Macbeth had assembled to the defunct UNIT Psychic Division.
However where Hamlet Macbeth had pursued his own agenda the Psi Research was more about research and understanding…although there was the understanding that they would help UNIT in times of chrisis, which the accepted fully and totally, in exchange they were provided materials, information and help in training their powers.
4 Days Ago
Lethbridge Stewart stepped out of the transmat area with 4 people, dressed…quite casually.
He was thankful that there had been a ship in orbit to act as a relay point between Night Wolf Command and UNIT – Psi Research which was located in the south island of New Zealand.
The four were very proficient and had calmly ready the proposal, as had the others before he'd arrived to accompany them, they could, they had assured him use the ley lines for their purposes…without going mad, which they had explained quite calmly and clearly to him one of the problems with 'just diving in with no preparation…or protection'.
3 Days Ago
"Yes…I had thought of that Birmingham…now that we've got that out of the way…what of our other project?"
"Everything is on schedule, I have my department sorted out, we'll be working in teams of 3 traversing the hypotenuse between the Psi people and working our way inwards…Palmer has delivered two of the smaller jammers to the RAF and she's working with them to get them fitted into two harriers as we speak."
"Good and they've been briefed?"
"Earlier today."
"Good. Apothecary; has Max kitted out everyone?"
"They're still packing all the tactical vests with their mix, our covert investigation in so far has confirmed presence of Demmentors patrolling the outer most limits of Little Hangleton, so Max is packing in some extra cacao to ward them off, he's said it's still experimental but in theory…"
"In theory is what we're working this whole operation on Birmingham." Lethbridge Stewart leaned back closing his eyes for a moment.
"Brigadier…Alistair?"
"What Birmingham?"
"When was the last time you had a good night's sleep?"
"Last night…" Birmingham looked at his friend. "Fine two nights ago, there's been too much going on, I grabbed doctor's orders 5 hours sleep last night…"
"At home?"
"No…Doris understands."
"She won't if you're sloppy from lack of sleep, go home, I can cover until tomorrow morning…and you're going to need some good rest especially in 3 days…so now while it's all quiet, before we start moving out and organising people."
Alistair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart closed his eyes once more trying to ignore the werewolf before him who thought he was right too much of the time.
"Brigadier…do I have to knock you out and levitate you home?" Birmingham said amused. "Or just apparate you home…"
"You'll find that a little harder than the last time you tried that…"
"Well then I'll get you to the gate and then just shove you up the path, I'm sure Dorris has seen wilder things than her husband levitating."
Lethbridge Stewart tried to think of an argument…such as the mountains of requests to organise, the masses of things the arrange for their assault…but then…Birmingham could be very dedicated to a task, and just as devious.
"Fine Birmingham…"He growled as he rose from the chair.
1 Day Ago
Lethbridge Stewart sat inside their base came, around 30 kilometers from Little Hangleton.
Their base camp wasn't exactly small, comprising of 8 tanks which would begin to move into position later the next day in preparation for the night assault.
There was also more than 3/4 of the personnel from Night Wolf Command for this operation, many of whom would be moving out during the following day for their own targets the following night.
They would all be working together in to pull this plan off.
--//
General Lethbridge Stewart walked over to their point of contact just outside the wards and over to Jane, one of the people from the Psi Research.
"Can you feel her?"
"Of course…but it is like…trying to hear under water…" She said softly.
They stood south of Little Hangleton, right on the compass line, on the opposite side stood Valerie between them they would manipulate the ley lines…priming them.
On the other side standing at the East gazing West was Birmingham in a similar position.
They together would act as anchors for the Psi experts, who weren't just telepaths, but so much more…
They were waiting for 'the right time' as Miranda had said when Lethbridge Stewart had asked at the previous night's meeting.
"I believe you should start your sorcerers now Brigadier."
Lethbridge Stewart nodded, they would need the sorcerers to begin work to bring down the wards to allow them access to the main thoroughfare of the ley lines.
Which would in turn allow them to be primed with their power to bursting point, the air strikes would…light the fuse…and soon hopefully Little Hangleton would be as far as the wand users were concerned dead…
"Greyhound Leader to all units, begin attack, repeat begin attack." He changed the frequency. "Greyhound Leader to jumpers, prepare for assault, attack in first stages."
"Confirmed Greyhound Leader."
Around the outskirts of the town where they couldn't gain access to, Sorcerers and specialist Apothecaries all stood working their craft over the barriers that were in place, before them it shifted colours, reacting, fighting their attacks, their diffusion attempts.
But still they pressed on.
Lethbridge Stewart could feel the air warming in front of them, the wards before them shifting through the colour spectrum, away from the invisible power that it had been slowly through.
He could smell on the air the scent of burning herbs, of substances specially brewed to allow the wielder to punch a hole through, to infest the tie points of the wards, he could see the wards red shift all the way to and past infrared.
Then there was a noise like thunder, that was the cue.
"It's time Brigadier." Miranda stepped forward to the point she had chosen out, on the opposite side Valerie was doing the same guarded by some of Night Wolf's best people.
The same was happening with Birmingham, no radio call was necessary…they didn't need it.
The Brig gently put a hand on Miranda's shoulder as she opened her hands and started muttering to herself…or possibly to her friend on the other side.
Even at this early stage Lethbridge Stewart could feel it, the power building up from somewhere behind…and around him…it was intense…it felt like the air was buzzing, filled with static…though something more…something greater.
"Almost there…almost there…it's so powerful…it's so…bright…I can see why he chose this place…it's so powerful…so birght…." Miranda was muttering to herself…unbeknownst to the Brigadier Valerie was also saying the same thing, but she wasn't muttering it, she was saying it, calmly to herself as some sort of release and reassurance against the intense bright rivers of power the threatened to over power her, drag her down, past the brightness that would make her want to rip her eyes from her sockets…and join death…just to see and feel the feeling and make the feeling consume her.
Miranda could feel all the power, power she was holding back with her mind, the flow was greater than…than she didn't have anything to compare it to, it was like holding back the ocean paper back book…it was so intense, so…amazing…it was also quickly approaching critical mass, they were approaching the point of no return…even now she could let it go and dissipate…but in a few more minutes the ties along the ley lines would turn becoming controlled flows to dams holding it in and topping it up…
She could feel the other points, all long the most powerful magnetic points of North, South, East and West…they were approaching the same point…when they all reached critical mass they would have less the 30 seconds to begin the attack, or else the energy would explode in every direction, most likely blowing a hole in the side of Britain rather than spreading it out and destroying this…perverted town.
"Now Brigadier, call the attack now…" She ground out slowly, her voice low and deep, strangled.
The harrier jump jets rose, slightly unsteadily out of their positions, the would be flying from North East to South West and South East to North West, each dropping a collection of air to ground missiles…
They were slightly wobbly given the height they were flying and the high amount of magical interference still left in the air, though the pilots had been assured by the nice woman from Night Wolf that their aircraft 'probably' wouldn't fall out of the sky.
Which was good, considering the altitude they had been ordered to fly at was only slightly higher than most 3 storey buildings.
Gaining their needed altitude they began their attack run.
Lethbridge Stewart stared out across the town as there was a roar of fighter engines and a steady thump followed by a large explosion and a rumble across the ground as the ground the air missiles attacked their targets.
When they each had hit their last target it would hopefully 'ignite'.
Miranda was swaying nervously, they would hang on to the ley lines, the power until the last bomb was dropped…and then…then they would see…and ramp up their barriers as quickly as they could.
As soon as the fighters had begun their attack all hell had broken loose inside Little Hangleton…self-levitating furniture stopped, multiple people splinched themselves…and the floo stopped, giving several people third degree burns…
But they could still use magic…for the moment.
Mirnanda braced herself as the final bombs fell from the planes as they tore away from the towns on their South West and North West trajectories.
The final two bombs dropped and the power exploded along the ley lines…a huge mushroom cloud of magical energy erupted from the town, bright reds and greens mixed as the energy rose up, the in of air pulling many of the tanks towards the town…while this exact effect hadn't been imagined, there had been postulated some sort of after affect. The tank commanders's orders were to; should this happen, open fire on the town, just in case there were any hostiles remaining.
8 tanks positioned just away from the North South East and West lines began opening fire as they were dragged towards…and then the magical energy, the air blew back, turning to dust the Demmentors attempting to flee, pulverising the giants, ogres and remaining few vampires in the woods around Little Hangleton and rendering the entire town of Little Hangleton dead to magic.
Birmingham pulled himself up, and tested his magic…like him many of the Night Wolf sorcerers were testing their abilities…they had protection against what they'd just done…but they needed to see…there was a collective sigh of relief…as he been theorised the effect was only on those inside the target area, any blow back had dissipated upon hitting their areas.
Lethbridge Stewart helped Miranda up and they looked down at the town, there was still visible energy and the tanks had paused in their attacks for a moment as the dust, smoke and energy cleared.
The town was…destroyed…in fact there was only some rubble which had probably been houses, before the tank fire.
"Well…if this is what happens when you calmly plan something Brigadier, I don't want to see you when you're angry." Miranda said nervously though exhausted.
Unfortunately for Night Wolf, Voldemort had been in France, 'negotiating' with some allies to replace the recruits he had lost so far…but he would never return to Little Hangleton, no wand using wizard would, not by their magic.
--//
Well, that's chapter 30.
A nice big chapter, where I topped my last 'action chapter' of a couple of dragons down…by…Blowing up Little Hangleton.
Admittedly I did think twice about writing it this way…but narratively it works as it places Voldemort on the defensive foot, which means he's more likely to bargain his way out of his situation. (Not with 'muggles' but with Harry Potter, as he views it his rival).
Harry will return in chapter 31.
Thanks for reading.