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 36
"Hermione, totally wants to know where I keep 'disappearing' to. I think she wants to join up."
"I thought you said she wanted to go to university?" Birmingham asked curiously after the completion of their testing of one of the final portions of Harry's plan they were having a casual lunch together; himself, Harry and the Birgadier, Harry looked as though he needed to…talk, about it didn't appear to matter just anything he just seemed like he needed a talk.
"I think she wants both, she worked out to some insane stuff about the letter you sent me after seeing two letters."
"How so Harry?" Lethbridge Stewart asked genuinely curious to Granger's deductive skills.
"She only got a glimpse for a few seconds…" Harry said taking a sip of his mug of tea. "First she said it was in an envelope, a normal non-wizarding one…"
"No jump of the imagination there Harry…they know you have acquaintances outside of Hogwarts not attached to us?"
"That's what I said!" Harry announced. "She went on to say that it was an A4 piece of paper, not parchment…then Hermione said she 'accidentally' saw two letters an 'a' and an 'e'…she recognised them from her parents computer…"
"But I didn't send a printed letter Harry…" The Brigadier interrupted reasonably.
"Haven't finished Brigadier…then…I wasn't sure if she was making these jumps of knowledge but…" Harry shook his head to himself. "She said that while it looked like something that had come out of a printer, it had in fact…probably been written with an ink well pen…then she added…from previous 'accidental' eavesdroppings on my other letters that they'd been written in ball point pen which usually pressed through the paper…"
"Creating an indentation…probably how she eavesdropped on your letters…" The Brigadier suggested.
"By reading the indentations…backwards?" Harry asked incredulously, before frowning and nodding to himself. "It's likely…so she continued that as it was written with an ink well it would have needed a good quality backing to it…and then she some how concluded that, I guess from the letters she saw that you probably have to sign your name a lot…or use the inkwell pen to do so…and this is the person who I have to sneak around…well now I just tell her I'm on doing secret stuff…I think Hermione's happy that I'm telling her I'm doing something secret rather than just disappearing." Harry finished his tale by vigorously attacking his meal before him.
"She sounds as though she's level headed enough to cope with the information…" Birmingham mused, Lethbridge Stewart nodded his ascent.
Harry swallowed and gave them a puzzled look.
"Let me explain Harry, despite there being quite a few people from the 'wizarding world' here there are still some…some people who don't understand and much worse, react badly upon learning about all this…" Birmingham explained slowly as he gestured around them.
"Your friend Remus, he was astounded, however because of the secularism of 'wizarding society' he has lived on the outskirts of that society." Birmingham explained.
It was in many occasions considering the persecution of werewolves easier for them to understand UNIT and Night Wolf's world, partly because as they were forced to live on the outskirts of the wizarding world or in the normal world they were more perceptive to the 'strange' things, such as the various alien invasion attempts and megalomaniacal computers trying to take over the world…not that the latter happened that often.
Being on the outskirts led to an easier transition and understanding than; by someone from the centre of wizarding society their beliefs were more strongly concreted in, also it wasn't just the wizards, many people from the world outside of the wizarding world did not cope well with the truth both UNIT's and Night Wolf, many recruits cracked within the few weeks, or months and withdrew from the organization, never wanting to be bothered by it or know anything more about UNIT's operations, it was simply too much for them to deal with, to wrap their world view around and into.
"I know…sort of…that's why I've been working at keep my…complicated plan as secret as possible, hopefully at the end, with the help of Jones and everyone there'll only be a few people that actually see Voldemort dematerialise, and even then there's enough similarity between that and apparition, so hopefully…no one will know, well that's the plan…" Harry smiled putting emphasis on the name, it was better than 'Harry's plan' in any case.
Lethbridge Stewart and the Brigadier nodded as Harry pushed himself away from the table.
"Well, I should head off…I'll try to send word when I next expect the order to look in at the Inferno…"
"You'll confirm the coordinates with Gibson Harry for the demat?"
"Yep, got them written down here." Harry patted his pocket.
After Harry had left and Birmingham had retrieved another mug of tea for himself and the Brigadier they sat discussing everything.
"I have my preliminary list of sorcerers to take with my to charm to dwarf star alloy."
"Good…the estimate is it will take around 2 weeks to reach the coordinates according to Firefox."
"So a week or so from now…" Birmingham mused to himself. "What did you think of Harry's story of Granger's deductive reasoning?"
"It backs up what her school report and her final General Assesment Test highlighted…aptitude for problem solving, information retention and a high intelligence." Lethbridge Stewart stated.
"Which you know are all suggested reasons why some people burn out and leave." Birmingham countered reasonably.
"You are right…however Birmingham all those were older scientists or academics more set in their ideas…"
Birmingham nodded.
"What would you say if I said myself, Professor Preston and Professor Wynne have been considering furthering this…"
"This what? Granger?"
"Bringing in university students…giving them training on our research bases and within the research facilities on Earth…giving them experience…" Lethbridge Stewart asked his friend and second in command.
Birmingham thought for a while.
"It's an interesting plan…what does Geneva think?"
"They are curious…and we're going to need people familiar with other planets and our work Birmingham…a class or two for an History major in Earth invasions, or an archaeology student to learn some xeno-archaeology in the field would be valuable than re-teaching a PH.d graduate…" Lethbridge Stewart said almost excitedly.
"Yes…what about Sorcerers? Apothecaries and other magical integrations and utilities specialists?"
"Exactly Birmingham…something for you to think on while you're on your journey." Lethbridge Stewart smiled. Birmingham sighed, he'd let himself get caught in that one.
Birmingham shook his head, the Brigadier chuckled to himself.
"Very well, what sort of things should I be considering Brigadier?"
"Miss Granger is a start…you know as well, even better than I do that a lot of people from the wand user's world go into Hogwarts and then…"
"Are left to stagnate in their stagnant world," Birmingham said slightly bitter. "Britain is the worst offender…it won't be easy Alistair…we have an in with Harry and his friend Miss Granger…locating others…even with the gaps left via their Hogwarts education in the system is still a job and a half…"
"I just want ideas from you Birmingham, how to approach them, what processes…what you think would be valuable to know…and not just wand users…regular sorcerers as well."
"So no holiday for me then Brigadier?" Birmingham said with a smile.
"Not unless you need it Birmingham." Lethbridge Stewart regarded him seriously now. "The last thing I want it you burning out."
"No Brigadier, no chance of that…I have my time off, as you do…or you should."
"I try Birmingham."
"You should try harder, I don't want you burning out."
"As you said no chance of that with us work horses."
"Speak for yourself Brigadier, I'm an old wolf." Birmingham chuckled as the Brigadier laughed.
--//
Professor Preston looked up as her computer screen flashed red, that was…some what disconcerting, considering it signalled an alert and a possible threat to her facility.
Hitting a button it switched to a video feed from the flight operations control centre.
"What's the emergency?"
"We've got a radio signal coming through…"
"That doesn't explain the alert Johnson."
"We're not reading anything on any of our sensors…the tracking on the radio signal suggests that it…that it's just above the doors."
"Let me hear the signal." She sighed.
"Gibson Desert, my vessel could be under a Fidellius or it could be invisible, open the doors I am expected check with UNIT Night Wolf UK." Came a slightly annoyed, though recognisable voice.
"Do we have notice from Night Wolf?"
"…" There was silence for a short moment.
"Johnson?"
"Just checking Professor…there was a note down, though it was assumed given the vessel's size that it would be transported via ship or transmat…not just appear…"
"Give him clearance, give him coordinates closest to the Matter Transmission research labs."
"Professor."
Tegan Vleugal watched as the deep black craft floated down and came to rest before them…it was…she paused thinking to herself. It wasn't anything like any of the craft that were constructed in the Gibson Desert Construction and Research facility…it was…your eye almost slid off the matt black features…but there were still small parts where things which might have been weapons jutted out from it. Suddenly a canopy…what she realised was a canopy and not just a bump in the skin of the craft unsealed without a sound or hiss of atmosphere being released.
"Sorcerer Potter. Thank you for bringing your craft."
"Professor Vleugal." Sorcerer Pilot Officer Harry Potter said smiling reassuringly to the collected scientists and engineers.
"Sorcerer…do you have the coordinates so I can work with which ever craft we're going to end up using…"
"Here. That's the final coordinates that we've worked out…down to the centermeter."
"Thank you. Would you like to see the transmat cage?" Tegan Vleugal asked.
"Cage?" Harry Potter asked curiously.
"The device which will hold the transmat within it for the duration of the trip…this way…"
"That's going to hold him?" Harry Potter asked slightly curious.
The transmat cage had been built from scratch using various pieces which had been discarded throughout the transmat's development into a safe piece of technology for use aboard the UNIT ships and within the various facilities.
At it's core was a 50 cm box designed to hold the transmat energy and signal within it, around the outside were all the various electronics to keep the signal within the cage, stop it from leaking out and to interface with the ship's transmat technology to allow it to extricate the signal from the cage and rematerialise it in space.
"Very probably…" She started. "All the tests were favourable."
"That's…good…as long as it works." He said staring at the box.
"The majority of the tests were very favourable."
"Majority?" Potter turned regarding her.
"There's a 1 in 20 chance that if there is a power drop when we re-materialise the person some of the control circuits both in the box and on the ship will…malfunction and the subject will be turned inside out or rematerialise not breathing." Which had happed in quite a bit more than 1 in 20…but in theory now most of the bugs had been worked out. Considering many of her colleagues and herself had worked to make the transmat as safe as possible, and now this cage had to bypass a lot of the safety measures…there was going to be a degree problems…initially.
"Well since I intend to blow up a sun that shouldn't be too much of a problem…"
"If there is a problem and this 1 in 20 chance happens…"
"There may be enough energy left in the box for him to sustain whatever organic energy as he did 17 years ago." Harry Potter cut her off, she was about to say…that if her was going to blow the subject up it couldn't matter/
"We will be working on getting that figure up to a 1 in 100 chance…we'll know more once it's fitted to your vessel." When connected they'd know how much power they had to use, only a small proportion of the power could come from the ASCS/RSCS ship, given the radiation concerns when operating in such a close proximity to a star.
"Just ask her nicely when you're doing anything." He said with a smile.
"It's sentient?"
"Relatively." Harry admitted. "She'll probably defend herself."
"Right." Vleugal nodded seriously.
"Just out of interest do you have the Dwarf Star…"
"Alloy here? Yes it's down with the missile they're just adjusting it some more to carry the weight."
"How heavy is it?" He asked curiously.
"I've been using this as a trial element for the transmat." She tensed gripped the small box with the two large handles on each side, it was only just below the recommended weight to be lifted by one person.
"That's unbelievable!" Sorcerer Potter took the box giving her a quizzical look, there was a definite strain on his face as he took the box and quickly replaced it on her desk.
"Isn't it? Indestructible too, it'll survive the sun which means we can retrieve it after…your plan."
"What could it be used for…we couldn't build ships out of it could we?" He pondered to himself.
"Not that I'm a space ship designer, but I wouldn't think so, my bet is for holding something…"
"Intergalactic tow rope?" Harry said lightly.
She chuckled. "It was suggested, but right now we've got a few minuet lumps of it, no way to break it up into a useable structure, so for now it's another unknown quirky mineral."
"Well I've got to go…I'll probably see you just before I pick Shadow Blaze up."
"Shadow Blaze?"
"The name of my ship."
"I see."
"Any problems…I think contact Night Wolf and they'll pass it on to me."
Harry turned to go.
"Just one question Sorcerer."
"Yeah?"
"How did you dematerialise?" She was curious to discover exactly what ability it was.
"Everlasting Raven." Vleugal made a mental note of the name, after she'd finished the work on the cage…and the report on the new transmats…and everything else.
"A wand user ability?" She asked curiously once more, hoping for extra information
"Not quite, no wand needed."
"So no technology used, it's a biological impulse?" Vleugal asked slightly deflated.
"Right…no application there then…" There was no practical use in a biological impulse method of matter transmission, just as with the wand user matter transmission.
"Ok this doesn't mean you're going to tie me up and do things to me does it?" Potter asked in a worried tone.
"Not unless you're going to pay me for it." She laughed at Harry's shocked expression.
"No…there are plenty of people out there that would want to do that to me for free… and not for my pleasure." He paused and smiled curiously. "Now I've got to go and bait the trap…Afternoon Professor." Potter disappeared in a swirl of what some might call black wind before even that disappeared.
Jones and his team were inside 'The plan' room, the room that had been given over to Harry's plan…and all that pertained to it. He and the team were going over some final points before they went for a scout around the Inferno site in preparation for the final assault.
It was then that he heard a noise behind them, and considering the door was on the other side of room in full view…he nodded to the others who had also heard it and drew their gun turning quickly around.
"Hey…And oddly enough that isn't off putting, makes me feel kind of homey…not sure why…maybe you should try some verbal threats…maybe try intimidating me…" Harry said wistfully not moving.
"Sorcerer Potter." Jones smiled as he holstered his weapon.
"Colonel Jones. I was just passing through, the Order, well 4 people and myself are stopping by the Inferno site, thought I'd better give you warning just in case."
"Sir, even if we were there they wouldn't know." Lt Parkin stated.
"Well I just needed to stop by the stores and grab a GPS if this plan's going to come together I'll need to show them where not to stand." He muttered to himself.
"We'll get along there so these guys can see 'The Order', if you don't mind."
Harry shrugged. "Just don't get noticed, I'm making sure none of them use any magic, but we'll be using brooms to get there."
Jones nodded.
"Well we're heading there in around 2 hours is that enough time for you to get there?"
Jones nodded as Harry left the room.
"Sam, Tim grab the gear, Francesca get down to the teleport get them to hold up the ship for 10 minutes."
There was a flurry of Sirs before they left.
15 minutes later they rematerialised next to their gear and a land rover that had been transmatted to the location moments ago.
"Get the jammer set up…according to Harry they coordinates are down there at out 1 o'clock." Jones gestured downwards from where they were located at a small incline to the main site.
"Sam."
"Parabolic mic and cameras Sir…"
"Good, I'll move the land rover away, I want to check the main gates to make sure the signs have been removed."
Jones stared through his binoculars at the ground where 4 wand users and Harry Potter had uncovered themselves from being invisible a moment ago. Despite the darkness the moon above them and the torches that all the wanders carried was enough to sight them all.
Turning the dial on the volume for his set of headphones he listed intently to their conversations.
"Where's Moody?" Asked Harry Potter.
"Checking the outer perimeter. Odd place you've chosen Harry. I like it." Stated a man with red hair, Jones had seen this man before…Bill Weasley.
"Really?" Harry Potter asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.
"Yup, the muggle machinery over there from what I could see you would only just be able to fly through there, walking would be single file. And here, it's a veritable maze…but with a lot of places to hide and take shots at people, how'd you settle on this place?" Bill Weasley said gesturing around the him.
Potter seemed to smile to himself for a moment before replying. "After a lot of searching."
There was suddenly a sound of movement through wind as a one of the wand users flew over their position.
The broom rider didn't fall out of the sky and neither did their equipment stop functioning.
"Jammer still functioning Colonel." Lt Parkin commented.
The jammer they were using was a new version, a new model which Night Wolf had been working on for some time, in between producing the full higher powered versions.
This version was much lower power and had a much smaller footprint of jamming, and was mainly designed for surveillance, it was even…almost light enough to carry, when it was dissembled into two or three parts.
Jones watched as a fifth figure became visible. He spoke after looking all around him and straight toward their position, from his position Jones could see the…weird prosthetic eye almost moving of it's own accord.
"No muggles anywhere in the area. The closest muggle is in the town, which even from where we left from was a distance away." Jones smiled to himself, Sarah Palmer would be pleased that the new jammer worked against…the weird eye…thing.
"So what do you think?" Harry Potter asked curiously.
"Harry why this location, why out here amongst all this?" The younger woman asked curiously looking around.
"I wanted somewhere secure somewhere away from everyone, somewhere that wasn't on his turf."
Harry shrugged to himself and withdrew from his jacket pocket a small shape which appeared to be the GPS he'd acquired earlier from Night Wolf. The man with the deformed face; Moody went to draw a weapon…most likely his wand.
"Don't draw your wand Moody." Harry Potter sighed grumpily. "I just want to be able show you where I intend to…destroy Voldemort…" Potter said casually.
"Destroy…" Bill Weasley and the woman said together, Jones wondered for a moment if he was in a panto.
Remus Lupin was keeping himself carefully away and out of the main conversation, the man Moody moved over to him, Jones could barely make out the conversation.
…you're quiet… he told…ou?"
"Harry…explained… detail his plan…it will see…end to Voldemort…" Lupin muttered an answer.
"…is he going…rest of the ord.. in on his whole plan?"
Jones didn't hear the answer but Lupin did shake his head, slightly. Moody appeared to ask a question of Remus Lupin.
"Because there are some things even you; Moody can't understand." Harry Potter said as he walked up behind the pair startling them. Gesturing to an area between two high pallets.
"There, that's where I intend to…remove him."
"Why there?" The young woman asked.
"I brought you guys out here so you could see the site, so you could work up a strategy…so you can work out how to combat Voldemort's forces. I can't explain everything." Harry Potter said slowly.
"Why Harry? You trust us don't you?" Bill Weasley and Moody turned to stare at Harry Potter.
"It's a question of security, the less people who know the whole plan the less chance…"
"That we would betray?" Moody asked gruffly, he appeared to be moving his hand towards his weapon / wand once more.
"That I would be able to come up with a workable plan B." Harry Potter turned and looked around him. "I'll just wander into the dark while you talk about it, please, please do no use your wands…" Potter turned and walked away into the shadows cast by the pallets in the moon light.
" So…" Bill Weasley muttered leaning against one of the pallets.
"Remus? Harry's told you his whole plan?" The young woman asked.
"Yes. In confidence that I wouldn't speak of it to anyone else."
"Do you trust his judgment?" Bill Weasley asked, Remus nodded.
"Moody?"
"This place is better than any for a battle…is Harry certain he will bring this battle to a favorable outcome?" Moody asked glancing around as the wind whipped through the area. Jones idly wondered what had made the man so disfigured and paranoid.
"He's certain it will be the final battle…isn't that what you're asking Moody?" Remus Lupin asked.
"Perhaps…there are still too many variables."
Harry walked back up behind the group.
"Well?"
"How are you going to trap him?" Moody asked studying Harry Potter.
"A shield." He replied simply.
"How are you going to battle him if you're using your wand to keep up the shield?" Moody asked gruffly again.
"I never said I was going to use my wand, I used other ways at the station battle…Moody I've had a year of hard work to prepare for this, I've planned this out to a fine point…but I need you and the order, I even need Ron and Hermione and any others…" Harry stated and trailed off looking to the others.
"Why Ron and Hermione?" Bill Weasley asked suspiciously.
"The order isn't complete, there are people laid up in St Mungos, I want Voldemort's entire force here…but obviously he's going to take advantage of that and send other raids out."
"Why?" Jones stared at Bill Weasley through his binoculars and wondered exactly how they'd managed to fight a war for this long if they needed someone to spell out simple…
"Tactics, keep the enemy busy with your main force while you other forces while he uses smaller groups to take out key facilities." Harry Potter replied simply. Jones nodded to Harry's comments all the while hoping that other members of 'The Order' had a better eye for battle tactics than this group.
"So you're saying you want the order at the Ministry?" The young woman…Tonks asked.
"And at Hogwarts and elsewhere that you think is important."
"And all this in…"Weasley trailed off waiting for a reply.
"Hopefully two weeks." Harry said with a vague smile. "Well?"
"Alright Potter…Harry. You're vague with the details, but you've obviously thought this through." The group turned and stared at Moody.
"His responses are just vague enough, I'm sure that who ever he's told understands the reasons why he's not informing us…" Moody stared at Remus Lupin for his entire conversation, who in turn stared back at Harry.
"Good so you'll get the order together to work some things out, and with your permission I'll inform Ron, Hermione and anyone else who's trustworthy?" Harry stated in a voice that said he would tell his friend and that this was simply a courtesy.
"Why?"
"Can you tell me honestly, based on whatever information that you've collected thus far on Voldemort's forces that with the order in the state that it is. That you'll be able to A: Defend me B: Take out Voldemort's forces and C: Contain them once he's gone?"
Moody stared at Harry, the weird eye wobbling around as though trying to intimidate Harry out of his truthful comments.
"Very well…we should return…"
Moments they took to the sky on their brooms, shimmering out of sight as they reached a high altitude. Leaving just Harry and Remus.
"I didn't think you'd convince them." Remus Lupin admitted.
"As I said there will be an outcome, Moody knows that this war can't go on forever…he also…" Harry trailed off bringing a finger to his lips.
"Nice try Moody." Harry clapped Remus Lupin on the shoulder pointed straight up, Jones raised an eyebrow as Harry reached up tugging at a piece of invisible cloth, Moody was hovering centimeters above Harry and Remus Lupin.
"Come on, we should head on back."
A moment later they site was empty once more.
Jones grabbed at the night vision binoculars to check over the site.
"Did you get all the footage?" Francesca nodded beside him.
"Good. We can use it and other as a friend and foe guide." Jones commented.
"Wait a second…" He muttered and picked up the night vision binoculars once more, a single figure flew back, moon light shimmering over his invisibility cloak covering the man's bulk. The man, obviously Moody circled the area twice before turning back towards where his fellows had gone.
"Right we'll wait another 30 minutes in case they come back and then do a check of the site with the jammer, just in case."
"Sir."
--//
This chapter was going to end with Birmingham and the Brigadier's conversation, but I decided to bring in a bunch of other scenes rather than stretching them into other chapters.