Harry frowned and twisted his head to the side, moving closer to the glowing crystals. A line creased his forehead and he gave an exasperated sigh. This damn console was going to be the end of him. He was studying as much Ancient Technology as he could get his hands on, but he wasn't allowed to properly dissect and take this control console apart like he wanted to. It controlled the chair at the Ancient outpost in Antarctica, and Harry had been told it was Earth's primary and most important defensive weapon. Therefore, he was only allowed to look but not touch with the intent to take apart.

Harry shuffled further into the body of the console and squinted up at the glowing crystals. He had gotten rid of his glasses during the height of the civil war for survival's sake, but he had been figuring this console out for hours and his eyes ached from lack of rest. Harry, Rodney and the Czech scientist Radek (who Rodney never remembered the name of) had thought it prudent to assume that the main consoles of Atlantis would be similar to the one that interfaced with the control chair.

Harry had been confused at first when they explained about aliens and ring shaped devices that sent you unimaginable distances from the Earth, but he just mentally shrugged and got over it. If magic was real then so were aliens. And it wasn't as if Harry didn't know how magic worked. The Resistance (as Harry's side in the War was being called) had been working hard since the start of the War to combine Muggle understanding of science and nature with wizards' amazing abilities. They had made massive progress and the magical world was in the middle of a technological and social revolution that Harry was proud to be part of. He only had a basic understanding of scientific theory but that was enough that he now knew there was nothing 'mystical' about how his powers worked. Science could explain it all.

Harry wriggled forward and winced at the coldness of the floor. He had been lying on his back so he could access the lower compartment of the console and had buried himself quite far in. He sat up and stretched his back, grimacing as he worked out the kinks in his back and tried to get some feeling back in his ass, which had gone slightly numb due to the length of time under the console.

"Ah, Harry." Rodney had swaggered in and stopped in his tracks when he saw Harry emerging from the Ancient console. He resumed his pace over to the work bench set at the side of the room and booted up his laptop that was resting there. He turned back as Harry gracefully rose to his feet and hid another grimace. "I thought you would be here. You are determined to study that console as much as possible before we leave."

"Yeah, and it has been the constant pain in my ass since I signed up to this madcap adventure." Harry moved so he was leaning back against the console and gratefully accepted the bottle of water Rodney shoved in his direction, who was gleefully chugging what was probably his third cup of coffee of the morning. "I think I've got the idea and I've studied as much technology as I can, but I just wanna make sure." Harry cracked his bottle open and took a grateful glug. "Whilst you're here actually, I wanted to talk to you about my equipment budget."

Rodney frowned. "You know we have a finite space and weight allocation for everything we bring and the government controls how much money we have to spend. I may be able to increase your budget by a bit, but not a lot."

Harry laughed. "Gees Rodney. I'm not asking for more money. I was just questioning the insanely high budget that I've been given for my equipment. I thought there had been a mistake when you gave me the paperwork to fill in."

Rodney rolled his eyes. "We are going to a different galaxy with no way to contact Earth for an indeterminate length of time. We need to make sure we can survive, so dozens of countries are throwing money at this project. And seeing as you brought up the topic of paperwork, I will need the equipment requisition forms by the end of tomorrow."

Harry sighed. "Yeah, and Elizabeth wants my uniform request forms by the end of this morning."

"Time is short now that Jackson has found the address and we've been given the go ahead. We will get all the equipment by the end of the week and then next week will be spent putting it all together and then breaking it down so we can set it all up straight away on the other side of the Gate."

"So, we've finally finished recruiting then?" Harry eyed Rodney in curiosity.

Rodney gave a shrug. "Yeah, recruitment has ended. All the positions have been filled, the marines have been selected and Elizabeth has decided we have enough people with the ATA gene."

"Yeah, I heard her talking to Carson yesterday after General O'Neill left. She is very happy to have found that air force guy. She said he had a strong gene."

Rodney gave a put upon sigh. "It isn't that the gene is stronger. It is the same gene is all the carriers, but it is about mental control of the equipment. Major Sheppard just has better mental focus than some of the others. Well, except you of course. But Elizabeth was eager to have as many military people with a strong gene expression. She was worried about putting pressure on you due to your age. "

Harry averted his eyes from Rodney looking at him and gave a bashful nod. It was true that Harry had the strongest affinity of all the gene holders on the expedition. Harry knew from the Resistance research into the genetic makeup of wizards that they were just essentially genetically advanced humans. Thousands of years ago, right at the beginning of wizarding recorded history, their ancestors developed better mental capacity than the other Homo Sapiens. But thousands of years down the line, these abilities had advanced into the mental abilities of wizards. And they were limited to a small group due to the self-isolation of wizards. They rarely showed up in people outside the community in the form of Muggleborns due to a very precise combination of genetics being needed. Wizards had a higher mental capacity to other humans, but unlike the rest of the population of Earth, wizards hadn't developed beyond a certain century for such a long time in terms of social and technilogical development.

Harry cleared his throat. "Well, I'm glad we found that flyboy. I swear Carson was going to cry if you forced him into that chair one more time." Harry smirked and chuckled as Rodney muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'baby'. "I don't blame him. He did almost kill General O'Neill."

"What a shame that would have been." Rodney deadpanned dryly. "Don't forget your requisition forms. We do leave in two weeks."

Harry was sauntering towards the canteen in the military base over the Ancient outpost in Antarctica. He was feeling much better now that he had had a couple of hours to nap and have a shower. Rodney had sent him off to sleep after Harry had yawned for the fourth time after he had buried himself in the console once again. He told him that he didn't want him to sneak back into the lab and he would meet him for lunch in the canteen.

Harry walked down the corridors that led from his room on one end of the base, past the elevator that lead down to the outpost and right across the base to the recreational areas of the base. He was so engrossed in some ancient code that he was studying on his tablet balanced on his arm that he didn't even notice that the canteen was suspiciously quiet until he looked up and got a huge shock as multiple voices shouted 'Happy Birthday!'

Harry blinked in shock as people cheered at him. He lowered his tablet and looked dumbly around the room. A colourful banner had been put up across one wall, proclaiming everyone's joy that it was his birthday. Someone turned on some music and everyone clapped as Harry slowly began to smile.

"Happy Birthday, lad." Harry turned as the accented voice sounded right next to him. Carson, Rodney and Elizabeth had come over to him and were smiling widely, even the usually grumpy Canadian.

"I – " Harry had no idea what to say. He cleared his throat and took a shaky breath. "Thank you. Really. I've never had a party before."

Harry was busy looking around the room, so he didn't get to see their reactions. As the expedition leader, medical doctor and Harry's direct boss, they each were able to access different parts of his file. Elizabeth knew how to read between the lines and could gather that his childhood had not been perfect. Rodney had vaguely mentioned his parents one day and Harry had replied in a similar manner and Carson saw the vague explanations about how Harry had got some of his interesting scars and could honestly say that he just didn't believe some of them. Like that small scar above his left ear that his Aunt claimed had been when Harry had accidently whacked himself in the head with a frying pan when he was five.

"So." Harry's wide grin broke into their individual thoughts. "I think it is traditional for there to be cake." Harry gave them a wide-eyed puppy dog gaze that was offset by the devilish smirk gracing his lips.

Two hours later and most of the scientists and military personnel were back doing their research, training and shifts. Only Harry, Rodney and Carson were left at a table in the corner of the messy room. Harry finished off his third helping of birthday cake and happily set the fork down.

"God, two weeks." Carson's sudden comment sounded unnaturally loud in the quiet of the empty room.

Harry licked the last of the frosting from his lips and looked over at the slightly pale Scot. "Are you having second thoughts?"

Carson looked up but continued to grip his coffee as though it were a lifeline. "Everyday. But it is a chance in a lifetime. One that I'm not going to miss out on."

Harry nodded and emptied his glass of virgin punch. "I know. It is the most amazing thing. And it's not like I've got a lot keeping me on Earth." Harry saw the questioning looks the other men were sending him, but they never asked. That was probably why he felt the need to tell them. "My parents are dead and I'm an only child. My other relatives and I didn't exactly see eye to eye. And I've lost a lot of people in those terror attacks over the last two years. A lot of my school mates at my boarding school were caught in one of the last massacres. I'm lucky that I survived." The last sentence was barely whispered.

"Boarding school massacre?" Carson raised an eyebrow before a look of horror appeared on his face. "That exclusive private boarding school in Scotland! God, I didn't know. I'm sorry. I remember thinking at the time that I was glad to be in the US and that my Mother was living at the other end of Scotland."

Harry gave a slight shrug. He still couldn't look at either of them. He had never spoken to anyone outside his community and the Resistance about this. Carson saw his discomfort and changed the subject. "So, how do you like your presents lad?"

Harry allowed the subject to swamp his mind and the thoughts of blood and disaster to fade away. "They're really great! All of you guys have been really thoughtful."

Harry looked down at the small pile of items next to him and smiled. Rodney had got him a new tablet PC. It was top of the line and Rodney had customised it with better components and programmes. Harry had tightly gripped his shoulder without thinking about it and the normally grumpy Canadian had awkwardly patted his arm in response, his face slightly flushed in embarrassment and shock that Harry had intentially touched him when he was normally so proper. The marines that Harry worked out with in the base gym and practiced his mixed martial arts with (something he had learnt during the War to help get his frustrations out) had all banded together and gotten him a fan t-shirt for the TV show 'Wormhole xtreme', which had everyone at the party in stitches.

The scientists had gotten him an external hard drive full of as many films and songs as they could fit on. They explained that the present was half selfish because it was for when they left in two weeks, and they had decided that Harry should be in charge of organising the movies and equipment for a movie night once they were set up in the new galaxy. Harry had laughed and agreed, grateful that they all were so accepting of him into their little established community, even though he was years younger than them.

Elizabeth had given him a leather bound diary. It was elegant and well-made, the cover a deep emerald green. She told Harry that it matched his eyes and she thought it had been perfect when she saw it. Harry gave her a shy smile, touched that she and everyone else had put some much thought into choosing presents for him. Harry had already decided that the diary was going to be his personal item allowed on the expedition. His tablet and hard drive would be classed as his equipment and had already been accounted for. Harry was going to write in the diary in Magis, the international language that wizards had been using for centuries. Only another wizard would be able to pick up the diary and be able to read it straight away, and there were no other magical people on the expedition.

Carson's gift had been both thoughtful and practical. He had gotten Harry a new medical bracelet. The British Government had done well to cover up the wizarding terror attacks over the last two years and had also successfully explained several other unusual things. One such thing was Harry's strange blood work. Harry had been bitten by a magical snake and had been saved by a cure from an equally magical phoenix, which the British Government couldn't exactly put into Harry's medical history. As a result of the interaction between the two magical substances, the venom had been bound by the tears, but still remained in Harry's blood. It had become a part of him and multiplied with his blood. It acted as an additional part of his immune system, as it was highly toxic to anything living that entered his bloodstream. Harry had never really questioned why he never got sick after the bite, but now he knew. It was also deduced that if Harry's blood came in contact with another person's, then he had the chance of poisoning them with his 'toxic blood'.

All of this had been explained in some complex biological way by expert Resistance doctors and biologists and Carson seemed convinced and satisfied with the explanation that Harry had been bitten by a one of a kind hybrid snake and that an underlying genetic immune disease had caused the strange results. According to Harry's heavy and long medical file, they had simply decided to call it 'blood toxicity' for the sake of being short and simple.

The medical bracelet from Carson was amazing, in Harry's opinion. The main band was a black leather band that had been lined on the inside with Kevlar for toughness. It had a silver buckle doing it up and the plate explaining his illness was in tungsten carbide, a really strong scratch resistant metal. It had the medical symbol with the words 'Blood Toxicity' engraved on and a toxic symbol underneath. Harry knew that it was a custom piece and must have been expensive. But Carson had shrugged his protests off and had gently replaced Harry's old one on his right wrist.

"So, you guys have all your stuff ready to go yet?"

Harry looked up from his presents and gave Rodney a confused look. Seeing the look the younger man was sending him, Rodney gave a haughty sigh, causing Harry to grin and Carson to roll his eyes. "Elizabeth has sent all the uniforms to our rooms so we can pack them into our allocated transport boxes. She wants them done so they can be sent to the SGC. The uniforms, personal item and the few items of personal clothing that there is space for all have to fit into the box."

Harry gave a low whistle. "Wow, the military move fast. I only gave her my form this morning when I left the lab. They managed all that in a few hours?"

Rodney shrugged. "They are eager to get this expedition going. You have everything else sorted?"

Carson simply nodded, because he had been in Antarctica just as long as Rodney and already had everything sorted. Harry had only arrived there a month and half ago, a few weeks after he was recruited.

"Yeah, I've had all my stuff put into the Air Force maintained storage that they offered us, closed up my flat in DC and have said goodbye to all the guys I worked with at the Pentagon. They understood that I couldn't talk about what I was going to be doing. And I've only brought stuff here that I will be taking with me or will be sending to my storage after we leave. I'm good to go."

Rodney nodded as well. "I've just got to sort my cat out and get my flat locked up. I'm going to do that during the few days off we have after we get back to the SGC."

"Aye, and I'm going to go and visit my Mum. Say goodbye in person."

Harry didn't say anything as they discussed what they were going to do with the few days off that they were allowed before their ultimate departure. There was no way in hell Harry would visit his relatives like most of the other expedition members were going to do, and all his close friends were gone.

It was the day before the departure of the Atlantis expedition and the SGC was bustling with activity and excitement. Harry had finished breaking down his equipment an hour ago - the computers, screens and other essential equipment all safely tucked away in military storage boxes, all labelled 'Computer Lab' in clean white stencilled lettering. The only piece of equipment not in the crates was Harry's personal tablet, a gift from Rodney on his birthday weeks before. The tablet was safely tucked away in a hardwearing black backpack with other odds and ends that Harry thought he might need for when they got to Atlantis so he could interface with the consoles and essential equipment.

Harry was just checking his personal storage box, which also had his name stencilled on with military precision. He had his science uniform, which was beige, dark blue or black garments, with blue panels to show he was a member of the science department. He had a spare pair of high-quality and hardwearing hiking boots tucked at the bottom of the box and was just putting in his underwear, jogging bottoms, trainers and the few pairs of jeans and t-shirts he had managed to fit in. Harry was extremely pleased to find that he could also just about fit in his green converse and his leather jacket, and the diary from Elizabeth. Harry was just snapping the case shut and organising his clothing for the departure the next day when a marine was knocking and sticking his head around the door. He had come to take the storage box away and to also tell Harry that Weir wanted to see him in her temporary office.

Harry entered the office just five minutes later and was surprised to see the desk was clear of paper. The last time Harry had been in here was a few days ago and the desk had virtually been groaning with the weight of the mountains of paperwork sat on top of it. Elizabeth was sat behind the now clear desk and smiled when Harry entered.

"Hey." Harry perched in the chair she gestured to. "What did you wanna talk to me about?"

Elizabeth fiddled with her cup of coffee before looking Harry straight in the eye. "I just wanted to give you one last chance."

Harry was confused and allowed it to show on his face. "I don't understand."

Elizabeth cleared her throat before continuing. "We are going to another galaxy, with unknown dangers and potential enemies waiting there for us. It could be a one way trip. I want to give you a chance to back out now, in private. You are young, and I worry about you."

Harry sighed, but gave her a steeled gaze. "I'm going to be straightforward and speak plainly. You've read my file. You know that I'm from a really old English family and that my Mother married into that family from the outside. You also know that the tension over the last few years in England is from within a small and segregated community of old families. My parentage ensured that I would be in the middle of that, and the school I went to made it a reality. You know I was caught in that tension and was in the middle of some of the terror attacks. I know the British government won't give too many details about the entire situation and I can't go against that and explain to you."

Harry paused and saw Elizabeth giving him an intense and evaluating look. "I saw my best friends – people I would consider family to me – die right in front of me. For over two years, we wondered who would be the next one we were mourning." Harry lowered his voice softly. "Taking all that into account, I've experience more than some of the other scientists can imagine. Trust me; I'm not truly young anymore."

Elizabeth made as if she was going to cover Harry's clenched fist resting on the desk with her own hand, but stopped herself, remembering Harry's formality around others. She gave him a smile instead. "Ok. I understand. It won't stop me from worrying – I worry about every member of the expedition – but I won't bring it up again." She picked up her discarded coffee cup once again. "I'm going to head off to bed. We leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Harry was riffling through his small backpack; unnecessarily triple checking that his tablet and all the other odd bits of computer equipment were inside. He had been awake for over two hours and had not stopped since then. He had woken up, got dressed in his beige and blue science uniform, thrown his jacket on and slipped out of his room. He managed to duck around the people in the canteen, grabbed a couple of the muffins and a bottle of water and ate as he made his way to the control room.

He had spent the first hour and a half with Rodney and Radek as they silently fussed over the adapted dialling program, before Rodney had disappeared to the power control room to hook up the ZPM. Radek and Harry made their way down to the bustling gate room, Radek organising the scientists whilst Rodney wasn't there and Harry checking his equipment was all ready to go. Harry nodded to Carson, who was berating a few marines for not being careful enough with the crates of medicine as they clicked ominously. Once Harry was satisfied his equipment was all there, he booted up his tablet in readiness so that he could start straight away once they were through the Gate. He put it into standby mode and carefully shoved it into his backpack.

Just as he was shouldering his backpack and zipping up his jacket, he heard Elizabeth calling for attention. "Alright, here we go. We are about to try to make a connection. We have been unable to predict exactly how much power this is gonna take and we may only get the one chance at this, so if we are able to achieve a stable wormhole, we're not gonna risk shutting the Gate down. We'll send in the M.A.L.P robot probe, check for viability and go. Everything in one shot. Now, every one of you volunteered for this mission and you represent over a dozen countries. You are the world's best and brightest; and in light of the adventure we are about to embark on, you are also the bravest. I hope we all return one day having discovered a whole new realm for humanity to explore, but as all of you know, we may never be able to return home. I'd like to offer you all one last chance to withdraw your participation."

Harry saw a few people glance around the room, scientists and marines alike. Carson swallowed nervously and gave him and encouraging smile, which was returned, when he caught his eye. He looked back and saw Elizabeth smiling proudly around the room. She looked up above them at the glass to the control room. "Begin the dialling sequence."

Harry watched, fascinated, as the inner ring of the Gate began to spin, the light catching on the dulled metal. Lights began to illuminate around the edges and he blinked when what looked like a large blue cloud flew forward and then settled like a vertical lake inside the Gate. He blinked a few times to clear his head – the sight was mesmerizing in a strange way. He applauded politely with the others in the room all cheering loudly and whistling in triumph.

He waited anxiously for the minutes to pass as the MALP entered the Gate and took readings from the other side of the event horizon. Some kind of signal must have been given as he was intently watching the rippling blue wormhole, because the military commander, Sumner if Harry remembered correctly, was suddenly giving orders. Harry adjusted his backpack and couldn't help but smile as Elizabeth swiftly and politely put Sumner in his place and left no question as to who was in charge of the expedition.

Harry felt excitement well up inside of him as he nodded to the marines that were making sure his equipment all reached the other side of the Gate and grinned widely at Rodney as he joined him in front of the glimmering event horizon. Harry took a deep breath and stepped through the gate.