Tides of Time
By Michael Weyer
Examinations and Revelations
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"Harry, are you all right?" Sirius asked quickly.
"I'm fine, Sirius, we're all fine," Harry said. "This isn't Barty Crouch."
"Harry…"
"Sirius," Harry interrupted. "I thought the same thing when I saw him but it's not. It's the Doctor."
"Hello there," the Time Lord said, sticking out his hand. Sirius pointed his wand at him and the Doctor frowned. "Clear a man of innocence and this is the thanks you get…" he muttered.
"Pardon me," the Brigader said. "But this is my office and I don't appreciate people with weapons or wands bursting in without a word. I don't know who you think the Doctor is but I can assure you, he's not." He let out a heavy sigh. "Believe me, I'd know."
"Thanks, Brigader," the Doctor said, not noting any insult.
The Order members looked at each other with some confusion. "Um…I see," Sirius said as he lowered his wand. "Well, ah…sorry about that."
"Happens all the time," the Doctor waved it off.
Moody glared at him, his artificial eye rolling about and his staff held high. "How can we be sure this isn't some trick?"
The Doctor looked him over. "High-ranking security, right?" He nodded. "That figures. Haven't met a security chief yet who could go through the day without some violence."
Sirius bit his lip at that as Moody glared at the Doctor. "Well, if you're not Crouch, who are you?'
"I told you, the Doctor," he said as he stood up. "Now, we'd better get to Hogwarts."
"What?" Remus frowned. "Why?"
The Doctor was already moving to the doorway. "No time for questions, young man! We have serious work to do and if you want to survive, you'll let me do it so let's be off, shall we?" He walked right past the surprised wizards and out the door.
They stared at each other in surprise before glancing to the Brigader. The retired officer simply gave them all a tired smile. "You do get used to him eventually." He paused. "No, not really."
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The Doctor let out a hum as he walked along the hallways of the Ministry of Magic with no notice of the hustle and bustle around him. Remus, Sirius and Tonks trailed after him. "Harry didn't look happy having Moody escort them back to Hogwarts," Lupin noted.
"Tough," Sirius said. "I'm not letting them go anywhere without a guard of some sort."
"A bit of tough love don't you think?" Tonks asked.
"I'll take that over the alternative."
"Now where was this murder site?" the Doctor asked. "I need to look it over as fast as possible."
"You realize you're the guest here, Doctor," Lupin said in a strong tone. "Technically, this is off limits to anyone but Ministry personnel."
"Nothing's off limits to me," the Doctor said as he let them lead him upstairs and down the hallway to the office. Lupin whispered to drop the spell sealing it off and then led the Doctor in. It was mostly intact with no signs of a struggle, save a few papers scattered on the ground. "She was found here," Lupin said, pointing to a spot on the floor.
The Doctor knelt to examine it, reaching under his coat and pulling out his sonic screwdriver. He ran it over the area, the tool letting out a series of beeps as the trio looked at him in confusion. "What's that?" Tonks asked.
"You could call it my own magic wand," the Doctor said. He frowned as he ran it over one spot in the air. "Please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong," he whispered. A loud beep went out and he closed his eyes in pain. "I'm right. It's my curse, I'm always right."
"What is it?" Sirius asked. "We checked but we didn't find any traces of a curse."
"It wasn't a curse, Mr. Black," the Doctor gravely said as he stood up. He looked up and took a deep breath. "They survived. Somehow, they always survive."
"Who?" Tonks asked, her hair turning red as her irritation at the Doctor's cryptic statements annoyed her.
The Doctor turned to her and the three wizards were thrown by the grave look in his eyes. He opened his mouth and uttered a single word. Despite the fact they had no idea what it meant, all three felt a chill run down their spines at it.
"Dalek."
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"Never thought I'd appreciate floo travel so much," Ron grumbled as he, Harry and Herimone walked down the hallways of Hogwarts. All three were back in their school robes as they headed back to their rooms. "After that TARDIS ride…"
"I do wish we could have talked to that Brigader more," Harry said. "I was interested in hearing about the Doctor."
"You like him, don't you?" Herimone asked.
Harry nodded. "I do. He treats me with respect but doesn't buy in my big reputation or fame. Plus…he's known pain. I can relate to that."
"Don't be enamored." The three stopped to see a young blonde-haired girl reading a book at a bench nearby. "Death walks with him."
"What?" Herimone asked.
Luna Lovegood lowered the book to look up at them. As usual, her face had a faraway expression as if she was looking somewhere beyond them all. "The Doctor," she said. "My father once wrote about him. His faces change but he stays the same as does what comes with him."
Harry frowned. "Isn't he a good guy?"
Luna nodded. "Good indeed. But not all powerful. He means well, he always does but too often he'll ignore the far-reaching consequences of his actions. Where he goes, death always occurs. Oh, it'd be worse without him but it's true." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Death follows him. Just like you, Harry."
"Luna," Herimone interrupted as Harry stiffened slightly. "That's a bit unfair."
The other girl cocked her head. "Unfair? Maybe. True though. He knows that." She lifted her book back up. "You can trust him. But faith only goes so far in keeping you alive. Where the Doctor walks, chaos follows. He can bring order but not without blood." She went back to reading as if she hadn't said a word.
The three gave each other baffled looks as they slowly moved away. "Crimey, talking to her makes my head hurt," Ron muttered, rubbing his brow.
Herimone brushed back some curly locks. "Don't let it bother you, Harry. You know how Luna is."
"Yeah, I do," Harry said. "She sees what others don't."
"Come on, Harry!" Ron pressed. "You can't expect…"
"She is right, Ron," Harry interrupted. "I do know death. I know how it follows me. My parents, Quirrel, Cedric…" He sighed deeply. "There's a war coming against Voldemort. And war means death, there's no way around it. I…I don't know how to handle that."
Ron rubbed his shoulders. "With us, mate. You know you can rely on us."
Harry gave a grateful smile as they headed down the hallways.
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The room was dark, lit only by green mist and candles. Voldemort sat in his chair glaring at the face looking at him from a glowing orb. "I had thought," he hissed. "That we had agreed to wait."
"I'm afraid we have an unforeseen problem," the other man stated. "An old…acquaintance of mine has entered the playing field. His interference can ruin all our plans and so we must accelerate."
Voldemort tapped his nails together impatiently. "I do not like moving my plans ahead like this. I have spent time laying my schemes out carefully."
"Oh, relax," the other figure said. "Honestly, you spent fifteen years as a spirit, I'd think you'd be jumping to take your revenge on the world."
"I do," Voldemort snapped. "But I also know when to be careful and consolidate my forces. The Ministry has been snapping up many of my followers and prevented me from the proper alliances. My power is greater than any wizard but I still need to be at my utmost to destroy them all…" His twisted face scowled. "Especially Potter."
"Just do as I say…"
"As you suggest," Voldemort barked. "I am Lord Voldemort. I take orders from no man."
The figure smirked. "Whatever you say…Tom."
Voldermort's mouth twisted as he snarled. "You dare…"
"Oh, I do." The laughter had left his visitor's voice. "Without me, the Ministry would have found you long ago, Riddle. I am the only chance you have to see them destroyed so I'd be a bit more courteous if I were you. Remember…I know where the Horocruxes are."
Voldemort scowled deeper. The revelation weeks ago that his (for lack of a better term) associate had located all six of the pieces of his soul ranked him. It gave this man an advantage and Voldemort simply hated being at a disadvantage. "Do not threaten me, mudblood. I know who you are. And you can be sure that should something happen to me, that information will get out."
The man seemed nonplussed. "Then we have an understanding. Just wait for my signal."
"What about Dumbledore?" Voldemort demanded. "If he suspects…"
"I'll handle him," the man said. "Don't worry. You have my word. The ministry will fall within a day and the magical world will never be the same."
The orb stopped its glow as his face faded away. Voldemort glared at it for a long moment. Despite his certainty in his powers and the knowledge none could face up to him…he had to admit a strange misgiving in just how his supposed "partner" had made that statement.
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Servus Snape never had what one might term "good days." Every day was filled with annoyances, children and gloom which had only gotten worse the last few months. Balancing between a professor at Hogwarts, an agent of the Order and a spy in the ranks of the Dark Lord would make anyone irritable. Given Snape's attitude before and one could imagine how dark his mood was.
Thus the arrival in his room of his two least favorite former classmates instantly had him grinding his teeth. "Wonderful, the Flea-covered Pair are here. I'll have to fumigate afterward."
Black ignored the taunt as he moved into the office. "Where's Harry?"
Snape snorted as he flipped over his papers. "Contrary to what some might think, I have better things to do than look after the offspring of Potter."
"Where is he, Snape?" Remus demanded. "It's important."
His tone caught Snape's attention and he looked up, noting for the first time the ultra-serious expressions on the faces of the two men. Black actually appeared worried, a change from his usual laid-back persona. Behind them, Tonks was tapping her foot impatiently on the floor while a strange man glanced about the room with interest.
"I believe they were heading to the Headmistress' office," Snape said. A tiny hint of a smile tugged at his lips. "Perhaps justice will be served for their disappearance earlier today and do not touch that!"
His words were directed at the Doctor who was picking up a bottle from the shelf and examining it. "Hmm. Giant spider legs. This is actually a good delicacy on some planets I've been to." He placed it down and looked around the office more. "A bit dark, isn't it? Ever think a rug or a window might improve things?"
"Who is this man?" Snape demanded.
"Oh, I'm the Doctor," he answered with a smile. "And you must be Servus Snape. I've heard so much about you."
"Oh, really," Snape said in a dark tone.
The Doctor nodded. "Going undercover and risking your life to spy on Voldemort. That takes guts, I respect that."
Snape was thrown at the fact someone was actually complimenting him. "Ah, thank you."
The Doctor kept nodding. "Mind you, you could be a bit better as a teacher. I've been one before and it really does help when the kids don't live in mortal fear of you. Still, you get through to them so who cares if they all think you're an obnoxious git?" He moved to the door. "Sorry, Headmistress' office, you said? Fine, let's go check that out then." He walked out as Snape stared at him.
He looked to the others in bafflement. "Who the hell was that?"
"Trust me, Snape, you'd never believe it," Sirius said as he moved to follow the Doctor. Remus and Tonks trailed after him. Despite himself, Snape's curiosity got the better of him and he moved to follow them as well.
It took a few moments to reach the large office at the top floors of the castle. In her time since taking over, Minerva McDoungall hadn't done too much redecorating but it was clear that a more feminine quality had taken hold to the décor. Portraits of family and friends were littered about with a few lace coverings on the couches and chairs. The desk seemed somehow lighter but still intimidating to the three teens sitting before it.
Minerva appeared to have been chastising them and was not happy to see the new arrivals. "Pardon me, I am in the middle of a discussion with students."
"Nice to see you again, Minerva," the Doctor said as he shook her hand. "You haven't aged a day."
Minerva was thrown, glancing quickly to Harry. "This…really is the Doctor?" At his nod, Minerva let out a breath. "Well, I suppose I must thank you for what you did last year, Doctor. However, taking these students away…"
"Never mind that," the Doctor interrupted. "We have much bigger problems now, much bigger." He began to pace about, taking off his coat and tossing it onto a nearby rack. "This is bad…this is very bad."
Harry glanced to Sirius. "What's he on about?"
"No idea," Sirius said. "He keeps muttering something about Daleks."
"What's a Dalek?" Herimone asked.
"Death incarnate." The Doctor's words caught everyone's attention. His face was dead serious with none of the humor present before as he began to speak. "Created on the planet Skaro eons ago as the ultimate soldier. No pain, no fear, no emotion or compassion. But their maker went too far giving them their own minds and they expanded their definition of enemy to mean anything that wasn't a Dalek. They are twisted and murderous and now they're here."
A silence went up at his words, broken by Snape. "Planet? You're telling us these things are…aliens?" His disbelief was clear.
"Snape," Sirius said. "I felt the same way when he told us. But when you see that TARDIS of his, trust me when I say, this man is not of this Earth."
Minerva was thrown by that as well. "Aliens? But...Aliens don't exist!"
"Well, that's be a pretty big surprise to the rest of the universe then," the Doctor noted. "Seeing as how I happen to be one myself, I can assure you they do exist. And so do the Daleks."
Herimone coughed and raised her hand as if in a classroom. As the Doctor nodded, she spoke. "What are these Daleks, Doctor? I mean, what do they do?"
"They do a great many things, my dear," the Doctor intoned. "But the thing they do most efficiently is kill living beings. They're machines more than anything which makes killing them all the harder."
"Then…a Dalek killed Umbridge?" Harry asked, getting into this more than the others.
The Doctor nodded. "Yes. The blast patterns and the energy dispersal match those of their weapons. It also probably explains why you can't find any trace of an attacker. A Dalek isn't human, it wouldn't register to your magical tracks."
Snape did not believe this. "You're telling us some sort of robot killed a Ministry official? Why?"
"That's the question," the Doctor remarked. He stroked his face. "They have to have a reason, they always do. It's possible someone is helping them, it's the only way they could get into the Ministry in the first place. There's some sort of plan afoot. I just need to figure out who's behind it."
Harry frowned. "But…Doctor…didn't you say the Daleks were wiped out in that Time War?"
The Doctor nodded. "Yes, I thought they were but it seems some survived. I had thought them exiled to a new dimension but it appears one or two may have slipped through the cracks."
"But why here?" Herimone asked. "Why would these…things want to attack the world of magic? Magic and science don't mix at all, it makes no logical sense to do this! These things must have intelligence, they know that no matter how strong they are, we can fight them off in greater numbers. So why waste their time attacking a clearly superior force?"
The Doctor smiled lightly as he looked to her. "You and Romana would have gotten along famously." He sighed in remembrance of the Time Lady and how she had fought the Daleks with him. She was the only other Time Lord he knew who had close encounters with the monsters. Well, her and…
And…
"It couldn't be," he whispered as his face went pale. "No, it couldn't be. He's gone, he died with the others. I'd know if he was back."
"Who?" The Doctor hadn't realized he'd been talking out loud until Minerva's voice came to him. "Who are you talking about now, Doctor?"
The Time Lord continued his hurried pacing as his mind whirled. "Just can't be…but…it would fit. They'd need someone who knows time, someone who's worked with them in the past. And this…An attack against a great source of power, it would be like him."
"All right, I've had enough of this!" Snape barked as he moved in and pointed at the Doctor. "Will you quit it with the cryptic talk and just give us a clear answer, Doctor!"
The Doctor stopped his pacing to face them all, his expression carrying worry…and a bit of fear. "I pray I'm wrong, I truly do. But it's possible…just possible…that a Time Lord may be working with them."
Ron started. "But…you said you were the last one."
"So did I," the Doctor muttered. "But he could survive. He'd survive the crunch of the universe."
"Who could?"
The Doctor looked away, not wanting to say the name. Because if he did, it would become real. But their stares wore him down and he spoke two words.
"The Master."
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It was late in the Minister of Magic's office as Dumbledore sat behind his desk, tapping his fingers on it. His expression was calm but his eyes were weighed by worry. At the knocking on the heavy door, he grumbled. "Come in."
Malcom Tarsan entered, his suit as perfect as ever along with his smile. "Minister. You sent for me?"
Dumbledore nodded. "Sit down, Malcom."
The dark tone in his voice made Tarsan edgy. "Is something wrong, Minister?"
Dumbledore was quiet before speaking. "How long, Malcom?"
"I'm sorry?"
"How long have you been working with Voldemort?"
Tarsan let out a startled laugh. "What? Minister, are you all right?"
Dumbledore was silent before tapping a crystal ball on his desk. It shimmered to show a view of Tarsan in his office speaking to a ball of his own. The twisted features of the Dark Lord could clearly be seen inside as Tarsan spoke to him. "You were sloppy, Malcom," Dumbledore said. "Very sloppy. All the work to get in this position and you failed to properly shield your quarters when you spoke to him." He shook his head in sadness. "I had such hopes."
Tarsan was quiet. "How long have you known?" he asked calmly, seeming to accept his fate.
"I had suspected for a time," Dumbledore stated. "You did a good job faking your career but when I personally questioned some who had known you in America, it became clear their memories of you were…general at best. The spells were quite complex but the manipulation was clear. It made me check into your background more and more inconstancies came up." He shook his head. "How you avoided detection before now is beyond me but it ends."
Tarsan nodded. "I assume the Aurors are on their way?"
"I have not summoned them yet," Dumbledore stated. "I had to be sure. But the room is carrying a special recording spell so don't bother attempting to attack me. Just give up now and it will go easy for you."
Tarsan seemed to mull it over before shaking his head. "Sorry. I don't think I'll be doing that." He reached into his pocket to pull out a strange wand that seemed to shimmer under the light.
Dumbledore let out a tired sigh as if Tarsan was a student who had given an incorrect answer. "Malcom, please. I told you, the Aurors are on their way and this is all being recorded."
"Actually, they're not and this isn't." Malcom tapped his wand in his hands as a dark smile came onto his face. "I've been monitoring every message going out of this office on every wavelength, Dumbledore. That one to the Aurors was intercepted and deleted half an hour ago. As for your recording spells…they'll say whatever I want them to say."
A dark chill went down Dumbledore's spine as he straightened. "You could not possibly do that."
Malcom chuckled. "Magic against the science of a hundred galaxies and twice as many centuries? It's no contest, my dear Minister." He waved his wand, his thumb pressing a small depression in its surface. Dumbledore's body suddenly erupted in agony, as if every cell was being attacked at once. He opened his mouth but was unable to even gasp as his body shook in its chair. He tried for his wand but his fingers refused to cooperate as he fell back in his chair, withering in agony worse than any curse.
"Marvelous things, nanites," Tarsan said as if lecturing to a classroom. "I've been spiking your tea with them for months, Dumbledore." He smirked. "Then again, at the moment the first four letters seem more appro, don't they?" He laughed as he reached forward and gave a shove that sent Dumbledore's chair flying back, the Minister landing in a heap on the floor.
"Oh and by the way," Tarsan said as he walked around the desk. "In case you haven't figured it out, I deliberately let my shields down. It seemed the best way to hasten this whole encounter. Worked out rather well, didn't it?"
Dumbledore sputtered, trying in vain to move but his limbs were held by invisible bonds. He spat out at the other man as he glared. "You…won't get…away…You…nor your master."
"Master?" Tarsan threw his head back to laugh. "Voldemort? As if I would follow any pathetic human at all. All that power, all that evil and he can't see how I'm using him. What the Doctor sees in you people is beyond me."
Dumbledore's chills grew as it finally dawned on him that Tarsan was not an agent, he was an architect. "Who…are you?" he managed to gasp out.
Tarsan paused and knelt down. "Well, since you asked so politely…I believe you are due for the honor of finally being able to say my true name." He leaned down and the madness within his eyes was now utterly clear to the fallen Minister.
"You can call me…the Valeyard."
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Oh, come on…You didn't really think I was going to go for such an obvious choice as the Master, did you? It's a magical story so I figured a little sleight of hand was fitting for it. And yes, there is an explanation as to how the Valeyard is alive and a separate entity. Stay tuned and you'll find out. All comments welcomed.
