Inside Icetower the lights flickered off for a split second before turning themselves back on. Teyla seemed to be the only one who noticed. "What was that?" She asked.
"What was what?" Rodney returned without looking up from his computer.
"The lights flickered." Teyla responded.
Rodney sighed. "Lights only flicker off when their power source is cut. The power's been on the entire time." A beep came from his computer, making Rodney swear.
"What?" Teyla peered at the screen, though she didn't understand half of what was displayed.
"The power cut off for half a second.' He punched some keys. "Looks like the shield's out, too."
"But wouldn't the power have an effect on your computer?" Kleit asked, still not fully grasping technology. "Isn't your machine hooked up to the Icetower's machine?"
"Yes, it is, but my machine has a portable power source." Rodney explained, but Kleit was still perplexed. "It means that it can power itself even without being hooked up to a main system. I'm sure you have items you can charge with magical power. It's the same concept, except that this power runs a machine, too."
Kleit nodded his understanding. He knew that certain gemstones could be used as a reserved power source for a witch or wizard on a long magical journey or during battles. He, himself, carried two such gemstones with him constantly. One never knew when one would face a battle too difficult to endure on one's own. "Is Sheppard back yet? Would these power shortages have an effect on his ship?"
Rodney paled slightly. "It might, if he was in the way of the shield when it went down."
"How would that hurt the ship?" Kleit questioned. The shield would just turn off in its spot, wouldn't it? If the shield was already visible, as he well knew it was, Sheppard wouldn't have tried to go into it. Therefore, he would have been able to steer clear of any danger.
"The shield doesn't just disappear when it turns off." Rodney explained, as if reading Kleit's mind. "The Icetower shield shrinks back into the city, for some reason. Atlantis's shield just shrinks back into the ground. We'll probably need to see what the difference is later on. Right now, our main problem is that if John wasn't able to steer clear of the shield in time to escape its path, the shield's energy may very well have short circuited the ship's systems. If I can get onto the 'jumper, I can probably fix the damage that's been made, but it's too complicated to explain over the radio. Speaking of which…" Rodney tapped his radio. "Sheppard, it's McKay, are you getting this?"
No response came from the other end. "Sheppard, please respond."
Still no answer. Rodney and Teyla shared a look, to the confusion of Kleit. Kleit thought that Sheppard probably was too busy flying the ship to respond. He wasn't all that convinced that the shield could have any sort of effect on the ship.
"Damn it, John, answer me!" Rodney shouted into the receiver. They waited breathlessly for a response.
Three hundred yards from the city, a certain Lt. Colonel was slowly wakening from his knock-out. He was strewn across the far back wall of the 'jumper, back arched against its door. His legs were sprawled in odd directions. John groaned and sat up gradually, wincing at the ache in his body. Opening his eyes, he saw how far he'd flown backwards and immediately understood why he was in so much pain.
"Damn it, John, answer me!" Rodney McKay shouted at him over the radio, making him wince again. Rodney must have forgotten the radio was still on, because he was answering the questions of (presumably) Kleit and Teyla. "He normally answers right away, that's why." A pause. "I don't know maybe the radio's down?" The question was sarcastic. Another pause. "How the hell should I know what caused the radio problems? John's the one in the stupid ship."
John rolled his eyes and tapped his radio. "Breathe, McKay, and stop yelling at whoever you're yelling at."
"What the hell's going on out there, John?" McKay practically shouted at him.
"Rodney, what'd I just ask you to do?" John said.
"I'm not yelling at them anymore, am I?" Rodney said stiffly. "Answer the damn question, John."
"The 'jumper got hit by the shield when it went down. I'm pretty far from the city, by the looks of things." John couldn't see the city through the front window, but he didn't really want to force himself up to peer out the back window.
He could hear Rodney pushing buttons on his computer. "The sensor shows that you're three hundred yards from At- uh, Icetower."
"That's probably about right." John agreed, ignoring the slip of nearly calling Icetower Atlantis. "I can't even see Icetower from here."
"Stay where you are, John, I'll come to you. Shut yourself in the forward compartment so you don't get blasted by the weather outside when I come onto the ship."
John winced, but he understood what Rodney was saying. He turned himself around and crawled into the forward compartment, then hoisted himself up into his usual spot. After punching a few buttons, the door was closed. "It's done, Rodney. Sheppard out."
The Prime Minister's Office, London, England, Earth
It was nearly time for Eric Wittacre, the muggle Prime Minister of England, to meet with the representatives of two decidedly secretive groups. That was just about the only thing the groups held in common, aside from the fact that they had the means to turn the world on its head if they chose.
Eric mulled over the groups, trying to remember everything he could about them. The first group was American, mostly military, and dealt primarily with exploring the outer reaches of the galaxy using ancient, alien technology. The second group was British, mostly civilian, and dealt primarily with waving wands, conjuring objects with said wands, and brewing potions in large pewter cauldrons. Each group had put the rest of the world in danger, and each group could possibly benefit from being made aware of the other.
It was incredible to Eric that the two groups had even agreed to meet with one another. The first group was top-secret, the second practically the same. Neither group trusted easily, so Eric had to wonder who would inform the other of their secretive activities first. To his knowledge, only Eric himself knew of the existence of said groups, and the possible benefits they had to offer one another.
Eric's musings were interrupted by a knock from the door. "Come in," he called as he always did. Into the room strode Percy Weasley and a tall, messy-haired man who seemed to be in his twenties. They both were wearing black business suits. "Ah, hello, Percy, I'm glad you could make it."
"Certainly, Eric." Percy said. "This is Harry Potter, the Head of the Auror Department at the Ministry."
Eric looked at the messy-haired man with new respect. "It's an honor, Mr. Potter. Eric Wittacre, Prime Minister of Britain."
Harry shook his head. "The honor's mine, sir. If I may, who are we meeting?"
Eric smiled. "That I can't tell you. They'd have my head if I did, and you wouldn't believe me anyways. All I can say is that they're American and that they've probably saved the world more times than anyone cares to count. It is their project, their military base that your friend is working on. I hope they're putting her diplomacy skills to good use."
Harry glanced at Percy. "Can we at least know their names and their ranks?"
"General Jack O'Neill, US Air Force. Two L's," a voice sounded from the doorway. The man who spoke was about five-six, with graying brown hair, blue eyes, and a lopsided grin that reminded Harry of Fred and George. He wore what Harry assumed was his standard dress uniform, decorated with medals just below his right shoulder. Behind him stood a bespectacled man with brown hair and green eyes wearing a black shirt and matching black pants. "And you are?"
"Harry Potter, sir, Head of the DMS." Harry used his official title, shaking the man's hand. The letters stood for 'Department of Magical Security'. Harry thought it was a little too close to the truth, but Percy explained that the muggles said it meant 'department of military security' when asked about the initials. It was the same anagram used all over the world, except for the'd', which sometimes was changed to other letters according to the country's system.
"DMS, huh?" Jack said, his eyes flickering to Harry's scar. "I know your counterpart in the 'States. Good man." He smiled at Harry. "I've heard of you, but you probably get that a lot."
Harry and Percy shared a look. "Yeah, I do get that a lot, but never from anyone outside of my society. What exactly is your official title, General?"
"That's classified, but you'll know it before the day's out." Jack answered smoothly. "Who's your friend?" He motioned to Percy.
"Percy Weasley, Head of the DMR." Percy said, using his official title with a glance at the man standing beside the General who had yet to be introduced. "I believe it's the SMR in your country, sir."
Jack nodded. "It is. And I like your counterpart, too, but he gets a little paranoid sometimes."
"Part of the job description, General." Percy said easily. "With a society like ours, secrecy is paramount. Something I'm told you understand."
"Yep." Jack said. His friend elbowed him. "Hey! What was that for?"
"Just a reminder." The man said, speaking for the first time. "Dr. Daniel Jackson. I'm a consultant with Jack's department." He shook hands with Percy and Harry.
"What are you a doctor of, Dr. Jackson?" Harry asked, cringing at the unintended pun.
"Archeology, linguistics, and anthropology." Jackson answered. "Though unlike Jack, I have no clue what 'society' you two apparently are a part of."
There was a long silence in which Percy and Harry seemed to communicate without speaking. Finally, Percy turned to Daniel. "What I'm about to say doesn't leave this room. You could say that our society is classified, and you'd be subject to the laws of our people if you break that rule. Trust me; our prison isn't a pleasant place."
"I know how to keep a secret, Mr. Weasley. I've worked with the American government on a secret base for ten years." Daniel said shortly.
Percy nodded, and then drew his wand. "Harry, you'll probably do a better job explaining things. I've no experience with muggles aside from Eric here." He began moving around the room, muttering in what Daniel suspected was something akin to Latin as he went.
Harry nodded. "Percy and I are wizards, Dr. Jackson." He said simply. "Right now, Percy is placing wards around the room to protect us from interruptions."
Daniel's eyes narrowed. "There's no such thing as magic, Mr. Potter." Jack rolled his eyes, knowing what was coming next.
Harry grimaced. "That's what my uncle told me every day until I turned eleven and received my school letter. Magic exists, Dr. Jackson, and I can prove it to you."
"By all means," Daniel said. "Be my guest." Harry pulled his wand from his pocket and muttered the incantation under his breath. He waved it as he spoke, pointing the business end at Daniel.
The Archeologist turned into a frog, much to Jack and Eric's amusement. Jack watched as Daniel hopped around the office, croaking angrily. Harry was beside himself, laughing as he chased the amphibian around, attempting to cast the charm that would reverse the transfiguration. "Hold still, will you?" Harry called to the frog, but Daniel still hopped away from him.
"Jackson, let Potter turn you back." Jack said to Daniel. The frog finally stopped long enough for Harry to reverse the transfiguration.
Daniel now stood where the frog had sat on Eric's desk, his shocked expression turning to a glare in his comrade's direction. Jack was still smiling madly. "That wasn't funny."
"You sure you don't have any urge to catch flies with your tongue?" Jack teased. "I don't think the SGC's mess hall has flies on the menu, but we can probably work something out."
Daniel rolled is eyes. "You've proven your point, Mr. Potter." He told the wizard, climbing down from Wittacre's desk. "If you and Percy will sign these, we can get started." He pulled two sheets of paper from inside a briefcase they hadn't noticed him carrying. "They're nondisclosure agreements, basically stating what you told me before you turned me into a frog."
Harry grinned, signing his with a pen handed to him by Eric. "Call us by our first names, Dr. Jackson." Percy nodded as he signed his own paper. "So what's the secrecy all about? You work on Area 51, do you?" Percy gave him a confused glance.
Daniel looked at Jack. "No, but close. The data we gather ends up there, mostly."
Harry's jaw dropped. "You work with aliens?"
"They travel to alien worlds using a device that creates a wormhole, if I remember right." Eric said with a glance towards Daniel.
"The Stargate, yes." Daniel confirmed.
"For those of us who haven't spent any time with muggles, what exactly is a wormhole?" Percy asked.
"Muggles are non-magic folk." Harry explained to Daniel. Jack already knew the term, since he'd dealt with wizards before. "Wizards keep to themselves, mostly, so people like Percy, who grew up in the Wizarding world, know next to nothing about the muggle world."
Daniel took a piece of paper and folded it in half. "Imagine that the paper is outer space. A wormhole bends space and time and creates a tunnel of sorts that connects the two sides of the universe it's brought closer together. The Stargate establishes wormholes with other Stargates that allows for instantaneous travel to the farthest reaches of our galaxy."
"And beyond." Jack added.
"Yeah, and beyond." Daniel said. "We've been travelling through the 'gate for the last ten years and we've barely scratched the surface of what's out there." He explained the Stargate system, the Ancients, and everything else they'd encountered in the last ten years. It took him nearly three hours, with interruptions and questions of clarification from those in the room. Some of this was new even to Eric, who'd only been told the basics by the IOA representative.
"So you're the Head of Homeworld Security?" Harry asked Jack. "That's why you knew about magic. You needed to know about everything so you could protect the planet better." Harry frowned. "Why haven't you brought wizards into this project before?"
"We have." Jack said. "In the research departments, though none of our people know your people exist. They're there to deal with anything from another planet that could be magical."
"Anyone I know, Jack?" Daniel asked, for this was news to him.
"I can't tell you, Daniel." Jack said. "Part of the agreement. It's for their own safety. Can you imagine if McKay found out about magic?"
"He'd never accept that it exists in the first place, but I get your point." Daniel said with a shudder. "You said in the research departments; but what about the field teams?"
"Though magic might be useful for our field teams," Jack began, "it'd be too much of a draw for the snakeheads. We don't want to make Earth more of a target than it already is, Danny-boy."
Daniel nodded, as did Eric, Harry, and Percy. It was comforting to Harry and Percy that their secrecy and security was being treated with the respect it deserved. It made it much more likely that they would end up partnering with the program, but Harry had other things he wanted taken care of first.
"Er, Eric, you said Hermione was working with them." Harry pointed out.
"Ah! Of course, your dear friend." Eric said. "Harry here has a friend working on Atlantis and he needs her help with something of an emergency. She's taken a position as a diplomat under the name of Dr. Madeline Marshall."
"Hermione's a doctorate?" Harry asked, though he wasn't surprised. "Sounds just like her, doesn't it, Percy?" The redhead nodded.
"What's the emergency?" Jack asked, knowing Atlantis had its check-in tomorrow. If it was a big enough problem, she could come through the 'gate then and fly over to England.
Harry briefly explained the war with Voldemort, his and Sirius' involvement, and what had happened in the last week. "We thought he'd died, but he's out there somewhere. Hermione'll have an idea of where to start looking for him."
"You keep calling her Hermione, but our records have her down as Madeline." Jack said. "Why is that?"
"About a month after the war, her fiancé – my brother Ron – died at the hands of a Death Eater. Hermione changed her name and left everything behind to make a new life for herself in the muggle world." Percy explained.
"I hired her, not knowing who she really was until Percy came along and told me what had happened." Eric said. "She's a wonderful girl, very quiet, but absolutely brilliant with diplomacy. That's why I suggested her in the first place."
The two Americans were stopped from responding by an identical ringing from their cell phones. Glancing at each other as they answered at the same time, their expressions turned dark. "Got it" and "Understood were spoken before they hung up, both sighing and rubbing their temples in aggravation.
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"Atlantis is in a bit of a pickle. They need our help." Daniel explained. "Seems they've made enemies with Pegasus galaxy wizards."
Harry and Percy looked at each other. "I'll go with you," Harry said. "I need to talk to Hermione anyways, and you'll have an idea of what they can do in battle with me around."
"Harry's the head of our law enforcement officers." Percy said. "It's his job to know how to fight with magic, and how to protect himself and others with magic. He defeated the most dangerous wizard of our time. If anyone's going to consult with you over this, it should be him."
Jack nodded, handing Harry his cell phone. He tapped the radio that sat in his ear. "Caldwell, this is O'Neill. I've given my phone to a consultant who'll be joining us on Atlantis. Beam him, Jackson, and me up on my mark."
"Understood, General." A voice came from the radio.
"Beam me up, Scotty?" Harry joked, remembering the line from one of Dudley's old shows.
"Glad to see I'm not the only one with a sense of humor." Jack said with a look at Daniel, who rolled his eyes. "You ready?"
"Hold on." Harry took a piece of paper and wrote a quick letter. "Give this to Ginny." He said to Percy. "She can't know where I'm going, but I told her I'll be seeing Hermione there and that I don't know how long I'll be gone."
"She can write to you through our mail system." Daniel said, suspecting that Ginny was Harry's wife. "Here, I'll give her the information." He scribbled the address and other necessary information down on the bottom of Harry's letter.
"Thanks, Daniel." Harry said sincerely. "Ginny can get a little worried if I'm gone too long."
"Wives are like that." Jack said. "Too pushy." He watched Percy take Harry's letter and clap the man on his back. "Ready?"
Harry nodded this time. "As ready as I'll ever be."
"Three to beam up, Colonel." Jack said into his radio, and the three disappeared in a blinding white light.
A/N: Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Note that since I'm only rarely allowed to use fanfiction until my room's packed for school, updates may be a bit infrequent. But hey, at least I didn't leave you with a cliffhanger this time :)