Project Super Soldier
June 24, 2000
"You," Steve grabbed one of the wizards who arrived on broomstick behind Hermione. "What's your name?" he asked the surprised wizard.
"Dedalus Diggle," the confused wizard responded as Tonks pushed her way through the crowd. "Tonks, what's going on, why aren't we evacuating?" he asked the witch.
"Moody and Dumbledore left, they said he's in charge," she explained. "Apparently we're going to fight," she shrugged.
"Get on your broom and scout, I need to know what they're sending our way," he ordered the wizard. "You have a problem with that soldier," he stared down the wizard who seemed about to complain.
"Um, no, I'll just go scout now," Diggle looked down before climbing on his broom and shooting up.
"I really hope you have a plan," she frowned as he examined the surroundings.
"Still working on that, need to know what I have to work with, and what Riddle is sending against us," Steve paused as he watched Ron trying to wake Hermione up. "Ron's a bit preoccupied, how many fighters do we have?" he asked the metamorphagus.
"We have thirty people from the Order of the Phoenix here, but the five that were captured are using borrowed wands, so who knows how useful they'll be," she did the math in her head. "And Ron was captured by Voldemort's Aurors, he's allowed to be concerned for his wife," she watched as he chuckled.
"He can be concerned later, we have bigger problems right now," he motioned at the squib Peel. "How many men?" he asked the man.
"Just got done talking to some of the old NCOs, we have a hundred and thirty ready to go," Peel explained. "Got owls out to everyone else from the Brigade who you served with, so unknown numbers of reinforcements will be coming in sporadically," he took a moment to examine the Thompson machine gun in his hands.
"Break them up, keep the squads small and mobile, I'll let you know more once I get my intel," he ordered before turning to Tonks. "Get whatever wands we have split up into groups, I want the best five fighters with me and the rest split up into four other groups, two to either side," he stopped and shouted. "Peel! We're going five across with the wands we have, fill the gaps," he shouted to the man who nodded in understanding. "What are you waiting for, carry out your orders!" he shouted, causing Tonks to jump and run back to the wizards. "And get someone to tell Diggle to get back here with my report on the enemy!" he shouted as she ran off.
He shook his head as the wizards were slow to split up, but moved a bit faster when Tonks started yelling and hexing. The squibs moved faster, they were already gathered and pointing out lines of fire and targets to take out first. Tonks returned a minute later after sending a Patronus message to Diggle who landed quickly.
"We need to get out of here now, there's too many of them," Diggle was panicking.
"Calm down now," Steve gripped the man's shoulder. "Tell me what he has," he ordered.
"Giants, maybe ten of them, and an equal number of trolls," he gulped. "Close to fifty Death Eaters, there were more apparating in when I came back," he shook his head. "We need to run away, we're going to be killed if we stay and fight," he frowned.
"Where would we fall back to? Doing so will give him a chance to call up more troops and prohibitively outnumber us," Steve shook his head. "We have a few things working on our side here," he rubbed his chin. "Peel!" he motioned for the squib.
"Yessir Cap?" he questioned.
"Giants and trolls, concentrate fire on the heads, the Death Eaters will more likely than not have shields up, so don't waste your bullets unless you can concentrate enough fire to break through," he ordered. "Get a wizard to banish any explosives or grenades you have at them in an arc," he motioned with his hands. "With any luck they won't see it coming," he paused. "Actually, have her do it," he pointed to where Hermione was standing with Ron, the twins, and Lee. "Don't let the others touch any dangerous ordinances, she's muggleborn so is your best bet to get out of here without blowing ourselves up," he dismissed the squib.
"You really think Muggle weapons can take down a giant?" Diggle frowned, digging around in his pockets for something.
"You'd be surprised what well trained men can do with weapons like those," Steve chuckled as Diggle pulled out a silver disk.
"That's well and good, but I think we should evacuate, all Order members have emergency portkeys," he gripped the disk tightly.
"Try to activate it," Steve ordered.
"Return," Diggle tapped the disk with his wand. "What?" he stammered when nothing happened. "They put up wards... You-know-who must be with them," he grew white.
"No he's not, and no they didn't," Steve grinned. "Go fall in with the rest of the men, get ready to fight," he ordered as the man scurried off. "Where's my fighters Tonks?" he asked the pink haired witch.
"Here," she waved back, calling 4 wizards forward. "Best fighters we have right now are me, Filius Flitwick, Charley Weasley, Shacklebolt, and Sirius Black," she introduced the wizards to Steve. "This is…" she was interrupted by a loud thumping coming from a building in the direction Diggle had flown back from.
"Captain America, old war buddy of Moody's," he nodded at the men. "Form up on me, I'll block everything coming at us that I can," he ordered, ignoring the thumping and crashing coming from the building. "Concentrate fire on the Death Eaters, try to target them together, this is war, not a dueling competition, one on one fighting has no place here," he watched the cloud of dust that was rising as the building groaned. "Do what I say at all times and we might just get out of here alive, got it?"
"Yes sir," the four wizards and one witch replied automatically.
"Good, now get ready, they're demolishing that building to make a path for their giants, they'll be here soon," he ordered and pulled out his wand in his right hand, keeping his shield in front of him with his left.
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"Where the bloody hell are the others?" Nott (Sr.) swore as he directed the giants to destroy the shop in front of them. "The Dark Lord was angrier than I have ever seen him," he muttered. "Malfoy and the others should have been right behind us," he frowned.
"Should we wait for them?" one of the Death Eaters asked nervously.
"The Dark Lord said to begin the attack immediately," he shook his head. "If you want to risk his displeasure, by all means, wait back where the portkey dropped us," he watched the man shudder in fear. "The Order is weak, they've probably ran away already," he laughed. "We need to teach anyone we find a lesson," he grinned as the giants gave a grunt, pushing the remains of the shop they had been over into the town square where the executions were supposed to have taken place.
"Open fire!" a voice shouted through the dust.
"What?" Nott squinted past the giants seeing shapes in the dust. He fell back in surprise a second later as the other side of the dust was enveloped in a series of light flashes and loud bangs. He heard something whiz past his head, turning to see the Death Eater he had been talking to fall to the ground as blood poured from his chest. "Shields!" he shouted back to the wizards. He raised his wand casting the Protego charm just in time. The trolls and giants looked up dumbly as the air near their heads exploded in a fireball. He stared in shock as the creatures roared in pain and ran towards where the bangs had originated from.
The bangs continued for a few more seconds, then the giants and trolls stopped making noises and the battlefield grew silent. "Travers, clear that bloody dust now!" he ordered the man. "What the…" he stammered as Travers summoned a gust of wind that let them see the battlefield. The giants and trolls all lay dead or dying on the streets.
"Surrender your wands now and you will be taken prisoner, this is your only warning," he saw the man dressed in the strange red, white, and blue costume at the head of a group of over a hundred people.
"Keep your shields up, they will stop the Muggle weapons," he ordered the remaining Death Eaters, some fifty in all. "Kill them all," he gave the order and waved his wand. "Avada Kedavra!" he shouted, his aim dead on for the man who had attacked Voldemort at the execution.
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He saw the spell coming and blocked it with his shield to everyone's amazement. "Charge!" he shouted to the men behind him and started running across the battlefield, covering the fifty or so meters that were littered with bodies of the trolls and giants so he could get to the dark wizards. He targeted the Death Eater that looked to be in charge and rushed at him, using his shield like a battering ram as he ran the man over and cursed the closest targets he could find. "Stay down," he grunted as he punched the stunned wizard in the face, knocking him out.
He got back up and took stock of the situation, the rest of his team was just catching up to him, shooting curses at the wall of Death Eaters. "Reducto!" he shouted after blocking another killing curse with the shield. He hit the ground in front of a group of three Death Eaters, the debris from the explosion caught the dark wizards taking them out of the fight. "Pour it on!" he shouted to the fighters as he concentrated on blocking or taking hits with his shield and dragon hide armor.
Shacklebolt caught up to him first, blasting flame curses at the Death Eaters, causing them to panic, and allowing them to be picked off easier. Sirius was there a second later, transforming back from his Animagus form and sending a dark curse that made the skin start peeling off of its target. Tonks and Charlie caught up second later, sending blasting curses at the Death Eaters. Flitwick was last to catch up due to his small stature, but had been blasting the whole time as he was running. "Everyone okay?" Steve asked as he raised a magical shield to go with his real one.
"No worse for wear," Sirius caught his breath as the fighters let the Death Eaters keep targeting their shields as the other fighters moved forward to pick them off.
"I knocked out someone back there, I think he's the leader," Steve pointed back at a body.
"Probably, that's Nott, he's one of the higher ups in Voldemort's circle," Shacklebolt nodded.
"Good, make sure he stays alive so we can interrogate him," Steve nodded. "Looks like they're starting to panic," he commented as Death Eaters kept dropping from bullets and spellfire. "Probably just found out their portkeys don't work and they can't apparate," he grinned. "Let's go, take them now," he ordered and dropped the magic shield before charging ahead at the retreating Death Eaters.
The battle was over a few minutes later as the retreating Death Eaters were killed or captured with Steve and Sirius in dog form tracking down the ones that ran. "Tonks, with me," he ordered after he tracked down the witch as she was binding a Death Eater. He kept walking as the witch scrambled to catch up to him. "Until I find someone better, you're my assistant, come on," he ordered as he looked around tracking down where he left Nott.
"Assistant…" she frowned.
"If this was the Army, I'd call you a Lieutenant, but this isn't, so you get stuck with assistant," he shrugged and crouched to look at Nott. "Incarcerous," he bound the still unconscious man, leaving bit of extra rope that he looped over his shoulder and kept walking back towards the other fighters, dragging the unconscious man behind him. "Peel!" he shouted when he reached the first line of soldiers, looking for the squib.
"Right here Cap," the man pushed his way forward.
"You're coming with me, get your men to secure the battlefield and the prisoners," he ordered, handing him the rope attached to Nott. "This one is not to escape, got it?" he asked.
"Gotcha Cap," he nodded motioning for his men to come forward to take the prisoner.
"Bring some men with us, leave someone else in charge of cleaning up here, we're going to set up a command post in the Leaky Cauldron," he ordered. "Same for you Tonks, get a few of the ones that can fill me in on what's going on and leave the rest here to clean up, get a move on," he ordered as the two of them scattered giving out orders.
He continued walking back into the town as people cleared out of his way. He was a block from the Cauldron before Peel and Tonks caught up to him with a handful of soldiers, wizards, and witches. "Getting old there Peel," he commented as the squib was out of breath, before catching Tonks as she tripped and almost fell on her face. "Careful," he frowned and helped her stand up. He walked up to the door of the Cauldron and opened it carefully, looking inside. "Good," he nodded, seeing only Tom and the cook talking at the bar.
"Tom, I hate to impose, but we're making this our command post for the time being," Steve apologized. "We'll reimburse you afterwards, but for now, no one gets in unless we say so," he explained and moved to take a seat at one of the large tables, relaxing into his chair. "Sit down, post your men at the door Peel," he ordered. "Food and drinks, we're going to be a while," he motioned at the bartender.
"So…" Peel eyed Steve after ordering his men to guard the door, taking his own seat. "You're looking well, for someone that was supposed to have blown up over fifty years ago," he heard Steve grumble, but not say anything. "Where the hell have you been Cap?"
"Later," he glared at Peel. "I need to know what all I am up against and have to work with," he frowned and conjured a pencil and paper. "Names and what you do, now," he ordered and began writing on the notepad.
"Alec Peel, formerly of her majesty's secret service, currently retired, at least until today," he began. "Squib and I worked with you back during WW2," he recited automatically. "We've been monitoring the situation, those of us who could at least, waiting for a chance to act," he added.
No one spoke until Steve kicked Tonks under the table. "Ouch!" she frowned, rubbing at her leg. "Nymphadora Tonks, witch, metamorphagus, ex-Auror, member of the Order of the Phoenix," she glared Steve.
"Kingsley Shacklebolt, wizard, ex-Auror, member of the Order," the black man nodded.
"Filius Flitwick, professor of Charms at Hogwarts," the smaller man continued around the table.
"Sergeant Jackson, squib, retired from the 69th infantry, followed you to hell and back Cap," the old soldier grinned.
"Lee Jordan, wizard, member of the Order," the last man at the table replied. "Why am I here again?"
"Because you were the first one I saw that had a good idea of what shape the rest of our people were, now shut it," Tonks glared at him, stopping when Tom and the cook brought out a round of firewhiskeys and plates of fish and chips for all of them.
"Thank you Tom," Steve nodded and took a drink. "What's the status of our people?" he asked before digging into his food.
"The men are fine, as far as I could tell, they were still arriving by the time the fight was over," Jackson ignored his food, focusing on his drink. "We took minimal damages, your team was taking the brunt of the fire," he nodded. "Three dead, a dozen being looked at, the rest are good to go, more or less," he finished.
"Um…" Lee murmured before he started to talk. "We didn't have that many to start with, no one is going to die from what wounds they have, but four wizards got hit with killing curses, and a group of five got hit with reductors before we had them running away," he said nervously.
"What about Riddle's forces, how many does he have?" he asked them, noting their silence. "Damn it people," he slammed his fist down on the table. "Give it to me straight, I need to know what I am up against," he shouted at them.
"It's bad Cap," Peel frowned.
"He's got all of magical Europe, stopped when he got to Russia," Jackson added. "Didn't want to make the mistake the Nazis did and go after the reds before he was ready, we figure," he commented.
"That and all the dark wizards and creatures he could find," Shacklebolt added. "Their governments put up fights, but after he razed Durmstrang because the Germans would not submit to his rule, no one was willing to fight against him much," the wizard explained.
"Why did he go after Europe, why didn't he stay here?" Steve frowned, jotting down some notes.
"He attacked the Ministry four years ago, the Order was there to fight him off, he was gravely injured and retreated to the continent to recover," Flitwick explained. "He gathered his power there and has had us under siege for the last year," the professor shook his head.
"Which brings me back to my question, where the hell have you been for the last 50 years?" Peel stabbed angrily at his food as Steve ignored him.
"Lee, make contact with Dumbledore and Moody, they're at the tower of London, tell them where I am," he ordered. "Portkeys, Floo, and apparation won't work, they got the wards up, so you'll need to get a broom or Muggle transportation, get moving," he ordered, watching as the young wizard grabbed his food and left the tavern.
"Jackson, go take care of things outside, use your best judgment, but the only people I want coming in here now are Dumbledore or Moody," Steve ordered and dismissed the Sergeant.
"I want answers Cap, I think I've earned that," Peel eyed him.
"Not now, we're waiting for Moody, I'm not doing this twice," Steve shut them up and started eating his food.
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"Sitting here getting drunk when the rest of us are out doing work are ya?" Moody grumbled as he hobbled in through the door of the Three Broomsticks, spotting Steve sitting with Peel and Tonks at a table drinking together with empty plates of food in front of them.
"Easy now Alastor, we've all had a long day," Dumbledore smiled and took a seat at the table. "Thank you Tom," he nodded as the bartender brought him a drink and plate of food. "Have a seat Alastor, I am sure your friend plans on answering our questions," he smiled as Steve and Moody both grumbled.
Moody eyed the food that was brought out to him before taking a careful bite. "Thanks," he grunted at the bartender.
"How did it go?" Steve asked Dumbledore.
"Oh, the Queen is quite interested in the situation and what we are going to do to deal with it," Dumbledore began. "We powered the wards together, I will be assigning someone from the Order to power them for the duration of this war though," he paused to drink. "She has ordered Moody and I to take control of the Ministry and Aurors, respectively," his eyes twinkled as he looked at Steve. "She has a job for you as well…"
"Don't want it, I'll be busy," Steve shook his head. "First chance I get I'm going to the continent," he frowned.
"We figured as much," Moody interrupted. "That's why I got stuck with Auror training, you're the field commander," he watched Steve carefully. "Now do you mind telling me where you have been the last fifty years?" he asked harshly.
Steve sighed and nodded. "This stays between us," he eyed Peel, Tonks, Dumbledore, and Moody. "I want your word, no one hears this from you four," he waited until they all agreed and the soldiers guarding the front door left along with Tom and the cook. "And Moody, I'd rather you not get angry at certain parts of this story because I know you will," he watched the older man.
"What would I be angry about, besides the secrets you have been keeping from me?" Moody glared at him.
"Oh, probably the things that we obliviated from your head," Steve shrugged, watching every look at Moody immediately, waiting for an explosion. The wizard kept his mouth shut tightly and grumbled in his throat, not taking his eyes off Steve. "To be fair, I didn't see a problem letting you remember, but Bucky disagreed," he shrugged.
"Barnes died in the fifties doing covert missions for the CIA, what the bloody hell is so important that you two had to obliviate me?" he asked.
"Like I said, it was Bucky's call," Steve shrugged. "Ever heard of a changeling?" he asked as Dumbledore's eyes widened and Tonks looked visibly ill.
"I have heard of their kind from Nicholas Flammel before he passed on," Dumbledore nodded. "A race of shape changers that live among us, fascinating stories really, but no one has proof that they exist," he shook his head before noticing Tonks' expression. "Nymphadora, are you alright?" he puzzled a moment before his eyes grew wide.
"Don't bloody well call me Nymphadora," she glared at the older wizard automatically.
"I am sorry my dear, but I…" he was cut off.
"She's a changeling," Steve interrupted. "A changeling pretending to be a metamorphagus," he chuckled. "How exactly did you think this was a good cover?" he questioned.
"Go to hell," she shot an evil look at him.
"So how old are you? I have some questions," Steve continued.
"I'm twenty six years old you arse," she glared before digging around in her pockets and unshrinking a book. "My mom and dad took me in and gave me this when I was old enough," she threw the book at Steve. "My birth parents…they hid me," she frowned. "Voldemort's people targeted my kind the first time around," she pointed at the book. "It's all in there, as far as I know…I'm the last one," she shrugged. "And if you so much as breath a word of this to anyone, I will kill you in ways more painful than you can imagine," she glared at Moody and Peel.
"What does this have to do with me?" Moody shot at Steve.
"Bucky was a changeling, you found out and we obliviated you to keep the secret," Steve explained.
"Then why the hell did you get to know?" Moody glared at him as he watched him pull back his mask, showing a head of dirty blonde hair falling into his eyes.
"That," Steve paused. "Is a something more secret than the truth about changelings," he sighed. "Come on Moody, all the hints I left, you have to have some idea by now," he watched the wizard.
"You're a bloody time traveler, you went back to the forties then came back here," he shot back. "Kept making jokes about a bloody glass eye and peg leg. Why the hell didn't you warn us about the all of this?" he demanded.
"You can't change the past Moody, no matter how much you want to," Steve shook his head. "Dumbledore gave me his Order of Merlin, the day I went back to 1940," he bit his lip. "It was a time turner, set to be activated at a specific time," he continued. "It had two compulsion charms on it as well, the first targeted me, to make me show it to him and ask him to help decipher the charms on it," he cleared his throat.
"The second was targeted towards myself, it activated six years ago and had me transform my Order of Merlin into the time turner and place the compulsion charms, quite a complex piece of magic if I will say so myself," Dumbledore added. "That's the problem with time travel Alastor, you can't change what has already happened," Dumbledore quieted Moody.
"So yeah, I got sent back, became Steve Rodgers, and somehow stumbled into becoming Captain America," he shrugged. "Couldn't change anything though, couldn't save anyone, couldn't kill Riddle when I had the chance, would have changed the future," he frowned and rested his head against the table.
"What the hell does this have to do with changelings?" Tonks interrupted angrily.
"Bucky was one, so was Grindelwald," Steve replied without lifting his head. "So am I," he let out a deep breath. "Bucky didn't die until much later," he explained lifting his head slowly. "Male changelings are rare, Grindelwald was the last before me, and my powers are almost nothing," he shrugged as his hair changed to black. "All I do is mess with my hair color and lengths, I had an accident when I was young," he eyed Dumbledore.
"It's another reason why the people that saw me without my mask was kept to a minimum," he frowned as he violently shook his head, removing the last of the blonde from his hair. "Couldn't have people recognizing me," he sighed. "Bucky's real name was Lilisette, she died on October 31st, 1981, killed by Riddle," he gripped his head in his hands as his hair shortened.
"Oh my god," Tonks choked on her drink as he ran his hands back, revealing his forehead.
"Jesus Christ," Peel gasped.
"I did nothing to save her, I sent her to die," he said slowly. "I want Riddle," he shouted suddenly, pulling the mask back on and getting up. "Get me transport, I want to be fighting by the end of the week," he pushed away from the table, heading to the door.
"Where are you going?" Tonks asked him.
"To see to the men, that's my job," he replied as he pulled the door open and left.
"Go with him Tonks," Dumbledore said quickly as the woman was already running after him.
"Bloody hell…Potter," Moody was speechless, drinking the rest of his firewhiskey at once.
A/N: Most of you guessed it before now, but yeah, there we go, confirmed. You know who was Cap, and Bucky was you know who as well. Hopefully the little paradox conversation explained why he couldn't kill Riddle in the 40s or change the future. I'm of the time travel school of thought that if you go back to kill your grandfather, you physically cannot, the past cannot be changed. So yeah, hope you liked.