A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or anything associated with it.
EMPIRE
TWENTY THREE
Ambassador Personal Quarters, Imperial Britannian Embassy
Madrid, Kingdom of Spain
April 26, 2015
The banners of the Holy Empire continued to fly from the masts at the buildings of the castle that was the embassy of the Holy Empire to the Iberian Peninsula even as additional security was visible around the compound. Of course, the Britannian Embassy to the Kingdom of Spain was not the only Britannian embassy that suddenly has additional security, because every Britannian embassy around the world was suddenly on a war-footing.
None could blame the Holy Empire for that stance. Never before had an embassy been attacked the way that the Britannian embassy in the Kingdom of Spain had been attacked, and though the attack was largely unsuccessful, there could still be no doubt that there was a threat.
That was the reason why an additional two companies of Britannian marines were sent over from the mainland to augment the marine complement that was protecting the embassy.
Today, however, there were additional guards in and around the embassy. Anyone who would pass by the roads around the compound could hardly miss the heavily armed soldiers together with their marine brethrens at every entrance to the compound, plus the foot patrols of soldiers outside the compound. What those passer-bys could not notice where the light armored patrol vehicles that were patrolling inside the compound.
Those armored fighting vehicles with high-powered cannons were under orders to break the walls in the compound if they have to.
At one of the highest portions of the castle that housed the Britannian Embassy, Lord Alexander watched in silence through a window as the soldiers and marines patrolled and secured the compound where the love of his life held office.
The Archduke of England had arrived just the night before with his entire staff and close to a thousand additional soldiers and marines. There was a slight problem as the Kingdom of Spain protested, but after realizing that they are dealing with Lord Alexander, they swallowed their pride and turned tail, allowing the Archduke to bring in as many soldiers and marines as he pleases, but with the understanding that after the Archduke had left, the soldiers and marines that he had brought with him – except, of course, the additional security – would come with him.
As he was anxious to be with his wife and check her condition for herself, Lord Alexander did not bother to argue. He was also well aware that he would need the soldiers and marines at the front where his job is supposed to be.
Of course, when Lady Emma learned of what her husband had done – and she was not informed of the fact that Lord Alexander would be coming, much less of the fact that Lord Alexander was a thread away from violating the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Spain by bringing additional soldiers and marines with him – she was upset – and that was an understatement – at him. Lady Emma never raised her voice in public, and she would never argue with her husband in public, but in private, she admonished him using the strongest words that she could find, and when it is just the two of them, the Lady Emma could be as colorful with her language as even Lord Alexander.
As with all of their arguments, however, Lord Alexander – indeed, even Lady Emma – has a secret weapon to end the argument, and Lord Alexander was not afraid to use it. As his wife launched a broadside against him, the Archduke stepped closer toward his Archduchess and with a simple move, he closed her mouth with his.
A smile came across the face of Lord Alexander even as he observed the patrols from his vantage point. Everything else dissolved after the kiss that the couple shared and the months of being away from each other – indeed, it would have been the same even if it was just weeks – finally ended and the two of them dissolved into the arms of each other.
At that, the Archduke returned his attention toward the direction of the bed that was the centerpiece of the room that he and his wife was in. The room that was reserved for the ambassador carried all the trappings required to impart upon a casual visitor that this is the room of the highest representative of the most powerful nation to the Iberian Peninsula.
The bed was a four-poster that fitted Lord Alexander and Lady Emma just fine, though he imagined that she found it uncomfortable, not because of the size of the bed, but because of the fact that he is not beside her every night.
Still, it was an improvement over his accommodations. Much as Lord Alexander like staying aboard his flagship, he would have to vote for the soft cushion of the four-poster of his wife than the hard plywood-like mattress in his quarters. That bed was big enough for two, but just barely, and because Lord Alexander had made the request, though even then, it had caused quite a fuss with the upper echelons of command.
There were many paintings – most of them are, of course, imitations – inside the room, but aside from the ever-present replica of the Passage of Tears, what really got the attention of Lord Alexander was a relatively unknown painting that depicted the Peninsular Campaign. At the centerpiece of the painting was a portrait of Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington and the Fist Grand Marshall of the Holy Empire of Britannia – though, technically, Britannia had not existed yet when the Duke of Wellington died.
Aside from the man who is supposed to be seated at the Golden Throne, no other person – certainly, no one outside the York Family – have ever held the position, and since a woman is seated at the Golden Throne, there is currently no Grand Marshall, no man who has the power to command any unit within the Holy Empire – save the Imperial Knights which would always be under the command of the person seated at the Golden Throne – at any time and for whatever reason.
"Not satisfied with the security that you arranged yourself?" the soft voice of his wife tore Lord Alexander out of his reverie and at the same time informed him that she is now awake.
"Hardly," Lord Alexander replied, a smile came across his face as he greeted the woman whose face had always been the first thought of his mind every morning, "Good Morning, Dearest."
"Good Morning," she replied at the same time that she gathered the white blanket that covered her around her body. Underneath that blanket, the Archduchess of England, the most powerful woman in the whole British Isles, wore nothing but her lace panties.
Lady Emma walked toward her husband – but it was not her normal walk, rather, it was a saunter, an amble that was meant to seduce – and her husband could do nothing but stare at her, a hungry look upon his face.
When her body was separated from his by nothing but her white blanket, Lady Emma pressed her lips – ever s slightly – at the cheek of her husband and whispered, "Shall we skip the day today, love, and spend it in bed?"
Lord Alexander was tempted, he was sorely tempted, and he was about to agree to the suggestion of his wife when she suddenly said, "of course, we would be missing the meeting that you had insisted we hold today, unless you would want to hold the meeting in this room, with me wearing what I am wearing right now."
The chance of that happening, the subconscious of Lord Alexander knew, was nil. Lady Emma might act the seductress in private – and with Lady Emma, private would always be just her and Lord Alexander – but never in public.
Still, there was an aggressive hiss that came through the lips of Lord Alexander, and that reaction brought a smile upon the face of Lady Emma. That smile quickly turned into a full-blown laugh as she sauntered back to bed, letting the blanket around her body fall to the ground as she did so, allowing her husband the pleasure of ogling her perfect back.
"If you're not going to throw yourself in the bathroom within the next two minutes, Dearest, I am going to go ahead of you," Lady Emma warned.
"We could share," Lord Alexander suggested with a smile on his face.
The smile on the face of his wife told him that she would want nothing more but to agree with his suggestion, but the practical side of things eventually asserted itself, "And come out of the bathroom dirtier than when we first entered it?" she asked with a mock shocked tone, "no thanks."
Lord Alexander shook his head with a smile on his face, but while Lady Emma returned to bed, the Archduke of England made his way to where he had dumped his suitcase and quickly fished out a change of clothes.
"This attack," the Archduke said as he fixed his change of clothes – and his change of clothes was just another uniform – inside the walk-in closet that leads to the en-suite, "Why here? Why now?"
"I think the more apt question would be who is behind the bombing," Lady Emma opined, "We find out the who, we would more than likely find out the why."
"No doubt," Lord Alexander said. He pulled down his pajama pants as he stepped into the en-suite.
Silence descended inside the room for a few moments as Lady Emma waited to hear what her husband would say, but when it became certain that Lord Alexander was not going to say anything else, she added, "You already have a list of people, do you not?"
The sound of the shower being turned on was quickly followed by the voice of the Archduke, "I do, yes," he replied, "And the name at the top of the list would be the North Africans."
"Sensible, considering that we are at war with them," Lady Emma replied, "I would have guessed Prussian."
"War by proxy, you mean?" Lord Alexander asked, "Yes, that is why they are number two on the list, but I do not really think they would want to involve themselves in this war, they have far too many problems to the east and the north, with the Soviets making noises, and the Scandinavian Union making drumbeats, I would have guessed that they would rather not start anything to their west."
"And this is Britannian territory only by fiction of law," Lady Emma replied, "The flag of the Holy Empire flies over this castle, and Britannian subjects operate and occupy this embassy, but this is the Kingdom of Spain, no matter how much we harp about this being sovereign Britannian territory."
"That bomb would not have made it into the embassy compound, and judging from the disguise employed by the bomber, he, and whoever his employers are, is aware of that fact," Lord Alexander added, "If that bomb had exploded the way that it was meant to, Spanish subjects would be in the casualty list."
There was silence as both considered that. Both Lord Alexander and Lady Emma are aware that the only reason that there are no Spanish subjects in the casualty list was because the casualty list was small. Two dead, plus a dozen injured, all Britannian.
"You have a third name in the list?" Lady Emma asked.
"The Mage Problem back in the British Isles," Lord Alexander said, at the same time, the sound of the shower stopped and Lady Emma knew that her husband was already toweling off. The man could take a shower in as short as ten minutes, maybe less. She supposed that it came from the fact that he did spend four years of his life in Annapolis.
"I wonder why they are not first in your list," Lady Emma commented at the same time that she stood from the bed. As she was walking toward her own wardrobe, she quickly added, "it was a magical bomb, after all, enhanced by a magical ritual."
"I would not have imagined Albus Dumbledore resorting to such means," Lord Alexander said. He stepped out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his body, "Lord James impressed upon me that his former Headmaster would try to act as civilized as he could, or at least, as civilized as people were back when Dumbledore was a child."
"A hundred or so years ago, I am sure," Lady Emma replied.
"Probably more," Lord Alexander commented. A sigh escaped from somewhere inside him through his lips before he added, "There are other reasons why he could not be on the top of the list, foremost of which would be the fact that he has both Imperial and Scandinavian authorities hunting after him."
"He could hardly plan a strike like this and so far from where he is," Lady Emma agreed. She paused for a few moments as she turned her attention toward her husband just in time to watch as he put on a white shirt, "What about the possibility of a new party at that faction?" Lady Emma asked, "They have been at the receiving end of the stick these past ten years, I think that there would be those amongst them that would tire of being under the thumb of the old man."
Lord Alexander had to admit that he really did not think that that would be possible, but the Archduke of England conceded that that may happen. His opinion of the former Headmaster of Hogwarts was colored by the stories that he had heard from two vassals who had always been closed to the former Headmaster before they were forced to turn to him for help, the Duke and Duchess of Oxford.
As much as Lord James and Lady Lily no longer see Albus Dumbledore with colored lenses, it could not be denied that their opinion of the man was still influenced by their youth. The youthful opinion of Lord James and Lady Lily had always been that Albus Dumbledore is unlikely to lose control of his organization.
"Let us see what the others would think of that, Dearest," Lord Alexander said a few moments later.
Silver Hall, Imperial Britannian Embassy
Madrid, Kingdom of Spain
April 26, 2015
Despite the name of the hall, the Silver Hall within the castle that housed the Britannian mission to the Iberian Peninsula was not filled with silver. There were a few sculptures that were coated with the silver, but there were not nearly enough of them to justify naming the hall with its name.
Of course, the curtains on the numerous windows in the hall were silver, as were a few highlights in the hall, but everyone inside the room knew that the name given was a name of convenience. Every hall inside the castle was named after a color, and this hall just happened to be named after silver.
Inside the room, the close staff of Lord Alexander sat at their designated chairs around a rather long table. There were no nervous glances being exchanged between the people inside the room, but at the left side of the table, both Lord James and Lady Lily are sure that that was because of the fact that the right side of the table heavily outweighed the left side in terms of occupants.
The military advisors and military close staff of Lord Alexander occupied the right side of the table while the civilian staff occupies the left side. Lord Alexander, being an active military officer, has more military advisors and staff than he has civilian.
Led by Admiral Kevin Cline – who, as chief of staff to Lord Alexander occupied the immediate right hand side of the table – the military staff included, just for this meeting, the marine brigadier general who has command of the embassy security.
The chief of staff was busily engaged in small talk – with hushed voices that made it impossible to eavesdrop, at least from the position of Lord James and Lady Lily – with Vice Admiral Daniel Ashford. Exactly what the two military men were discussing could range from the embassy bombing to the latest frontline reports coming from North Africa.
At the left hand side of the table, Lord James and Lady Lily were joined by two civilian members of the embassy staff. The first was the man in charge of the civilian side of the embassy, while the other is a visitor from the mainland, but the man that was appointed by the Imperial Investigative Bureau – a civilian agency despite its quasi-military functions – to be in charge of the investigation of the bombing.
All three of the newcomers would not be able to be of much assistance, and everyone inside the room knew that they would be politely asked to leave the room as soon as they finished making their reports and the real discussion between those who are in the know would commence.
A nudge from his wife made Lord James turn his attention toward her. When he was looking at her, she turned her attention toward him, but before Lord James can say anything, Lady Lily said, "You know that this bombing is probably the most talked about news in the mainland right about now."
"Probably eclipsing the news regarding the war, yes," Lord James agreed. A sardonic smile came across his face before he added, "People tend to forget that there is a war going on involving the Holy Empire."
Lady Lily nodded her agreement, "and that is the reason why I think that this bombing has something to do with the war," she said. It was something that the spouses had discussed during the relatively short flight from the British Isles – where the two of them were based because of the duties of Lord James in the British Isles Parliament – and they had come to a grudging conclusion that there is the possibility that their former Headmaster had something to do with the bombing.
It was not that it was something that they had not considered before; it was just that the two Hogwarts alumni never thought that their former Headmaster would do something like involve civilians. It was for that reason that they never actually thought to be wary of such an attack.
"Make the public aware of the war?" Lord James asked, "They are aware, it is just that they do not give much importance to it," a soft sigh escaped through the lips of the Duke of Oxford before he added, "It is not as if the war is being fought next to their homes."
Lady Lily was about to say something, but whatever it was that she was about to say was cut-off at that moment because the doors to the hallway suddenly opened. All attention was turned toward the direction of the door, and before anyone can say – indeed, even before anyone can think of – anything, everyone that was seated inside the room took to their feet in respectful greeting to the two people who were about to enter the room.
Lord Alexander and Lady Emma would never look like a power couple in the traditional sense, but everyone inside the room – even the three newcomers – knew very well that looks could be deceiving, and that adage could not be any truer when it comes to the Archduke and Archduchess of England.
"Please, take your seats," Lord Alexander said as he helped his wife to her own chair. The design of the table inside the room was such that there are two chairs at the head of the table. Lord Alexander and Lady Emma took those seats.
When everyone was seated comfortably in their designated seats, the Archduke of England turned his attention toward his chief of staff and said, "I assume that you have your own list in there, Admiral Cline," but before the admiral could say anything, Lord Alexander turned his attention toward Lord James and added, "And I am sure that you also have your own list, Lord James."
Both men nodded in response, but neither spoke a single word, fully understanding that if their liege lord wanted to hear from them, he would have said something. Lord Alexander appreciated that fact as he turned his attention toward the marine officer who was in charge of the security of the embassy.
The man had not tried to raise a fuss when Lord Alexander practically supplanted him in his office the moment that the Archduke had arrived. The patrols that were going around the embassy were the idea of Lord Alexander, but the men who were actually doing the patrolling were still under the command of this man. Fortunately, the marine officer – rather uncharacteristically of him, given that he is a marine – had not raised a fuss about it.
"Let us start first with an update on our security situation," Lord Alexander said. He nodded toward the marine general and added, "General, please."
"Sir," the marine officer replied in acknowledgement before he launched into his report. It was mostly the report that Lord Alexander was expecting and contained anecdotes regarding the now standard patrols roaming within and without the embassy grounds. The officer also noted that there has been an increased presence of Madrid Police in the area, but so far, the local authorities are not complaining.
'It would be unlikely that they would be complaining,' Lady Emma thought, 'the embassy has been attacked and they are probably still thinking that we are going to blame them for it.'
The marine officer ended his report twenty minutes later with a summary of the damage that was suffered by the embassy grounds – which was minimal – and the current status of his men who were injured in the attack.
"Anything else of note that we should be aware of, General?" Lord Alexander asked. It was strange that he was the one who was leading the meeting considering that this is the turf of Lady Emma, but it was also true that Lady Emma would rather defer to her husband.
"One other thing, Admiral," the marine officer replied, "One of the men injured in the attack said that Ms. Granger gave a warning before the bomb exploded," there was a look of relief on the face of the officer as he added, "It was thanks to her warning that most of the men in that area were able to get to cover."
"Regrettably, Hermione was injured in the attack and is still unconscious following the injuries that she had sustained," Lord James added, "While moderate at most, the injuries that she had sustained during the bombing were enough justification for the doctors to keep her sedated."
Lord Alexander nodded, fully aware of what his highest ranking civilian advisor was trying to do. To be frank, though, Lord Alexander was not about to question where the loyalties of Hermione lie. The woman came from a family that had proudly served the Holy Empire for generations, and though the fact that she was a student under former Headmaster Dumbledore was something that would always blemish her record, no one could question her loyalty.
"It just means that she recognized the attacker," Vice Admiral Granger suddenly said. A small smile was exchanged between the two couples in the room – Lord Alexander and Lady Emma, plus Lord James and Lady Lily – as they considered that it was just like the adjutant of Lord Alexander to defend his family.
"And that is not outside the realm of possibility," Lord Alexander said. He did pause for a few moments before he turned toward Lord James, "You understand that if she recognized the bomber, then it stands to reason that the message was being sent from the British Isles."
Lord James nodded. The Duke of Oxford knew why his liege lord was looking at him when he said that. The British Isles, while nominally the responsibility of the Archduke of England, was under the administration of the Duke of Oxford pending the return of Lord Alexander from the battlefield. It simply means that the hunt for the culprit or those behind the culprit would be the charge of Lord James.
"Your Grace," Lady Lily suddenly interjected, forcing everyone in the room to look at her. Aware of the attention that she had garnered, but unfazed by the same – she was well used to it by now, even before she became Duchess, she was stealing attention with her work for the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"Duchess?" Lord Alexander asked.
"Your Grace, we have discussed another possibility, my husband and I," and at this, she glanced toward Lord James who nodded toward Lord Alexander. The Archduke of England politely inclined his head toward the Duchess indicating that she should continue.
"What about a new party to the question of the British Isles?" Lady Lily asked, "Hermione could have identified the bomber, but until she wakes up, we cannot be sure which faction the said bomber owes loyalty to. It could be one of Dumbledore's men, but it could very well be a person from the other side of the fence, it could even be someone whose loyalty is actually to one of the many factions that divide those two general factions."
Lord Alexander nodded, aware that the Order of the Phoenix led by Albus Dumbledore and the Prussian-allied Death Eater faction has their own cliques within their own respective movements. It was not unlikely that those cliques have their own agenda.
Turning his attention toward Lord James, Lord Alexander asked, "How long before Hermione wakes up?"
"No one actually knows, Your Grace," Lord James replied. A small smile came across the face of the Duke of Oxford before he added, "Harry is with her right now, keeping vigil, though I suspect that he would not be in the right state to send us a message when Hermione wakes up."
To the surprise of many on the table, Lady Emma actually laughed at that, "I should think not," she commented.
Order of the Phoenix safe house, Trondheim
Norway, Scandinavian Union
April 26, 2015
Albus Dumbledore was worried and when he is worried, the rest of the Order of the Phoenix are also worried.
There were not that many original members of the Order that still remained in Trondheim, or in the Scandinavian Union for that matter. Increased activities by the local law enforcement authorities – with Britannian support – had made it necessary to move most of the members of the Order out of the country. Of course, they are supposed to be working outside of the country with a few members who are trying – mostly in vain – to recruit new members.
Only the highest ranking members of the Order still remain in the Scandinavian Union, and most of them are not even located within the same cities. The reason that they had not yet left the country was, ironically, the same reason that they want to leave the country.
The tightening net of the local law enforcement authorities hunting for them had made the top leaders of the Order so recognizable that the Order leaders doubted that they could leave the country even with the aid of the most powerful glamour charms.
Despite the truth that the Order was getting smaller and smaller as the days passed, the room where the Order holds its meeting was still close to full. The handful of new members that had been recruited after the Order fled the British Isles crowded one side of the room.
An assorted bunch, their numbers include wizards and witches from the British Isles to as far away as the Empire of the Rising Sun, while their academic background ranges from Hogwarts to some who are home-schooled by their parents in the more traditional magical traditions. All of them, however, had given oath to see to the accomplishment of the goals of the Order of the Phoenix.
That bunch was still to unofficially elect a leader, though Dumbledore could see the reason why no one was yet to volunteer. Their experience was not that great, with a great many of their numbers not even being given their first mission as of yet.
At the other side of the room, those members of the Order who had been there when the Order was forced to abandon the British Isles silently conversed among themselves. The former Headmaster of Hogwarts was aware as to what they are talking about.
This was not a meeting that was scheduled, it was an emergency meeting that the Headmaster had called for using a patronus charm. That alone was enough to tell those who are in attendance of the importance of the topic of today. Magical nets had been erected all around Trondheim and nearby cities that would have caught that patronus if not for the fact that the Headmaster used a modified spell that the nets could not catch – as of yet.
The door to the basement opening tore Dumbledore out of his reverie and he turned his attention toward that direction just in time to watch as Alastor Moody entered the room. As was expected, the gruff former auror went straight to the heart of the matter, and without any pleasantries, he said, "Let's get this over with, Albus, I have things to do."
The former Headmaster of Hogwarts did not doubt that for one moment. Alastor Moody had become the man in charge of coordinating the Order members who are still in the country. His job requires him to come up with measures to counter the ever expanding magical net, and with the way that Dumbledore had called for this meeting, there was little doubt that the former auror would once more be busy looking for new safe houses and shuffling Order members.
"I suppose you have all heard about the bombing of the Britannian embassy in the Kingdom of Spain?" Dumbledore asked, and though it was phased as a question, there was little doubt that the former Headmaster of Hogwarts was aware that everyone in the room had heard about it.
"What about it?" Moody asked in his gruff voice. It was obvious that the man who is in command of the combat arm of the Order of the Phoenix was unwilling to play the game of the former Headmaster of Hogwarts today, but that was fine with Dumbledore because he was also not in the mood to play around with words right now. He needs to have answers as soon as possible, and this desperation is highlighted by the fact that there are a total of eighteen agents that are on their way to the mainland right now, to join the thirty or so that were already there.
If the Holy Empire would react drastically to the bombing of their embassies, then those agents would be the first to go, most likely, those who are on their way to the mainland first.
"How do you think would they react?" Dumbledore asked. He turned his attention toward his oldest friend inside the room, though everyone in the room understood that the question was meant for everyone inside the room.
"They'd probably increase security," one of the new recruits said.
Moody snorted toward the direction of the man who said something. Although the former auror was one of the few people who are actually successful in recruitment, it does not mean that the former auror trainer would be easy with them, "Of course, they would increase their security," he said with obvious disdain for what the man knew was stupidity on the part of the new recruit, "Do you think they are idiots? Or stupid? You cannot build an Empire as large as the Holy Empire of Britannia if you are stupid."
"Alastor, please…," Dumbledore began.
Moody snapped at the words of his friend, and turning his attention toward the former Headmaster, he asked, "Are you worried that they would close their borders and start hunting our people?"
Dumbledore nodded, but before he could say anything, Moody added, "They would increase the pressure for a few weeks, a few months at the most, but then, the pressure is always there, for the people already inside, but no way the Holy Empire would close their borders."
"How can you be sure?" one of the old hands of the Order asked, "Sure, there were few casualties, but one of their embassies had been attacked, I don't think that has happened before."
"It has never happened before," Dumbledore confirmed, "Though there have been a number of terrorist attacks and assassination attempts and successes within the Empire that was later labeled as terrorism."
Moody snorted, "And in those instances, has the Holy Empire actually closed their borders?" he asked, but without waiting for a reaction from the people inside the room, the former auror quickly added, "Of course not, else, we would not have been able to send our people there."
"And the Archduke of England?" Dumbledore asked. Everyone inside the room knew that the former Headmaster had developed a mini-obsession when it comes to the Archduke of England. The Archduke, after all, was the person who had made the Order flee their country.
"As powerful as he is…," Moody began.
"His wife is the Ambassador of the Holy Empire to the Kingdom of Spain," Dumbledore pointed out, "He would react."
"But not against us," Moody argued, "He would react against those who are behind the attack, not against those whom he thinks are not worth his time, and I assure you, the Archduke of England thinks that the Order is below him," he shook his head before an accusatory look came across his face, "I am the operations head of the Order and as operations head, I know every single operation we have planned or are planning," and fixing his old friend a hard stare, Moody demanded, "I want you assurance that we had nothing to do with this."
Dumbledore nodded. Even if he wanted to lie to his friend and say that they had something to do with the attack, it most likely would not be believed. In any case, there is no advantage to be gained by claiming responsibility for the attack.
"I still worry…," Dumbledore began.
Moody cut him off once more, "So long as we had nothing to do with this attack, then we have nothing to fear," an ironic smile came across the face of the former auror before he let out a harsh laugh, "well, not more than we already do."
Kottelberg Castle, West Pomerania
Prussia
April 26, 2005
There was a reason why the people who called themselves Death Eaters only meet at night. The reason for that is because not only does a few of their number have important duties during the morning – not counting Lucius in his unofficial role as advisor to the Kaiser even if the Kaiser and Lucius had never actually met in person, there are about two dozen others who are connected in an official capacity with the government – but also because of the fact that some members of the Death Eaters are actually wanted criminals in the Prussian Empire.
That they have earned that distinction had caused Lucius no amount of small grief since he is acknowledged as the leader of the Death Eaters in the temporary absence of their master. It was rather fortunate that the law enforcement authorities of the Reich are unaware – or perhaps, they are, but they are unwilling to use that knowledge – that Lucius and those Death Eaters are meeting in the middle of the night in the castle that the Kaiser and the Reichstag had seen fit to allow him to live in.
The circumstances of this meeting, however, were anything but normal, and despite the danger that it may bring to a few members, Lucius had decided to call for the meeting as soon as possible.
The Death Eaters were also in the middle of a meeting that was unscheduled, but unlike the Order, the members of this particular group were not being hunted down as a whole, at least, not by those who have the authority to do so in the Prussian Empire, because the Holy Empire is also out to get them, only they could not operate in the Prussian Empire legally.
That being the case, there was no need to be wary of the method that was used to call the members together, and for this bunch of traditionalists, only the most traditional of invitations would do, even if those invitations are mostly politely worded demands demanding the presence of the recipient.
The owls were prepared just this morning, barely five minutes after Lucius had heard from his contacts within the government that there was a bombing attack against the Britannian Embassy in the Kingdom of Spain. The original plan was to schedule a meeting, but when Lucius was informed that the attack was a magical attack – through back-door channels with the Kingdom of Spain – he decided to call the meeting as soon as possible.
That was the topic that was going to be discussed inside the castle today, and as Lucius Malfoy surveyed his gathered comrades at the Entrance Hall of his castle while he was at the second floor of the castle, the aristocratic unofficial leader of the Death Eaters wished that there would be someone whom he could trust amongst his former comrades.
The truth was while there are those whom he would have with him in a fight – while he was guarding his backside, of course – there was none that he would trust not to turn on him at the earliest possible opportunity, and for a brief few moments, he wondered if the bombing in the Britannian Embassy was a manifestation of such attempt to unseat him from his unofficial position.
After all, if it was an attack that, ultimately, could be traced to the Death Eaters, then he, Lucius Malfoy, should have been made aware of it. Of course, that would have made things a bit messier than the Malfoy patriarch was prepared to deal with.
"My friends," Lucius said as he descended down the stairs to join his comrades at the entrance hall of his castle – well, not really his, but he had been living in the place for more than ten years now.
As the Malfoy family patriarch had expected, all eyes turn toward his direction even if a few of the Death Eaters in the crowd are clearly already too drunk to actually notice what was happening. For a split few seconds, Lucius regretted the fact that he allowed alcohol before he made his address, but after realizing that only those who are not so deep into the Inner Circle of the Dark Lord was drunk, he realized that he should actually be thankful since those who have no idea what they were going to say were already precluded from the meeting.
"Lucius," Thorfin Rowle was the first one to greet back, and though there was a hostile look on the eyes of the man – Lucius suspected that he had pulled Rowle out of something that he wanted to do – he was respectful enough that Lucius did not think it would serve the purpose of anyone to call him out, "Why are we here?"
The question was repeated at the other end of the room by Walden McNair, but the former Ministry executioner has something else to say, "Were your people able to eliminate Goyle?" he asked.
Lucius cursed under his breath as he was reminded of that failure. The bombing of the Embassy had caused him to turn all of his attention toward that problem, but there was still the fact that the Holy Empire would soon learn just who is behind the North African Mage unit. Goyle may be able to resist torture – having been tortured almost daily by the Dark Lord for his general incompetence – but there was no way that he could resist a mind-reader.
"That is one of the reasons that I had asked for all of you here today," Lucius finally said, though he was well aware that it was just an addendum that he did not really want to add. He was only forced to do so because someone brought it up, "but we can discuss that after the primary reason that I asked for you to be present today."
"A full house today, Lucius," Walden noted, but Lucius did not deign to comment. He had specifically asked for everyone so that he could take care of the problem regarding the loyalty of the Death Eaters if there truly was a problem.
"I presume that you have all heard about the bombing of the Britannian Embassy in the Kingdom of Spain?" Lucius asked, and though McNair looked miffed that Lucius did not deign to respond to his assertions, the man did nod, "The casualties are not that many and the Britannian Embassy itself is not severely damaged, but we can be assured that they will respond to those who had attacked them."
"What concern is this of us?" Rowle asked, "Let them kill each other."
"Our concern here is the fact that the attack was a magical attack," Lucius said, and when everyone inside the room – at least, those that could still focus – turned their attention toward him, he quickly added, so as to preclude them from saying anything else, "And the Holy Empire would look at every magical group that has a history with it."
"Us and the Order," Yaxley said.
Lucius turned his attention toward the usually silent man and gave him a nod. No one really knows what Yaxley did that allowed him to climb into the Inner Circle of the Dark Lord, but whatever it was, it was surely something big because the former Auror had been initiated into the Death Eaters just four months before he got the coveted position.
The competence of the man was something that had made Lucius want to approach him a number of times before in the past with the intention of making a sort-of hierarchy among the Death Eaters, but ultimately, while Yaxley is probably someone whom Lucius could trust with the operations of the group, there was still the question of being stabbed in the back. With Vincent Yaxley, Lucius felt that there was more than double the chance because no one knew exactly what he did before.
"Did we have something to do with the bombing?" Yaxley asked. The question was directed toward Lucius, but it was an open question that anyone in the room could answer if they had the inclination to do so.
"Which is what I would like to know as well," Lucius said, and he knew that when he said that, everyone in the room became aware that this was not a sanctioned Death Eater operation, if, indeed, it was a Death Eater operation.
There was a few moments of silence as everyone in the room looked at each other in an attempt to find something that would betray knowledge, but after it became clear that no one would be admitting anything – or, indeed, that the bombing was not a Death Eater operation – Lucius finally said, "We should be aware that if this was us, then not even the protection of the Prussian Empire would be able to keep us from being a target of revenge," he shook his head for emphasis and added, "I do not think I need to remind you of how long the hand of the Britannian Empire is."
For a few moments, Lucius prayed that his comrades are not involved in this. He knew that there was no way that it could be the Order who would carry out the bombing, but if his comrades are not to be blamed, then the only possible explanation for the attack would be the appearance of another group, and for some reason, that made Lucius shudder when he consider what the implications of another group appearing may be.
Madrid National Hospital
Madrid, Kingdom of Spain
April 26, 2005
There are many facilities inside the Britannian Embassy, but a fully functioning hospital as not one of them. The theory was that the medical facility inside the embassy would just be used either as a facility where the casualties could be stabilized before being sent to a nearby hospital or – if a nearby hospital facility is actually not available – before being evacuated to Gibraltar.
The bombing at the embassy had not deprived the embassy from using the nearby facilities, and it is at the Madrid National Hospital – the premier hospital in the city – that the casualties were brought to after they had been stabilized.
It was in one of the rooms in the isolated hallway – and it was indeed an isolation hallway, given the marines that were guarding all of the entrances to the hallway, unarmed, but definitely dangerous – that Hermione was brought to after she was stabilized from the injuries that she had sustained.
They were minor injuries, but she had also managed to hit her head upon the pavement, causing a mild concussion. The doctors felt that that was enough justification to keep her under a medically induced comma while they examine her wound. Hermione had not woken up yet even after she had been removed from the medically induced coma.
It would not have mattered to Harry, because the young lieutenant commander would have waited no matter how long. The doctors had assured her that she was going to be fine and that after a few days of rest, she would be back at the peak of her health, and while that had done much to alleviate the worry that Harry felt for his fiancée, there was still the uncertainty of some injury or damage done that even the most stringent of medical examinations would not have detected.
As he stared at the sleeping form of the woman that he would someday marry, Harry released a sigh from deep within his being. He knew that Hermione would already claim that she is fine, and the report that Harry had received from the doctors, plus the fact that he would hear her voice, in the mind of Harry, that would remove all of the worry that he is carrying upon his shoulders – well, all the worries that had been placed there the moment that he learned that she had been injured in the attack.
Harry had very nearly gone absent without leave at the front in his attempt to go to Spain, but fortunately, Lord Alexander had allowed him a few days of leave from the front. The Archduke had even allowed Harry to take a transport aircraft – one of the now established regular routes on account of the ongoing war – from Cairo to Gibraltar, and from there, to Madrid.
Needless to say, the lieutenant commander had not actually been to the site of the attack, because the moment that HMS Iron Duke docked at the civilian airship yard, Harry – having already secured permission from Lord Alexander – was off to the hospital. He had not left since the time that he entered the doors to the hospital, and that was more than twenty hours ago already.
Without even changing to civilian clothes – he could not have changed, even if he wanted to, he left everything back at the forward operating camp – Harry had stayed at the hallway. The presence of a man in the desert camouflage pattern had done more to dissuade media personnel from entering the isolated hallway, far more than the uniformed marines – mostly because they are wearing dress uniforms, rather than the fact that they are unarmed – at the entrances have.
As his gaze turned toward the sleeping form of Hermione once more, Harry unconsciously clenched his fist. He was well aware that this is the first time that a Britannian Embassy had been attacked, and though the Holy Empire was not a stranger to terrorism – the predecessor of Lord Alexander was assassinated in what was classified as a terrorist attack around one hundred years ago, and the parents of Lady Emma were both killed in a bombing – and for a brief few moments, Harry wondered what kind of person would have ordered such an attack.
Clearing his head, however, Harry thought, 'it would not have mattered anyway, because we had already been attacked, and such attack demands a response.'
Further musings on the part of Harry were interrupted at that moment when the lieutenant commander heard the boots of the marines guarding the hallway snap to attention. Whoever was coming was someone that not only was allowed to enter – given that the marines did not stop the person – but also was someone whom the marines would go to attention for.
The doctors and nurses that check the patients would not have caused the marines to come to attention.
Harry watched as Lord Alexander entered the hallway. The Archduke of England was not alone, but that was hardly surprising given his position. What was unusual, however, was the fact that the Archduke was accompanied by his wife rather than his full staff.
For a few moments, Harry just watched, but he quickly realized his position and quickly snapped to attention before offering the man in charge of the North Africa Theater – and since Harry is still assigned to the North Africa Theater – his salute.
Lord Alexander returned the salute almost instantly, before he gave Harry a nod. The Archduke of England did not say anything as he turned his attention toward Hermione.
"I am told that she is going to be fine," Lord Alexander said. The statement was meant for Harry despite the fact that he did not turn his attention toward the man.
"Yes, Admiral," Harry replied, taking note to use the proper tittles. With people like Lord Alexander – who not only have more than one title, but are very strict when it comes to using the proper salutations accompanying those titles – it was almost impossible to keep track of which honorific to use.
"Good," Lord Alexander said, nodding. He stared at the figure of Hermione for a few moments before he turned toward Harry, "I suspect that now that you are aware of that, you would not let this incident distract you any more than necessary from you doing your job?"
Although it was phrased as a question, Harry knew that Lord Alexander was making a demand. It was something that the Archduke was entitled to make, and Harry, just for a brief few moment, would have not replied in the affirmative.
His training kicked in though, and the naval officer in him nodded, "Yes, sir," he replied.
"Good," Lord Alexander said, "For a few moments there, I thought that you would be off pursuing the perpetrators of this attack instead of doing your job."
"My Lord, I…," Harry began.
Lord Alexander stopped Harry from saying anything else by raising his hand. The Archduke then shook his head and said, "Even we already know just who is behind the attack, I would not have given you permission, Commander."
Harry paused for a few moments, but then nodded. He was well aware that the use of Lord Alexander of the military rank was deliberate. It was his way of reminding Harry that he was still a commissioned officer with the Fleet, and the Fleet has need for him at the front.
"I need you to take command, Harry," Lord Alexander said, and as he said that, the General-Admiral of the Grand Fleet retrieved a small box from his pocket which he then handed to Harry, "Special Forces, mostly Force Recon, are going to be sent ahead of the regular units from this point in because we have no idea what we should be expecting again."
Harry took the box that his liege lord had handed to him. Opening it, his eyes widened as he recognized the two golden circles that are the rank insignia of a commander in the Fleet. That he is being promoted again – this would be his fourth promotion in less than a year – would be unprecedented.
"You need the rank," Lord Alexander simply said, though before Harry can say anything, he continued, "You would be needed back at the field by the end of the week, because that is the time frame that the last of the men under your new command had given me. By that time, new units from the mainland and from all around the world would be joining you."
Harry nodded, and Lord Alexander smiled before he added, "I need you and your men to make sure of a number of things, Commander Potter, and these are things that you could only be sure of by actually going to the beach and making the test there."
Harry did not find that surprising since that was the mission of Force Recon in the first place. To go ahead of the main units and determine the strength – if there is any – of the opposing force that could be moved to block the main units. The use of the term 'beach', however, has Harry curious.
Lord Alexander seemed to sense the curiosity of Harry, and that made the Archduke smile all the more, "Yes, the beach," he said. Beside him, Lady Emma actually started to silently laugh even as she covered her mouth.
"In addition to duties at the eastern front of this ongoing campaign, you and your men would be making sure that we can open our western front for this campaign," Lord Alexander said, "You and the men under your command would be the ones who would be sent ahead of the landings at the coasts of the western part of the North African League."
' The opening of the second front,' Harry thought, 'Operation Orange Sunset'