Sorry for the VERY late post, but I finally managed to finish it. The delay was mostly caused by my new full schedule at university and the lack of ideas.
I managed to forget in which time frame I was acting and I even reread the books to get ideas. I can already hear the more attentive readers going like "Horcrux hunt? You strayed from canon long ago!" And As such I had to rethink about the story line. One two sentences between lectures and finally I got to know how to lead towards the climax. So please enjoy and stay tuned for the newer developments. RSC-1995, out.
Dive, Dive, Dive
Christmas approached and Dumbledore announced the Yule-Ball. The second he began to speak, Harry and Ginny came to the silent consent that they would be each others dates.
The next day a package for Ginny was delivered by Hedwig. It had a collection of Honeyduke's best chocolate. Harry ignored an invitation by Dumbledore. Ron had broken off any kind of contact and was constantly bad mouthing his former best friend. Hermione kept her distance, and only Fred and George were cordial.
The evening of the Ball approached and Harry waited in the common room for his date. He had kept it completely secret. People knew that he and Ginny were close friends, but no one knew that they were far past that stage. Having claimed his Lord ring, he wore the rightful cloak with the Potter Crest. His jaw fell down when he saw Ginny descending from the girl's stairs. The red dress she wore left little to imagination. "Don't catch flies" she teased as she placed a finger under his chin. Closing in for a kiss she felt his arms pulling her into a hug. Leaving the common room they were greeted by Erik and Catherine. The CAT8 wore a similar dress in black while Erik wore a black tux. It was strange to see him out of any kind of uniform. As one of the champions he had to open the ball. After Harry and Ginny began, he offered Catherine his hand. "Might I..?" He pulled her with him and they began a slow waltz. Everything around them vanished into the backs of their minds as they danced over the floor. Moving with the rhythm, they switched between the songs flawlessly. "Has been a long time since we had a real chance to simply go out to enjoy ourselves." Erik kissed Catherine. She purred into the kiss.
Right next to them Harry and Ginny were interlocked into a close position. He had his hands around her waist while hers were interlocked behind his neck. They slowly moved towards the entrance before leaving for the grounds. Together, they sat down at the shore of the lake. Harry fished a small box from his cloak. He turned to Ginny and got onto his knees right next to her. "Ginny. I know we are already bound by our love, but still I want to do this the proper way." He opened the box, revealing a golden ring.
"Will you marry me?"
Ginny tackled him down, showering him with kisses. "How could I not marry you? You are the sweetest boy I've ever met." Grabbing him, she flamed them into the Room of Requirement. Shoving him into the appearing bed, she seductively let her fangs scratch across his neck. "Enjoy it."
Erik checked his diving gear. Different to the last time, he had gotten himself a rebreather, which was attached to his back plate and had two tubes that connected with a device he connected to the chin part of his helmet. Checking his ARC-Armor, he cleaned the visor of his Commando helmet and recalibrated the macrobinoculars. After finishing any last-minute-preparations the champions went down to the lake and got ready to begin. Dumbledore announced the task. "Each champion has something down there that had been chosen as dear to them by the book of bonds." He said the last part with a twinkle towards Fleur.
"However, the way there is full of challenges. You have one hour to get past these challenges and get your loved ones back to shore."
Catherine stared into the water that surrounded them. That Dumbledore had the nerve to pull something off like this, not even asking them if they wanted to take part. She looked over to Ginny, who also awoke. Strong Stasis spells only had a tiring effect on them. Looking around, they saw Hermione and, surprisingly, Bill. Now this was a difference to them. If they had been chosen by a book of bonds, it had to mean that these were potential soul mates. This universe was even more confusing. She faintly felt Erik fighting with something.
Erik fired another shot at the grindylows. While Harry drove the others off with his shield charm and heated the water up, the soldier dived down to the captured veela. He unsheathed a combat knife and placed a hand around her throat. Methodically he cut through the ropes, keeping her from suffocating by blocking tightening ropes with his hand on her neck. Finally, he cut the last one and pulled her out of the seaweed. Sheathing his knife he pointed at the direction the merpeople's village was.
To say that the vampires were bored, would be an understatement. Erik pointedly ignored Catherine's remarks about how slow he had been, simply shot the chain and proceeded upwards. More or less at the same time the four champions broke through the surface.
Harry stayed oblivious to the world as he hugged Ginny. Different to Erik and Catherine, their bond was rather new, and they weren't used to be apart from each other for more than a few hours. Drying themselves with a few charms, they waited for the judges' decision. Catherine spotted a small beetle in her hair from the corner of her eye and snatched it with two fingers. Crushing it, she washed her hand in the lake.
Dumbledore announced them to be on equal standing, although Karkaroff didn't look pleased at this result. So Harry was still in the lead, tied with Krum amd closely followed by Fleur and Erik.
Dumbledore kept watching his tool. He didn't like the way the others were interfering. He had hoped to be able to divert Harry from any romantic relationship, but Fudge had insisted on using the Book of Bonds. Still, with Harry in the lead his plan would succeed.
Harry and Ginny spent a lot of time close to each other, mostly annoying Ron, who didn't want to see his baby sister snogging, and Hermione, who believed her little perfect trio was broken. Especially when Moody taught about the unforgivables, Hermione was surprised that Harry was able to resist. To resist a dark spell, one should have to know about them.
Later in the Room of Requirement the four dimension travellers met again. Just this morning, Catherine had realized that the bug she had crushed had been the animagus form of Rita Skeeter. At least she wouldn't be a nuisance anymore. Harry didn't want to risk Fleur's or Krum's lives. The plan was that he ambushed and shocked them when they entered after him. Then waiting for Erik and sending off a present for Tom while Catherine and Ginny would ambush him.
Finally the day of the final task came. Erik was in full armor. His weapons were loaded with live ammo. He would shoot to kill. Waiting for the first three champions to enter, he followed suit. Harry had knocked Fleur and Victor out by using his invisibility cloak to sneak behind them. Nodding towards the soldier, they cut through the maze towards the portkey.
Catherine waited until "Moody" was out of sight before she took him down and erased his very existence. No trace of the Death Eater who disguised himself as the auror would be ever discovered. Soon the portkey appeared and Harry was taken hostage. Now came the most critical part. The only part of the ritual they could botch up was that the blood had to be forcibly taken. Harry watched as Wormtail cut his arm. "Help yourself. It's not like I need it at the moment."
Turning around, the Death Eater began to finish the ritual.
Lord Voldemort rose from the cauldron. "I am back! MY WAND!" Taking it from his servant, he pressed the dark mark to call his death eaters to him. "Now. My family. You will witness the death of the boy who believed that he could defeat me." Turning towards his father's tombstone, he stopped.
Harry was gone.
"WORMTAIL!" he shouted.
"Can't Voldymoldy do anything by himself?" Harry taunted him.
"There you are." Voldemort said with a victorious grin. "No one to hide behind this time."
Harry snorted. "I never hide behind someone. I fight by their sides."
The Dark Lord began to laugh, and soon his Death Eaters followed. "You are alone whereas I have.. my family."
Ginny stepped out of the shadows. "I am with him." Catherine followed. Many Death Eaters began to project dirty thoughts as they observed the two females. Suddenly bright lights filled the area. The 13th Platoon had arrived on scene.
Dumbledore was celebrating himself. The soldier had been taken with Harry. Certainly Tom would kill the spare. And without their boss, the 13th Platoon would succumb into disorganization and anarchy. Soon he would announce Voldemort's return and rally the magical world behind him. His rightful place as the new Merlin would be secure.
The Death Eaters were frozen like deer in a headlight when the slaughter began. Laser bolts tore through them. Some managed to hide behind tombstones or conjur shields strong enough to deflect the shots. But mixed with the weapons were spells and the other abilities of the paranormal unit. Dolohow was reduced to ash when one of the fore controllers send a flame pike his way. Malfoy senior was choked to death by telekinesis and Wormtail was left bleeding.
Voldemort simply laughed as he sent spells around.
And suddenly, everyone was gone.
The Dark Lord stood alone. In a Maze.
Firing a dark spell, he burned the hedges and walked towards the commotion, where he was suddenly faced by wizards. He had planned on staying low this time and spread mistrust first before he waltzed into his reign. The last thing he saw were the four people who had defied his wave before collapsing. He looked at the bag left by his feet. With fear, he recognized all his precious possessions. Looking up, the last thing he heard was the sound of cannons charging up.
Breathing heavily, the four woke up back in the Room of Requirement.
Erik sighed. "And another reality saved from the Dark Lord. I seriously wouldn't be surprised if we would end up in a world where Tom Riddle would actually be a good guy." He stretched before leaving the room. "So long, guys. I'm going to crash in bed." Catherine hurried after him, scooping him up on the way. Harry and Ginny giggled at the two before getting back to their private room in the Gryffindor Tower.
Albus was worried. Harry slipped out of his control and there was no sign of him returning. He knew that without the prophecy the Cobras were actually doing a good job in defeating the Death Eaters, but there was the prophecy and also Tom had resources from other species besides humans. The giants were now part of them, after Hagrid was not able to get their alliance. Dementors and Vampires. The werewolves were the most dangerous, as they could still infect while in human form. The vampires were restricted to the night.
Maybe if he played his card right, Fudge would be the solution, along with the arrogant blood-purist Umbridge and her minions in the ministry. The ancient laws should help him. Why no one tried to apply them with young Miss Weasley was a mystery to him. But he wasn't acting as the chief warlock for a longer time since two years ago.
He was proud of his newest addition. A young German witch, named Eva Grindelwald, was discovered to be an orphan after her parents were killed in a vacation in Cornwall. He had already spoken to her and she had an amazing ability. She was able to see auras. At the moment, only light and dark magic, but he would refine her abilities. She was muggleborn and had lived most of her life without magical abilities. Himself, Albus, would introduce her to the light wizardry and guide her.
Indeed, she would make a fine wife to Harry. Their abilities would give strong offspring. If only he was able to break the bond between him and the Weasley girl...
He had tried to control them by a mild slavery spell disguised as a ritual to complete the soul bond, but the soldier had botched it up. Somehow he had misread the test and, by doing so, so canceled the spell by not completing it.
It was around Christmas when Miss Grindelwald walked through Tufnell Park. Her parents had both been proud members of the GSG9, and when the relatives of people they had imprisoned wanted to take revenge, little Eva's gift had shown itself. Hiding, she could "see" them lurking around and avoided them. She found herself being able to see their thoughts.
Until one Albus Dumbledore came and talked to her at the police station. The man had introduced himself as the leader of an order fighting against a dark wizard. On the contary, what people would think about her ability she did now what it was. She had helped her parents a few times when they were undercover and talked to suspects. At the young age of 17, she had been an asset, classified as a TIER S secret in the police force. There, she had learned a lot about the force, like the youngest Operator ever employed had only been 16 during his first mission in the field. And according to reports he was still alive.
This, however, was very much her first assignment. The TIER-S-Section of the GSG9 joined Task Force Cobra, and she would be the first liaison officer to make contact with the American forces in Britain.
Walking through the park, she kept seeing one aura. The man was mostly light, but there were gray spots lurking around his head and a bright red light in his heart. While most would interpret the gray, almost black spots as dark intention, Eva knew that they were signs that this man had seen a lot in his life and also had done things he wasn't proud of. However, it was the red heart which surprised her. It represented real love. Literally, the match for life.
Turning her attention away, she crashed into a woman, tumbling to the ground. "Oh, sorry. Didn't see ya there." the brunette said as she offered her hand and pulled her up with ease.
Too easy. The backpack Eva carried had to weigh five kilos at least.
Her aura sight identified the woman as a vampire. However, the colors were mostly red. She was deeply in love and, although a few black spots covered her arms and her brain, the diamond shaped blue part reassured her of the friendly intentions.
Continuing her stroll in the park, she noticed a phone in her bag. Then it rang. Warily picking it up, she lifted it to her ear.
Dumbledore was concerned that Miss Grindelwald hadn't arrived on time. Fearing for her having been taken by Death Eaters, he sent Moody to meet her.
Alastor made his way through the park she was supposed to cross. His magical eye spotted her, barely twenty meters in front of him. Two local police men were talking to her. "You shouldn't go through this area, it isn't exactly the safest." the first said. The second one looked at his watch. "You know what, David? Our shift here is over. We would have to cross that area anyway on the route back. Get some patrolling done and help a damsel in distress." The now proclaimed David nodded. Alastor watched as they escorted the young girl to their patrol car.
In the car, David McCord removed his glasses and the cap. "Think we lost them, pal?" Morgan watched through the mirrors. "We did." He turned around to see Eva Grindelwald on the back seat. Offering his hand, he introduced himself. "Frank Morgan, Army Ranger, 13th Platoon, Task Force Cobra." Eva took the offered hand. This man had also seen his fair share of war. "I believe that you are my contact?"
"Not exactly. Our CO is, but he is a little busy."
Leaving London, McCord headed for Cornwall. Frank returned his attention to Eva. "Excuse me, but we are not fully up-to-date. Are you alone?"
Eva looked down. "My "parents" were Agents supposed to escort me. They were killed."
Frank took her trembling hand. "I'm sorry. If you want to talk, everyone of us is there for you. We take care of our own."
Eva nodded. Although she felt sad about losing her "parents", it was not emotional wrecking. After all, she grew up in the care of her great grandfather Gellert Grindelwald. While she did not exactly share his view on muggles, she was still a Slytherin to the core. However, this didn't mean that she lacked any Gryffindor traits. But these were traits only those she deemed worthy deserved to know about. Being the heir was the true reason she was sent here. To detect and reunite the other heirs. And Task Force Cobra was by now the best allies she could get. Taking Voldemort out because he was evil and killed without reason was one thing, but for her this was even more personal. Voldemort claimed to be Slytherin's heir. Just because he could speak parseltongue and believed himself to be the only one.
Quietly, she hissed at her watch and it opened. In there was the picture of the last time she had seen her real parents. Both were part of the GSG9, but died rather early, just after they had her. They had the call signs 7-5 and 7-6.
Only one member of said team was still alive. 7-3. She would track him down and find out what really happened.
And punish him for leaving his team behind.