Title: Of Eagle and Lion
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: None.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: In an act of desperation, a young Harry Potter's magic goes wild and gives him something that will change everything.
AN: 'unanimously anonymous. mostly', here is the response to your review (apologies to those not interested in this long response and please skip to the story).
Point 1 - Firstly the magic did not give him the personality of Sergeant Blackstone, just the memories and skill sets in addition to his own and not in replacement (Blackstone would have killed Harry's relatives without a second thought). Secondly, you are confusing the concepts with the white rose, and you are confusing 'magic's imagination' with the imagination of the magic user. The concept is that Magic uses the imagination and intent of the user to determine what is done, but not always how it is done. As for integration of the two lives – see flashback scene and the fact there is a 4 year gap.
Point 2 – Why a Guardsman? Simple, because anyone can be a Guardsman. I agree that most Guardsmen are not Special Forces but Blackstone was. Firstly Blackstone was Cadian, now in the 40K world Cadia is a Fortress World which constantly gets invaded, so all Cadians are much better trained than regular Guardsman (think the difference between Normal US Army troops and US Army Rangers). On top of that Blackstone is a Veteran. Veterans are those troops who survive some of the toughest fighting around and survive where thousands of others have died. Then they are given specialised additional training, so Guardsmen with Veteran status are Special Forces (like bumping him up from Ranger to Delta Force). Also none of the weapons in the Armoury are 'Rare', and they were all either issued or picked up on the battlefield over a long career of over thirty years. You suggested making him a Psyker – how is that any different than him being a Wizard? The point of this is to do something different.
Point 3 – Religion. You said he becomes a fanatic. How do you figure that? If he was a true Imperial Fanatic he would be forcing everyone around him to convert or die. As for the children coverts – children believe a lot more than most adults would and your comment stating 'I mean, who in his or her right mind would believe a child speaking about some strange Emperor that no one saw or heard of?' – Isn't that the very definition of any religion – belief without proof?
As for the religious persecution – when they were forced underground they all sore never to impose a religious belief on another, it is more a case of 'believe what you want, just don't try to make me believe it too'. As long as it does not impede on anyone else, it is not considered persecution in this context.
You also state 'To make people from around the world to agree unanimously on *anything* is next to impossible.' – incorrect. Everyone in the world agrees on a large number of things, it's just you and everyone else take such things for granted and so do not consider them. What is true is that it impossible to force people from around the world to agree on something.
Now back to the story.
Harry, with Katie's help, finished fastening up the last strap on his dark green Flack Armour, which Katie had used a resizing spell on, over his tan fatigues. Both Katie and Hermione had to help him put on the backpack that was filled with sand, and then he put on his helmet and grabbed his Lasgun, checking that it was not loaded, but still slipped several clips into the pouches on his waist.
"You sure you are both up to this?" Harry asked.
Both Hermione and Katie were dressed in exercise clothes, but each had a loaded but safetied laspistol in a holster at their hip, which Harry had given them basic instruction on.
"Of course." Katie replied.
Harry nodded and they exited the Armoury to begin the physical training run.
After the first sermon, the week had gone without major incident. Charms Class and Astronomy had been interesting, although Harry knew more about some of the stars and the worlds that orbited them than the Professor ever dreamed of. Defence Against the Dark Arts had been a major disappointment, with the stuttering teacher barely able to make himself understood.
On the Imperial front there had been a number of converts. Most notably Hermione, Alicia and Professor Vector. In total ten staff and students had sworn public loyalty to the Emperor, including several Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students. There were another four students who had sworn loyalty, including two Slytherins, who did not want to be publically identified as Imperials because they feared subtle persecution or, in one case, so that they could supply intelligence on the Pureblood Supremacist movement.
The trio made their way out the front doors, doing some warm up stretches as they walked and getting a few stares from the students who where lounging in the front courtyard, enjoying their Saturday mornings out in the sunlight.
"We'll do an easy run today. Round the lake, and cut through the Forrest from the far side and come out around that hut. If you two are up to it we'll do a second lap." Harry said.
The girls looked shocked.
"That's got to be about five miles." Hermione said just above a whisper.
"We'll start out at a jog." Harry said. "Guard qualification trials would be at least five laps in full kit. Let's go."
Harry took off at a jog, holding his Lasgun ready. After a few seconds Katie and Hermione took off after him. Well before the quarter way mark Hermione was struggling with the pace and was breathing heavily, but was determinedly keeping putting one foot in front of the other. Katie was in better physical condition, having spent most of the previous year doing Quidditch practice in her spare time with Alicia and Angelica in the hopes of making the Gryffindor team this year. She made it one third of the way through the course before she began to struggle.
Harry slowly lowered the pace as the run went on, and was impressed with their performance, until they reached the castle courtyard again. When Harry stopped Hermione stumbled into him, unable to stop herself after so long of forcing herself to move, and then sank to the ground in a heap. Katie took a couple steps past Harry and stood there, bent over with her head between her knees panting.
Harry took a look around the students in the courtyard.
"Hey, Yancy!" Harry called out to a sixth year Gryffindor Imperial. "You mind keeping an eye on these two while the catch their breath? Get some water into them."
"No problem." Yancy replied.
"Thanks." Harry said, taking one of the clips off his belt and loading it into the Lasgun. "Girls, you will need to stretch or you risk cramping. I need to finish my PT."
With that Harry took off on the second lap of the circuit, this time at a steady, ground eating pace that was much faster than when they started the first lap. After a few seconds, Katie dropped down next to Hermione and helped the younger girl to begin the stretches.
"So you are telling me that the only sport played here is this Quidditch, and only seven students from each house get to participate?" Harry said, earning nods from most of his housemates around him at the table in the Great Hall.
"Come on, it is the greatest sport." Angelina said.
"Be that as it may." Harry said. "But given the fact that there are, say, ten students on average per year, per house."
"The upper years average around fifteen to twenty per house." One of the Weasley Twins said. "A few years ago there were about thirty per house per year."
"That would have been the war with Voldermort." Harry replied, getting flinches from the surrounding students. "Now given those stats, less than one in ten students participate in any form of physical activity here at school." Harry replied.
"So what are you suggesting, Mr Potter?" Came Professor McGonagall's voice from behind him.
"Well the simplest thing would be split the Quidditch Competition into Senior and Junior leagues." Harry said, turning to face the Professor. "The juniors would be Second through Fourth Years and the Senior team would be Fifth through Seventh Years. That alone would double the number of students participating. The Junior team could have a larger squad and the players train for all of the positions in training and rotate positions and into reserves from match to match, so that they can see which positions they prefer and have the greatest aptitude for. This would also provide a pool of competent reserves in the Senior league of players who don't want to compete the entire time but are available to replace injuries."
A quick look around showed Harry that everyone around him, even at the Ravenclaw table behind him, was listening to his suggestions.
"And then you could also introduce physical education classes or other sports." He added.
"What other sports?" a Ravenclaw asked. "Quidditch is the only major sport, except for Broom Racing."
"How about Football?" Harry asked. "Or Cricket? Maybe Rugby Union."
"I'd be in on the Football." Shamus and Dean said almost simultaneously, followed closely by another ten Gryffindor and Ravenclaw students who had Muggle parents or were familiar with the Muggle world.
"How about a pickup game?" one asked, getting a general mummer of consent from the interested students.
"Very well. I will raise your suggestions at the next Staff Meeting." McGonagall said, before leaving the students to arrange the pickup game.
TBC….