Thank you to all of you who've decided to give this story a try! I'm certainly going to try and make is as interesting a ride as possible. :) But, first thing's first.
As some of you noticed in the prologue, the timelines for the Harry Potter books and the Stargate shows don't quite line up perfectly for this story. In reality, the battle of Hogwarts was in 1998 (as per the Harry Potter Lexicon) and the Ark of Truth didn't happen until nearly 10 years later, same as the fight with the Wraith Superhive. I'm not changing anything from either cannon, everything still happens the way it happened and in the order that it happened in, but I'm going to have to ask you all to please ignore the inconsistencies in the timelines. That includes the Stargate timeline, because there are a few issues that will come up and things that will get mentioned that happened in our own real world several years after Stargate: Atlantis finished airing even though the story takes place only months after the season finale.
Also, as a word of warning - and mostly because I don't want to deal with the angry rants later - if you're looking for a story where Harry Potter is the greatest wizard ever and the heir to everything, please click on the back button now. I have absolutely no intention or desire to vilify him or his friends, but I've always taken a more realistic approach to his character. He's not a perfect genius in the books and I don't intend to write him that way.
Enough said. Now on to the first chapter!
Chapter 1
"So... I think that went mostly well," said Sheppard as they exited the imposing stone building and found themselves momentarily blinded by the bright noon-day sun.
Cameron Mitchell looked at him with an amused smile. "Mostly?"
Beside him, he saw Jackson shrug. "Well, it didn't go badly, so I'll take that for now. We'll just have to keep working at them."
"We thank you very much for your help, Daniel," said Teyla warmly despite the frustration in her eyes. Cam felt kinda sorry for the person she'd be taking said frustrations out on during sparing practice when they got back to base. He wondered if he'd be able to send her in Ronon or Teal'c's direction – assuming Teal'c was staying on base instead of returning to Dakara and Ronon was back from visiting Amelia Bank's parents.
"You're welcome, Teyla, but I didn't really do much more than repeat the same things you were already saying," said Jackson.
"Hey, don't sell yourself short, Doc," Sheppard drawled. "You know they would've barely been willing to listen to us if you hadn't been there to give us legitimacy. That's worth a lot to pencil pushers like the IOA."
Daniel just shrugged. "Well, I'm glad to help in any way I can. Atlantis was built to protect Pegasus. It doesn't belong here."
"Well, it isn't as though it can go anywhere just yet anyway," Vala pointed out. "So you might as well enjoy the vacation while you can."
Sheppard winced. "Ah, so you heard about that," he said.
Cam laughed. "I'm surprised all of San Francisco didn't hear about that. Seriously, I knew McKay was loud, but I swear my old boot camp drill instructor would've been green with envy at the set of lungs on that guy."
And, since gossip flew around the SGC at twice the speed of light, it had taken less than two hours for word to spread from Atlantis about the degree – and decibel levels – to just how unimpressed one Doctor Rodney McKay was with the patchwork modifications Doctor Zelenka and the rest of Atlantis' engineering team had done to the stardrive to get it to function as a wormhole drive. And the lack of modifications they'd done to the shield. Between damage to the stardrive and structural damage to Atlantis itself, the city wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
"How are the repairs going anyway?" Daniel asked, sounding amused.
Sheppard shrugged. "As far as I can tell, Rodney's repair list keeps getting longer instead of shorter, but from what I understand, the bottom line is that the stardrive is blown and he needs to completely overhaul it, which will take time."
"Time we may use to our advantage in order to convince your IOA to allow us all to return home," said Teyla solemnly. "Though it has been wonderful to finally see your planet for my own eyes, we cannot remain here."
"No, we can't," Sheppard agreed, and it struck Cam just how utterly unsurprising he found that Sheppard considered Atlantis and the Pegasus Galaxy home.
He just hoped the IOA didn't underestimate the sort of fight they'd have on their hands if they didn't give Atlantis the go-ahead to return. The self-styled Atlantians were a determined and resourceful bunch, who'd depended on mostly nothing but each other and the occasional intervention of the Daedalus for years.
"We'll do everything in our power to make sure you do," Daniel assured them. Barely a step behind him, Teal'c nodded solemnly.
They were all silent for a long moment.
"On the bright side," Vala suddenly spoke up with a grin. "At least they finally managed to tow the city out of San Francisco Bay before someone accidentally crashed into it."
Cam snorted. "And end the Navy and Air Force having to keep up the world's most awkward cover up, for the world's most obvious conspiracy."
"Speaking of which, where are we heading now anyway?" Sheppard asked, sounding only idly curious, as though he didn't really care one way or the other.
They all looked at each other.
"Uh, I was thinking lunch?" Daniel finally spoke up.
Cam shrugged. "Lunch sounds good. We're all off the clock too, so beer is definitely in order."
"That plan is acceptable," said Teal'c.
Teyla nodded. "I also wouldn't be opposed to getting some food. And perhaps some of that, what did you call it? Genis?"
Daniel chuckled. "Guinness."
"Ah yes, of course, Guinness. I found it quite pleasant."
It didn't take them long to decide on a pub – the decision-making process consisting mostly of picking out the one with the weirdest-sounding name. Teyla, of course, found the Earth custom of naming their pubs after ridiculously mundane things endlessly amusing, so they let her make the final call. Ten minutes later found the group sitting under an outdoor canopy that jutted out into Trafalgar Square waiting for their first order of beers.
Daniel leaned back into his chair, happy to have finally shed his suit jacket. Cam and John had also taken off the blazers of their dress uniforms and carefully slipped them over the backs of their chairs. Only Teal'c was still wearing his full suit; he hadn't even loosened his tie.
"This city feels very different to the others I have so far seen on your world," said Teyla wistfully. "It feels more mature. Like Atlantis, there is an elegance in its buildings."
Daniel chuckled. "European cities are much older than any of the American ones. London was founded centuries before San Francisco, or even New York. There's a lot more history here. A lot of it quite bloody." He paused thoughtfully. "You know, if you want I could talk to Jack when we get back. There's really no reason that you and Ronon have to stay on base while you wait for the IOA to finally make up their minds.
And if you're going to be stuck on Earth, you might as well get a grand tour. Europe is full of beautiful places. I'm sure Radek would jump at the opportunity to show you around Prague, and Captain Bezhnev is from a small town, but he studied in Moscow. And then there's Asia. Doctor Kusanagi is from Okinawa, which I've never been to myself, but it's known for its wonderful springs and is supposed to be quite beautiful as well, and I know you have at least three scientists from China and Doctor Khan is from Dehli. Asian architecture is very different from the sort you'll see in Europe and America... And that's just for starters. There's bound to be quite a few who'd love the opportunity to return the favour and show you their homes."
Teyla's eyes had lit up as he spoke. "Thank you, Daniel, I think I would like that very much. Ronon and I have never quite understood how your people could all come from the same planet and yet have so many different customs and languages between you. Perhaps it would bring us closer to understanding if we were to see it for ourselves."
Daniel smiled. "Then I'll call Jack as soon as I get back."
The table went silent when the waitress came back with their beers. If the young woman found it suspicious, she didn't comment and cheerfully took their food orders instead.
"So, our, uh, 'ride' isn't due to pick us up for another four hours," said Cam after the waitress had left. "Any thoughts on how to spend the time?"
Daniel thought about it for a moment. "Hm, Buckingham Palace isn't too far from here. It's still off-season, so it shouldn't be too packed. Or we could hop on the underground and go to Highgate Park Cemetery, the Tower of London–"
"– Or we could go on the London Eye," Sheppard interjected. "You know, something a little more exciting."
"Oh, I don't know, a palace sounds rather exciting," said Vala, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
"I have heard the view from the London Eye is quite excellent," said Teal'c.
Daniel smiled. "Yes, it is. You can see most of the city from the top. And it's right by the Thames."
"Cool," said Cam with a wide grin.
Teyla looked rather skeptical about the idea.
Daniel opened his mouth to explain to her that the London Eye didn't contain any actual 'eyes', when he noticed Teal'c stiffen. He immediately felt himself tense as well and he shifted in his chair, turning so that he could see what his teammate had spotted.
The dark-cloaked figures were instantly noticeable.
"Whoa, where did they come from?" said Cam, keeping his voice down.
"No idea," said John in a low tone. "They weren't there a second ago."
"Well, at least they're not priors," Vala pointed out.
No, they weren't, thought Daniel as he stood to get a better look. They were something else entirely. The black hooded cloaks were a fantasy genre cliché, worn by everyone from dark sorcerers and witches, mysterious travelers, to ringwraiths. The white mask he saw when one of them turned towards him was different. There was an energy in the air, a very slight tingling he could feel deep in his bones and couldn't identify.
And yet it felt familiar in the way the subtle hum of hyperspace felt familiar. They weren't in hyperspace now, though, and this was a very different sort of hum.
The dark-cloaked figure who'd turned to him raised an arm holding a stick made of smooth dark wood.
Daniel didn't hesitate. "Get down!" he yelled as he threw himself to the ground, hissing as he knee hit a pointed bit of cobblestone.
He heard metal scraping on stone, the clattering of metal and plastic and panicked scrambling. A flash of light sailed over his head and then there was a surge of heat and an explosion. People screamed. Daniel raised his head and looked back to their table. The wooden top was blackened and still smoldering right in front of where Colonel Sheppard had been sitting.
"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" he heard Cam exclaim as he slid his pant leg up to get at the the handgun he was wearing.
If John was at all phased by the near-miss, he didn't show it. He and Teal'c quickly flipped the other two tables over to use as cover. "Teyla, you and Vala get the civilians inside!" he ordered as he brought his handgun up to aim at the unknown enemy. "Jackson, get the hell over here!"
Daniel hesitated only long enough to glance in the cloaked man's direction before scrambling back towards the upturned tables. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw other patrons following their lead. Several more table tops hit the ground. The cloaked man strode forward, his hand extended outwards and the tip of his stick pointing directly at them.
The rest of the square was a chaotic blur of people running, the sound of pounding feet and panicked screams blending jaggedly together. Getting a clear shot was going to be difficult, Daniel realized as he shuffled backwards, keeping low with his gun at the ready. Just in case.
A sickly green beam of light streaked across the space just behind the hooded man and hit a large fleeing woman in the back. Her wide-brimmed straw hat flew off her head and long blonde hair cascaded after her as she stumbled to the ground. Her left hand flopped to the side, a small digital camera tumbling onto the cobblestone. The woman didn't so much as twitch again.
But then the cloaked man advancing on SG1 made a slight movement with his wrist. Daniel threw himself to the ground and rolled to the side. This time he saw a flash of yellow light.
Then he heard three gunshots in rapid succession.
He raised his eyes just as the cloaked man fell backwards with the momentum of the bullets. Though the dark cloak didn't show blood, the bright red bullet hole in the center of his forehead was clearly visible against the pale white mask.
"Nice shooting, Sheppard," said Cam.
"Thanks," John answered him lightly. "It's been a really boring couple of months."
And then, suddenly, another dark-cloaked figure appeared beside the one John had just shot down. Daniel scrambled behind the table shield. He ducked down beside Teal'c just as something hit the tabletop. It instantly burst into angry red flames.
"Daniel? Teal'c?" Cam called out just before squeezing the trigger. The cloaked man lept to the side and Cam cursed as the shot missed.
"We're good," Daniel called back as Teal'c grabbed the table by its black steel legs and pushed it away from them before the fire could spread to the other one. Remaining crouched, he and Teal'c then hustled away from the flames and in behind Cam and John.
"Our position is extremely limited," Teal'c pointed out, his eyes already scanning the square. A moment passed and then he nodded to himself. "I will attempt to catch them from behind."
And then the Jaffa was gone, darting across the pavement to crouch behind a parked car. Daniel's eyes darted back to the the second cloaked figure, who was waving his stick-shaped weapon (he refused to call it a wand, because that was just too ridiculous even for them) above his fellow black cloak. The air above the corpse was glowing faintly. Daniel glanced to the parked car again, but Teal'c was gone.
"Shit, where the hell did he go?"
Daniel's eyes snapped back to the empty space where the second dark-cloaked figure had been. A dark shape appeared in the corner of his eye.
"There!" John exclaimed.
The two air force officers immediately adjusted their aim and put four bullets into the figure. The body jerked with each impact, barely managing a grunt of pain, before crumbling to the ground. A loud, anguished scream filled the air. Daniel looked around, but couldn't see the source. There was, however, an overturned table sitting abandoned in the corner of the outdoor patio, the patrons having apparently already taken shelter inside. Taking a deep breath, he scanned the immediate area again and then raced towards the table.
He suddenly froze, his eyes widening as a beam of light passed in front of him, missing him by a hair's breath. Pivoting to the side, he brought his sidearm up and fired at the first dark shape he saw. This new dark-cloaked figure swished his stick weapon and Daniel a screaming man wearing a grey pinstripe suit came sailing out of nowhere to hover in front of the figure. The terrified screaming turned into pain as Daniel's bullet hit them in the torso.
Daniel froze, horrified – and not entirely sure what had happened.
And then, as though the strings had been cut, the screaming suit fell to the ground and the stick weapon was now pointed directly at Daniel.
"Daniel Jackson, move!"
Teyla's voice propelled him into movement. Not having the time for delicacy, Daniel leaped out of the way of a yellow beam of light and rolled into a crouch behind the overturned table. With all the willpower he could muster, he pushed the image of the man he'd just accidentally shot to the back of his mind. He would be horrified and guilty later; now he needed to concentrate.
And then he felt it again, the faint tingling. It was... coming from his right.
Still not sure what it meant, but knowing instinctively it was nothing good, Daniel reached out and grabbed a chair by the leg as he rose to his feet. A dark-cloaked figure popped into existence in the exact spot the tingling had come from, weapon pointed at him. Daniel swung the chair and threw it at the figure. It sailed through the air and hit the cloaked man dead-on, causing him to use his hands to brace against the impact while stumbling back several steps.
Daniel raised his handgun, but paused when he saw a petite figure dart out from the pub's entrance and grab the figure from the back.
"Do not move any further or I will kill you!" Teyla said, her voice steady and her words only as loud as was necessary. There wasn't a single shred of uncertainty in her eyes. "Drop your weapon."
The figure only stilled for a moment. "You filthy muggle!" it hissed – the voice was high-pitched but definitely masculine. "How dare you think you can defeat us! Ava–"
As soon as the cloaked man's arm began to move, Daniel shifted his aim and shot him in the shoulder. Whatever the man was beginning to say finished in an agonized scream. Teyla let him go and he slid to his knees before slumping further onto his ground, where he continued to shake. Teyla stared down at him, her eyes hard as diamonds, a bloody butcher's knife in her hand.
Daniel rushed forward and kicked the attacker's weapon away. It clattered against the cobblestone ground... sounding like it was made of wood. He blinked and exchanged a bewildered glance with Teyla. Jack was going to have a field day reading their reports. Teyla crouched down next to the figure and Daniel crouched beside her, his gun up and ready as he scanned the area for more attackers. To their left, John and Cam were conferring quietly as they, too, scanned the area.
"Hey, Jackson!"
Daniel looked up at Cam's call. His team leader was half-turned to him now. "We're gonna make a run for that big building with the tall steps and big stone pillars," he said.
Daniel blinked. "The National Gallery," he said with a nod.
"Sure, that thing." Cam's eyes slid down to the figure on the ground. "You good to cover us?"
"Yes," he replied, his eyes flitting out towards the square to make sure there was no one new. Then he hurried over to Cam and John's position, keeping his stance as low as he could.
The two Lieutenant Colonels pulled back slightly to let him slide in front of them. Daniel checked his clip. Five bullets and he wasn't carrying any extra cartridges. He took a deep breath and nodded to the other two men. They nodded back and then exchanged a single glance.
"I've got your six, Mitchell," said John.
"Okay, then let's move out."
The two of them took one last look around and then ran out from behind their cover and into the street. Daniel brought his weapon up and ready to fire, watching carefully for any dark figures. When Cam and John made it to the cover of the same parked car Teal'c had used earlier, he let out a sigh of relief, though he didn't dare relax. He was now the only one protecting the civilians inside the pub behind him. Unless the dark figures were stupid enough to come close enough for Teyla and Vala to beat them into the ground.
Daniel wished they had radios with them as Cam and John peeked over top of the car and then moved over to the next one, keeping low. He watched their progress out of the corner of his eye, but then he saw movement to his left.
Daniel shifted his aim, registering a dark cloak, and fired. This figure was noticeably shorter than the others, and pudgier. He was also the first to duck down at the sound of gunfire. And then rose enough to point his stick weapon at Daniel. Daniel ducked down behind the table and waited for the beam of light.
For a moment, nothing happened. And then Daniel felt that strange tingling sensation coming from right in front of him. He scrambled backwards and aimed his gun.
And then watched in astonishment as the table he'd been hiding behind began to sprout fur and change shape until he was staring into the eyes of a dark brown, scruffy-looking dog. He blinked at it.
The dog blinked back at him.
Before he'd had the chance to collect his thoughts on what he was seeing, he caught sight of a beam of light and threw himself to the ground. The beam of light hit the pub's stone wall, leaving deep gouges in the stone. Startled, the dog that had once been his cover ran off.
Daniel rolled over, towards a decorative barrel sitting next to a planter of flowers, and came up on one knee. He fired at the cloaked figure, but the attacker disappeared as soon as he'd squeezed the trigger. Daniel let out a rather colourful Jaffa curse. Somewhere in the distance, he heard gunshots and tensed further.
The figure reappeared at the edge of the patio area, directly to his right. Daniel twisted his body. But before he could fire off a shot, the figure screamed and grabbed at his thigh, where a butcher's knife was now lodged.
Daniel sighed with relief and looked over to where Teyla was ducking back down behind the table at the far end. "Thanks," he called softly to her.
Teyla glanced at him and nodded. "Of course."
Daniel turned back and aimed at the cloaked attacker. And then froze as he felt the tingling sensation coming from behind him. Knowing he couldn't afford to waste bullets, Daniel thumbed the safety on and flipped the gun around in his hand so that he was gripping it by the barrel. He pivoted around just as a man appeared. Even as he swung the gun at the newcomer, Daniel realized he was dressed differently.
Daniel clipped him on the jaw and the man let out a grunt and staggered backwards. And then Vala was right behind the man with a full tanker of beer. She slammed it over his head, and the clear glass tanker shattered, showering him with shards of glass and drenching him with beer.
The man crumbled to the ground.
"I've always wanted to do that!" Vala exclaimed with an excited grin.
Teyla came up to her, looking down on the unconscious man with a frown. "He is dressed differently than the others."
Daniel merely nodded. The man was wearing robes, but they were red. He wasn't wearing a mask either; he looked young, possibly in his early twenties, with a short mop of bright red hair.
"Ron!"
Daniel swung around, aiming his weapon at another man wearing similar red robes. This one looked equally young and had dark, unruly hair – although not quite as gravity-defying as Sheppard's. He was pointing one of the stick weapons at Daniel, worried eyes flicking towards the redhead on the ground.
"What did you do to him?" the man demanded. He blinked and the worry was gone. His jaw tensed as he stared Daniel in eye with a quiet fury.
Daniel flicked off the safety of his handgun. "Who are you?" he asked, carefully keeping his voice steady.
After a moment's pause, Teyla spoke up. "Your friend is not dead, merely unconscious," she said, her words calm as always, but there was an unmistakable edge to her voice.
The young man hesitated.
Daniel decided to, once again, be the diplomat. "I'm Doctor Daniel Jackson with the USAF," he said. "Who are you?"
"Harry. I'm Harry Potter... with the, uh, Ministry."
Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Ministry of what?"
Once again, the young man hesitated. If Daniel hadn't been watching closely, he would've missed the way the man's eyes flicked to the side.
"Shit," he cursed. Side-stepping, and trusting Teyla and Vala to have his back, he swung around to face another man in the same robes.
"Obliviate," he heard.
And then his mind went blank.
Teal'c kept himself low to the ground as he weaved his way through the rows of abandoned cars. Civilians were running and taking cover where they could. He clenched his jaw at the cowardice of the attack. There wasn't a single strategic reason to attack this area, except to create fear.
The group of attackers was not large, but in the face of countless unarmed civilians, great numbers weren't needed. This was a warning, a demonstration, not a show of force. But who was the enemy?
The square was much too big and too populated with people, trees and various structures to give Teal'c a clear view of most of the attackers, but he counted ten in total. They did not move like fighters, their movements too clumsy and full of openings. Although they were admittedly quite proficient with those strange weapons. It was the only fluid part of their attack.
It made moving along the outskirts of the square easier. Gunshots from the direction of the pub told him that the rest of his team were still fighting, however caught without their usual weapons they were no doubt conserving ammunition. Teal'c himself had his gun drawn as he made his way closer to the attackers who had taken positions on the opposite side of square – by a towering stone column topped by a statue of a man and being guarded by four solemn-looking stone lions.
There were three. One had assumed a position by one of the lions. He was the one Teal'c knew he would have to watch out for, as his vantage point was higher than that of the others', who were circling around the square, firing almost randomly into the remaining crowd of panicked people. And laughing. As he got closer, he realized they were laughing at the fear and destruction they were causing.
The one closest to Teal'c circled to the far side of the fountain and Teal'c knew his opportunity had finally come. Carefully, he and tucked his handgun behind the waistband of his pants. The longer he could go unnoticed by the other two attackers, the better.
Eyes never straying from his target, Teal'c circled around the dark-cloaked man, ducking behind a phone booth to wait for him to come even closer. He grit his teeth as he saw the man aim at a young man frantically wheeling his wheelchair down uneven cobblestones. Teal'c's sensitive ears were just barely able to hear the cloaked man say something before a beam of light burst out of the tip of his weapon and hit one of the wheels. The young man cried out in alarm as his chair shook and then went topping over to the side, spilling him onto the cobblestones.
Teal'c's patience was rewarded when the cloaked man moved immediately towards the disabled man, his attention focused on nothing else. He passed by the phone booth, not even glancing in Teal'c's direction. As soon as he passed him, Teal'c pounced.
Lightning quick and quiet as a large jungle cat, he ran up to the attacker and grabbed him from behind. His left hand gripped his chin tightly and pushed it upwards. The man froze in surprise and that moment was all Teal'c needed. Gripping the back of his head with his right, Teal'c twisted it abruptly to the side. He heard the loud crack as the bones in the man's neck snapped. The body went limp and Teal'c tossed him to the ground.
Then he hurried over to the young man, who was now desperately trying to crawl away using his arms. He paused by his side long enough for the young man to see he wasn't one of the dark-cloaked attackers, and then crouched down.
"I will get you to safety," Teal'c said, not waiting for the young man's acknowledgment before coming closer and gathering him into his arms.
The man was silent as Teal'c carried him towards the same phone booth he'd taken cover behind himself, though Teal'c could hear his breath coming in small, terrified pants. Gently depositing him down, he promised to return with his chair and then reached once more for his handgun.
When he came out from behind the phone booth to rejoin the battle, the scene in the square had changed. The two remaining attackers were now fighting a group dressed in red robes and carrying similar weapons to theirs. Teal'c wondered where they'd come from.
Regardless, it meant that no one's attention was on him. Teal'c raised his firearm, aiming it at the closest dark-cloaked figure. The man fired a beam of yellow light at a dark-haired woman. She screamed in pain and fell to her knees.
Teal'c fired. The dark-cloaked attacker screamed in pain and dropped his weapon in favour of clutching at the gunshot wound on his shoulder. The woman's screams stopped, but Teal'c could see her panting through residual pain.
One of the red-robed newcomers finally noticed him. Teal'c lowered his gun, but did not drop his guard as the man ordered one of the others to secure the attacker and then began to make his way towards him.
Teal'c's attention never left the man while his eyes swept the square. It seemed the attack was now being efficiently subdued. He spotted Colonel Mitchell and Colonel Sheppard speaking to several more individuals with red robes on the steps of a large stone building. He could not see the pub very well, but it appeared to be quiet there as well.
"Uh, hello, that was a good shot there," the man in the red cloak said when he came close enough to speak without shouting. "Thanks for that."
Teal'c nodded solemnly. "You are welcome." He make a show of looking him up and down. "Who are you?"
The man scratched the back of his head with the hand that wasn't holding a weapon, looking a bit sheepish. "Ah, yes, well that is a bit of a complicated answer. A long story you see..."
"Then you should attempt to be as succinct as possible."
The man paused and blinked. "Uh, right," he said nervously. "Of course."
His eyes slid to the side and Teal'c immediately glanced in the same direction. There was nothing there.
"Obliviate," he heard the man say softly.
Teal'c's mind went blank.
Kingsley Shacklebolt forced himself to maintain his usual calm demeanor as the lift took him towards the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. From the moment, he'd received the first alert several hours ago, he'd been on-edge and anxious for news. He hadn't been an auror for years, but his gut instincts hadn't just disappeared when he'd taken the post as Minister of Magic.
Today, his gut hadn't just been tingling, it had been screaming at him.
He could already picture the Head Auror glaring at him for hovering over her shoulder even though he'd been the one to convince her to take the post in the first place. It hadn't been easy either.
The lift opened and Kingsley stepped out, nearly colliding in his haste with a small paper airplane floating on the other side. He tried to step around it, but instead of flying into the lift, it flew in closer to him. He blinked in confusion. Then it occurred to him to read the name floating in the air above it.
Feeling rather silly, Kingsley reached for the scroll. No sooner had he touched it, the spell dissipated and the airplane unfolded in his hands. He immediately recognized the messy loops of the Head Auror's handwriting.
Minister Shacklebolt,
I'm not entire sure why I'm bothering to write you a note as you're most likely already on your way over, however you did request to be informed as soon as the team was back from Trafalgar Square. I have four dead Death Eaters and three wounded in custody. The team suspects two got away.
The casualties seem to be the result of some unexpected and rather impressive Muggle resistance. I'm debriefing now and will present you with a more detailed report once I've finished. Assuming you don't decide to join the debriefing, in which case I shall see you shortly.
Angelique Bryant
Head of Magical Law Enforcement, Auror Division
Kingsley chuckled. Apparently, he was getting predictable.
He slipped the small parchment roll into one of the pockets in his robe and continued on. With a wave of his wand, the doors to the Magical Law Enforcement Department swung open and he slipped through, smiling at the young witch at the front desk as he swept past her. The Magical Law Enforcement Department was divided into two divisions, the first of which was largely bureaucratic in nature, its main purpose being to monitor and report on potential threats to the Statute of Secrecy. However, it also dealt with minor law violations and kept track of what went on in the Muggle World, and abroad. Kingsley had spent some time there during the beginning of his carrier, as had been custom for all newly-appointed aurors at the time.
As a result of the war, many such steps had had to be skipped in the training process for new recruits into the Magcial Law Enforcement Department's second division: the Auror Division. The Second Blood War had simply thinned out Britain's auror forces too much. It hadn't been until the last year of the war that the extent of the corruption within the Ministry of Magic had become clear – not only were the casualty numbers high, but many of those who'd supported the New Order had been arrested and stood trial for their participation. Not all had been sentenced to Azkaban, but most had been stripped of their ranks or else retired voluntarily.
The new recruits, fresh out of Hogwarts, had an almost unprecedented level of defensive training and experience fighting dark wizards. And the Auror Division needed them. Immediately. Skipping steps had been – and still was – a necessity, although Kingsley had quickly come to regret it.
Being part of a subversive counter-movement was not the same thing as being law enforcement. Without a strong backbone of experienced aurors to mentor the newly-appointed ones, and a leadership that consisted largely of aurors who never would've been promoted to such high-ranking positions had there been anyone else available, the result was almost inevitable. In less than two years, the Auror Division was in chaos, making it ineffective at best and a danger to itself and the Wizarding World at worse. The general wizarding populace had become frustrated and begun taking matter into its own hands.
Kingsley had done the only thing he could think of: he assigned his assistants the task of gathering names of suitable candidates and advised them to think 'outside of the box' as the Muggle expression went. Unexpectedly, it had been Percy Weasley who'd finally come to him with the perfect candidate. In the eight months since Angelique Bryant had taken the position, the Auror Division was slowly beginning to mold itself into a reliable, effective law enforcement division once again.
He tapped his wand against the Briefing Room door and felt the spark of magic from the wards assessing his magic. Being the Minister of Magic meant he had access to all the Ministry wards, and so the door silently slid open seconds later.
Fierce, electric blue eyes snapped to him the moment he entered. Head Auror Bryant frowned, yet looked entirely unsurprised to see him. Her glossy black curls were pulled back from her face in her usual ponytail, except for two purple strands that hung along the left side of her face. She wasn't a beautiful woman, per say, her brow just a little too pronounced, her nose a little too small, and the scar that ran down the right side of her face – starting just in front of her left ear and curling over her cheekbone and down to her neck – just a little too noticeable. But her skin, which showed the influence of her grandmother's Ethiopian roots, coupled with the brightest blue eyes he'd ever seen, gave her a sort of exotic allure.
Kingsley smiled politely. "Head Auror Bryant, I received your message," he said smoothly. The last thing he wanted to do was look like he was undermining her authority when, in reality, he was merely curious. "Do you mind if I sit in on the briefing?"
"Why of course not, Minister Shaklebolt, have a seat," she said dryly.
"Thank you." He nodded at the auror team sitting around the table. It was Harry Potter's team, though technically the team leader was a young auror named Mateius Langer. As Kingsley pulled out a seat, a strong scent assaulted his nose. He frowned. "Why does it smell like a brewery in here?"
The aurors around the table snickered. All except for Ronald Weasley, who glared at the table at large.
"Ron got himself knocked out by a Muggle the second he apparated to the location," Auror Dean Thomas cheerfully told him. "Broke a mug of beer over his head. Uh, sir."
Weasley transferred his glare exclusively to Thomas.
At the other end of the table, Bryant slammed her palm against the table top. "You think it's funny?" she asked in a low voice that held just a touch of menace. Just enough to stop the laughter. She focused on the team leader. "Senior Auror Langer, do you think it's amusing that you'd barely begun your defensive against an unknown number of assailants and were immediately a man down? That as a result of your careless entrance, Auror Weasley apparated directly into the line of fire of an armed Muggle? A Muggle, who I might add, was valiantly defending himself and a number of civilians against an enemy he knew nothing about except that they'd appeared suddenly out of thin air much like all of you did."
Mateius Langer swallowed heavily, his eyes wide and terrified behind his long dark blond fringe. "N-no ma'am," he stuttered. "It's not funny at all."
"And what will you never, ever do again?"
"A-apparate into an area without s-scouting out the situation first, ma'am."
Bryant nodded approvingly and Langer relaxed. Then she turned her attention to Ron. "And Mister Weasley, what will you never, ever do again?"
"Apparate in front of a Muggle pub," Ron answered sullenly. Bryant raised a pointed eyebrow at him, though Kingsley didn't miss how the left corner of her lips quirked in amusement. "Or surprise an armed Muggle who's defending themselves."
The Head Auror nodded. "You were incredibly lucky, Auror Weasley, that the Muggle didn't shoot you or else we'd be having a very different conversation. One you mostly likely wouldn't be part of." Then she looked around the table once again. "Does anyone else find this amusing?"
The rest of the team was silent.
"Very well then. Langer, if you would, please summarize what you've already told me for Minister Shaklebolt."
"Yes, ma'am," said the team leader, straightening himself just before turning to Kingsley. "After my team and I received the alert, we proceeded to Trafalgar Sqaure in three groups. Potter, Weasley and Longbottom apparated to the south side of the area, Patil and Greene apparated to the north side and myself with Thomas and Lloyd apparated into the centre. Upon our arrival we discovered that a group of Muggles was in the process of defending themselves against the Death Eaters using Muggle weapons."
Kingsley blinked, suddenly feeling much less amused himself. "Muggle weapons? What sort of Muggle weapons?"
"An excellent question, Minister Shaklebolt," Bryant agreed. "Well? Anyone?"
"They were using guns," Harry Potter answered with a frown.
"There were Muggles carrying firearms at Trafalgar Square?" Kingsley asked. "Do we know why?"
The auror team exchanged looks.
"Uh, no sir," Neville Longbottom spoke up. "But one of 'em introduced himself to Harry."
Harry nodded. "Yes, he did. Said his name was Doctor Daniel Jackson and he was with the, uh, USAF, I think."
Kingsley's eyes widened. That... wasn't good.
"You think, Mister Potter?" said Head Auror Bryant. "You mean you didn't take down the names of these armed defenders?"
Harry hesitated before turning back to Bryant. Kingsley refrained from wincing at the anger he saw flash in the young man's eyes.
"No, ma'am, they were just Muggles and we already knew what had happened, so we followed protocol and obliviated them," he replied.
Bryant hummed and then turned to Langer. "Is this true, Auror Langer?"
"Yes, ma'am."
The silence echoed through the room for a moment, until Auror Padma Patil carefully cleared her throat. "Um, excuse me, sir, but what does USAF stand for?"
It was Auror Dean Thomas, who answered. "United States Air Force," he said, looking rather shocked. "Bloody hell, they were American military."
"But that still just makes them Muggles," said Auror Greene with a confused frown. "Doesn't it?"
"Oh, Auror Thomas is entirely correct to be concerned," said Bryant. "But we'll get back to that later. Please, do continue Auror Langer."
The mood in the briefing room changed in that moment, as though the team suddenly realized just how unhappy their leader was with them. To his credit, however, Senior Auror Langer managed to remain calm as he recounted their actions, their observations and their capture of three of the remaining living Death Eaters. Then he described how they'd called in the Statute of Secrecy Maintenance Team (known to the older aurors as the Statute Team, and called by the younger crowd as simply 'the Clean-up Crew'), with whose help they transformed Trafalgar Square from a Death Eater attack into a major traffic accident.
The traffic accident had been Auror Patil's idea. Kingsley had to admit it was a good one and even though the Head Auror's expression was unreadable, he was fairly certain she agreed.
By the end of their account, the young team was once again looking cautiously confident. Ron, Harry and Neville were glancing towards him, as though waiting for him to take over. Kingsley sighed at that. Perhaps he should stop coming to these briefings and simply wait for the reports if his presence made it seem as though he didn't have the utmost confidence in the Head Auror. It may have been true at first – Kingsley was a former auror himself, after all, and leaving the division in the hands of a complete stranger had made him nervous – however, he'd stopped being nervous months ago.
"Now, first off, I'd like to congratulate you, Auror Patil on your quick thinking," the Head Auror finally spoke. "Turning the attack into a traffic accident was an inspired choice. The last thing we need is to instill more fear and paranoia after the suicide bombings in Muggle Paris several months ago. Or to give Muggle government agencies any reason to dig deeper into the incident."
Auror Patil blinked and then straightened. "Thank you, Head Auror," she said with a small smile, obviously pleased by the rare compliment.
Bryant nodded to her, before addressing the rest of the team. "Now, these Muggle defenders, did any of you write their names down? Get any information on them at all, in fact?"
The team exchanged worried looks.
"I talked to two of the men," Auror Joanne Greene spoke up hesitantly. "I don't remember the first one's name, but they both introduced themselves as 'Colonel' something. I think the second one's name might've been Sheffield or Sheppard or something like that. They were wearing uniforms."
"Well, that's certainly something at least," said Bryant dryly. "Go borrow a memory orb from storage when we're done here and get their names. I want your report on my desk before you go home for the day, so I can send a report to my counterpart in the United States."
"Why do we care about some American Muggles?" Harry asked with a deep frown. "Our job is to hunt down Death Eaters."
"Your job, Auror Potter, is to enforce the law and thus maintain peaceful functioning of our society," Bryant snapped. "As Death Eaters are an organization that flaunts the laws and disrupts said peace, then, yes, it is a part of your job to hunt them down and stop them. However, just because they are a major threat whose elimination deserves to be treated as a priority, does not mean you can ignore the rest of your mandate. It includes the Statute of Secrecy, after all. You should know this given that you spent the better part of an hour staging the scene of the attack to give the appearance of a traffic accident."
"Which means the Statute of Secrecy was preserved," said Harry, his jaw tense with the effort of remaining calm.
Kingsley winced. He understood Harry's frustration. Under the former Head Auror, he'd been told he was first in line to lead his own team, however one of the first things Bryant had done was send him back into the ranks with the rest of his newly-minted peers. It hadn't endeared her to Harry in the slightest, although the more he saw them interact, the more he understood Bryant's resolute refusal to immediately promote him to a senior auror position.
Bryant stared Harry down silently for several, long moments. "What did you do with the bullets?" she finally asked, her voice low and steady. If she was angry at Harry's challenge of her authority, she wasn't showing it.
Harry, on his part, seemed taken aback by the sudden change of topic. "The bullets?"
"Yes, Auror Potter, Muggle weapons fire small metal projectiles called bullets. It's what killed three of the Death Eaters and wounded one of the others. So what did you do with them?"
The team exchange confused looks.
"Um, well, they're still in the Death Eaters," Auror Neville Longbottom finally spoke up.
Head Auror Bryant raised an unamused eyebrow at him. Then she looked directly at Kingsley for the first time since he'd sat down. "It would appear that the accelerated auror training was perhaps a little too accelerated," she told him. As Kingsley winced, she turned back to the team. "Yes, excellent observation, Auror Longbottom, the bullets are still inside the Death Eaters. Tell me then, if the bullets are inside the Death Eaters, then where are they not?"
Auror Thomas groaned. "Inside the guns," he answered miserably. "They'll probably notice if there's bullets missing from their guns."
Bryant turned to him. "Yes, I dare say they will. The Muggle military, like the police force, keep very careful track of their ammunition. Dare I ask what you did with the casings?"
Now even Thomas looked up in confusion. "Casings? Do handguns even 'ave casings?"
"Yes, Auror Thomas, they do. All guns discharge casings when they're fired. Those casings can then be used to identify the type of weapon used."
Kingsley could tell the moment the auror team around the table finally understood what their superior was hinting at.
"Bloody 'ell," said Weasley under his breath.
If Bryant heard the expletive, she chose to ignore it. "So, to summarize," she said instead. "We have Muggle police processing what appears to be a traffic accident, except for the unexplained presence of bullet casings from multiple small caliber firearms. We also have at least four armed Muggles who said firearms belong to going home with less bullets than they left with and no logical reason behind their disappearance. The identities of some of those Muggles seem to be entirely unknown, however, we do know that one of the Muggles is a civilian somehow affiliated with the United States Air Force and another two are high-ranking officers, presumably also of the United States Air Force. Since these two have reached such high ranks, can anyone tell me what sort of training they have likely undergone?"
For a long moment, the briefing room was silent.
"Um, survival and weapons training?" Auror Langer tried.
The Head Auror rolled her eyes. "That would count as basic training, something every new recruit undergoes before they're sent out into the field. I meant something a bit more pertinent to the situation at hand. Anyone?" Her piercing blue eyes swept the room. "No? Well, allow me to enlighten you then. By the time they'd achieved such high ranks, both of those men will have no doubt undergone training on how to both withstand torture and resist brainwashing."
She leaned forward on her arms. "This makes both of them potential risks for throwing off the Obliviate charm."
"That's possible?" Auror Patil asked with wide eyes.
"With strong enough willpower, and enough of a reason to doubt their own memories, yes, it is possible for a person to break the Obliviate charm," Bryant frowned at Kingsley. "Despite Ministry propaganda, the charm isn't full-proof. Which is why high-risk cases are supposed to be identified by aurors on the scene and the individual's identities forwarded to the Statute of Secrecy Enforcement Office so they can be kept a closer eye on and the charm – or something stronger – re-administered if necessary."
"Why isn't something stronger used immediately?" Ron Weasley asked. He was frowning, but his voice sounded genuinely curious.
"Because most of the stronger options carry with them significant risks and require extensive training before they can be used. It's not something taught to most aurors unless necessary."
"What about the ones that don't have risks?" Harry Potter asked.
Bryant gave him a pointed look. "It's called Imperio."
"Oh."
She looked away from Harry. "Does anyone have anything else to add? No? Very well, I look forward to reading your more detailed reports. Also, I realize it's only Wednesday, but I'm changing the duty roster for the weekend. Senior Auror Benson's team will be taking your weekend duty. Which means I want you all well-rested for Monday morning. You'll be spending the week in remedial Muggle Studies. I'll see what I can find to demonstrate Muggle criminal forensics."
"What?" Harry immediately protested. "But who's going to be on-call then?"
"Senior Auror Dawlish and his team are back from holidays next week and will thus be taking back their usual first responder position. Don't worry, Auror Potter, you'll be in the building for the most part, thus available should something come up the other teams can't handle alone. Any other questions? No? Good. Dismissed."
Kingsley waited until the team had dispersed before standing. Angelique Bryant joined him and together they walked towards the elevator that would take them up to her office. When the doors slid shut, he turned to her.
"So, there were Death Eaters casting curses, Muggles shooting guns, and Mister Weasley gets knocked out by a beer jug?" he said.
The hardness in the Head Auror's eyes melted, replaced by amusement. She chuckled. "Yes, indeed. I suspect it'll take him ages to live that down. Still, he was damned lucky that Muggle didn't just blow his head off."
"Thankfully, I think he got the message."
"One can only hope. That group seems particularly bull-headed when it comes to changing the way they do things. I almost feel sorry for Langer. He's entirely out of his depth when it comes to that lot."
"Ah. I'd wondered if you'd realized he was in charge in name only."
"I'm not a fool, Minister. An optimist, perhaps, but not a fool. I'm still hoping that treating him as the one responsible will finally force Langer to put his foot down and take charge in practice."
Kingsley took a deep breath and braced himself. "You realize it's because they all think Harry Potter should be the team leader?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Why? Because he's a war hero?" She snorted. "I'm not going to take that distinction away from him, but he did spend most of the war running and hiding. And yes, yes, I know, he was on a mission given to him by the late Albus Dumbledore. Again, I'm not trying to say he didn't earn the title, but the war is over. Being an auror during peacetime is very different to being an independent agent during wartime. He needs to learn to work as part of a larger unit. Until that boy proves he can work as part of a team and follow orders, I'm not giving him his own team."
She looked away, a distant, haunted look flashed through her eyes. "Mavericks get people hurt... or worse," she said softly.
Kingsley opened his mouth to ask, but hesitated. And then the moment passed and elevator doors opened. And so the question on the tip of his tongue remained unasked. Like the two bright purple strands of hair that seemed to clash with her otherwise no-nonsense persona, but she categorically refused to change. Like the thick scar on the side of her face that didn't look like there'd been any attempt to magically heal.
No, he realized, he hadn't quite earned that level of trust yet.
"So, have you gotten any closer to figuring out why the sudden upswing in Death Eater activity?" he asked instead.
"I can only imagine it's because they've finally established new leadership," Bryant answered. "Though who exactly that might be... Well, my intelligence teams have a few theories, but nothing concrete to point conclusively to one individual over another. I'll show you the reports."
"Thank you, I'd appreciate that. I've been called to go before the International Council of Wizards next week, so any information you can give me would be appreciated."
Head Auror Bryant threw him a sympathetic look, which Kingsley appreciated. He was most certainly not looking forward to that presentation.
Daniel trudged through his front door with leaden feet. It had been a truly exhausting day. Beginning with their presentation to the IOA and then ending with a horrible traffic accident in Trafalgar Square.
Dealing with the IOA was always trying at best. Daniel knew that most of the members respected him at the very least, and quite a few of them actively liked. He wasn't sure what Colonel Chekov had been saying about him before he died, but Daniel had yet to meet a Russian representative who didn't seem genuinely pleased to meet him. The Chinese representative also obviously liked him very much, as did the French representative – a distinguished, well-traveled man who shared Daniel's love of Egypt. But, in contrast, there were other members who refused to allow him to rest on his laurels, which he didn't mind quite so much as the ones who seemed almost determined to dislike him.
He sighed as he toed his shoes off. The IOA would come around eventually, he was sure of it. Daniel was more worried about the top Pentagon brass. Jack was being uncharacteristically cagey when it came to the topic of what they were planning for Atlantis.
Daniel left his shoes by the door and headed for the kitchen to put on a fresh pot of coffee. It was still too early to go to bed and there were a few papers recently published in the Oriental Institute Archaeology Review he'd been meaning to read. It was always good to keep abreast of what his peers in academia were working on.
Coffee brewing, he then dragged himself upstairs for a shower. The smell of fear, smoke and disinfectant seemed to linger in the air around him, a constant reminder of how badly the day had gone.
The accident itself was largely a blur of activity in his mind. He remembered Teal'c stiffening moments before several cars collided. Teyla and Vala had urged people back and into the bar where they'd be safe from any fumes and potential explosions, and out of the way of emergency responders. The rest of them had run to help pull people away from burning, mangled cars. It hadn't been easy within the panicked crowd, but this wasn't the first rescue operation any of them had participated in.
Afterwards they'd been checked out by medics at the scene. And then the doctors aboard the Daedalus. And then had to write up reports on the incident for the London Police's records as well as General Landry.
As he slipped his suit jacket onto a hanger, Daniel remembered his promise to Teyla. He sighed. Jack was his best friend, but he was also a mother hen in gruff military garb, thereby making him the absolutely last person he wanted to talk to right now. He would just call him in the morning, he decided, as he crossed over to his bed.
Planting his foot onto his bed, he slid up the pant leg to unclip his ankle holster. The holster went into the bottom drawer of his nightstand. Daniel opened the top drawer to place the gun itself inside. As always, he first double-checked to make sure the safety was on and then unlatched the clip to check on the ammo.
The ammo clip slid down and Daniel paused, frowning in confusion. There were only three bullets in the chamber.
He tried to remember whether he'd checked the chamber in the morning before leaving. It was something he did so automatically that he couldn't quite remember doing it... Though, that then begged the question of when he'd fired the missing bullets. He couldn't remember the last time he'd used his firearm; this was his own personal weapon, not one he took with him on missions.
Still frowning, Daniel turned and walked over to his dresser. Opening the second drawer from the top, he shoved several pairs of boxers to the side to get at the box of standard '22 caliber bullets he kept there. Filling up the bullet chamber didn't lead to any sudden revelations.
Eventually, Daniel had to simply conclude that he'd been too tired to pay enough attention to his firearm lately and had thus failed to keep it fully loaded. It was a good thing he hadn't needed to use it then, because his Air Force friends would've crucified him if they'd known.
Which was exactly why he would keep this little blunder to himself.