So sorry for the wait, Author's note at the bottom of the chapter.
This takes place during the season 1 episode 17 'Blue Shadow Virus' of the clone wars.
Chapter 6: The White Horseman
Date: 2022 AD
Location: Ministry of Magic, Earth
"Mr. Potter, we need to talk."
Harry paused and turned to glare at the journalist who had interrupted him. "Whatever you want Rita it will have to wait—"
"No, it can't." Rita walked closer and looked around carefully. "These attacks against muggles are a distraction from the real danger."
That got Harry's attention. "And what would that be?"
"This infection that suddenly appeared out of nowhere." Rita answered.
"It's just a case of Dragon pox Rita, wizards get it every year." Harry went to leave but Rita grabbed his arm again.
"Dragon pox doesn't affect muggles." Rita hissed. "And neither does it affect goblins, or elves."
Harry stared at the woman for a few seconds before he walked back to his office with Rita in tow. "Are you sure? I haven't heard anything about any infections amongst goblins and elves." He closed the door and turned to face the journalist.
Rita nodded. "One of my contacts at Saint Mungo's contacted me, it just started happening and it is spreading fast. They told me that while the infection resembles Dragon pox, some of the symptoms do not match up. I did some research and discovered that there was an outbreak of Dragon pox in South America six weeks ago, then another outbreak in Northern Africa two weeks later and finally the outbreak that started here a week ago. Now this isn't unusual in and of itself but these infections coincide with visits from the Director of the Division of Esoteric Magical Research a branch of the Department of Mysteries. First to Canada and The States, then South America, North Africa and finally back here."
"First, I'm not even going to ask how you know about the DEMR." Harry said. The Division of Esoteric Research was one of the most highly guarded secrets of the DoM and dealt with things that Harry himself could only speculate on and only a handful of people including the Minister of Magic really knew what they did. "And because of that you think that the Director was the source of the infection? Then why isn't there an outbreak in Canada and North America? What if this is just a coincidence?" Even as he said he knew that something was definitely not right.
"You don't believe that. I think that whatever this is, the Director picked it up in South America before it spread to Africa and then here. And if it affected wizards only, I wouldn't be that concerned. But this affects muggles as well and now it's also affecting magical creatures and it's spreading faster than any case of dragon pox ever recorded."
"And how is this connected to the attacks." Harry asked.
"Because, these attacks started three weeks ago and while the wizarding world scrambles to stop them and the muggle world is in upheaval, the disease is ignored while it continues to spread." Rita answered impassioned.
Harry stared at the woman seeing her in a new light. "So you believe someone is trying to distract us from investigating this infection by attacking muggles?"
"I know how it sounds." Rita answered. "And I know you don't have much reason to trust me, but I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe that we were all in danger."
They stared at each other for a few seconds, before Harry nodded. Despite what she had done in his youth and despite her reputation, he had never seen her this worked up about anything. "Okay, I'll check up on it but if you discover anything else, I want you to inform me immediately."
Rita nodded and left leaving Harry to his thoughts, he would need to speak to Hermione. If what Rita said was true, then they were in greater danger than he ever imagined.
Date: 8783 AD
Location: Jedi Temple Hangar, Coruscant
"I know you need further repairs Ody, but there isn't much I can do in this place." Harry said as he looked through a crate filled with supplies. Ahsoka had been watching him have a one way conversation with what she assumed was the ship while he was going through the various crates that were stacked outside it. She had walked over to say her goodbyes but found him seemingly talking to himself and had stood a distance away watching him in curiosity. He was quiet for a few seconds before he spoke again. "Once we find this planet, then I will make all the necessary repairs. I promise." That seemed to end the conversation and Ahsoka decided to speak up.
"Hey Harry."
Harry turned around and smiled at the young padawan. "Hello Ahsoka, where are you headed off to?" He asked pressing a finger at the back of his ear where she could see a small circular device attached.
"We've been sent to a planet called Naboo." Ahsoka answered as she watched him type away at a small rectangular transparent device with small glowing script scrolling through it that appeared to be a small handheld computer taking inventory of the supplies he had received from the Jedi council. They had helped him with some provisions as thanks for returning them safely. "It seems there is a crisis and they need our help to stop it."
Harry nodded and tapped the screen twice finished with the inventory. The display turned off before he placed the hand terminal* into his pocket. "What kind of crisis?" He asked as he leaned against one of the crates that held the supplies.
"We aren't sure yet but we'll know more when we get there." She answered leaning against another crate.
Harry watched her for a few seconds thinking back to their conversation a few days earlier. After his talk with the Chancellor, Anakin and Obi-wan had been sent on another mission to some ice moon leaving Ahsoka to show him around Coruscant. They had talked in length about the Jedi order and he didn't like some of the things he learnt. He could understand the taking of Force sensitives at a young age for training, but the isolation from their families, how they were taught to not form attachments, the doctrine of shunning their emotions to the point that even love was forbidden, these were things he could not agree with. He admired the sacrifices they made to protect the galaxy and though admirable he disagreed with them on some issues, including using the clones in the war. "When are you leaving?"
"We're just heading out, I just came to say goodbye in case you leave before we get back."
Harry smiled slightly at that. "Don't worry, I'll keep in touch. Just take care of yourself, okay?"
Ahsoka nodded and hurried away leaving him to his thoughts. He watched as she joined Obi-wan and Anakin who waved goodbye before boarding their ship. Harry stayed where he was for a few more minutes before he continued loading his ship with the supplies. Afterwards, he activated the security measures and decided to take a final tour of Coruscant before he departed.
He spent a few hours exploring when he felt a familiar presence. He had felt the very same presence every time he ventured into the city. He descended lower into the city where according to Ahsoka, the less savory individuals were located. He continued on until he entered a deserted alley. If the person following him was going to act, then now was the time. Sure enough, a few steps in, a figure dropped a few meters from him right in front of his path. He looked at the figure for a few seconds while at the same time making sure they were alone before he spoke. "I was wondering how long it was going to take you before you made contact."
The figure which was dressed in a hooded cloak removed the cloak and bowed her head, her right fist over her heart in salute. "Apologies Grand Magister, but I had to make sure it was you."
"I'm no Grand Magister, I haven't led Aegis for a long time." Harry said carefully observing her. She was fairly attractive with long black hair that fell to the small of her back. She was tall and slightly muscular with familiar green eyes set in a square shaped face and was dressed in a long black overcoat, black pants and boots and a red shirt with some type of light black armor that covered her entire torso. He could see runes printed on all of her clothing and etched into her armor in decorative patterns some, he noticed, were decorative while others were functional. "You are Terran." He said.
"Yes, our people were quite happy to hear that you have returned."
She seemed to be very formal but Harry could tell that she was very excited to meet him and was trying to keep things professional. "You were one of the people that saved the Jedi on Maridun?"
She nodded in agreement. "Yes, they stumbled upon the ship before we could get there. Lucky for them we were able to arrive and help them fight against the Reavers."
Harry nodded taking a step forward. "And who or what are these Reavers?"
"I will explain everything later, but for now you need to go to Naboo."
That got his attention. Naboo was the planet Ahsoka had talked about hours ago. "Why?"
"There is a storm coming, and the Jedi don't even know about it. You need to go there and find what they cannot." She explained.
He watched her for a few seconds sending a gentle probe to see if she was being truthful. Her mind was protected of course but she lowered her walls a bit so that he was able to tell that she was being sincere. He couldn't be a hundred percent sure of course without a thorough scan but he had to check it out regardless. "What's your name?" He asked.
"Alicia, Alicia Varel. We will talk more when you return." And with that the woman disappeared with a small pop.
Harry remained there going over the conversation and then he returned to the hangar. He boarded the ship walking towards the cockpit. "Ody, have you been able to integrate the star charts that the Jedi gave us?"
"Yes Harry." Ody answered. "The Republic uses a different coordinate system but I was able to gather all the necessary information. We now have access to the coordinates of every star, planet, moon, nebulae and black hole mapped by the republic, along with the hyperspace routes used by their ships even though we won't really need them."
"Good, please plot a course for Naboo."
There was a few seconds of silence before she answered. "Done. I should warn you that without the necessary repairs required to return me to peak efficiency, the hyperdrive and power systems will only be able to function at seventy six and eighty three percent capacity respectively. It will also reduce the amount of time I have before the Merlin core sustains irreparable damage."
"I understand Ody. But this is important. I'll provide you with as much power as I can." He sat in the captain's chair and linked his mind to the ship. After a few seconds of disorientation, he placed his right hand on the interface orb and began to channel his magic into the ship. A few minutes later, Ody signaled that she had enough energy to complete the trip and get them back before the core was depleted. He then went through the pre-flight checks and took off.
Half an hour later, he exited hyperspace a few million miles from the planet and activated the ships cloak, casting a modified point me. The spell locked on Ahsoka's position and through the link with the ship Ody was able to get a general direction and they headed for the surface. Soon, he landed at the edge of a forest where there didn't seem to be any security patrols.
"Harry, I am detecting a large subterranean structure beneath us as well as six life signs."
"I see them Ody." Harry said and while his eyes were closed, through his link with the ship he was able to 'see' everything Ody saw. "They're in bad shape."
"Yes, there seems to be a biological weapon that was released inside the facility. Even with your regeneration capabilities, I would recommend that you activate your armor's biohazard protocols." Ody's voice said through his mind.
"Was planning on it." Harry said before he disconnected his mind from the ship and stood up. He walked to his room and over towards the chest at the foot of his bed and opened the first lock of his chest by pressing his thumb on one of the seven small recesses on the lid. There was a small stab of pain as a small needle punctured the skin and took his blood as he sent a small surge of magic at the chest which opened the first compartment. He healed the small wound and took out his eighth generation dragonhide armor; made of small interlocking composite plates contained within a carbon fiber nanoweave mesh, it had the appearance of real dragonskin but was easier and cheaper to produce. The plates were etched with multiple runes and the whole thing had been imbued with protective spells. He placed it on the bed along with a pair of shin guards.
He then removed his clothes and took out a single piece of clothing similar to a dive suit. He put on the bodysuit which was skin tight and covered his entire body from his neck to his toes though it could morph into more comfortable clothing. This body suit was capable of protecting him from heat, cold, moisture and with the helmet was pressurized to protect against the vacuum of space and the depths of the ocean. He flexed his arms and legs checking how the suit felt. He hadn't worn one since he had attained the rank of Supreme Commander during the war. He then grabbed the dragonhide armor and placed it on his chest and the two melded together. The armor combined both magic and technology and could stop most minor spells and even light weapons fire from both kinetic and energy based weapons and could even protect against explosions. Together with the bodysuit, they provided a high level of protection while still being light and flexible. The suit could also keep track of his vitals as well as seal off any injuries he sustained. He took a ring shaped device and opened it before placing it over his neck where it fused with the suit and with a small metallic sound, it extended into a helmet that covered his entire head. He donned a long overcoat, boots and his vambraces, then grabbed two handguns, one that fired physical projectiles while the other was energy based, placing them in their holsters at his hips. He had learnt long ago that it was better to be cautious, especially now that he was on a new planet in a new galaxy. "Ody, could you sync with the suit and confirm that everything is in order?"
A HUD appeared on the inside of his helmet highlighting various parts as Ody linked with the suit and checked all systems. "Everything is in order Harry."
"Good, activate keep a look out for any hostiles that may appear." He said as walked over to the airlock. He exited the ship and watched as the door closed before he set off.
Harry used the point me spell again, this time looking for an entry point. He found one not far from his location. Walking over, he found a hatch which he placed a shield over so that the bioweapon wouldn't escape and crouched to place his hand on the metal surface. He didn't sense any traps or any beings close by. Deciding that it was safe, he opened the hatch to the facility coming face to face with a droid wielding a cutting torch, which would have burned his face had he not been wearing his helmet.
The droid managed to let out a surprised "hey!" before he blasted it back into the facility where it smashed into another droid with such force that both shattered into pieces. Taking note to remember that the robots, or droids as they were called in this galaxy, had no magic to detect. He entered the facility and minimized the shield until it only covered the lip of the hatch before he closed it and dispersed the shield at the same time jumping down to land in a crouch. He looked around and noted that he appeared to be at a junction where multiple paths converged. He stood, sensing a familiar presence coming towards him and turned to see Ahsoka running towards him followed by three clones as well as a human female and a, being, in a yellow hazmat suit.
Ahsoka stopped a few meters away and raised her lightsaber in front of her. "Who are you?"
Harry made the face-plate of his helmet transparent. "Hello Ahsoka, you look terrible." He said giving her a small smile.
Date: 2023 AD
Location: Grimmauld Place, Earth
A very tired Harry Potter took off his cloak draping it over the side of the sofa which he fell onto with a tired sigh. His loving wife walked into the room handing him a glass of firewhisky and kissed his cheek before sitting next to him. As it was still the middle of term at Hogwarts, the house was relatively quiet save for the crackling of the fire and the soft music coming from the wireless. Harry still wasn't comfortable with his children being away from them at such a troubling time but with the extra protections and the garrison of aurors stationed at Hogsmeade, Hogwarts was one of the safest places in the world. Still, with the rising cases of infection it was only a matter of time before the school had to be closed.
"Any news?" Ginny asked watching her husband swirl the contents of the glass as his eyes stared into nothingness.
He downed the contents in a single gulp and shook his head. "Nothing."
Ginny felt her heart clench at the helplessness she detected in his voice. The unknown virus that continued to spread and the continuing attacks were taking their toll on all of them but Harry insisted on always being at the frontlines, fighting to preserve whatever peace they had. Still, things were'nt getting any better and they would only continue to get worse.
She remembered when the news came. An attack at a muggle stadium in America, televised for the entire world to see. That was the day everything changed. In mere moments, the Statute of Secrecy was broken and there was nothing they could do to put the genie back in the bottle. More attacks followed all over the world as a small group calling themselves the Unshackled launched attacks on the muggle world at highly publicized events. They caused as much chaos as they could before disappearing. They didn't kill many people, that wasn't their goal. Instead, they wanted the whole world to know that there was a whole other world hidden from them. And it worked, over a matter of days the entire muggle world knew that magic existed. Then the riots started, outrage, fear and panic gripped both sides and lives were lost. Harry had been leading the strike force against the Unshackled ever since and there were days where he had been driven to the brink of magical exhaustion. And as Rita predicted, the virus had spread like wildfire with more than four hundred million already infected. Muggle, wizard, and even some magical creatures such as elves, goblins and even centaurs, the virus didn't discriminate even though it seemed to affect muggles more than magicals. It was unlike anything ever seen and both sides were working hard trying to find a cure. The death toll currently stood at a hundred and twelve million and was slowly increasing. And out of all this, their greatest hope lay in one of the most unlikely people she could think off. Speaking of, "how long has it been?" She asked taking the empty glass from him.
"Sixteen hours." He watched as she removed her wand from the holster around her wrist and summoned the bottle of firewhisky from the kitchen. She had taken to wearing the holster ever since the first attack. She poured some into the glass and downed the contents before refilling it and handing it to him. "She said she was onto something big, something that could shed light on everything that has happened." He took a sip and raised his right arm allowing Ginny to snuggle into his side. "I'm getting worried though."
"I'm sure that she is alright. If there is anything that Rita is good at it's saving her neck." Ginny said trying to comfort her husband though even she was worried. Regardless of what she had done in the past, Rita had put her life on the line to find out who was behind the outbreak and the attacks, even if it was in some way to further her career. She could only hope that the reporter was being careful. She pushed the troubling thoughts out of her mind and tried to enjoy the time she had with her husband. "But you know, we're all alone and since we didn't get to celebrate Valentine's Day yesterday, how about we celebrate right now."
"Yeah, you're absolutely right." Harry replied and placed the glass on the coffee table. Smiling at his wife as he kissed her. "I even wrote you a poem for the occasion."
"Harry!" Ginny warned playfully as he kissed his way down her neck it had been years since he had brought up that silly poem.
"It doesn't hold a candle to yours though. I mean 'his eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad' is pretty hard to beat." She giggled and swatted his arm before she lay back and pulled him on top of her. Things were just starting to get heated when they felt the couch vibrate. They broke apart with a groan as Harry reached for his jacket. He reached into one of the pockets and removed the small mirrorphone. He saw a familiar face frozen in place and touched the screen. "What is it Emeline?"
The pretty blonde seemed a bit nervous as she answered. "I'm sorry sir, but we just found Rita Skeeter's body close to the entrance to the ministry. It seems she was stabbed to death."
Harry sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "How long has she been dead?" He asked in a soft voice.
"An hour of so by our estimates we don't know who did it or what happened as of yet. I'm sorry sir, I'll call in a few hours to brief you on what we've found out." She terminated the call and the mirror returned to normal.
"Damn it." He cursed. Their one good lead on who was behind the attacks and possibly the virus was gone for good.
"I'm sorry love." Ginny said laying her hand on his arm. She opened her mouth to speak when the flames in the fireplace flared green and Minerva McGonagall's face appeared in the flames.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but there is a matter of great urgency that requires your attention." The Headmistress said in a rush.
Harry could see that she was clearly distressed. "What is it Professor?"
She took a deep breath before answering. "A few students have started showing symptoms. It seems that the outbreak has reached Hogwarts."
Ahsoka along with the clones and Padme continued to search for the droids that were loose in the facility. The Blue Shadow virus was taking its toll on her body and she was feeling exhausted. Every move she made took all of her energy and it was getting harder to draw on the Force. "How are you doing up there?" She heard a robotic voice ask.
"I'm almost through." Another robotic voice answered before it exclaimed. "Hey!" She exchanged a glance with Padme and took off towards the source of the voice. Seconds later, there was a loud bang and a high pitched wail before droid pieces flew from a junction up ahead. They stopped and cautiously moved towards the junction and carefully took a peek at what could have caused the explosion.
She saw a figure dressed in black with a helmet over its face. She ran forward, and raised her lightsabers in front of her, ready to defend herself. "Who are you?"
The figure turned to look at her then the reflective surface of the mirror like face plate became transparent. "Hello Ahsoka." A familiar voice said. "You look terrible." He then turned to the clones and inclined his head in greeting. "Rex."He said recognizing the markings on the trooper's helmet.
"Harry?" Ahsoka asked letting a small sigh of relief as she saw him smiling at her. "What are you doing here?" She deactivated the lightsabers and clipped them to her sides.
"Well, I heard you were in trouble and I came to help." He answered and the padawan could not help but smile at that.
"Ahsoka, do you know this man?" Padmé asked looking at him closely. He was wearing some type of armor unlike anything she had ever seen before.
"Yes, this is Harry Potter. The man we came with from the other galaxy." She answered before she made the introductions between them. "Did Anakin contact you?"
"Not exactly." Harry said as he crouched and picked up one of the shattered droids' head and began examining it.
Padmé looked at him carefully at that. She had heard about him from Anakin but she hadn't met him in person. "Then how did you know we were in trouble and more importantly, how did you find us and get in here without the security personnel seeing you?"
The wizard threw the head aside and slowly walked forward as he surveyed his surroundings. "Let's just say I got an anonymous tip that something was going on on this planet. As to how I got in here, I used magic." He pointed up at the hatch that the droids were trying to use to escape. "Don't worry, none of the virus got out so you shouldn't be alarmed. Anyway, how are you feeling?"
"Terrible." Ahsoka answered before remembering something. "Is there anything that you could do? You know like how you healed us back on Earth."
His eyes glowed and he looked at them for a few seconds before he spoke. "I'm sorry, viruses are tricky things and I don't know anything about this virus let alone much of you physiology and may end up causing more harm than good. I was able to help the troopers because they were injured physically and they were basically human, it was easy to fix. Still, I may be able to suppress the symptoms until you can get proper treatment."
Ahsoka nodded and he stepped closer to her placing his hands on either side of her head. She gasped as she felt a surge of power flow through her and then slowly, she started to feel better. He moved his hands to hover over her chest and she couldn't help the blush that bloomed across her cheeks and the fatigue that she had been feeling slowly disappeared and she felt almost as good as before she had been infected. "Wow, thanks." She said as he stepped back. He gave her a smile before turning to Padmé and after her confirmation he did the same before moving onto the troopers.
"You're still infected, but I'm sure that you'll be able to get treatment before the symptoms reappear."
"Thank you." Padmé said in gratitude.
"You are most welcome." Harry said.
"However, I would still like to know more about this source that told you to come here." The Nabooan senator said crossing her arms over her chest.
Harry seeing she wasn't going to back down decided to placate her.
"One of my people contacted me." He answered moving around the room.
"You found them?" Ahsoka asked. She knew that it was important to him, that at least some of his people survived.
Harry smiled at her. "Yeah, I did. I think they were investigating this place and they asked me to come here."
"Why didn't they warn the Republic, or better yet, warn us that biological weapons were being made on our planet?" Padmé asked.
"I don't know but I'm sure they had good reasons." Harry said moving to the center of the room. He raised his hand palm facing upwards. Ahsoka opened her mouth to ask what he was doing when his eyes glowed and a spherical ball of light appeared on his palm and then suddenly the ball of light exploded outwards moving in all directions before quickly disappearing causing the troopers to raise their guns slightly in alarm.
"What was that?" Ahsoka asked taking note of the frown that had appeared on his face.
"It was a spell." He simply answered. "I was looking for anything magical and I think I found something."
"And what did you find?" Padmé asked.
Harry remained silent for a few seconds. He knew that there was a hidden passageway that led further into the complex but he didn't know what could be waiting for him. He deliberated on whether to bring the others before he answered. "A hidden passageway. It leads to a hidden room deeper into the facility." He then started walking forwards leaving the rest to follow in his wake.
Padmé looked to Ahsoka who just shrugged before hurrying to catch up to him. With a sigh, she followed the young padawan along with Jar Jar and the clones.
Time: 2023 A.D
Location: St. Mungo's Hospital
Harry jolted back into consciousness and tried to get his breathing back to normal. He looked around the room and saw his father-in-law asleep on an armchair next to the bed and his eldest son seated on another sofa that was against the wall. James had been reading a large book but quickly closed it when Harry woke rushing over to hug him.
Harry returned the hug before he held the boy at arm's length. "How long have I been asleep?" He asked staring into his eyes.
"Two days." James answered. "The healers said that you were suffering from magical exhaustion." Harry nodded as he got up. It had been a little over two weeks since his daughter, Lilly, and some of the other students at Hogwarts had come down with the virus that had already infected hundreds of millions. Since then he had been working to find the people responsible and during the last raid his vast magical reserves had given out nearly killing him in the process. Ginny had warned him to slow down but he knew that time was running out and he would not stand idly by and do nothing while his daughter died. But his near brush with death had come with an unexpected advantage. He waved his hand over himself transforming his hospital gown into something more comfortable.
"The healer said you weren't supposed to do any magic." James said but Harry was too lost in his thoughts.
"Harry, you're awake." Arthur said as he woke up only to see Harry quickly leave the room forgetting his wand on the bedside table. He and James exchanged confused looks before he grabbed Harry's wand and followed him as he all but ran to his daughter's room.
Harry opened the door and entered the room to find Ginny, Angelina and Molly seated around Lilly's bed while Ron, Bill and George stood a few steps away talking in low tones. All of them turned to look at him and he had barely taken a step before Ginny barreled into him wrapping her arms around him. He returned the embrace just as tightly but his eyes never left his daughter's sleeping form. After a few seconds, Ginny stepped back her eyes burning in anger. "Harry James Potter." She said in a harsh whisper. "What were you thinking? You could have been killed."
She couldn't get another word in because at that moment a small voice called out. "Dad?"
Harry quickly walked forward and held Lilly's hand, kissing her forehead softly. "Hey Moonflower." He said giving her a soft smile.
"I'm cold." She said her voice weak and raspy.
Harry felt his heart break and he waved his hand over her casting a mild warming charm. "How's that?" He asked getting a small smile in answer before she drifted off. He placed his forehead on her's and closed his eyes knowing that what he had done and what he was about to do would save her life. He stood up and waved his hand casting a one way silence ward that would allow him to talk without disturbing her. "Did Hermione complete the spell?" He asked.
"She almost has it." Ron answered stepping forward. "She said that she might have it by the end of the day."
Harry nodded. "Good. Hopefully it will buy me the time I need."
"Time for what?" Ron asked but got no reply as his best friend and brother-in-law stared at the sleeping form of his daughter. "Harry, mate, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." He answered before turning to his wife. "I found a way to end this Gin, everything is going to be alright."
"What are you talking about?" Ginny asked.
"I don't have time to explain right now, but I'll tell you all everything after I get back."
The door suddenly opened and a man dressed in healer's robes walked in. "Mr. Potter! You should be resting." He said when he saw him.
"I'm fine." Harry said before addressing his wife. "I'll be back in a few hours." He saw the confusion in her eyes and lightly kissed her forehead before looking into her eyes. "Trust me, okay."
She nodded and he ruffled James' hair before saying goodbye to the rest of his family. He then walked towards the door but the healer stepped in front of him. "Mr. Potter, I can't let you go anywhere in your condition. You have suffered severe magical exhaustion. You need rest."
"As I said before, I'm fine." Harry said trying to walk past the healer but the man just stepped in front of him again.
"I'm sorry Mr. Potter, but I can't allow you to leave until-" He was cut off when suddenly Harry's eyes started to glow and the room and the objects within started to slightly tremble. He stepped back as the shaking increased and the wizard in front of him took a step forward. The air around him seemed to crackle with energy and he felt the hair on his arms stand on end.
"I said, I was fine." Harry said and walked past the healer who was too stunned at what he had seen to stop him.
Everybody remained silent for a minute after Harry had left before the healer spoke. "That's not possible." He had never seen someone suffering from magical exhaustion not only recovering so fast, but being able to put out that amount of power so soon after waking up. He excused himself and quickly left the room.
The others looked at each other in surprise. They had never seen Harry that angry before and they had also never seen anything like what he had just done. They started talking about what it could mean, and it was only after Arthur had sat down on a newly conjured chair that he remembered that he still had Harry's wand.
"Are you sure we can trust him?" Padmé asked Ahsoka in a whisper as they followed Harry who was a few steps ahead with Jar Jar. The Gungan appeared to be telling him stories about the Separatist invasion and the fight that ensued with Harry appearing only mildly interested. In the beginning, it had seemed that he was scared of the wizard, but eventually warmed up to him.
"Yes." Ahsoka answered. "He only attacked us because he was disoriented and afterwards he helped heal us and brought us home. Even Master Yoda said that he sensed good in him."
Padmé nodded. After all, he had helped them if only by getting rid of the symptoms. They had contacted Anakin and Obi-wan and informed them of the new developments. They had found what they needed for the cure but were trapped on the planet for the time being. Harry had bought them some time so until then, all that was left was to find this hidden passageway and find out if there were any more droids that could compromise the facility and release the virus.
A few minutes later, Harry came to a stop and turned to face a blank stretch of wall along the passage. "This is it." He said his palm hovering a few centimeters over the wall.
"Are you sure?" Ahsoka asked. Walking towards him and repeating his movements while trying to use to sense anything out of the ordinary.
Harry gave her a small smile. "Yes, magic always leaves traces, if you know where and how to look for it." He took her hand and moved it over the wall. "You said you could sense the magic back on Earth. Remember what it felt like? Reach for the wall and try to see if you can sense the same thing."
"I don't feel anything." Ahsoka said after a few moments.
"Don't worry. I would have been surprised if you did. It's really subtle. Whoever hid this door didn't want it to attract attention. They used just enough magic to hide it but not enough to be felt by others. I'll show you how to detect magic later but for now, we need to see what is behind door number one." He told the young Togruta. He used a few magical detection spells as well as a motion detection spell remembering that droids couldn't be sensed in the normal way but found no traps. There was a small pulse of magic as he wiggled his fingers at the wall and a round opening appeared as the metal disappeared into thin air. Harry stepped into the new passageway and slowly walked forward. He looked around for a few seconds before he relaxed. "It's all clear." He called back.
Ahsoka followed behind him with Padmé and Jar Jar following close behind and the troopers bringing up the rear. "This place wasn't on the maps."
"How did you know it was here?" Padmé asked.
"I used a spell to find anything that may be hidden using magic as well as to map out the entire area. It was weak, but like I said, magic always leaves traces." Harry answered as a metallic sound coming from a branch further up the hallway started growing louder and two droids emerged from the turn. The droids which looked a little like large crabs started firing as a shield flared to life around them. Harry stepped forward and raised his arm and the crystal on the vambrace glowed releasing a shield of its own. The red bolts from the droids struck the shield and dispersed over its surface. He turned to Ahsoka and tilted his head towards the two droids.
The padawan activated her lightsabers and ran through the shield towards the two droids. She jumped behind them and stabbed one with her lightsaber before jumping on top of the other and easily finished it off, something that would have been much harder before Harry dealt with the symptoms. They didn't get much more resistance for the rest of the journey except for plasma turrets that Harry was able to easily take care of. Eventually they came to a heavy door which once Harry opened led to a large laboratory filled with racks that held different coloured vials. One side of the room was dominated by a large monitor while a large table with various scientific equipment lined the other side. Harry walked towards the monitor and removed his hand terminal from his pocket. He keyed in some instructions and placed it on the table next to the monitor. The screen came to life as lines of text appeared on the monitor and were mirrored on the screen of the terminal. Seconds later, the text disappeared and different files appeared in their place. "Ody, find anything related to magic, or Terra in any way." Harry instructed and the different files started to scroll through at high speed.
"What exactly are you looking for?" Padmé asked.
Harry shrugged. "Don't know. But the entrance to this place was hidden by magic so I think that whatever this place was used for magic was involved somehow."
"Harry, I've found three hundred and four files related in some way to magic, but I think this is what you were looking for." Ody's voice said through his helmet as a file appeared on the monitor.
Ahsoka watched as Harry read through the file which had been translated into his language. For a few seconds he stared intently at the screen before his demeanor changed and he turned to look at the racks in the room. "Ody, copy everything from the database." He instructed in a sharp voice.
"What's wrong?" Ahsoka asked.
"This place was being used to revive a virus known on my world as the Nox virus." Harry answered. "I don't know how, but somehow someone got their hands on it." He was livid, the Nox virus was the most dangerous virus ever encountered by his people. So dangerous in fact, that after a cure had been made, not only was research into biological weapons banned, but only one sample of the virus was allowed to exist and that was destroyed during the war with the Vaneer. What then was it doing in here? Three more droids rolled into the room but before they could activate their shields, he thrust out his hand and they exploded into scrap. The terminal released a dual beeping tone announcing that it had finished copying all the files. He grabbed the device placing it into his pocket. "We need to leave, now!"
Hearing the urgency in his voice, they headed for the exit. Harry stopped at the door and stared at the vials for a few more seconds before he lifted his hands and purple flames erupted from his palms and consumed everything in the laboratory. He then waved his hand over the entrance and fused the door with the metal wall blocking off the laboratory from the rest of the facility so that the flames wouldn't spread and would be confined to the lab until they went out in a few days. He looked at the small group who were staring at him in awe and confusion. He would explain to them why he did that but first they needed to get out of this facility and he needed to talk to the scientist who was working here.
Time: 2023 A.D
Location: The Burrow
It had been three weeks since the cure to the Nox virus had been found. One point eight billion infected and the death toll stood at four hundred million dead. It could have been worse, Rita might not have discovered who was behind the pandemic and the attacks, Hermione might not have been able to develop the stasis charm in time, he might not have been able to extract the information from Alphard Nox on how to develop the cure, so many things could have turned out wrong and made the whole thing impossible to fight. Harry stared out the window as Lily was surrounded by her friends and family laughing and enjoying themselves. He would never forget how close he came to losing her and how he needed to do everything in his power to protect her from what was to come.
He turned around and looked at all the people crammed into the living room of the Burrow. It had been expanded so that they could all fit. The surviving members of Dumbledore's Army, his most trusted colleagues at the Ministry, Viktor Krum and his wife, Hagrid and Maxime, Madam Rosmerta and all his former Hogwarts professors including Madam Pomfrey who had helped the sick and even the remaining members of the Order. He looked at each of them and saw the curiosity and the concern written on their features. "I know you're all wondering why you are here. You may think that with the cure for the virus developed and most of the Unshackled taken care of, that the worst has passed, but the truth is that there is a greater danger ahead. The muggle world knows about us now and there is nothing we can do to change that. You are here because I need your help to prevent a war that may destroy all of us. Yes, with magic we have an edge over them. But the muggles are still very dangerous."
"They wouldn't dare attack us." Terry Boot spoke up. "You better than anyone know the safeguards in place against any attack on wizards."
"Yes, there are safeguards. But if there is anything this crisis has shown us it's that muggles are an ingenious lot and there are some things that we had not foreseen when those safeguards were put in place. We became so sure of our superiority that our hubris and ignorance of their world nearly led to our downfall. If we were to go to war with the muggles, it would be a disaster for both sides. Yes we might win, but at what cost? How many of us would die, how many of them? What would we have to become in order to defeat them? None of us wants that, but there are a few out there that may seek this very outcome."
"What do you want us to do?" Kingsley's deep voice asked.
"I need you to reach out to all your contacts on both sides, we need to work together and not against each other. We need to show the world that magic is a wonderful thing and that muggles and wizards can work together. We need to show them that wizards are just people and that we mean them no harm. That we can be of help to one another and that working together would benefit all of us. Hermione and I are going to go petition the ICW to create a combined task force with the muggles that will respond to deal with the remnants of the Unshackled now that we know they are working together with muggle extremists. Viktor, I know you are close with the Bulgarian prime minister if you could get us his support it will go a long way to help us win them over. We will also ask them to allow for joint research to be carried out to help with some of the problems in both worlds with as much oversight as possible to prevent another disaster like this one. Professors, this is where you would be most useful."
"We would be happy to help." Minerva said.
Harry nodded then turned to the two half-giants." Hagrid, I assume you've heard of the Blackhand tribe?"
Hagrid nodded a bit surprised. "Yeah, bu' they're jus' a myth."
"Apparently they're not. Alphard new the location of their village." Harry informed the gentle giant.
"What exactly is this Blackhand tribe?" Susan asked.
"They are a giant tribe rumored to be among the largest, strongest and one of the oldest giant lines." Flitwick answered. "There is a lot of myth and legend surrounding them but most say that they are also highly intelligent and are capable of performing magic, all of which is preposterous."
"Well, they exist. At least in some version." Harry said. "When I was in Alphard's mind, I got the location of their village. I will need you and Maxime to help me get into contact with them. Most giants consider them to be almost royalty and would follow them if asked. We will need their help in the future."
"We will help in any way." Maxime said holding Hagrid's hand.
Harry nodded. "Horace, I will need your help with the vast amount of contacts you have including some of the vampite covens. Selene will help me with the other covens while Davidson will help me with the werewolves." Davidson, one of his subordinates in the auror department and a werewolf nodded in agreement along with Selene who was the only vampire in the auror departmen. "Bill, Fleur I will also need your help with the goblins. Seeing as they still haven't forgiven me for breaking into Gringotts but I think I have finally found a way to smooth things over."
"Sure thing Harry." Bill said.
Harry continued laying down his plan before Minerva asked him the question that all of them were thinking. "What is it exactly that you hope to achieve Harry?"
Harry looked out the window at the children playing. "Peace." He said in answer. "When I first held my children in my arms I made a promise to them, that I would protect them so that they wouldn't suffer the life I did, that they would never know the horrors of war. I nearly broke that promise. We have been divided for far too long and though I do not want to go to war with the muggles, the fact of the matter is it might be a real possibility that war is inevitable and if it is, we will need to be a united front, wizards, goblins, werewolves, giants, vampires, centaurs, merpeople all magical species united. I'm not mad, I know it won't be easy, but we will need each other if there is a war. And even if we can circumvent a war, then we will need to be united even more. To show the muggles that we can be a single people because if we cannot make peace with our own magical brethren then how can we make peace with them? We have made some progress throughout the years, but we need to do more."
"You really are afraid of the possibility of war aren't you?" Ginny asked.
Harry walked to the window and leaned against it. Lily saw him and waved at him, a large smile on her face. "It is not the war that scares me, it's what I will do to protect those I love from it that I truly fear." He said as the vision he received, when he fell from magical exhaustion, of the world burning played before his eyes and in his ears, the words that said he would be the one to set it ablaze.
A/N:
*If any of you have watched the Expanse tv show, then you will know what a hand terminal looks like though the one in my story is like a more advanced phone. Some of the things in the story will be influenced by some of my favorite tv shows, movies, books, fanfics e.t.c of which the Expanse is one of them.
I am truly sorry for the delay but I had a few problems to sort out IRL that prevented me from writing for quite some time. However, I will now be able to update a bit regularly and if I won't then I will tell you guys. Also, there will be no more flashbacks from now on and this will be the last chapter to have them. Any backstory will either be in the form of individual chapters or I might make another story that ties in to this one, but I haven't decided yet. I know that there seems to be minimal changes to the clone wars tv series but things will continue to diverge as the story progresses.
Hope you enjoyed the new chapter and please leave your reviews and comments as I would like to hear your thoughts on the story. Thanks so much to all those who have added this story to their favorites list and hope you all enjoy. Also, from now on I'll be replying to reviews via pm, something that I should have done much earlier.
Next time; Dr. Vindi's interrogation and some new characters are introduced.