So, you can consider this another one of those ideas that came up randomly. As you may know, I like to read different ideas here on the site to get new ideas myself. Sometimes someone will have a concept and I then ask "what if I did that, but changed it to work with this instead?" The most recent instance of this was when I came across the story "Harry Potter and the Fleet" by Christopher Perkins (id: 14032948) where Harry's grandfather was one of the founding members of Azur Lane and the first "summoner" of the kansen. On paper, I like this idea and it does bring up an interesting question as in Azur Lane lore they are still building up the whole history of the kansen, where they came from, and what came before as the Commander you play as, you have scenes where you – as a character – were there at the time it all happened. The lore... is confusing, even to those who play the game often (like myself). As for the aforementioned story, I have nothing against the writer of this one, but I do want to throw my take on this concept out there as it is similar to another one that I came across some time ago during the Kantai Collection craze people were going through. So, what changes from his story will I be doing?
Well, the first change is that Harry won't be grabbed at the point that the story that the aforementioned one did, but at an earlier time and by the current Commander of Azur Lane where he's preparing Harry from a young age teaching him tactics and other military things in order to prepare him to take over as Commander when he becomes of age. The second thing that is going to be different is the shipgirls involved right from the start. While I plan to have all nations currently present in Azur Lane make an appearance, the point that Azur Lane is in is a tentative one where all nations are in the uneasy alliance against the Sirens currently. The main AL founders of Eagle Union, Royal Navy, Iris Libre, Dragon Empry, and Northern Parliament will continue to be friends, but the eventual members of Red Axis (Iron Blood, Vichya Dominion, Sakura Empire, and Sardegna Empire) will be distant, sometimes hesitant allies fighting against a much stronger foe. It is the current Commander's (Harry's mentor) hope that Harry will be the bridge that will bring the eventual Red Axis nations back to Azur Lane in friendship as opposed to an uneasy alliance to defeat the Sirens once and for all; at least as it stands as the current state of the nations' alliance.
As for the story itself, it will follow the familiar trope of Harry being summoned via the Goblet of Fire. However, I do intend there to be a twist. The Commander will let Harry go to Hogwarts so long as he has a radio ship with him to keep getting lessons for the role he will one day take over; not only as a radio waystation but as a bodyguard as well. For this pilot in particular, I will only cover snippets before, one or two during, and after until we reach the Triwizard Tournament arc. As for Azur Lane, this will be a hybridization of the animation and the Slow Ahead anime with how I want it to feel. Sometimes serious, sometimes a slice of life comedy. The places will be mixed with reality in terms of names. With all that being said, let's get this show on the road.
Title: [undecided]
Rating: T? I'm unsure at this time if it will stick to this or change.
Pairings: Undecided at this time if Harry will be involved with any of the Potterverse girls or if he'll be involved with any of the kansen. The same goes for the Commander and those in his age group in the Potterverse as well as those of the kansen.
Summary: Harry Potter was always a child destined for greatness; it must have been that the night he was found by a wandering Commander that he would become more than what his eventual teachers would come to imagine. Brought on as a young protégé, Harry trains to one day take over and run the international naval alliance known as Azur Lane.
Disclaimer: I own nothing other than my copy of MS Word and my desktop. Azur Lane belongs to Manjuu and Yostar, Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. I only own this concept's iteration. See the foreword for the full disclaimer.
XxXxXxX
Commander John Anderson rode in the back of his limousine as he pondered the events that he had just taken part in. The events in question were the negotiations for the second Azur Lane treaty between the various member nations' political and military personnel.
"Sir, are you alright?" a woman's voice asked beside him. He saw the gussied-up beauty that was USS North Carolina. She was always known as the 'show boat' in her pre-kansen days and continued that well into her kansen career. She wore a proper ball gown in Eagle Union stylings popular around Hollywood. Long draping cloth with slits to show off her legs and to hint to the viewer about the potential lack of undergarments. Tall, blonde, and in every way a bombshell. She was his current Secretary Ship during this trip.
"Yeah," he said uneasily.
"But something's bothering you."
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bothered by what Lady Bismarck said."
"About the future of Azur Lane?"
He nodded as he watched the houses their driver took them through as a 'short cut' move by. "After the war with the Sirens, then what?" North Carolina was silent as she let him ramble to clear his mind. "You're all war heroes from the mightiest of battleships to the speediest of destroyers. I won't let whoever is in High Command throw you aside for money. You're all heroes and deserve a hero's peace."
She placed her soft, feminine hands on his. "We are machines of war called forth from the sea of souls to help humanity in their time of need against the Sirens."
"Yet you're people with your own hopes and dreams. Not just soulless hunks of metal and flesh."
"I know that, Commander. But that is a bridge we'll all cross when that time comes," she said with a comforting smile.
"I care for you girls and I care about what happens to you."
"I know you do."
"That's why I need to find a replacement who will care about you just as much as I do when it is eventually my time to step down as acting Commander." John saw something out of the corner of his eye and called out, "Stop!"
The car slowed to a halt in front of one of the many cookie-cutter houses on the street. "What is it?"
"Something's... not right," he said as he stepped out of the car and his eyes scanned the street. "I'm sure I saw... there!" he pointed. As he did, he ran towards the door of one of the many cookie-cutter houses to find a child just abandoned on a doorstep in the dead of night. John reached down to see an envelope. He picked it up and read it.
"What is it?" North Carolina said as she came up from behind to stand beside him.
"Someone just abandoned a baby here. And according to this note, his name is Harry Potter and the letter is addressed to a Vernon and Petunia Dursley. Allegedly his aunt and uncle."
"Should we knock?"
"I mean, it'd be kidnapping if we took the kid now." John reached for the door and knocked as North Carolina reached into the basket and pulled the infant into her arms who was still asleep. There was no response, so he knocked again.
"Bloody hell!" an irate voice called out. "It's 3 am in the morning!" There was stomping as a man came down the stairs and opened the door. "What!?" he yelled his face as red as a tomato's.
"Ok, rude," John said.
"Rude is waking someone up at 3 am! Who the bleeding hell are you!?"
"I'm Commander John Anderson of the Eagle Union," John said as he wiped the spittle from his face with a handkerchief he had in his pocket and straightened his dress uniform. "I am bothering you this cold night because we found this child on your doorstep," John said as he gestured at the child in his secretary's arms. He held up the letter. "According to this in the basket, he is your nephew."
"Nephew?" he asked more politely, though still bothered. He grabbed the note and read it. "Lily? The freak whore of a sister-in-law?"
"Ok, harsh. The kid's parents just died, too soon."
"Not soon enough, if you ask me," he grumbled.
"Then I take it you do not wish to take care of him?" North Carolina asked as calmly as possible.
"No," Vernon said sternly. "The little freak can stay in the cold and join his dead freak parents."
John saw what North Carolina was about to do and stopped her with a calm, "No." He looked to Vernon. "Whoever left him here was insistent on doing so. So, I offer a compromise."
"Compromise?"
"Yes." John pulled out a pen and pad of paper from a small notebook. "We will initiate a contract, you and I. You sign all claims to familial responsibilities over to me. Power of attorney, any willed funds for his education and upbringing, and so on. He will be out of your hair, as you don't have any interest in him."
"And what do you get out of it?"
"Keeping a child out of an unwelcome home." 'And a protégé,' he mentally added. "So, do we have an accord?" John said as he outstretched a hand to seal the deal.
"Yes."
"Good. I will need to come in and borrow a table to write this all out and have us both sign it." He turned to his secretary, "Go back to the car with the child, I will meet you there in a few minutes." She nodded and left with the clacking of heels on the pavement. He looked to Vernon and gestured inside, "Now, shall we?" he said with a smile.
Ten minutes later John walked out putting a folded piece of paper in his navy-issued dress pocket and stepped into the limo, "Drive us to the port."
"How did it go?" North Carolina asked as she held the sleeping child gingerly.
"He signed over all rights to me. I'll fax him a copy of our contract on official stationery when we return to port."
"What are your plans for him?"
"Little Harry Potter, the next Commander of Azur Lane. You know, when he's old enough."
XxXxXxX
Ten years later...
Harry sat on the couch in his foster father's office in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It was a grand office filled with books ranging from law to fiction to non-fictional biographies of figures that Commanders of the past admired for leadership, tactics, and commanding respect amongst their peers. He was working on his current lesson given to him by the private tutors that his father had hired to give him the best education possible. He lacked for nothing but there was just something missing from him. One of his secretaries in the past had argued that it was that he didn't have any kids his own age to play or interact with. While she was right, maybe, he had the destroyers who all appeared and acted like kids his age. Especially a few of the Sakura Empire destroyers like Mutsuki or the innumerable Fletcher sisters.
No, it was something else. Something that felt more primal, more embedded in his nature. Like it was something that was meant to be a part of his life that he didn't know about. He had experienced strange happenings all his entire life on base, but it wasn't really anything that anyone could explain. York had once claimed it was the 'Force,' but it felt different than when she channeled it a few times in his presence. Where what she was using felt like it was coming from the outside, what he felt about himself felt like it was coming from within. One of the Iris girls, Richelieu, had mentioned off-hand that he had great power within him and a potential for greatness.
Harry was knocked out of his musings when there was a tap at the window. It wasn't like someone threw a small rock to get his attention like in the movies, but like something was knocking on the glass. He looked over to see an owl sitting on the small window perch and in its beak was what appeared to be a letter.
"Chary?" Harry asked unsure what to ask.
"Yes, Master Harry?" Charybdis asked from her position of currently being up a ladder putting books away and dusting the shelves as Royal Maids were wont to do.
"Did Bunker Hill either get a new owl or take her owl to a salon to get a makeover, or did dad summon another ship with an owl familiar?"
"Not that I'm aware of," she paused as she placed a finger to her chin in thought. "I don't think Perseus' owl is different either recently. Why?"
"There's an owl outside this window."
The Royal Navy light cruiser slid down the ladder in a way that might hint that she had seen an action movie recently before she walked to stand beside the 'young master.' "Would you look at that?" she asked. "I wonder whose owl it is. It's got a letter too."
"That's what I-, never mind. Do you think we should let it in?"
"It's looking at you, has a letter, and your name is on the envelope."
"It has my name?" He looked down to see that it did. "How did I miss that?" He looked to the maid, "Should we let it in?"
"Let what in?" John asked as he entered his office.
"There's an owl here," Charybdis started.
"It's holding an envelope with my name on it," Harry finished.
John raised an eyebrow. "And it's not either Perseus's or Bunker Hill's?" They both shook their heads. "I don't recall anyone else having owls either. Enterprise, Essex, and Independence have eagles. I don't recall anyone else on the top of my head having an owl either," he pondered aloud. He didn't seem to say anything else.
"So?"
"So?"
"Should we let it in?" Harry asked again.
"I suppose we should, it was sent to deliver you something; as unorthodox as using an owl to deliver it was." John proceeded to open the window but the owl didn't move in, it just bowed its head to release the letter it was holding. It then just sat there waiting. "That was... anticlimactic. Go on, Harry, mail call." Harry walked over and opened it and started to read.
"HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRYHeadmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress"
"There's more on the back," Charybdis noticed. Harry flipped it over and continued to read.
"UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamande
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK
Yours sincerely,
Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus
Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions"
"I am very confused," the maid commented.
"As am I," John agreed. He looked at the owl who appeared to be waiting for them still.
"Do you think it's waiting for a reply?" Harry asked.
John thought back to the letter. "It did say they 'We await your owl by no later than 31 July' after all." John walked over to his desk and pulled out official stationery kept for handwritten notes and started to write something down.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked curiously.
"Well, I would like to know more about this Hogwarts, why they want you to study to become a wizard, and how in God's green earth they knew your exact location on base." He folded it up and placed it in an envelope and gave it to the owl. "Reply to sender." The owl took it and flew off with a hoot. "And what better way than to request a visit from some of the staff, primarily that headmaster of theirs."
They didn't need to wait long, two days in particular. Harry was sitting back at his coffee table desk doing assigned homework and John at his own filling out paperwork when his phone rang. "Yes?"
"Sir, there's a man here by the front gate calling himself an 'Albus Dumbledore' and he's asking to see you," the base guard reported.
John straightened up. The alleged wizard had followed his instructions to the letter. "I am expecting him and will be sending Belfast to escort him," John replied.
"Aye, sir," the guard replied before disconnecting.
"Belfast!" John called out.
As summoned, the head of the Royal Maids appeared and curtsied. "Yes, master?"
"There's a man by the name of Albus Dumbledore at the front gate; please escort him here to my office."
She bowed with a curtsy once more, "Of course, master. Shall I have one of the other maids prepare tea for his arrival to the meeting?"
"Please, but coffee for me as always – at least this early, that is – I will have afternoon tea later though."
"Of course," she said as she exited.
John looked to Harry. "Go ahead and put your things away, we got ourselves a wizard to meet in the land of Oz."
"You mean your office?" Harry asked.
"Yes."
Dumbledore was a man that wasn't easily surprised. The first surprise was when he saw the first-year acceptance letters go out and noticed that the letter didn't go to the Dursleys on Number 4 Privet Lane, but to the 'Commander's office – Azur Lane Headquarters, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.' He had assumed that this was a mistake on the ancient enchantments engraved into the pens assigned to write the letters themselves; but when he had received a letter back from a Commander John Anderson stating that he'd want to meet to discuss this surprise enrollment and acceptance, he was flabbergasted on two fronts.
The first was that he was still expecting Harry to be in the care of the Dursleys, his closest and only living blood relatives. He had gone with Minerva the day prior to the Dursley residence to confront Vernon and Petunia about this. What he had heard disgusted him. Ten years ago, when Harry had been left on their doorstep, around two hours later a man and woman dressed as if they had recently gotten out of a party, the man in full Eagle Union navy dress uniform, who had seen Harry on their doorstep and tried to be good Samaritans about it. Seeing that Vernon wanted nothing to do with his nephew due to his mother's bad blood with Petunia (it being the other way around), the man had made an offer to take the child with him. From there, Vernon produced the contract that stated that he had relinquished all powers of attorney, inheritance management, and so on to Commander John Anderson of Azur Lane. He had the righteous indignation to hex the two of them with painful, yet non-lethal hexes and curses. Family was supposed to take care of one another, doubly so in times of need when circumstances allow one to make amends. His father was right at times, some people – regardless of muggle or wizard – were the lowest forms of humanity.
He had proceeded to look into this John Anderson of the Eagle Union. He was an honorable man from what he could tell, and served for many years as part of his military before being approached to lead the anti-Siren military multinational cooperative effort called Azur Lane where he served as the commander of the primary base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. But why did he want Harry? That's what disturbed Dumbledore more. He knew of this Azur Lane due to them starting operations near the end of their own shadow war. Dumbledore had half a mind to consider that Voldemort was involved in the appearance of the Sirens. But he knew little about how this military alliance fought these endless, borderline eldritch enemies.
His second surprise was when he arrived on the base and followed the letter he had been given: 'Arrive at the front gate, announce your name and that I'm expecting you.' This was a military installation. While some in the Isles' magical community considered him aloof and had a passing interest in the muggle world, appearing in one's office would likely get many people injured including himself, so he'd follow the requested steps for entry. At the entrance, he was stopped and asked by those marked with an MP on their arms and helmets, which if he recalled correctly, were the Military Police. He announced his presence and the man went inside the booth and called someone. He was told to wait. A few minutes passed before a small truck-looking vehicle pulled up with a man in the same uniform as the other two driving and a woman dressed as a maid in the passenger's seat. She was of platinum-white hair and wore a dress that appeared to be just as elegant as it was functional.
She stepped out and stood in front of him and asked, "Mister Albus Dumbledore?"
"That is, I," Dumbledore replied.
She curtsied. "Thank you for waiting. The Master of the Port will see you now. Please," she gestured to the vehicle's rear bed which did have seating. She took her gesture of instruction and stepped in the back to which he was followed by her who sat across from him. She turned to the driver and requested, "To the Commander's office."
"Yes, ma'am," the driver replied before slowly pulling away from the entrance.
As the truck carefully drove through the streets of the base Dumbledore observed numerous girls waking two and from different places. Some walked to shops while others went to the beach. "Is there something wrong?" the maid asked.
"No, but I am a bit perplexed. I was under the impression that this was a military base," Dumbledore stated.
"It is."
"Are all these young ladies children of base personnel?"
"I am not allowed to say, that is something that the Commander may or may not divulge."
It was then Dumbledore noticed her accent. "Are you from Northern Ireland?"
She thought for a moment about how to formulate her response. "Both yes, and no," she said with a playful smile. "But I will say that the town of Belfast is quite beautiful." Before Dumbledore could ask what she meant by that, the truck slowed to a stop. "We are here." She stepped out and gestured to the grand doors of the building. "This way. Please, follow me." They walked through the entrance which had a large waiting room with no one currently in it. The only person there was a girl sitting at what appeared to be a receptionist's desk. "Miss Marblehead, please inform the Commander we're on our way up."
"Yep!" the blonde girl acknowledged. They passed through doors which led to a gallery of busts and paintings of previous war heroes and commanding officers. There were also landscape-type murals showing naval battles of the past. "They're, like, on their way, Commander. What'cha doing tonight, anyway?"
At the back of the hall was an elevator whose doors opened and the two entered the car. The doors closed and she pressed the third button on the panel taking them to the third floor. The ride was very short taking but a moment to reach the top. The doors opened with a "ding" and the maid led him towards a set of ornately carved oak doors. Whoever carved the doors had done so with skill and great care to get all of the floral and plant details as perfect as a carver could.
The maid walked to the door and knocked three times. "Come in!" a male voice called from inside. She opened the doors to show a seating area while at the windows overlooking the port was a large desk and a man sitting behind it wearing a white uniform, his hat sitting on the table. "Thank you, Belfast," he said as he stood up and walked to the seating area meant for more dignitarial duties. "Please," he gestured to Dumbledore to take a seat. His mannerisms were that of pure business, but one who was pleasant.
"Refreshments will be served shortly," Belfast said with another curtsey before she closed the doors behind her.
Dumbledore took a seat on one of the couches while the Commander sat on the other side, a coffee table separating the two. "Did she just say-?"
"Belfast, yes," the Commander said. "Head of the Royal Maid Corps, second-hand man to her Royal Highness. She works here part-time."
"I am Albus Dumbledore-," he started to introduce himself.
"Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry among many other titles that sound very prestigious," the Commander completed.
"Y-yes," Dumbledore was caught off-guard.
"And I'm John Anderson, Commander of Azur Lane. Tell me, mister Dumbledore, is this a joke?"
"A joke?"
"Yes, this 'Hogwarts' school. It doesn't exist. I've called every intelligence agency that owes me a favor or two across the globe and not one of them could tell me what this school is and where it is," the Commander said dangerously. "So, either you're pulling my chain and wasting my time, or you're dead serious which means that there's a hidden school out there that got the extremely confidential and personal details of a boy under my charge." He sat back, "So, tell me which one it is."
"I assure you; Hogwarts is no joke."
"Then how did you know which building my charge is in?"
There was no way around it, Dumbledore had to come clean. But first, a question. "What are your intentions with young Harry?"
"What are yours?"
"I am merely a teacher who manages other teachers who wish to provide the best magical education to all my students. I believe turnabout is fair play?"
John paused contemplating how much he should truly tell this unknown entity. "First tell me how you knew where he was."
Dumbledore sighed. "The ancient wards of Hogwarts are able to find anyone written in the register." Before John could ask again. "Harry's birth parents registered him with Hogwarts before he was even born, the tuition was already paid for upfront for all seven years."
"Seven years, so from his either tenth or eleventh birthday to when he's seventeen or eighteen."
"Yes."
"Refreshments are ready," Belfast said as she opened the door once more pushing a tea cart that had two kettles on them and a plate of finger foods. Beside her was a younger girl dressed in a similar uniform who Dumbledore could have sworn was a smaller clone of Belfast. The two walked over and Belfast set both kettles on the table while the younger girl placed a teacup and coffee mug on two tea plates on the table in front of the two men. Lastly, Belfast placed the finger foods in the center. The younger girl poured John's mug while Belfast poured the tea into Dumbledore's. When she was done, the girl sighed in relief that she didn't spill anything.
"Good job, Bel," John said as he ruffled the girl's hair. She giggled, "You'll graduate from maid-in-training to full-blown maid in no time."
"Thanks, Commander!" she replied happily.
"Will there be anything else, master?"
He leaned over and whispered in Bel's ear, "Please bring in Harry in a few minutes."
"Ok!" Bel replied seriously with an exaggerated salute.
"Remember to curtsey," Belfast reminded the younger maid.
"Oh, right!" Bel did a cute little curtsey.
"No, that will be all for now," John said. Belfast curtsied herself followed by Bel before the two took the cart back outside the office and closed the doors behind them. "I would try what they brought. The Royal Maids pride themselves on being quite the culinary adepts. And it looks like they got some of Howe's cookies in there too," he said as he snagged on and quickly consumed it. "Where were we? Oh, yes." He sat more upright. "So, Harry's parents set up a trust fund for his education?"
"Correct," Dumbledore replied as he took a sip of tea and it was magnificent. "It was listed in their will that all monies be paid for his Hogwarts education."
"I do have one question though."
"Oh?"
"The night of Harry's arrival on the doorstep of Vernon Dursley, why wasn't there anyone there to confirm his intaking?"
"His 'intaking?' I've never heard such a term."
"Where you hand off the individual who you wish to take care of them. Explain why you're there and why they need to take care of them."
"A letter was left-," Dumbledore started but was cut off as John pulled a letter out of his coat.
"That reads, and I quote:
'Dearest Petunia,
I regret to inform you that your sister, Lily, has passed this night with her husband James. They had been in hiding from the Dark Lord with their infant, your nephew, Harry. They fought to their last breath and with hers cast powerful protection over young Harry to end the threat to his life. There is a possibility that if he leaves before, he is seventeen he will be under threat from those who still follow the Dark Lord in secret. I leave young Harry in your care and upon his eleventh birthday will be summoned to Hogwarts for formal magical education.
Best regards,
Albus Dumbledore'
Sound familiar?" James said as he placed the letter on the table. "When I had come up to that residence, Vernon didn't even know the boy was there. He probably would have sat out there in the cold until he either came down to check for the paper or for the milk left by the milkman. He may have died that night."
"There were warming charms placed on the basket and blankets by me. It would have lasted days if need be."
"You don't know that. I may not be familiar with your magic, but I have had experiences with the supernatural; borderline daily, mind you," James said as he stood up with his mug and looked out of the window over the port. "And you want me, to send the child I see as my own son to a school that you manage? Can you not see the concerns that may raise?"
"I understand your concerns mister Anderson. But Harry's best future lies behind what Hogwarts can provide him. Magic, left untrained will cause horrible effects on the wizard or witch and those around them."
"Then I hire the best of the best from around the world to teach him. Here. In a place, I know he will be safe. You already said there's a threat on his life from those followers of this Dark Lord. What better place in the world than a base with the most powerful arsenal known to man is stored, maintained, and deployed to fight the Sirens that threaten all of humanity?"
"You think muggle weapons will stop the Dark Lord and his followers?"
"Who said anything about muggle? I already said that I deal with supernatural things on a daily basis."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Sheffield," John called out. From the shadows, another maid stepped out.
"Yes, master?" she asked somewhat flatly. Professionally.
"How many times in the last fifteen minutes could you have killed this man if he were a threat to the base and its personnel?" he asked while looking over the port.
"At the front gate, my six-inch guns could have well reached him without affecting the MPs. In the elevator's exit, I could have slit his throat. In your office by glazing his tea cup with a cyanide glaze that would dissolve and mix with the tea. Lastly, while talking, I could have summoned my riggings and destroyed him with a broadside before he could even act."
"Thank you, Sheffield. You may go back to your duties." She curtsied and left back into the shadows. "While shocking, my girls will do anything and everything to protect the people of this port, including Harry."
Dumbledore slowly rolled the shock away from him, the shock of dying multiple times in plain sight, and finally said, "You said that you have plans for him."
"I do. I think he's the future of Azur Lane. I believe he will permanently unite our allies and destroy the Sirens once and for all. But to do that he needs to be educated on naval warfare and tactics to defeat them."
"Magic may help," Dumbledore suggested.
"That it might. It also might not."
"What do you suggest?"
"A compromise. You know that I've seen the outright strange things that Harry has been able to do and he does need to control them. But at the same time, he does need to continue with his education to become my replacement when the time comes. He can go to your school," Dumbledore's face lit up with excitement, "only if he wants to. In exchange, I will assign one of my girls to make sure the aforementioned lessons are taught to him to keep him on track." 'Not only that but to protect him.' He held out his hand to Dumbledore who had stepped beside him. "Do we have ourselves a deal?"
"Yes," Dumbledore agreed as he shook his hand.
"Good, don't make me regret this," John growled into Dumbledore's ear. "Bel, you can bring in Harry now!" he called out. The door opened to show the younger maid girl and Harry dressed in casual attire. The two of them walked in.
"Yes, father?" Harry asked.
"This is Albus Dumbledore. He's come to talk to you about the letter you got."
XxXxXxX
One school year later, May 31st…
The train designated the Hogwarts Express pulled into the hidden station 9¾ with hisses of steam and a chugging engine slowly coming to a halt. Along the sides of the platform stood parents waiting for their children to disembark from the train cars. Among those on the platform was that who the muggles picking up their children noted was a man in military dress uniform standing beside a beautiful woman with long, sliver-blonde hair and purple eyes. She wore a jacket with numerous zip-up pockets, sunglasses, black heeled boots, and black jeans. On her shoulder was a bald eagle that kept looking around.
"It's been almost six months since we saw him last," Enterprise said whimsically.
"Indeed, it has," John agreed with some mirth. "Christmas was special too with the return of Enty-claus."
"Hopefully Amazon kept his studies up to snuff."
"You can relax a little, Commander. It's summer vacation, you can't expect him to be all business all the time; at least not at his age."
"I know. I don't know how much time there will be before I'm no longer in a position to remain the Commander of the base. I want him to be prepared for everything. I worry that I won't get enough done before it's too late."
Enterprise placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's a child and he'll learn. But putting this amount of work on him could harm him in the long run. The brightest candle burns at both ends, but is extinguished twice as quickly."
"I know. I'll speak with experts in children's education and other professionals to get their take on this."
Before either of them could say anything else, the children started to leave the train with their luggage, their parents waving them down. John and Enterprise walked over near the edge of the crowd, Enterprise's height and hair made her stand out.
"Enty, you brought Grim!" Harry said as he pushed through the dense crowd of parents and children.
"Yes," John confirmed. "Yorktown insisted-," he stopped as he looked down at Harry and saw that he had his arm in a sling and his face had bandages on it. "What happened to your arm?" his tone shifted from joyful reunion to flat businessman.
"It's not broken," Harry insisted. "Ron's is though."
"Who's Ron?"
"Oh, right, I didn't tell you about him!" Harry said excitedly.
"Ok, well hold on a second, partner. Why is your arm in a sling?"
Harry shifted uncomfortably. "Well, it involves Ron and my other friend Hermione." He then looked into the crowd and saw the people he was looking for. "There they are! Ron! Hermione! Over here!" he called out waving his one free hand to flag them down. The parents of the two saw them and came over hot on the heels of their children.
"Harry!" the brunette girl with front teeth on the larger side and the aforementioned hair being quite bushy. Behind her was a redheaded boy that is tall, thin, gangling, freckled, with big hands and feet, and a long nose.
"Ron, Hermione, this is my father John Anderson," Harry introduced his friends to them, "And this is Enterprise with her eagle Grim."
"Hullo, sir, ma'am," Hermione greeted. Ron just nodded.
"My son was just telling me about how the three of you got into something this year and was just about to tell me more about it. Your parents can come too, but would you mind accompanying me to the café on the other side so can get a coffee or tea and discuss it further?"
"We'd love to meet the man behind this wonderful young gentleman," a redheaded woman stated.
"And you are?"
"Where are my manners? Molly Weasley and this is my husband, Arthur."
John proceeded to shake their hands. "A pleasure."
"And we're Dan and Emily Granger," the other set of parents introduced themselves and shook his hand as well.
"Nice to meet you. Now, shall we go?"
"Oh, you don't have to pay for all of us," Molly insisted. "We have quite a few children."
"No, I insist, I'll pick up the tab. Please."
"If you insist."
They began to walk and as they did, Harry asked, "Dad, why is Enterprise here?" He then quickly added, "No offense, but I thought you were still in charge of training Essex and her sisters."
"She's taking a break while we head to the annual conference," John answered.
"Conference?" Dan asked. "I couldn't happen to notice you're wearing a naval uniform."
"I am in the navy as a base commander." John then turned to Harry, "This year it's at Lake Baikal in the Norther Parliament and we'll be flying out there tomorrow."
"Does that mean we'll get to see Soyuz again?"
"Maybe, though she has been a bit distant lately so she may send Belorussiya or Rossiya in her stead. Though there will be other members of the alliance present as well."
"I'm sorry, base commander of which base?" Dan asked.
"Azur Lane Commander John Anderson at your service."
XxXxXxX
Three years of insanity later...
"I think my dad's gone overboard," Harry said as his friends sat in their train car.
"What do you mean?" Ron asked as he ate one of the snacks from the snack cart.
"I don't know, the yearly talking-tos to Dumbledore, assigning a new shipgirl to my little 'entourage' as some have come to call it."
"Wait, your father yells at Dumbledore? Why would he do that?" Hermione asked.
He held up a fist. "First," he extended a finger, "somehow Voldemort sneaks into his school on the back of another teacher and said teacher nearly killed me, you, and Ron with his antic's year one. Two," he extended another, "somehow an ancient serpent that can kill on direct eye contact or petrify in a reflection anyone it looks at it. Three," he extended a third, "an alleged serial killer who is actually my godfather escapes prison to try and kill the other man who faked his own death and escaped the prison system and we got caught in the crossfire with the Dementors." He proceeded to put his hand down. "Is it not a valid concern to him of my safety?"
"Dumbledore's doing his best," Hermione argued.
"It's not you he has to convince, it's my father. The Eagle Union has a sport called baseball," Harry said for Ron's sake, "it's sort of like cricket but in it, there are three strikes and you're out. Dad gave him an ultimatum this year, either Dumbledore prevents any more of these incursions by those who are deadest on killing me, or he'll withdraw my enrollment and have me enroll in another magical school."
"What!?" Ron cried out in shock. "He can't do that! Can he?"
"Yes, he can and I can see where he's coming from. With so many of Voldemort's followers on the loose, any one of them could take a shot at me. Voldemort himself attached himself to a teacher. A journal belonging to Voldemort somehow made its way into Ginny's hands and almost used her to revive himself, and Scabbers was actually Peter Pettigrew under all our noses. Either Hogwarts has the shittiest opsec which allows it to be exploited, or someone on the grounds is deliberately turning the other way."
"You don't think that, do you?" Hermione asked.
"I think many things. I think Dumbledore ignored the signs of the basilisk the other year and he didn't push hard enough on the Dementors. I think where he screwed up the most was having the Philosopher's Stone in Hogwarts as some kind of trap for Voldemort but it didn't matter anyway since Dumbledore was gone leaving it to us and the professors' traps to stop him."
"They were really hard!" Ron complained.
"Yeah, for us. Devil's Snare, you learn about it in first-year botany with Professor Sprout. Wizard's chess but you have to play against an intelligence that wasn't too difficult for you to beat. Finding a damaged key in a sea of keys that will attack you if you touch it and you can't pick the lock and a broom to race away from them on. Lastly, a logic puzzle that Hermione solved. Out of all of those, Voldemort would have solved all of them with ease. The only one that truly stopped him was the mirror as it was based on desire. Looking at all of that, I'm not sure what to think anymore."
There was a bit of uncomfortable silence as the sound of the train riding the rails was heard. "What was this about your father going a bit overboard?" Ron asked to break the silence.
"He assigned two more girls."
"Who?"
"Shangri-La and Howe."
"Ok?" Ron asked, unsure if he should be impressed or something. But Hermione's eyes went wide.
"Ron," Hermione spoke up. "Shangri-La is a fleet carrier."
"And that means?" he asked even more confused.
"As in the center of an entire carrier task force. Something you send when you want to make something that offends you disappear."
"Disappear?"
"Boom," Harry said simply. "And don't forget Lady Howe of the Immortal Knights, favored knight of Queen Elizabeth herself."
"Who is returning this year?" Hermione asked.
"Shangri-La is taking over Amazon's duties, her rigging is getting a refit and will need some time to readjust her bearings. In her place will be Kiev – a destroyer – from the Northern Parliament and Sheffield will be returning again with us this year."
"They'll meet us at the lake again?"
"Yeah. Here's to an uneventful year," Harry said but froze. "I feel like I just tempted fate."
"You probably did," Ron off-handedly replied.
To be continued…?
XxXxXxX
And with that, another idea comes to a close and another entry added. There was actually a lot more to this idea that was cut that never made its way out of the "concept" stage. There was supposed to be a year 2, 3, and hinted year 4 yelling at Dumbledore as any concerned parent would do. Then there was going to be a post-year recap. Lastly, for year 4, the entire Champion choosing scene would play out. But I decided to scrap that for both time and because I do not know what I want to do exactly during Hogwarts itself. As for Azur Lane, I avoided the PR ships as I sort of want that to be something that Harry has a hand in during his time in the summer or after Hogwarts altogether. Another thing I have to take into consideration is the various Azur Lane storylines and how to weave them and the cast of those storylines into this idea. That, I think, will be the true challenge of the idea and may cause many sleepless nights until figured out should I proceed.
As for new ideas I'm working on, this was the newest as it was spawned from an idea that I saw a week or so ago. There are two other ideas that I'm humoring right now but haven't done anything with thus far, those may come out in the future at some point or another. I'm going to continue to work on my backlog of ideas to get those all squared away.
On to real-life stuff. It's been about a week or so, hasn't it? I went to a baseball game for the first time in forever (first post-coof) and it was a blast. I got myself a TLR-1 light, so I have 1/3 of the parts that I need to "tactify" my 509. Next are Sig Xray3's and a threaded barrel so I can one day get a "scary" can for it. Mostly the Xray3's though. I'm going to be going to a chiropractor soon to see if they can help with some back and neck-based issues that I've been feeling for a while. I'll also be likely replacing my gaming chair with a nice "executive" office chair (recommendations for that welcome). Azur Lane has been trickling out season 5 of their priority ships, at the time of writing two of the DR (UR) ships were revealed so it looks like it'll be quite an interesting one.
That's all I have this time around for updates. Tip jar addresses are in my profile. Let me know what you thought about the idea in the usual places. I'll see you in whatever I decide to post next.