The Stonehenge Solution
04 - Infertility 10%
By Brian N. Johnson
A free fan fiction
Chapter 4 - Infertility 10% (Draft)
June 3rd
Harry was enjoying his late morning tea and scones while he skimmed through the four international newspapers Bob normally picked up every weekday.
The Asia Sentinel was focused on the threatening situation from China, but so far they were not making any real waves. South Korea threatens to start searching for kidnapped females on all ships headed to North Korea.
The Guardian was still quiet, but Harry truly expected little from them. Even the Daily Profit remained mum.
In the Middle East, The National was bemoaning oil prices falling again.
The New York Times rarely reported more than what the locals wanted to see. Today was a wash there too. Congress plans to debate cash support for all pregnant mothers.
And all of that was just fine with Harry. Silence was golden after all.
"Master Harry?" Sally Mae nearly wined while twisting her left ear severely.
Before Harry could respond Bob appeared in a similar distress.
"Guys!" Harry snaped hoping to startle them out of their distressed state. "It's okay! Please relax and tell me what is going on."
Sally Mae stopped twisting one ear but was now clutching both.
Bob had now grabbed both of his ears too. He still seemed to be able to speak at least. "Master Harry, a not wizard is telling us to invite him in!"
Harry knew that elves had their unique names for people, but this was certainly a new one. "Is there a witch wanting in?" Harry asked.
Bob shook his head no, "Not wizard, not witch, says we must invite them in."
Harry was just enjoying the bright friendly morning before this. "Okay, it's too sunny… Bob, is it an Unspeakable wanting in?" Harry asked drawing both of his wands after standing.
"Yes, Master Harry. A not wizard." Bob quickly agreed.
Harry nodded. "Bob let one in only and slowly led them up here. Okay?"
Bob nodded vigorously and barely said, "Yes Master Harry," before he popped away.
"Sally Mae, clear the table and prepare the full silver tea service and a selection of biscuits. Then wait for my call please," Harry asked the now calmer elf. Sally Mae popped away clearing the table as she went.
Harry slid the Elder Wand up his sleeve ready to cast with it mostly hidden in his relaxed left hand. The body of the wand was held steady in Harry's sleeve while the tip was held pinched between the base of Harry's thumb and palm.
Harry kept his holy wand firmly gripped in his right hand and pointed only slightly down at his desktop as he moved to stand behind his big, heavily reinforced, desk to await his unexpected visitor.
Harry closely watched and listened for his guest to come up the open stairway as he waited.
Bob loudly announced Harry's guest as they started to climb the last staircase, "Master Harry. I am bringing up the not wizard."
Harry fought a grin at Bob for recollecting how Harry instructed him to warn Harry when bringing anyone near Harry.
Once they were both standing at the top of the staircase Harry spoke softly, "Thank you, Bob, you may go."
Bob popped away but Harry knew the little guy was now standing invisibly behind the Unspeakable ready to defend Harry. Bob would stay on 'overwatch' until the Unspeakable was outside the house.
Harry did not forget that a mob of silent and invisible elves were even now gathering at the bottom of the stairs, ready to go to war for Harry if needed.
Harry looked at the shadowy and faceless Unspeakable but said nothing.
The Unspeakable waited a moment watching Harry before nodding their head and speaking with a genderless voice, "Greetings Lord Potter-Black. Thank you for allowing me to visit you today."
Harry barely gave an answering nod before asking, "Did I have a choice?"
The Unspeakable showed his empty hands and replied, "Of course Lord Potter-Black. I simply ask to have a friendly conversation with you, if you are agreeable?"
Harry controlled his reaction perfectly and held his face blank while asking, "How is any conversation with an Unspeakable simple?"
The Unspeakable chuckled at that question and slowly lifted his hands to push back the concealing cowl. Still moving slowly the man lowered his hands. "Well met Lord Potter-Black. I am Head Unspeakable Moray. May I swear an oath to offer you no harm here, today?"
Harry simply returned a small nod and lifted his wand slightly, while still not quite pointing it at the man.
"Thank you." The Unspeakable said as he slowly drew his wand and gave his oath without taking his eyes off Harry. After the expected flash the man slowly put the wand away and motioned to a chair in front of Harry's desk, "May I?"
Harry remained standing still holding his wand posed nearly ready to strike. Harry replied, "Please," and continued to stand watching the unmasked man.
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(POV Shift)
Head Unspeakable Moray slowly sat down greatly respecting the ready and willing warrior standing battle-ready behind that heavy desk with what he was sure was a second wand, ready to cast. He also seriously doubted he could get his most powerful spell through that desk if he dared to try. Potter is trying not to show his anger by withholding most of his magic. Moray started sensing it from the bottom of the stairs.
He expected Lord Potter-Black to take his seat, but he never even twitched.
Lord Potter-Black never looked away from Moray as Potter called for an elf. An impressive tea service appeared silently on a small table beside Morsy's chair, he never saw or heard the elf. He could not help but wonder if this Lord was secretly a 'pure blood.'
Only after the tea service appeared did Lord Potter-Black take his seat. He sat as if he was ready to launch himself into battle at a moment's notice. He was only sitting on the front half of his seat. I would bet hundreds of galleons his feet were under him ready to throw himself in any direction. He was still hanging onto that second wand given his posture. His right-hand palm heel was resting on the edge of the desk with plenty of room to bring that second wand into play between him and the desk.
Moray then noticed that the house was silent. He knew there was at least one elf watching him earlier, but now?
It had been a long while since Moray had felt a cold chill along his spine. There was one there now. This simple chat could very well get him well and truly dead.
Moray, you can not make an error here he is wound incredibly tight. It might be your last if you mess up now.
"Thank you Lord Poter-Black. I know that you were muggle-raised so I want to confirm something, but may I first put my wands on your desk?
Again he said nothing, just a nod.
After I took both wands by the tips I leaned forward and placed them hilt first on the desk. Then I leaned back away from my wands. I was shocked to watch Lord Potter-Black silently and wandlessly move both wands to the desk corner furthest from me. Only then did both of his wands disappear and he moved backward into his chair without moving it closer to his desk.
"Lord Potter-Black, I believe that if I remember correctly a saying goes something like, 'I come in peace.' I again assure you that I just want to talk. I mean you no harm, in any way."
Moray noted to himself that there must be a very strong warning placed in all of Potter's files. I don't want to think of the disaster it would be if he was attacked anywhere in public with bystanders.
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(POV Shift)
After Harry put his primary wand away he ignored the two on the corner of the desk and he felt himself relax a smidge.
"Very well Sir, what is so important to you to risk Potter and Black Family Wards and other deadly wards. All so you could speak with me after you abused my house elves?"
Moray frowned, "Sorry about that, but you are a very hard man to reach."
"My privacy is very important to me. Now please get on with it or leave."
Moray nods, "Very well my Lord. First, I have an interesting tale for you. One of my young agents followed a shipment of potions too closely. We believe that the destination wards stripped off the tracking charm he was following mid-apparition. The agent had a very rough landing and was immediately denied entry by the wards he fell into. Those wards then dumped him into the North Atlantic somewhere. He was quickly overcome by hypothermia and should have died. Fortunately, he was wearing an emergency port key and was quickly attended to by a Healer."
Potter merely shrugged at Moray's pause.
Moray smiled before resuming. "That event made us quite curious. We assumed we had discovered some criminal activity. Further investigation was conducted and only the cover story, a very good one, was unearthed. My young and foolish agent was not to be denied though and he did something very stupid."
Harry made no response to this, he just waited.
After a sip of tea, Moray went on, "With some assistance, the agent ended up hidden in the next suspected shipment under a thirty-day timed suspension charm."
Moray smiled at the quiet Lord. "When that young agent eventually returned he told a most amazing story of where exactly he found himself."
Harry shrugged, "And your point is what?"
Moray continued, "They were no criminal organization, just a secret one. My people waded into a forest of paperwork to find nothing on them."
Harry asks, "So why are you here?"
"Because we finally were able to follow the house elf connections back to you, my Lord." Moray smiled.
Harry asks again, "So why are you here?"
Moray smiles, "Personally, l can not abide puzzles that remain unsolved. I just can't let them go easily. We know what you are doing. Just not why. So I just wanted to ask you 'Why?'"
Harry responds, "Someday the Statute will fail beyond what can be dealt with. Then it will be time to hide, thus the shelters.
The Head Unspeakable sits there thinking for a few minutes. "How can we help?"
Harry says nothing for a moment. "If you're serious, send every House Elf you can to the warehouse you found."
"That can be done. How many are you building?" Moray asks.
Harry remains suspicious but answers anyway, "Fourteen to start with."
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(scene break)
In the six months since the announcement of the world's falling birth rate, many governments are begging to react.
The United States of America reacted quickly with a majority of states restricting pharmaceutical birth control availability. A few states lowered the marriageable age as well.
Many other countries follow suit.
Others are adjusting tax rates or offering other financial incentives for children.
Israel began testing all young males and asking infertile males to not marry unless the bride was also tested infertile.
Iran implements required testing for all males. Infertile males are not allowed to marry. All infertile male regiments are being formed and trained to be on the front lines. The new law requires all females fourteen and older to be married by the end of the year or within three months of their fourteenth birthday, before or after. Fathers are allowed to accept dowries for daughters.
North Korea is accused of trafficking females from other countries.
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(scene break)
Far below and north of Stonehenge, dozens of house elves worked away carving out a great chamber. The cylinder-shaped chamber was nearly a kilometer long and two hundred meters in diameter. The length of the chamber followed one of the lay lines that passed below Stonehenge.