Chapter 9
(Translated by Maria Volkov)
Potter, first off, please forgive the use of my lovely Maria as a transaltor. I speak English well enough, but I have not yet mastered your alphabet, as I'm sure our mutual friend Hermione is aware. Please convey my congratulations on the birth of her new twin boys.
As Fred and George told you, I own an estate outside of the city of Sofia in Bulgaria, and while practicing I looked up and saw the giant airship flying east towards the Black Sea. I asked around and a friend of mine saw very a few large people escorting locals onboard when it was aground in the forests North of here. Most were dressed like the local wizarding population.
If we see or hear anything else I will owl you immediately. My father's family is Bulgarian, but my mother's is Russian and I grew up hearing stories from my grandfather about the horrors those nazi pigs visited upon the world. I will help in any way that I can.
Sincerely,
Victor Krum.
Harry frowned while reading the letter. This was not good. It sounded to him like Millennium was recruiting. Harry rushed to Integra's office and knocked on the door, entering when she invited him to.
"Bad News. I heard from my friend in Bulgaria. A friend of his confirmed that the Zeppelin was there, and that several people including multiple wizards from the area boarded the zeppelin before it took off." Harry said.
"They're recruiting." Integra observed. Harry nodded.
"By now they're probably in Russia, Turkey, Mongolia or China, tracking them in any of those countries will be impossible. I really don't know how to proceed." Harry admitted.
"We're on a holding pattern with tracking them down for now, until they make enough noise for us to hear. Until then, we should focus on consolidating and bolstering our resources here in preparation for another attack. The Queen is offering us her full support, and not only are we recruiting to our own forces, but the Wild Geese are bringing in more mercenaries from all over the world. Pip has insisted that our contract is still valid and that he has no plans of taking others." Integra said.
"Well that's something. The Wizard thing is bugging me though. I wonder if Rip and Zorin have any information." Harry asked.
"It's worth asking them." Integra said, paling.
"Here it comes." Harry said.
"Here what comes?" Integra asked. Harry conjured a bucket and handed it to her.
"Harry what is this... oh god..." Integra said before vomiting into the bucket. Harry ran around behind her desk and held her hair back. After a few minutes of dry heaving she put the bucket down and slumped in her chair, exhausted.
"Time to start the nausea potion." Harry said with a grin. "Here, keep this in case." Harry said, vanishing the mess inside before retrieving her potion box and pulling out the nausea potion.
"Here you go, take it slow. Your stomach might revolt before it takes effect." Harry said. She took a sip, waited and then finished it.
"You're too good to me." Integra said, sincerely.
"No such thing." Harry said, rubbing her back.
"May I come in?" Hermione asked after knocking.
"Of course, please." Integra said.
"You ok,?" Hermione asked.
"Morning sickness. Harry caught onto it before I felt it." Integra said with a fond smile.
"You've got to keep up on those potions. Harry's are better than store bought." Hermione said.
"I will. That was the first time I've had it." Integra said.
"So, anything on the agenda today?" Integra asked.
"I'm planning on visiting Helena and interrogating Rip and Zorin about this." Harry said, giving her Krum's letter.
"That's disturbing. Viktor told me Eastern Europe is crawling with mercs, and not good ones like the Wild Geese." Hermione said.
"I'm going to keep an open dialog with him. I'm thinking of setting up a separate set of journals to give out to informants as we acquire them." Harry said.
"Why not just connect them to the existing ones?" Hermione asked.
"Sentimental reasons, mostly. I'm planning on making them for you two, one for Seras and one for Schrodinger when he gets back by the way. I'm also curious to see if they work wherever it is he goes." Harry said.
"Maybe you could figure out magical cell phones?" Integra suggested. Harry's face went blank.
"Muggle technology and magic don't mix." Hermione said. Harry disappeared with a small pop.
"Why is that though?" Integra asked.
"We're not completely sure, mostly because magicals don't trust science, especially modern science. I suspect that magic creates a static charge that shorts printed circuits out." Hermione observed.
"Harry told me that when Zorin was starving while on a supply run for Millennium she was starving, so he had to portkey to Berlin and then apparate to Halle. When she drank his blood she was almost incapacitated because of all the built up magic." Integra said.
"I never thought of that, but that's definitely worth exploring." Hermione said. Harry reappeared with a quiet pop and put a box on Integra's desk, then disappeared again.
"I know that some government computers are shielded against the electromagnetic pulses caused by nuclear warheads. I wonder if a similar concept would work?" Integra asked. Harry reappeared with Sirius and Remus who both took an object from the box. Remus looked at it for a second and then nodded and disappeared with Harry and Sirius.
"That kind of shielding usually needs a direct link to ground. It would work for fixed locations, but not mobile situations." Hermione asked. Harry reappeared with a grin, and took the box, then disappeared again.
"Well it's a start. I mean if you could ground everything electronic directly then magical homes could probably use electricity." Integra proposed. Harry popped back in and handed Hermione and Integra each a box.
"Harry fix." Harry said. Hermione quirked an eyebrow, and opened the box, extracting a clamshell-type makeup compact mirror, the top with the mirror and the bottom section containing makeup. When she opened it, she looked in and saw Sirius waving at her like an idiot. Harry took the brush from Hermione's compact and wrote 'Remus' on the bottom section. The view switched to Remus shaking his head in disappointment at Sirius.
"Harry, did you just invent magical cell phones?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded proudly.
"Do you see what I mean? It's always something new with this asshole! HARRY HOW DO YOU MAKE SMART SEEM SO STUPID?" Hermione demanded. Harry went to answer, then paused, then disappeared again, returning almost immediately and writing 'Emma' in Hermione's mirror. The view changed to Emma Granger looking very confused.
"Hermione dear? I think your friend Harry might be having some sort of episode." Emma said.
"He's been having that episode as long as I've known him, mom." Hermione said.
Hermione found herself having to go over yet another brilliant magical discovery that Harry had seemingly pulled out of his ass, she was seriously having trouble reconciling her frustration with her friend's effortless genius. On one hand, he's twice in one month alone completely revolutionized magic, on the other he chooses the most infuriatingly stupid way of announcing it to her. By week's end, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Integra, Seras, Pip, Zorin, Rip, Helena, Neville, Luna, Remus and Sirius all had them, and all were also connected to a large vanity mirror in Integra's office that could conference everyone together. Harry had installed tiny versions of Helena's ward stone inside of them to power them for their non-magical friends.
Harry, Hermione, Remus and Sirius all had a long discussion, and it was decided when they had time they'd work on expanding the product so that it could support thousands, if not millions of mirrors, but in the meantime they were an invaluable resource for Hellsing's efforts against Millennium. Helena was overjoyed, because to her it proved that Harry was indeed capable of performing feats of magic that people had considered impossible. It gave her hope of one day being an adult.
A week after developing the first generation of them, Harry had an idea that had met a lot of resistance. After Harry, Hermione, Sirius and Remus all worked together on adding security features to the mirrors, he managed to get Integra to agree to giving one to Alexander Anderson. Integra appreciated the Priest's efforts in fighting against Millennium, but she could throw him much farther than she could trust him. Harry gave Integra the kill switch for Anderson's phone and that's what made the difference.
Harry decided to deliver it in person since he'd promised to come and visit the orphanage before the battle of London. Seras was reluctant to let him go alone, but she knew Harry could apparate out if there was trouble, and on top of that he had a way to call for help if he couldn't. It was a Friday morning that Harry found himself rummaging through a cardboard box in his quarters that had 'Illegal Stolen Portkeys (don't tell Shack!) written in sharpie on the side when he found one that would bring him to the outskirts of Rome.
After checking on Integra, and kissing Seras goodbye, he activated the portkey and found himself landing in a pile of garbage in an alley between two buildings. A quick cleaning charm later and he was on his way towards Alexander Anderson's orphanage. He made it about three blocks before he realized he had two problems. One: He had no idea where Anderson's orphanage was. Two: He spoke absolutely no Italian. Well except the words for different types of food. Being the idiot he was, he just shrugged and started wandering, trusting on his blind luck to guide him.
It had nearly proven disastrous as he managed to stumble upon not Father Anderson, but one of his trusted compatriots, Heinkel Wulfe.
"Ms. Wulfe?" Harry said. Heinkel looked around and finally recognized Harry. She growled and stalked up to him, grabbing him by the lapels and dragging him into an alley, pulling a stilletto and holding it to his neck.
"Give me one reason not to gut you where you stand, Hellsing puppet?" Heinkel said.
"I'll give you two. One: my guts are not in my neck. Two: Look down." Harry said. She did and noticed the tip of his wand pressed against her breastbone. She paled, and slowly withdrew the stilletto. Harry grinned and sheathed his wand.
"Ms. Wulfe I promise you, I come in peace. Didn't Father Anderson get my owl?" Harry asked. She frowned.
"He said we'd be having a visitor, but did not mention who." Heinkel said. Harry chuckled.
"Looks like he decided to pull one over on both of us. I realize you have absolutely no reason to trust me, but is there any way you could bring me to Father Anderson? He told me the kids wanted to meet me." Harry said.
"Come with me." Heinkel said, walking off in the other direction, and he followed.
"Is Sister Takagi doing well?" Harry asked. Heinkel looked back at him but didn't stop moving.
"She is well. I never got a chance to ask during the battle. It would have been very easy for you to kill her, and you would have been justified. Why did you spare her?" Heinkel asked.
"I only kill my enemies, and that's only when they leave me no choice." Harry said
"She is Iscariot. You are Hellsing." Heinkel said. Harry nodded.
"That we are. Father Alexander is also Iscariot. He is also a man I greatly admire." Harry said.
"He is Catholic. You are Protestant." Heinkel countered.
"I'm actually agnostic, Sir Integra is Protestant." Harry said.
"You're agnostic, and yet you donate money and toys to a Catholic orphanage." Heinkel said.
"A Catholic orphanage run by a man who tried to kill me!" Harry said with a grin.
"You are strange." Heinkel said.
"I never said I wasn't." Harry said. They arrived and Heinkel opened the door only to almost be bowled over by a group of kids running out the door and laughing. Harry grinned and followed her inside. The orphanage was desperately in need of repair and renovation, but was immaculately clean. There were toys and games, many of which had been from Harry, all stored and organized. Milling about the building were far more children of all ages than Harry had expected.
"Would you like coffee?" Heinkel asked.
"That would be lovely!" Harry said, and followed her into the Kitchen. As she prepared the coffee, he looked around and frowned.
"You guys have enough food?" Harry asked. Heinkel sighed.
"For now. When we received your gift, our endowment from the church was lowered" Heinkel said. Harry frowned, and reached into his coat, and pulled out a checkbook, writing out a check and handing it to Heinkel. She dropped the cup she'd been holding in her other hand when she looked at it.
"Harry.. this is too much!" Heinkel said.
"Yes it is too much to have to expect from a complete stranger, but I'm not going to criticize your church in your presence. I asked Father Anderson to let me know if more was needed." Harry said. Heinkel went to pick up the shattered mug and Harry stopped her.
"Mind if I do some magic? I can fix the mug." Harry asked. She nodded and he repaired it, then walked over to the sink and washed it.
"Did Father Anderson tell you about my past?" He said.
"No, I asked about you but he said it was not his story to tell." Heinkel said. Harry nodded.
"I was an orphan. My parents were murdered by a dark wizard. I was sent to live with my aunt and uncle. They were very, very abusive. I barely survived through childhood." Harry said, wiping the cup down and giving it to her.
"I told Father Anderson that I'd have given anything to have grown up here instead." Harry said, then pointed to a little girl who was smiling and playing with her friends right outside the window.
"When I was her age, I never smiled like that. I couldn't. I can see the wonderful gift you are all giving these children, it's a gift I desperately wanted. You're keeping these kids from suffering what I went through. Because of that I will never see you as my enemy. An opponent, maybe, but never an enemy." Harry said. Heinkel just stared at him, unable to speak.
"Are we gonna have a problem here, Heinkel?" Anderson said, stepping into the room.
"No Father Anderson. Mr. Potter here has given me something to think about." Heinkel said
"Potter-Victoria." Harry corrected with a grin. She paused, handed Anderson the check and then left. Anderson looked down at the check and stared at Harry.
"Harry this is too much." Anderson said.
"Of course it is. Ms. Wulfe told me that your endowment went down after my last donation? I asked you to tell me if you needed more." Harry said.
"I can't do that." Anderson said lamely.
"Bulls- Nonsense." Harry said, correcting himself when he remembered he was around children.
"Father Anderson I am obscenely wealthy. 50,000 Euro doesn't even put a dent in it. I plan on making recurring donations and you're gonna take them or I'll manipulate your bank's employees into taking my money and depositing it directly into your accounts with magic. I won't see these kids suffer because there's a bishop or cardinal somewhere who wants to funnel your endowment into their own interests." Harry said, glaring up at the much taller man.
"I... Thank you Harry. You're a good man." Anderson said.
"I'm trying to be one. Did you get my letter?" Harry said.
"Aye, the kids will be in for lunch soon, they'll want to give you the card they made." Anderson said.
"Awesome. Go round 'em up, I'll get started on lunch. Any allergies I should know about?" Harry asked. Anderson laughed and shook his head.
"None." He said simply before leaving. Harry was a whirlwind in the Kitchen, it only took him a few minutes to make a mental map of where everything was, and then he was off. He'd decided to make the kind of food that was a universal winner amongst children: Macaroni and cheese. He'd come across a recipe a long time ago that was so good he managed to memorize it. He'd been so focused he didn't hear the door open behind him.
"Excuse me, what are you doing?" A timid voice asked from behind him. Harry turned and smiled.
"Hello Sister Takagi. I'm cooking lunch for the kiddos." Harry said.
"You're Harry Potter!" Yumiko said. Harry nodded
"Well I go by Harry Potter-Victoria but yeah that's me. We met in London." Harry said.
"I attacked you! Oh I'm sorry." She said, her eyes welling up.
"Don't worry, A lot of my friends attacked me the first time they met me. Look at Father Anderson!" Harry said with a laugh.