CyberTech Worlds Clash

Chapter XLIII

Third World School

"Seraph, come on, answer!" Harry complained as he stood overlooking a large plain with a few rivers, a small lake, and several small areas of trees, and in the distant, a small castle town. It was an actual human settlement. However, the worrying things were all the robot animals roaming all over the place.

"Well, as long as nobody tries to feed the robot animals any cheese burgers all would be fine," Harry muttered thoughtfully to himself and received a few childish snickers for his trouble.

Harry had been dealing with an issue in Dakota as two more of those robot animals had turned up and they were dealt with before he got there by the cities two local heroes. However, a convergence happened and whisked the whole, or most of the city, Harry wasn't sure yet onto another Earth – unfortunately, not Harry's original Earth – not Peak Earth.

"Well, this Earth does have people!" Static said as he gestured maybe a mile away where a huge path walkway had been carved into the rock leading a guarded path up to the town, and the people they could see were dressed like futuristic Aztecs or something as they wore pieces of machine they had likely hunted.

Harry felt quite over dressed in a black shirt with the top few buttons undone, black combats, and black boots with perfect shiny black belt. Though, he was wearing a red glowing Focus up against his left ear, so that was something kind of similar, only his Focus was still working and their pieces of metal didn't. Though, Harry didn't need the Focus he thought it could enhance the signal of his internal systems.

Letting out a breath, Harry groaned. "Shit," he mumbled while Static and Gear stood either side of him looking out over the cliffs edge where the city ended up, luckily on higher ground.

"This… this is Watcher!" Harry, Static, and Gear started as they got a communication. "We're on a seventeen-minute delay. We have tracked you, but the satellites in Orbit with New Earth are well in excess of one thousand years old and have not been maintained in as long – we wouldn't have noticed them at all if you hadn't used them to call us. Seraph and the League are preparing Shuttleboom with several new satellites that will help with communications, but until then you'll be on your own, good luck Father," she finished and with that, the line went dead.

Harry was about to speak when another communication came in. "This is the Peak to Harry Avalon – we have a seventeen-point-five-eight-minute delay," Nick Fury said. "I didn't know you had another shuttle. We'll be sending Shuttlebeam over with some of our 'spare' satellites to get a network up and running on that planet before anymore convergences like this one happens. A full report on that world when you have a minute would be appreciated. Fury out!"

"Wow, who was that?" Gear asked. "He sounded pissed off."

"He always sounds like that," Harry replied with a small grin. "That was just some of our partners on my home world worrying about us."

Therefore, Harry sighed and turned around to some of his guards and scientists while crowds of people were gathering. "Okay, get to supermarkets, wholesalers, and all retailers. This planet doesn't look like it's going to have a big economy, or the supplies a few million lazy bastards like us need, so we need to prepare, and ration supplies for at least a month or so until we can establish commerce with these people or preferably, home."

"There's actually about eight-hundred-thousand people living in Dakota," Gear interrupted.

"Hmm… I thought it was more," Harry said in surprise, but shrugged. "That's better for us I suppose."

"We'll deal with beginning to ration food supplies!" one of his men agreed and ignored Gear's update on numbers and he led the rest back to where some nervous and unsure cops stood trying to keep the crowds back and recruiting some to add to their numbers.

"Well, good luck Virgil," Harry said patting him on the shoulder while he looked at Harry in confusion. "Well, I voted for you to fly over there and shake hands and say: 'we come in peace! – do you want us to reteach you not to be savage Aztec robot hunters'?"

"I'm pretty sure my dad wouldn't approve," Static said in concern as he looked behind at all of the reporters who still managed to have power for their cameras, unfortunately. "I am not risking being sacrificed to some robot god and having it all over YouTube. I plan on dying an extremely manly death when I'm too old to care."

"You know they only have bows and arrows and spears…" Harry trailed off, frowning. "Why don't these guys have swords, or why haven't they reverse engineered the weapons on the robots? They must have been seeded back on this… terraformed Earth maybe a century ago if that, but they can't think those machines are natural, could they? The first thing I started working on was their AI… its primitive. They're programmed to do their jobs and defend themselves with some of the other machines designed to just defend the others and they'll ignore you unless you enter their domain, and they have to see you. Next, I figured out how to turn them off. It's pretty easy. I altered the machines back on my world to shrink their domain. They create hive groups. However, they work independently. They don't have sensors or anything, so they can only see what's in their sight, by actual eyes, which explains those weird little watchdog bots with a huge eye."

"If you can turn them off – why haven't you?" Gear asked in surprise.

Harry was startled before shrugging. "They're cleaning the air and reseeding the planet with plants and vegetation, and it's worth letting them continue, and studying them is quite fascinating because whatever AI programmed the machines… well, these factories adapted and evolved the machines to take animal form, but from the scans I'm picking up, humans and certain animals that were stored with humans were seeded a couple of centuries too early, so it was likely something with the 'arks' went wrong, and the AI's to teach the humans had to let them out early on top of that, and likely died so they couldn't reteach the humans... so we get this…?" Harry said gesturing around with a sad sigh.

"Are you trying to make me feel bad if I have to zap any of them?" Static demanded.

"Just don't zap too hard," Harry said with a smile. "Though, if you ever wanted to be mistaken for a god before like in those old films or cartoons, now is your best chance?"

"When we have Superman to compete with?" Static asked and Harry nodded his concede.

"Well, it's not too bad," Harry suggested while shrugging.

"How is that, Mr. Avalon?" Gear asked in worry.

Harry offered a huge grin. "You're probably going to get an extra few weeks of summer holiday."

"On an alien Earth," Gear muttered sadly while Static looked ecstatic at the news and shared a high five with Harry behind Gear's back.

Harry Potter Worlds Clash

Lyra felt the uncomfortably annoying gaze of Albus Dumbledore as she took her seat at the Gryffindor table with Gwen sliding in next to her. However, Lyra groaned when Ronald the Stalker, and Hermione sat opposite them. The stalker was glaring at them while covered in faded bruises and had a split lip. Someone must have taken pity enough to heal him. However, Hermione was trying her best 'disappointed' look, but even an idiot could see that she didn't have her heart in it anymore and looked like she was full of questions she wanted answers too; truthful answers for once, and her gaze could not quite meet Lyra's.

Smiling slightly, Lyra looked away from them, and towards the teachers table to see Dumbledore still staring at her. It wasn't a mean, or a disappointed stare. It was more calculating. It was strangely normal compared to what Lyra was used to, and she wondered whether this was the old man's normal-ish look. She had never seen this kind of Dumbledore-look before. She could only wonder what vile bullshit he had convinced himself was the right thing to do next, but with Eli, she was ready.

However, as suspected Lyra felt the pressure push up against her eyes. She had never felt it from Dumbledore before. It was like eyestrain, odd but she could deal. It was relatively harmless to her now, and even if he could breach her mind; he would only meet Eli, and her systems would be too much for him they would likely scramble his brain. Lyra figured she was saving the old man's life by keeping the nosy piece of dung out of her mind. Lyra internally sighed and pretended she felt nothing and kept the old man out. The pressure ended after only a few moments anyway and just before Lyra looked away. The old man surprisingly smiled, looking somewhat amused… maybe Dumbledore liked mysteries or something. Lyra couldn't help but feel revolted at this mans gul, but she wouldn't fall for Dumbledore's tricks or bull-shite.

The sorting didn't take long when Dumbledore stood up and gave some announcements, and finally introducing some gross looking fat woman with a pink bow in her blonde hair. She reminded Lyra of a disturbingly ugly toad. She looked at Gwen and she seemed to have the same thoughts on the matter, and Lyra didn't need any mind reading power to know that.

Dumbledore at least let them know she also worked for the Ministry. However, as the old man was about to get dinner underway the pug, Dolores Jane Umbridge, Ministry Stooge made an annoying noise with her throat, interrupting him with a babying smirk on her face.

Lyra grit her teeth and held back her anger as this was the woman who tried to murder her with Dementors. The Ministry and the Minister refused to investigate, but some powerful Gringotts lawyers made them see they had no recourse against Lyra for underage magic as she did get a letter trying to accuse her of magic, but it was made to disappear along with her previous notice as the solicitors demanded evidence. The ministry couldn't supply any and had to write an actual apology and wipe that from any records. However, no matter that the Head of the Department of Law Enforcement was on their side to investigate rouge Dementors, the Ministers Office refused.

The vile woman wouldn't stop 'clearing' her throat until even Dumbledore seemed to be close to losing his temper, but he ended up letting the woman take the podium at the front of the hall. Then she went off into a boring speech that Lyra was recording on her phone under the table because she could almost instantly feel her concentration failing her.

Lyra really wasn't listening after that and almost missed dinner appearing on their table, so quickly slid her phone away into her pocket.

"Wow, that was so boring," Lyra said to Gwen laughingly. "I mean… 'I'm here to bitch-slap you all into obeying the Minister'… because Minister great. Minister let me do anything I want. Power. Power. Power! By the Power of the Minister! I have the POWER!" she declared to plenty of laughing around them as she rose her knife like a sword.

"That would have made it fun," Gwen said while still giggling. "The Ministers stooges have no sense of humour or entertainment."

"Lyra! Gwen! Have some respect! She's a teacher," Hermione interrupted their games even though she looked like it was just a reflex and she quickly shut her mouth.

Lyra smiled while rolling her eyes and eating a chip. "Respect is a two-way street Hermione. She came in here and disrespected every one of us," she answered coolly. "She just spoke to us like we're all two-year-old weaklings and that she's better than us."

"Yeah, toad needs a punch," Gwen said with a shrug.

"Shut it, Gwen and go sit somewhere else!" Ron suddenly demanded in anger as he had been glaring hate at her since they sat down, but she just ignored him. "Anyway Potter, what do you think you're wearing, where are your robes."

Lyra looked down at her clothes in surprise. "In my school trunk… so what?" she answered with a shrug. "I'll wear what I want during my time and the start of term feast is my time. I looked it up in Hogwarts A. History; then the school rulebook. I don't have to be here, by the school rules I could have just turned up at school tomorrow morning if I wanted. Heck, by the school rules I don't even have to stay here, as long as my guardian says it's okay, I can come and go whenever I want as long as classes are not in session. And even then, there are concessions that can be made as long as I continue to get passing grades."

"It seems you've been doing a lot of reading Lyra," Hermione said while sounding shyer than Lyra had heard her since their first year when Lyra saved her life. It was Nightwing's idea to read up on the school rules to use loophole to her advantage. "Professor Dumbledore would never let you leave whenever you want, though," she added quietly.

"Professor Dumbledore isn't my guardian," Lyra replied with a grin. "And if my guardian were to give me permission to leave whenever, then there is nothing Dumbledore can do."

"But Professor Dumbledore is…"

"No, Hermione. I have an older brother and sister," Lyra interrupted coolly. "And if you weren't over here, bowing before Dumbledore; then perhaps you would somehow find out the how's and whys. Look, Hermione, I love you, I really do, and I know you love me too, deeply you do… but you're stuck here, thinking Dumbledore's logic is absolute. That Dumbledore is nothing but truth."

Hermione looked down at her plate in shame and confusion while Lyra continued. "You're my first ever friend Hermione… just think about that. Loyalty is beyond books, beyond 'but he's a great man' or 'its for the Greater Good'," she mocked and Hermione flinched while Ronald the Stalker looked angrier than ever but Lyra ignored him. "If you love someone… you would fight for them… you would die for them… you would kill for them… and most importantly you would trust them!"

Lyra turned to Gwen and grinned. "Do you think Dumbledore cares about me, or The Girl-Who-Lived being his puppet?"

Gwen double took in surprise before she answered with a cold snort. "He only cares about that stupid scare and all the Girl-Who-Lived nonsense."

Lyra sighed while shaking her head in pity. "My life is my own, Hermione," she said turning back to her dark-skinned friend. "My brother and sister care about me and what I want, so why can't you?"

"But… but… but… you'll be safe where… but Dumbledore…" Hermione couldn't even find any words as tears prickled at her eyes.

"The 'Order' can't get to me, Hermione," Lyra said gently as she stood with her plate and juice. "They're not even close, Hermione…" she said while shaking her head. "Come on, Gwen, let's go and eat elsewhere," she said smilingly as she left the hall to plenty of staring.

Lyra parked herself on some stairs in the entrance hall and was joined seconds later by Gwen smirking at her in amusement. "Ron started ranting at me, but Hermione was in tears, poor idiot," she said rolling her eyes. "Anyway, how long do you think it will take Dumbledore to follow us?"

"He won't," Lyra replied smirking at the surprised girl. "He'll send out… McGonagall expecting her to intimidate us, though, she will be more reasonable and ask for an explanation. Then we give her one, and she'll be thoughtful and nothing short of her sending us on our way will happen, or something along those lines... trust me. The old man may believe he has everyone in his pants, but they aren't all as ridiculous as Ron is or as weird as Hermione can be, but even she'll be back at my side in a week or so if all goes as scheduled."

Ginny grinned and laughed as they got on with their meals. They joked as they ate their food and some fifteen minutes later, after they had finished as predicted McGonagall came out and stood before them.

"Good evening, Professor McGonagall!" Lyra chimed playfully. "What does my friend Gwen and I own the pleasure of your company?"

"Well, Miss. Potter, first-."

"That's Avalon," Lyra quickly interrupted as she handed the surprised woman a folded document that showed that her name had been changed.

"O-okay, Miss. Avalon," she agreed diplomatically offering the document back.

"You have to keep that one for the records," Lyra said sheepishly. "So that my name can be officially changed in the records."

"That will probably annoy a few people," McGonagall commented but shrugged as she placed the document away. "Anyway, I am concerned about this supposed brother…?" she asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, well I was surprised too," she agreed as she was at the time. "Harry is quite a cool big brother. He's also the sort of person that lets say… Albus Dumbledore's should be… wary of."

"Is that a threat Miss. Pot… Miss. Avalon?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

Lyra just shrugged while smiling. "Of course not, Professor… it was just a piece of knowledge that I am no longer under the control of a bunch of backwards… people who are all… stupid and cowardly. No longer shall I be running around and doing stupid things because of Dumbledore's meddling, and when I turn sixteen by muggle law, I may just leave. I haven't decided yet, but I can easily finish any schooling in the muggle world, and I could take my magical exams in the US or Japan or something, and then I'll likely be going to University."

McGonagall was rightfully startled by this, as she knew Dumbledore wouldn't let go so easily. "I… see, Miss. Avalon," she replied after a few moments of thought. "However, that does not explain why you and Miss. Weasley are eating out here," she said as she chose to deal with something, she was more comfortable with, such as potential troublemakers.

"My apologies if we worried you, Professor," Lyra answered while still smiling. "However, by school rules, at no time are we permitted to be forced to attend any school meals or school functions. However, during these times the school cannot force us to go without food of the quality served within the dining hall."

McGonagall raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I have never been surprised by you like that before Miss. Avalon… it's been awhile since a student has actually use school rules against me. So, if I may, why are you opting out of eating with everybody else?"

"Hermione was… being silly, and Ron was choking on Dumblecrap," she said with a straight face while Gwen looked to be near splitting a rib in laughter.

"I'll take that as a metaphor Miss. Avalon," she said letting her rudeness go and ignoring Gwen.

Lyra shrugged sheepishly as she stood up. "I'm sick and tired of everyone thinking Dumbledore owns me. The way he screws up my life, or the way he gets the Dursley's out of jail, committing crimes while doing it! Then says it's all for some Greater Good while everybody just goes along with it! Nobody questions it, EVER! They just sniff his poop shoot!"

McGonagall sighed as she thought it over and nodded. "Yes, but while he has so much power there is little one can do to stop him," she said admitting she had been turned off being loyal to him. "It is unfortunate, Miss. Potter, but as you've been reading up on the school rules there are ways you can avoid having to deal with him."

"Yes, I know," she replied while smirking before pulling out a letter with a small package from one of her pockets. "This is from my brother to you, Professor," she said handing it over. "Umm… do you have the password?"

Professor McGonagall nodded with a sigh. "It's Fruit Fly," she said as she watched them as they hurried off leaving their plates behind, but the House-Elf's would collect them, so she was quick in heading back to her private study to read the letter and see what was in the package.

Minerva opened the envelope and found inside a paper letter addressed to her, and she looked it over and internally groaned as it was a permission slip for Lyra Avalon to leave the school on short to no notice whenever it was called for. In other words, Lyra Avalon's brother was giving his sister a ticket to come and go from Hogwarts whenever she wanted.

She placed that to the side and opened the package. It was some kind of chunky red device that sat in the palm of her hand easily. It was light and sleek to its design. It had some kind of logo on the back with a CT in bronzed cogs with a silver logo underneath that read: S.T.A.R. Labs.

Then, she dropped it as it started bleeping with a bell like chime. She had heard something similar before a few times. It was a muggle telephone ringing. She knew that technically wizards and witches and magic should be better than muggle science, but so many of the thing's muggles made these days were starting to make magic seem obsolete in so many areas, communications being the biggest gap.

Minerva picked the device up and in buzzed between her fingers with each ring. She turned it so that the chunky side was facing her as she noticed the light that side. Her eyes widened as the light came from the device and made a small screen that was flashing with 'Incoming Call: Harry Avalon' with a shaky slider saying push left to cancel and right to answer with the colours red and green.

Gulping and taking a deep breath, Minerva McGonagall touched the light, surprised she got feedback. She couldn't even sense anything magical with it. Then she slid her thumb along the screen of light, and felt a slight vibration to the movement, and then almost dropped the device again as it bleeped and stopped ringing as the chunky bits founded out and open and a new screen projected in front of her in perfect colour and crystal clarity.

Within the screen was a young man with black hair and green eyes standing to a desert like backdrop with some kind of animals in the background, and a huge dark blue craft of some kind next to a lighter blue replica in the distance with people all over – a lot of which were heavily armed from her knowledge.

The young man had a large grin as he looked out at Minerva, and she knew from his looks that this was Lyra Avalon's mysterious older brother. He looked quite a bit like James, only better as he had some of Lily's traits added in, like those eyes.

"I'm glad the network is up for this call," Harry said smugly. "Seraph would have been okay, but I think meeting me… not quite in person was more important," he said while she could only nod, dumbfounded by this technology, and the things behind him. "Anyway, good evening Professor McGonagall," he said startling her as it looked about midday where he was. She looked over the window thing in awe as she couldn't sense any magic, and even got nothing while checking it with her wand while he chuckled. "No, Professor, this is not magic but science. I am interested in speaking with you face to face, but I'm afraid I don't have the time to come and see you in person… and I'm kind of… quite far away at the moment," he said gesturing behind him. "But rest assured, I have many friends," he added and she knew that was a threat and was far from empty, so she just nodded. "So anyhow, I sent this phone, feel free to keep it; it will make chatting easier."

"Well, what can I do for you…? Mr. Avalon isn't it…?" she asked him nervously as this was muggle technology working at Hogwarts with ease. She didn't doubt his power anymore; she could tell from his eyes, Lily's eyes, Harry Avalon was not an enemy any sane person would want.

Harry grinned and nodded. "Yes, I wish to talk to you about my adorable little sister's well-being and classes," he said, and she nodded for him to continue. "Well first Lyra shall be dropping out of divination and I would suggest runes or another class, but she'll be so far behind it will be a waste of that extra free time she could spend studying something else. The reason as I'm sure you're aware that you can't learn to see the future, so I see it as a counterproductive use of her time…"

McGonagall nodded in agreement. "Yes, that's reasonable… although normally it would be expected to replace the class. However, this far in is too late. If only Albus let us teachers guide them I'm sure Miss. Avalon wouldn't be in that class."

"Thank you," Harry replied gratefully. "Now, I would like to inform you that any negative action brought on by neglect aimed at my sister shall no longer go overlooked. I want you to act like the Deputy Headmistress you're supposed to be and protect the students. I don't care whether Dumbledore said this or that, or anything. It is your job and responsibility to stand up against him or anyone and say no."

She grimaced and slowly shook her head. "I… I would like too, but you don't understand. Dumbledore is not only politically and socially rich, but he is wealthy too, if he thinks that I'm turning on him I don't know what he would do. I could lose my job, and then I could do nothing. I don't have the money or power to fight back…, and now… there's a woman here to teach defence class. She works for the ministry and I…"

Harry raised a hand to quite her. "Trust me Professor, with Dumbledore's waning support it will be difficult for him to go against me. After all, the papers side with the ministry; it would look very bad for him if you were fired while speaking out against him. The ministry can be dealt with quite simply… just leave that to us, but…" Harry looked behind him and frowned. "Oh, we have some guests, so I have to go. I think that's all for now. If you have any questions or anything, just ask Lyra, I'm sure she'll be happy to teach you to use your new phone if she doesn't have any answers she can give you or she's unsure about, and you need to call me, but I did add the manual… anyhow, bye."

McGonagall looked at the device as the pieces pulled back in and the screen disappeared. She leant back in her chair and sighed before she startled at a knock on her door. "Come in!" she called as she was quick to place her new acquisition away and stuff the package it arrived in and permission letter away in her desk draw.

to be continued…