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Just Add Water

Chapter 10: Barbecues and Recruitment Pitches

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Hermione's first three weeks at the Erythraeum Imperial Academy had been interesting. The campus itself was wonderfully unique and her parents had loved the photos she'd shared, especially the ones she'd gotten up early for; the dawn reflecting through the fountain squares that ringed the central tower was a gorgeous sight. Academically, she was being challenged and she loved it! Her education was split between book learning and practical casting, and every time she mastered a spell Professor Black would give her a more difficult one. She even had the chance to try learning the more esoteric branches of legal magic! (The Empire had banned Necromancy as well as spells that dealt with Entropy or the Void; Necromancy rarely ended well and the Empire's enemies could reach out and influence those who used their powers.) Sadly she had no talent for alchemy, permanently changing one thing into another was not an easy art and one either had the talent or did not. Still, she'd bought a beginner's guide to enchanting off the credit market and her first project had worked perfectly! Well, until she wore her enchanted, color-changing mood-cloak outside the dorms and the sudden drop in environmental magic broke her first enchantment. Mars just doesn't have healthy ley-lines yet. I just need to be more precise so the enchantment doesn't unravel so easily, I can try again on Monday after class.

And she'd made more friends too! Susan and Hannah she already knew, but she was getting along swimmingly with Ariana, Kristen, and Saska. She'd even made friends with the Greengrass sisters. Astoria had really impressed her by keeping up with the rest of the class despite being two years younger. Apparently the girl really didn't want to get sent home; neither she or Daphne had left Erythraeum at all so far. To be honest she didn't have real problems with any of her dorm-mates; sure Kylri and Tracey teaming up for some pranks had been a bit annoying but a little levity and chaos didn't hurt anything. That hadn't been an easy thing for her to learn, but Hermione honestly felt better after she learned to relax and go with the flow from time to time. Even Pansy and Selena, the most abrasive personalities in their dorm, had learned not to cause strife though there had been a few 'incidents' before reaching that precious equilibrium.

Hermione was very excited today as she carried a small bag onto the Bronze Class supply shuttle that left Mars every Friday afternoon and returned every Monday morning. The shuttle was an interplanetary craft large enough to transport every student at Erythraeum and all the supplies they needed every week twice over and was a fast and reasonably comfortable ride; in fact the longest part of the journey was waiting for the right stop once they reached Earth. Kristen and Saska followed behind her, apprehensive but a little excited themselves. A few moments later they'd found the seating for non-humanoid passengers and quickly started adjusting the complicated series of straps needed for the two girls who had a snake's coils from the waist down. While Tracey and their Kitsune roommate were responsible for almost all of the pranks in their dorm, Saska proved she was just as playful when a flick of her tail sent Hermione off-balance. When she'd lost her footing Saska struck like a snake and fastened two of the belts around both Kristen and Hermione, trapping the bushy-haired girl at the Lamia's side. (Falling over was more annoying than anything else in the low gravity of Mars. The shuttle's magi-tech artificial gravity wouldn't activate until launch, then it would gradually change from Mars' gravity to the full 'G' of Earth.)

Both girls chuckled a little as Hermione wiggled for a moment before giving up when her hands couldn't reach the buckles. "I'll have you know I was going to do this anyway, the shuttle ride is only half an hour but I wasn't going to leave you two behind just for a more comfortable seat!"

Saska laughed lightly and patted Hermione on the head before finishing strapping herself in while Kristen did the same. In case of emergency the belts were part of a truly impressive number of safety measures and one that was required to fly on the shuttle. Saska spoke up after ensuring she was properly strapped in. "Yeah, but that was more fun!" The black-scaled Naga paused for a moment, her excitement dropping notably. "Are you sure this is okay Hermione? I don't want to bother your parents."

Hermione replied quickly. "No, it's fine. Before the Empire came and I started class with the other magical kids I didn't have any friends at all. They're happy to meet you both. And honestly my dad's been planning to install a pool since we moved to Hogsmeade; he was just worried about the twins getting into the water. But Hannah and Susan volunteered their families so we're going to have a party while they get the expansion up in the backyard, then we'll ward the pool." Hermione looked at Saska directly. "We'll get the pool in as soon as possible, but promise to let me know if you start to dry out, okay? I know Naga are aquatic and the ingredients for your surface-potion aren't ready yet."

Saska was glad she had a friend so willing to worry about her health and comfort. (She would be less glad later when she learned Hermione's solution to her problem was to spray her down with a garden hose.)

~/*\~

When the shuttle landed at their stop the three girls met up with Susan, Hannah, and a boy Hermione hadn't interacted with before. Susan and Hannah had asked for permission to invite the Longbottoms so Neville and his parents were following them to Hogsmeade. Neville Longbottom was a nice kid and as his parents joined the group it seemed like he couldn't stop smiling. As they left the London Interplanetary Port and caught a train to Hogsmeade at the adjacent travel hub, Hermione found herself chatting with Mrs. Longbottom about the difference between the traditional Hogwarts education she'd had and the curriculum at Erythraeum. "You can call me Alice, Hermione. My husband and I aren't Professors yet, we're just teaching assistants. To be honest we aren't needed at all, but the Empire wanted us to have time with our son after they healed us. To answer your question, the seven years I spent at Hogwarts were filled with busywork, loads of cumbersome theory, and boredom compared to Erythraeum's classes. I wish I could have had the same teachers Neville has."

As the day wore on the group made it to Hogsmeade and walked from the train station to the Granger house. It was a new construction that admittedly looked more magical than the older houses thanks to the 'modern' materials used; it was built out of gleaming stone woven with living magical trees with golden bark and crimson leaves. Getting in, Hermione rushed to help her mother look after their guests. Thankfully her grandmother had come over earlier in the day to look after her little sisters. Hermione quickly found herself shocked at the amount of work needed to host a party and was exceedingly glad when Alice stepped in to help with a few household charms. After much thanks from Hermione's mother, Alice waved her off. "It's no problem at all, I just wish I knew a few more housework spells. They're some of the most useful magic around, but we never really learned them at Hogwarts, too busy making pineapples dance or turning mice into snuffboxes. I heard that Erythraeum is going to have a few weeks of classes on magic that saves work around the house soon."

With Alice volunteering herself to help out in the kitchen, Hermione found herself shooed back outside to enjoy the warm spring afternoon and the company. Soon she and the other students joined the group of adults that had conjured a table next to the hole Hermione had spent the previous weekend digging with magic and were discussing the planned expansion charm. As they went back and forth on which to use, eventually Frank Longbottom spoke up. "Look, I'm not saying the traditional spells are bad, but this one is better: It's more stable, provides a bigger area, and plays better with wards than the one we all learned at Hogwarts. There's clinging to tradition and there's being stubborn."

With a sigh, Amelia Bones spoke up. "Well, write out your formula then. No point ignoring a good alternative for hurt pride."

Hermione and the others watched with interest as the adults bickered lightly back and forth as they discussed the pros and cons of the different options for the various charms they'd be casting. Eventually they settled on which series of spells to use together and just before dinner was served Frank and Alice cast the expansion spell together. It was a good thing they made everyone else step back because the air rushing in to fill the empty space was enough to knock the students over. Dinner was simple but good. Dan had spent the last half hour grilling up an American-style barbecue feast with a mix of chicken, ribs, and burgers. Emma, with some help from Alice, provided a wide variety of chips, crisps, and various salads to complete the meal with something for everyone's taste.

Over the meal, both the adults and students got to know each other better. Hermione hadn't met Neville before today, not sharing any classes with him, but he'd known Susan and Hannah since long before the Empire came. It was obvious that both girls were nursing a crush on the quiet boy and Hermione was happy for her friends because Neville seemed to enjoy their company in turn. After they'd eaten desert, a divine sheet cake her father had picked up from a baker in Diagon Alley, Neville turned to Hermione and pulled a transparent cylinder out of a pocket. "Susan mentioned you wanted a freshwater pond, so I thought you could use these: They're cuttings I grew from a plant in Erythraeum's greenhouse, they actively purify water as they float and drift in the breeze."

Taking a closer look at the small plants floating in water inside the cylinder, Hermione saw that the plants were spindly, delicate things with small sky-blue flowers that glowed with a gentle light of their own. She paused for a moment before she replied. "They're beautiful Neville, but I can't accept them."

Seeing both of her fellow students were embarrassed by Hermione's refusal, Saska spoke up. "Sorry Neville, but Hermione's been corresponding for months with her mystery boy in the New Worlds program. I'm pretty sure she already has her heart set on joining him on the barren planet he's turning into a water-world. What did they name it again, Hermione?"

Hermione blushed and started to withdraw into herself but muttered out: "Caladan. They named it after a fictional world in some old novel."

Dan, who'd been an avid reader of science fiction books since he was a boy, spoke up. He knew his daughter had been corresponding with someone, but hadn't realized it was a potential suitor. Still, he didn't want to embarrass Hermione so he wouldn't tease her in front of her friends. "That's a good name. In the book it was ruled by the Atreides family, who were known far and wide as honorable and noble people and for the unshakable loyalty of the people that served them. I think I still have the book somewhere, I'll look through my study tomorrow."

Neville spoke when the adults once again turned to their own conversation. "Please keep them anyway Hermione, if nothing else they'll make a neat decoration."

When the last morsel had been eaten, the group transfigured stairs into the empty space the expansion spell had created. With the orbs of light the students conjured they could see the empty pool was fifteen feet deep and was as wide and long as a football field. As the group of adult magicals started casting the strongest charms they could to reinforce the walls and ensure the compacted dirt would retain water, Dan asked his daughter why she'd wanted such a big space. "Well it will be a project, but I was planning to add islands and gardens that got their water from the pool and even introduce some fish eventually. Even put some paths that go out over the water."

"And the size won't affect the anti-drowning ward?"

Amelia spoke up, pausing in her casting for a moment. "Not at all, at least not with the wards we picked out. I sent Frank the same ward schematic I installed in my own pool when Susan came to live with me though he said he'd be adding a few things to it."

Not much later the adult wizards asked Dan to come forward and add his blood to an intricately carved crystal the size of a cinder block. Frank spoke up as the group watched. "I did most of this in my spare time; if not for the war I would have gone into Warding. All that studying saved me a time or two during the war, let me tell you. In addition to the anti-drowning ward I included a few other things to keep the water clear and maintain the pool's structure and keep it warm over the winter. All you need to do now is slice your hand with the knife in the case and add seven drops of blood on each side of the wardstone. The knife is being kept separate because it will only work for the first person to touch it."

"Are you sure this will work even though I'm not magical?"

Amelia chuckled a little. "That might have been true when we first met, but you're closer to a squib than a mundane now. It took me a while to understand the theory, but the Empire uses their implants to give the parents of muggleborn a little of their child's magic, lengthening and improving their lives. I doubt that you'll ever be able to cast spells, but you should get to enjoy improved health and a longer life at least."

As everyone watched, Dan followed instructions and carefully dripped the correct amount of blood onto the stone as Frank rotated the wardstone with a levitation charm. When he was finished, to his surprise the stone glowed dimly and was soon installed in the exact middle of the expanded pool. When the wardstone was resting on a limestone base and the hole was covered by a second slab, the group started making their way back out. Hermione spoke up next. "The limestone will let the wardstone draw magic from the ley-lines that meet under Hogwarts. Now all we have to do is fill the pool up! With everyone working together it shouldn't take too long at all."

Hermione missed the hesitant looks from Amelia and Hannah's parents, but wouldn't have cared if she'd seen them. Once out of the pool, everyone with a wand stood at the edge and began casting in unison. Frank and Alice produced the most water, easily maintaining the same River-Summoning charm that Harry had been using but Hermione's efforts weren't far below them. The standard Water-Summoning Charm was very easy for her now so she started a cycle of casting the more difficult River-summoning Charm, holding it for a few moments, then switching to the easier charm until her magic recharged. Saska was proving water-magic came easily to her, despite the near-boiling water she was conjuring. Susan, who hadn't spent much time with the Naga, spoke up as they continued to fill the pool. "You'll get more water if you focus on only conjuring the water and not the heat, by doing both you're conjuring less of what you want."

Saska replied with a chuckle. "Not something I can do sadly. I inherited some of my dad's volcanic magic. Watch."

With that, the Naga stopped conjuring water for a moment and shifted her stance before drawing in a deep breath. After a moment she spat a golf-ball sized chunk of molten lava into the pool, throwing up a significant amount of steam as the streams of conjured water struck the stone. "Umm, I'll hunt that down and pull it out later."

The adults were surprised by her ability but Hermione's mind started spinning quickly. "That's so cool! Does that hurt? How much can you do at once? Did you conjure that internally? What is the lava actually composed of?"

The students chuckled as Hermione buried Saska in questions; Susan's friendship had done a lot to calm her down but Hermione still got excited sometimes. With a look of fond exasperation, Saska held up a hand to stop the torrent. "In order: No, it doesn't hurt; I'm almost immune to heat and I could stick my hand in a lava flow if I wanted to. I don't really know, I don't do it often since it's dangerous to others, both the heat and the gas that comes with the molten stone. I have an organ in my chest that collects minerals I don't need from my gills and digestive tract and stores them for the lava, but it also conjures material. I don't really know, and it doesn't help that the lava's composition varies with my mood."

The students' ability to conjure continued to impress the adults who didn't live at Erythraeum Academy until the party broke up. It was getting late and those who'd taken the shuttle were especially tired thanks to the time difference between England and Olympus Mons. When they stopped the pool was seven feet deep, (eventually the pool would be fourteen feet deep except for a few shallow areas) but that was enough for Saska as she settled down for the night. She did, however, layer herself and the corner of the pool she chose to sleep in with warming charms and even conjured a small piece of lava to keep the water warm. When asked, she replied: "Thanks to my dad I vastly prefer warm water to cold; don't worry about me though, there's plenty of oxygen in the water and I don't mind sleeping under the stars. When I get something transfigured to sleep on this will be perfect."

After setting an alarm, Hermione and her other serpentine guest got into bed and immediately fell asleep.

~/*\~

Hermione woke with her alarm at six in the morning. She'd gotten enough sleep, barely, and immediately started the job of escaping Kristen's crimson coils. The only downside of having Lamia roommates was that they tended to slither in their sleep. In the dorm Kristen and Jane often shifted their long lower bodies in their sleep and it wasn't unusual to have one of them sleeping with with only their human torso remaining on the bed with their serpentine lower half spread all over the dorm; sometimes they even wrapped around anyone with a warm body like this. The fact that Jane and Kristen were twice as long as Saska meant they had more to spread around, but it wasn't much of an inconvenience really. After Hermione visited the restroom and started some tea she heard groaning from her room; both Kristen and Saska wanted to sit in on her video call and had set their own alarms. Neither of them had plans on what to do with their life but one of Erythraeum's AIs had informed them they were candidates for the New Worlds program themselves, so they figured they'd at least see what kind of person Hermione's friend was.

Hermione sipped her first cup of tea and watched Kristen cast a warming charm on herself before she headed out into the predawn dark to wake Saska. The Naga usually managed to sleep through her alarms; Saska was one of those people who would hear an alarm then turn it off without actually waking up. Hermione found herself nervous as she kept glancing at the clock; forty minutes to go. She nearly jumped out of her chair when her mom hugged her from behind. With a chuckle, Emma spoke to her nervous daughter. "This is the first time you're talking to him in person right? It's just been letters before."

Hermione nodded and forced her pulse to calm with a few deep breaths as her mother sat down next to her and poured herself a cup of tea. "I really like this blend, it's one of the new off-world leaves mixed with a traditional British leaf. I meant to ask you, what was that with you refusing Neville's gift at first? I got caught up in conversation and forgot to ask about it."

Hermione sighed and briefly stood to get two more cups out for her friends outside. "It's a fake tradition one of the 'pureblood' students at Erythraeum made up and spread the lie that it was part of their culture. They invented the tradition of giving 'Declaration of Intent' gifts, usually a small useful item or book when you start getting to know someone. Basically it means: 'I think you're interesting and I'd like to get to know you better, and figure out if we should pair up.'"

Emma was thoughtful for a moment. "That explains why Neville gave you those beautiful little plants, isn't he someone you'd like to get to know better? Has Harry sent you one of these gifts?"

"No. Shipping fees from Caladan are insane and he doesn't have much there yet anyway; he doesn't even know about the 'tradition' since I haven't told him. But to be honest I like Harry; he was raised without magic and we have a lot in common. And… I think what he's doing on Caladan is really interesting."

Emma sighed. "I guess that explains the size of our new pool." Emma paused and her expression became much less cheerful. "On one hand I hate that you're having to think about things like this so soon, but on the other…"

Hermione gave her mom a smile. "But on the other hand the Empire has very important reasons for ensuring as many magicals as possible live and thrive? They're trying to win the war while causing as little suffering as possible, but if they fail we all die, so I won't complain if I end up on some ocean world with my only job to make my planet better and have a huge family."

(Neither Granger mentioned the elephant in the room: Despite all their measures, despite the thinly-veiled breeding programs, despite the careful cultivation of magical ability, despite the controversial New Worlds program, the Empire was not winning the war for survival. At best, they were losing slowly as they prioritized strategic resources and protected as many lives as they could.)

Both house guests had overheard, as they had the door open and were throwing a few spells at themselves to avoid tracking water and mud into the house. A moment later Saska tapped her wand to the offered teacup and spoke up after nearly inhaling a cup of boiling tea. "There's a lot worse fates than that, Hermione. If you want to talk to your friend alone, Kristen and I can give you some privacy."

Hermione shook her head. "No, that's okay. You two need to figure out what you want for your future before you get assigned something anyway. Mom, do we have any of that oatmeal with the dried fruit left?"

Emma smiled at her daughter and rose to help her get something out for breakfast. "Yes, if you want to get that cooking I'll fry some sausages. We still have enough time for breakfast before your call."

~/*\~

Back on Caladan, Harry had just gotten out of the shower and into the dining room when Sethria pushed a heated meal of pancakes in front of him. He had built up an appetite on the trip back. "Thanks!"

Harry had noticed that Sethria had a preference for salty and savory flavors and tended to avoid sweets. She was actually eating a bowl of rich beef stew as an early lunch while he enjoyed his pancakes and wished the meal came with just a little more syrup. While they were eating she spoke up. "The rest of the day is yours to use however you want. Try to relax and unwind, a little rest will do us both good."

In between bites, Harry replied. "I think I'll try to get a video call with Madral and catch up after I talk to Hermione. After that I might go flying for a bit."

"Sounds good, don't go too far from the stable area around the Victory alone." After assuring her that he would stay safe, Harry realized that Sethria looked as comfortable as he'd ever seen her: Hair still wet from getting clean and looking a little tired still as she sat in a loose, comfortable shirt and pants. Harry excused himself after cleaning up and went to his room for a clean shirt. When he walked by his bed it felt like it was calling his name, but he pressed onward and headed to their new greenhouse. As expected the plants were doing all right, but Harry still took a moment to water them. As he was heading back to his room, his interface opened with a notice that he was receiving a video call. Rushing back to his room, he had just sat down at his desk when the call finished connecting.

Harry chuckled as somehow the last few moments before the call had gotten away from Hermione as well; she and a girl whose lower half was a crimson snake were hurriedly shifting a couch to directly face the wall the call was using as a projection screen. His first impression of her was that her auburn hair was very bushy. He saw more people than he expected on the other side of the call, in addition to Hermione and the Lamia was a woman who could only be Hermione's mother and a Naga with orange fins and hair over glossy black scales that faded to either some kind of reptilian skin or very fine scales around her elven torso. Remembering what he'd read about Naga, (after meeting Madral he'd researched his friend's homeworld) they were usually some shade of green or blue so this was an unusual individual. The Naga was the first to realize the call had gone through and waved at him. With a smile on his face Harry waved back, earning a smile from her and Hermione's mother.

~/*\~

When Hermione finally got the couch into the right spot, she suddenly found herself picked up by Kristen, arms wrapped around her in a hug, and sitting on the right side of the couch with Kristen's serpentine lower half twisting under her and off to the side. Before Hermione could complain, she noticed the video call had gone from 'connecting' to an active connection and found her attention stolen away. Harry was surprisingly cute.

~/*\~

Harry gave the group a warm smile as they finished settling and spoke. "It's nice to meet you all. My name is Harry Potter."

One by one those on the other side introduced themselves, the girl with bushy hair trapped in a hug by the Lamia went first. "I'm Hermione Granger. It's nice to meet you too Harry."

The woman wearing a comfortable house robe on the other side of the couch went next. "I'm Emma Granger, Hermione's mother. Don't mind me, I'm just a little curious."

Harry found himself drawn to the striking ebony Naga with orange fins and accents as she spoke. She was resting her upper body on the couch from behind, hiding her sinuous lower body. "My name is Saska and I'm one of Hermione's friends. One way or another I'm going to end up in the New Worlds program."

Harry gave a nod in response. He'd have to send her a message later to see if she would be interested in Caladan. The Lamia holding Hermione went next. Not having seen one of them before he was especially interested since her species originated on Earth and because of his own Parseltongue talents. "My name is Kristen, I'm also a friend of Hermione and I'm slated to join the New Worlds program as well."

Harry gave Kristen a nod of his head and turned his attention back to Hermione. "It's good to see you in person, Hermione. I've really enjoyed the letters we've shared, and I feel like we've become friends." He took a deep breath and let it out before continuing. "I'd like to ask you to consider joining me on Caladan in the future. I probably should have asked in my last letter, but it felt right to ask you in person, or as close as we can get with me in the next galaxy over."

Harry could tell that Hermione was surprised, but not as surprised as she could have been. When she had trouble answering right away, Emma spoke up instead. "Could you tell us more about Caladan?"

Harry smiled and began his first try at a recruitment pitch. "Sure. I've been here for about three weeks now, since I left the Just Before Dawn, the teaching ship that picked me up from Earth. Since then my partner and I have been living in a 'beached' sailing ship; on the outside our home is a pretty close copy of the HMS Victory so we ended up calling it the 'Victory.' It's currently sitting in a stone foundation until there's enough water for it to float. Uh… inside there's nothing but space right now, there's twenty bedrooms in front of the massive window that takes up the back of the ship, one of which we're currently using as a greenhouse. Inside we have everything we need, including food supplies for Sethria and I for a year, half in preserved meals and half in ration bars."

Emma groaned at the mention of ration bars. "I'm familiar with those, my doctor insisted I eat one every day during my pregnancy and while nursing."

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "They're not bad, just kind of bland. Can't argue with perfect nutrition in a bar. Anyway, we also have a top of the line automated infirmary that's only been used to clean a few small scrapes so far and tons of empty storage rooms. I'm actually planning to flood the empty lower decks soon to start raising fish, I just need to get some aquatic plants and the fish themselves."

Hermione was listening raptly, so Saska spoke up instead. "Wouldn't that be much easier to do outside?"

Harry shook his head. "Not yet. Caladan is a 'work in progress' kind of world right now. It will eventually be a water world, but right now there's no water at all, it's too dry to breathe without masks even if the air had enough oxygen. We're eventually slated to have ten percent more gravity than Earth when Caladan is 'finished,' but right now we only have eighty percent of Earth's. Sethria and I just got back from a trip to charge one of the installations responsible for creating a planetary magnetic field, for now Caladan is protected by an energy shield."

Taking a pause, Harry continued. "But the Dawn put us down in a good place. The Victory is sitting in a valley, and we're working on building a dam. Hopefully by the time that's built I'll be strong enough to keep it full and we can just move plants and fish in."

Emma, the only one who wasn't familiar with the New Worlds program, spoke up. "Where is all this water coming from and why didn't the Empire flood the world before moving you there?"

Hermione replied, turning to her mom for a moment. "The same way we're filling the pool." When her mom remarked that there was a big difference between filling a pool and flooding a planet, Hermione continued. "Mom, the more we use magic, the stronger we get. We spend half the day at Erythraeum conjuring to build up our strength and add mass to Mars. The whole campus is built to float when we've conjured enough dirt and water to bury Olympus Mons."

Harry spoke up. "Precision helps improve how much you can conjure too. Most days I go back and forth between the River-Summoning Charm and wandless practice, like my instructor on the Dawn said you haven't mastered a spell until it's wandless and effortless. Rituals can help as well," Here, Harry turned and fixed the three girls with the hardest look they'd seen from him so far. "but most of them are dangerous. Never try a ritual that isn't Empire-approved, they do a good job weeding out the bad ones."

Hermione leaned forward in interest. "Have you used any rituals Harry?"

Harry smiled weakly as he flicked his fingers over the interface he called up and sent Hermione a link to a page in the credit market. "Just the one right before I left the Dawn. 'Solar Attunement' wasn't fun, but it was something I needed. Thanks to it I don't get sunburn anymore, heat in general doesn't bother me much, and my skin absorbs sunlight to bolster my magic reserves. My next big purchase off the credit market is going to be a familiar, and that will help me grow even more." Harry paused for a moment, and when he continued speaking he bowed his head at Hermione. "That reminds me! Thank you very much for sending that 'Sirocco's Sting' spell, Hermione. It's been great practice and I can maintain it for almost ten minutes at a time now!"

Harry glanced at the time left and spoke again. He'd expected Hermione to be more talkative, but she was just sitting there with a flushed face so he supposed he'd said something wrong. No one said anything for a moment, so he spoke again. "Until we get more equipment installed out here there's a limit on how much time we're allotted for video conversations, there isn't enough width to go around. Do you have any questions?"

Saska took a quick glance at Hermione and seeing her friend was a bit distracted, spoke up. "What's the climate supposed to be like on Caladan when it's finished?"

Harry replied confidently to the easy question. "Tropical everywhere but near the poles. Every crew will probably build an island or two in the cooler parts of the world once we have the ocean in. I never got to see one of Earth's pine forests, so we might as well plant some."

Kristen spoke next. She was interested in biology, and had been learning a lot since she'd been rescued and sent to Erythraeum Academy. "What fish and plants do you intend to start with when you have open water on Caladan?"

Harry flicked his fingers over the interface for a moment and sent two links. When he spoke, he didn't realize at first that with his attention centered on the pretty Lamia, he'd slipped into Parseltongue. "Tilapia fish and Shib hybrid grass. They're both tough species that should give Caladan's ecosystem a solid foundation."

On the Granger's couch, all four listeners were surprised at Harry's slip into another language, but while the other three jumped, Kristen had a reaction. Suddenly squeezing Hermione painfully tight, she let out a soft gasp and groaned.

Harry realized he'd slipped into Parseltongue when he saw translation screens flicker into being in front of three faces, but he was visibly worried at Kristen's reaction. Especially given that he could see her muscles shaking, As he glanced back and forth between the various faces on the other side of the video call, he spoke in concern, voice dropping in and out of Parseltongue as his eyes moved from face to face. "Are you okay? It's okay, it's just this weird magical ability I have, it lets me talk to snakes and gives me a talent for magic involving serpents." Harry's panic grew as he locked eyes with Kristen's shocked, wide eyes as the girl shuddered. "I'm so sorry, I've barely used this and I can't control it. I wanted to ask if you and Saska would like to exchange letters with me and now I've ruined that."

Harry paused and looked at Saska instead, but in his panic he couldn't get his mouth to switch to English as Kristen's eyes closed and she slumped against Hermione. While he wasn't a healer, Harry had received a lot of instruction on when to visit or drag a partner to his home's automated medical bay; to him it looked like he had just given the Lamia girl a seizure. "Shit. Interface, Medical Emergency! End Call!"

~/*\~

With that, the video call ended and three sets of eyes turned to a still-shuddering and horribly embarrassed Lamia. The three simply kept watching her silently as she slowly calmed down, her breathing returning to normal but now covered in a light sheen of sweat. Saska, with an amused expression on her face, spoke first. "Are you actually okay Kristen? That looked… intense."

In response Kristen simply released Hermione and buried her head in her hands out of embarrassment and her eyes began to water. Hermione looked a bit shocked and completely out of her element, so her mother spoke next. "Hermione, why don't you look up whatever that odd language was and I'll help Kristen freshen up. Saska, would you be willing to send Harry a message and let him know Kristen is perfectly fine? I assume her implants would let us know if she needed a healer."

Ten minutes later the group was back in the living room. Kristen was still horribly embarrassed but responded to Saska's teasing with a slightly heated retort. "I know how it looked, but it wasn't anything like that. I felt… It was like there was always some hole deep inside me and suddenly I knew something was missing for the first time in my life. …And it was like a key fit into a lock, but at the same time it didn't…"

Hermione spoke up. "Well, Harry did say that Parseltongue gave him talent for magic involving serpents. I know it's a rare gift but it's also very old." She paused for a moment, trying to remember something she'd read. "I think there are historical wizards with Parseltongue hundreds of years earlier than the first mentions of Lamia."

Kristen replied, taking a moment to recall what her tribe had taught her before things had gone to hell. "I… I remember my grandmother warning me to stay far away from any wizard that could speak the serpent's tongue. And Lamia are an alchemically created race…"

After a moment Saska spoke up. "Might as well see what we can find out. And we'll take you to the healer when we get back to Erythraeum, I know the school's infirmary has the best medical scanner the Empire can build. They took scans of me when I arrived to make sure I was healthy, my parent's species never really had children together before the Empire took control of Azeroth."

As the girls got out notebooks and opened their interfaces, only Emma reflected on the short conversation with her daughter's friend. As far as first impressions went, Harry's hadn't been the best or worst, but it had certainly been memorable. Potentially the kind of memorable that made for an interesting story later in life when told to one's friends or children.

~/*\~

Harry, who'd gone for a fly to get out of the Victory in such a rush he'd nearly forgotten his breathing mask, received a message from Saska after a few moments in the air saying that Kristen was fine except for some embarrassment. Hermione sent a message later that while she wasn't promising to join him on Caladan yet, she would seriously consider it. From that point on, Harry started exchanging letters with Saska, and once some of the embarrassment wore off, even Kristen. In spite of Hermione's spirited research binge over the next week, the only answer she and her friends could find to explain Kristen's reaction was the theory that Lamia had been created by a Parselmouth thousands of years ago. There were many theories of why a new species had been created, but the three friends felt they'd found the answer in what was apparently an instinctive reaction to Parseltongue. After a lot of research and discussion, the three would agree that Kristen's species was created by a very lonely Parselmouth, probably after he or she was shunned for speaking with snakes.

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Newsreel: The New Worlds Program and Horizon Class Instruction Ships

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"Hello again, this is Shia Runsocris here with another special report. Tonight we're going to delve into the New Worlds Program." Shia smiled into the camera. Instead of the normal desk, she was sitting in a warm, inviting room mostly copied from a human professor in her home reality. If this set went over well with Earth's population they would be using it more often. Shia hoped it did, the room was pleasant and the leather chair was exceedingly comfortable.

"By now, everyone should have a firm understanding of the Great War and our enemy. You've also learned why users of magic are considered critical war assets, and not simply because they can create matter and energy for the war effort. Any Imperial veteran, navy or army, will tell you stories about how a single magical, usually Class Seven or above, saved their lives by turning the tide of a battle. That is what the New Worlds program is all about. On every world with magical citizens, the standard implants constantly drain one percent of the magic they produce and funnel it to the war effort. All across Sol, infrastructure is still being built but already dozens of light cruisers and scout ships have been launched, forged entirely from collected magic and conjured material. When the infrastructure matures, Sol's current population of magicals will provide the matter and energy to produce about thirty battleships of varying classes a year. While that is no small amount of firepower, it remains insignificant compared to the scale of our war so the Empire is constantly pushing magicals to both grow their own strength and have as many children as possible. That is what the New Worlds program is, at its very heart.

"While only three-hundred years old, the New Worlds program has shown impressive results. Every magical is tested and the adolescents with the most potential, those most likely to grow impressively powerful are collected by a Horizon Class teaching ship and transported to special worlds. Along the way, students are instructed in both magical terraforming and more general spellwork in addition to as much general education as possible. Their education is condensed and what they do not learn before reaching their destination they are encouraged to learn on their own. The Horizon ships constantly collect energy and matter from the students as they grow their magical power by conjuring as much material as they can. Each ship is outfitted with two industrial fabricators which are kept busy building equipment and satellites for these new worlds while any excess is used to produce small corvette and interceptor ships for the Imperial navy which are offloaded regularly. While they normally travel slowly compared to the rest of the Empire's fleet, this is only for the sake of efficiency. These ships make circuits of the Empire's worlds and realities, collecting new students and taking them to newly forged worlds.

"This is footage of a team of Class Seven magicals at work restoring a solar system in the destroyed Andromeda galaxy and you can see why Class Seven is generally referred to as the 'Star Class.'" Shia paused her narration, watching the same footage as the viewers. "This footage was sped up, normally a star team takes between five and twenty hours to forge a new solar system. Right now there are just over a thousand of these teams in the place where the Andromeda galaxy once stood, rebuilding it one star and planet at a time. Unlike existing solar systems, extremely powerful magical defenses can be forged as the star and planets are conjured out of nothing.

"Each new world is given time for the conjured stones to settle, then they are ready for settlers. Unlike the normal Imperial colonization schedule, magic users are introduced in pairs. In the first year, two pairs of students are given large prefabricated homes and begin the work of terraforming their new world. One year later four pairs are settled, and that pattern continues for the first five years until there are sixty-two settler groups. Each settler group is encouraged to recruit additional settlers from their home worlds and a number of 'source' worlds carefully chosen for how those potential bloodlines will mix. Participants in the New Worlds program are granted reduced prices on interstellar transit for new arrivals, various supplies and creatures, and prepared enhancement rituals. Despite the low number of colonists most of these worlds gain a water cycle in only four years and are often fully habitable in seven; sometimes far sooner.

"Now, the question is: why does the Empire do this? What does the Empire gain by creating worlds with such a small population?" Shia gave the camera a warm, sincere smile. "More than you might think. First, between magic and technology letting nearly any species reproduce together and the benefits given to the colonists to encourage a wide variety of sapient life, second generations born on these worlds are almost entirely hybrids. Not only are many of these children more powerful than either parent, but the influx of new genes often awakens long-dormant blood gifts or even creates new ones. As a reminder, blood gifts are inheritable magical traits like Earth's Parseltongue or Metamorphmagi. With the population intentionally skewed to have at least ten females for each male and with each settler's housing including a state-of-the-art automated infirmary, these worlds populate themselves quickly. In the New Worlds program, twins and triplets are common even in species who usually only have single births.

"Speaking of magic, there are other interesting effects as well. As the settlers pour their efforts and magic into making these new worlds livable, they forge a connection to the planets themselves. In a process not entirely understood, these settlers very literally affect the nature of their planets as the magic they use in ever-increasing amounts form new ley-lines. As the settlers shape their worlds, as they seed life onto barren stone, these worlds reach back: Even on the original, experimental 'New Worlds,' none of the original colonists have suffered disease of any kind or aged past their biological prime. And the worlds seem almost alive as they reach for balance, both in weather patterns that skew towards energetic but sustainable and ecologically where the balance between plants, herbivores, and predators settles with much less effort than standard Imperial terraforming has ever achieved.

"The settlers themselves grow by leaps and bounds as they pour their magic into an environment entirely barren of the environmental magic present on Earth or any other planet with magical residents. The addition of carefully-screened rituals sold on the credit market not only increases the settler's personal power but also adds new abilities and aptitudes for new schools of magic; often those traits become inheritable. Between the mixing of species and this explosive growth in power, children born on these new worlds often eclipse the potential of their parent species."

Shia paused, taking a moment to flip to the next page of her notes. "As these worlds are terraformed and populated, the collected magic is used to build new shipyards. After only three-hundred years of growth the original New Worlds have shipyards integrated into orbiting moons and most are producing two to three hundred battleships a year. And that is not a system-wide number, each individual planet is producing hundreds of ships. Even now that number continues to rise as the colonists grow stronger and create new generations, each stronger than the last. Very few of those born into the New Worlds program see combat in the war but those that do tend to fight with power and vicious cunning that recruits from more tame worlds lack. The conditions on these worlds encourage the instincts that every living thing has to fight, to struggle, to conquer and dominate in the face of adversity; nearly every society tends to push these feelings aside, ashamed of their deepest, most primal nature. But in the New Worlds program, these ignored instincts come roaring back.

"To summarize the entire New Worlds program another way, you could say it is a celebration of life, of the struggle against extinction. The Empire's war has been harsh and costly. Much has been lost but hope still remains. Remember, we are one Empire united and we will stand together against the abyss as long as it takes. We will not despair, we will not give up. For our family and friends, for the sake of all those already lost, and for the generations yet to come, we will never give up."

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A/N: Welcome to another chapter! I'm still looking for more ideas for future Newsreels, I'm now working on one about relationships in the Empire.

Please leave a review! I read and treasure every one and they all motivate me to keep writing!