Chapter 15:

Not every plan I had succeeded. I spent considerable effort to get the United States to mandate a specific chip on every phone. The US President was fully behind it in 1993. It would have provided for decent encryption for all communication, but with access for domestic intelligence. It would have also contained magic and provide a gateway for all sorts of useful plans. The charms would have been added during manufacturing, and not known to many non-magicals.

The plan was too controversial and fell apart. People didn't like to be reminded that their government wanted to listen to all of their communications. It was also clear the US was not the only place that could design and build the latest mobile phones, and the US would become a technological backwater if it mandated aspects to new technology that the market didn't want and that other advanced nations didn't also mandate.

The ICW agreed to a backup plan. Every digital camera chip or analog camera connected to communication would be magically tampered with to malfunction under certain conditions if magic were present. It was estimated that it would take a while to actually accomplish this goal. This plan had enormous technical challenges and might not ever be successful either.

I had influence at the ICW, with many of its members business associates of mine. Dumbledore accepted my role, and I tended to discuss with him what I was doing at the ICW. I would strive to give him "greater good" reasons for my plans.

At the end of their second year at Hogwarts, Hermione again had the best grades, followed by Draco, followed by Harry. I noted when I spoke to Draco that Daphne wasn't that far behind them, while Pansy was much lower in the rankings.

Slytherin acknowledged Draco's leadership, even as a second year. Many of their families were profiting by doing business with me, and they all knew about certain covert actions that I had done. Draco didn't go around saying "wait to my father hears about this", but instead would subtly point out the connections between the families of those he talked to and me.

Just as in canon, I bought new brooms for Slytherin, and Draco was again the seeker for his team, as was Harry for his team. They had a good natured rivalry and were fast friends when not playing Quidditch. For general good will I donated basic, but new and well functioning brooms for the first year's flying lessons.

For the team I bought the latest Nimbus. For the school I donated brooms from my own company. I had efficiency experts look into every aspect of broom manufacturing. Non-magical and squib labor was used as much as possible, and made in Albania which was still a low wage country. These brooms were intended to make brooms affordable for those who hadn't been able to afford brooms before. They were by no means top of the line, but were reliable and could be used for casual games and transportation and for learning flying.

Minister Fudge agreed to my suggestion that all employees of the Ministry engage in militia training, with a chain of command and procedures for how to assemble in an emergency. An absurdly high percentage of witches and wizards worked for the Ministry. For others there were training sessions they could join voluntarily.

I started a similar program in Albania, although there it was tied to my enterprises, and not with their Ministry which had a much lessor role than the British Ministry did.

I was preparing for the possibility of defying the ICW, or for defending against a non-magical backlash if the magic should be revealed.

I suddenly found myself again facing a large bat who said, "Hello, I am the Random Omniscient Being again.

You completed your task well and will receive at least $2 million. Since a check from me, or cash, or gold, would each present you with some legal challenges, I will give you instructions on buying a lottery ticket that will win at least that amount. However, I earlier said that would be at the end of Lucius Malfoy's life, which is not now. I am instead transferring you over to a colleague of mine from the Star Trek universe called Q."

End of Part 1.

Part 2:

He faded away, and I was now in a white featureless space with Q as he appeared in the first episode of Star Trek the Next Generation, speaking to me, "You dealt with your pesky immortal wannabe whose name is an anagram, the pretentious one. You are a true Slytherin in both timelines. I have another goal for you, and yes you'll be paid for succeeding.

In another timeline I put a true Ravenclaw in a different Harry Potter timeline in 1991. It was also the Star Trek universe. I wanted a pathway for humans to become like the Q.

The more timelines that succeed the merrier, although the Q are hardly a merry bunch.

I am going to see how a Slytherin approach would work.

I will tell you more than I told the Ravenclaws. I gave them only hints and cryptic answers. These are people who like figuring things out and have to answer a riddle each time they go to their common room."

I decided to get a truer sense of what he was about by throwing off his game by saying a joke, "Are you saying that I am stupid?"

Q answered, "Hardly. There are different intelligences. You really should read Howard Gardner. His book has already been published by this year. Which gets back to precisely why I picked you. I want to see how your Slytherin skills will compare to another's Ravenclaw skills.

You will also get a new ability, full recollection of Star Trek canon and some of the major fan theories. You will note that some of canon is inconsistent. For those you'll just have to discover what is in this universe. You can ask a Ravenclaw if you need help understanding what I am saying."

Interesting, he turned my joke right back at me.

Q continued, "Consequential time travel is not allowed. Time turners that have no effect on history can still function.

The world outside of Earth is the Star Trek world. Earth's visible history is a little different, but not much.

The Star Trek canon that I accept will happen without your intervention. Even with your intervention, the timeline contains an attraction to that canon timeline. If you have a choice of names, picking names from canon will make things go easier for example.

You have already changed the timeline. The Eugenics Wars should have started in should note that the augments are actually magicals but in a way that keeps the Star Trek canon almost unchanged.

Khan Noonien Singh has been watching your actions in Britain and Albania and decided to delay his planned takeover in order to learn from your results. It is up to you to learn if he finished his learning.

All of that time travel in Star Trek being stopped also changes some of canon. I have put together a consistent timeline that by necessity differs from parts of canon.

You are getting a monetary reward back in your home dimension depending on how you do. For the Ravenclaws it was the joy of discovery that motivated them.

Questions?"

I asked, "Any mistakes they made that I should avoid?"

Q answered, "I'm telling you more than I told them, but not everything. Next question."

I asked, "You said they. Was there more than one person from a different dimension?"

Q answered, "Just one. But Luna Lovegood soon joined him. In canon, was she a seer, or just perceptive? In the Ravenclaw Star Trek timeline she was a seer."

I asked, "But this is not the same Harry Potter timeline."

Q said, "Some things you'll need to discover yourself as to how similar they are. They are not the same.

Actually I will tell you the greatest fan criticism of the original character. He immediately went to Dumbledore and told him everything. Some of the critics of his fan fiction chronicle back in his home dimension lost their minds over that."

I said, "Leaving aside whether Dumbledore would help achieve my goals, I would worry about Dumbledore wanting to take over the task. He thinks he is better able to reason than anyone else, while he is sadly lacking in that ability. I would also worry about him removing memories or otherwise reprogramming the one who told him. He could also imprison or otherwise constrain one."

Q said, "I gave the original character, and later Luna, full immunity from any form of mind reading or manipulation. That character used the speculation of what I would do to preemptively threaten Dumbledore to not sideline him.

In this timeline, you, Narcissa, and Draco have that immunity. I might add to that list."

I answered, "In that case, most of the objections are handled. The remaining question is whether Dumbledore would help or hinder the plan of the self-insert."

Q answered, "That self-insert more or less agreed with Dumbledore's way of running things. He became his protege."

I said, "That wouldn't work for me. I have some major disagreements with him. I keep him in line by convincing him that he would not want me as his enemy."

Q asked, "Any other questions?"

I asked, "Why did you not tell the Ravenclaws this much if you wanted them to succeed?"

Q answered, "They were quite self motivated and enjoyed learning. You, as a Slytherin, embody cunning, resourcefulness, leadership, and ambition. I am helping point the way for your ambition. Long term I want evolution of humanity to become like I am. To get there they will need security and advancement and other things later. You'll also need the survival of wizarding.

Actually it was Luna who came up with the idea of the ideals of the four Hogwarts houses being four different ways to approach the problem of Earth among the Star Trek neighbors. She naturally considered, after careful analysis, that the Ravenclaw method would be best.

I will be watching to see how you do with Slytherin methods."

I was back to Malfoy manor. At this time I had influence in the British Wizarding world and the larger International Confederation of Wizards. I had a good flow of money from my enterprises, which I used to secure political influence and some degree of cooperation with many who might grow dependent on my enterprises.

It was August 29th, 1993. I spoke to Draco, "I have some new knowledge and new long term goals which you are not fully ready to hear yet, but soon.

There is a new matter you'll need to address. There is a Ravenclaw, Luna Lovegood. She might, or might not have some interesting abilities that will be helpful to us. Either way, you are to treat her with kindness, and help her against the bullies in Ravenclaw. And don't even think about saying the name for her you are about to say. Her first name is Luna, unless she herself indicates a nickname she would prefer, which is certainly not Loony.

Some Ravenclaws have been stealing her things, including shoes and clothing, ruining her parchment work, locking her out of Ravenclaw, and perhaps other unpleasantness. Rescue her, get her gratitude, and she might be a future asset. Even if not, helping a victim of bullying will help your image.

At the same time, look around for other Ravenclaws who might be assets that we might later hire to do research and development for our future enterprises. Ones that have a personal loyalty to you might be better advisors as well, than ones that we simply hire."

I sent a note to Khan Noonien Singh, " I have some urgent information for you before you proceed with your operation. I should also endeavor to find areas of mutual interest and begin to agree to cooperative ventures. Please indicate your preferred time to meet at Delhi Magi Conference Centre."

That conference center not only provided security for meetings, including private floo entrances, but they also provided a service to ensure honest answers during discussions. No one can lie, and if they omit something material they are compelled to say, "There is more I am not saying". I was not planning to lie or mislead, but I do have the ability to block this type of mind reading.

I received a reply and arrived at the conference center. Before entering the meeting room, the staff said, "Please sir, enter the room and sit down. You can greet as you wish, but cannot reach past the center line of the table, so no shaking of hands. If you wish to pass any object across the center line, you must make a request of the staff, who will decide what is to be done."

We each entered the room from opposite sides and bowed to each other. The staff directed us to chairs, saying "Please this way. Sirs, we will not be able to listen to your conversation. Press your call button to request any assistance. Before you begin your meeting, each of you please read out loud the paper in front of you. Depending on your occlumency abilities, you might need to relax it for this to work. You only need to make available the part of your mind that knows if it is telling the truth. There is no need to expose your memories, which in any case we are not trying to discover."

The paper said, "4 plus 3 equals 6. 4 plus 3 equals 7."

I didn't know they would be this thorough. I would need to do what they said to pass their test, and then if I later put my full mental shields back up, the staff would be able to detect that by a change in magic. Since I wasn't planning to lie or mislead anyway this was acceptable.

When the staff left the room, Khan said, "It is quite an honor and privilege to meet you. I have been following your progress with great interest and admiration. Of course it goes without saying that I accept your control over Britain, Ireland, and Albania."

I answered, "Khan Noonien Singh, it is also an honor to meet you, and I have more information about your future than you might expect. Please let us call each other by our first names."

Khan said, "Of course. For now, as we are peers. Men such as ourselves will not remain peers forever. Each of us strives to rule. I would propose a pledge that we never become enemies to each other."

I answered, "I cannot agree to this. I will show you a future timeline where you win then lose, then lead to wizards and witches who flock to your banner being wiped out by non-magicals. I need to reserve the ability to remove a threat to wizardry if I cannot convince you to have a better plan."

Khan said, "We will come back to this topic later. If you are willing, would you share the details of this timeline seen?"

I pressed the call button and told the staff member, "A projecting pensieve please."

When it was setup, I showed the episode "Space Seed" of Star Trek Original Series, saying, "The future timeline I see is indirect, it having been a non-magical entertainment moving picture of yet another timeline. That timeline has already been altered by you not having begun the taking over 40 countries in 1992 and made obvious in 1993."

After watching I said, "There are some other references that I can add later. There is also another aspect that in the future humanity will travel the stars and interact with other space civilizations. Preparing for that future is another goal of mine. Preventing a self-made disaster on Earth is of course my priority at this time in addition to obvious ones such as personal and family."

Khan said, "There is much to contemplate here. Perhaps we should have a meal now and have lighter conversation as we try to see what went wrong in the past of that future we have seen."

He pressed the call button and asked for food and drink for us.

While eating, I asked him, "If I might ask an impertinent question, why do you speak English with a Spanish accent?"

Khan smiled and said, "I spent much of my youth in Spain. I suppose now for symmetry I must ask a similar question. What is the relationship of your family and its French branch?"

I answered, "Very distant. The two families separated over 900 years ago, but still remain in contact and help each other when they decide to. Now for another question, if you had been a student at Hogwarts, which House would you have belonged to?"

Khan answered, "I would be interested in knowing your assessment, as you would have seen more of the true story than the official definitions."

I said, "Based on that video, you have traits from each house. From the future memory we have seen, you are loyal to your supporters. You looked after them even in defeat. You are adept at learning unfamiliar technologies and seem to enjoy learning. You are brave, willing to fight and risk everything. You threatening the Doctor with a knife was a pure Gryffindor move. And yet, all of those traits seem to be in support of your ambitions, so that would point to Slytherin, the same as me."

Khan added, "We are the same, you and I, in many ways, but different in others. I am more likely to be seen charging on a horse with a sword in hand. You are more likely to be quietly setting a plan in motion, carried out by others.

Now for a more serious matter. While deciding future plans is of the utmost importance, before that we need a foundation of how we two will cooperate.

As I said, eventually, one of us will need to be in charge. If it should be me, you would be my advisor. If it should be you, we would follow what you have done in other nations and I would be the visible ruler while you would tell me what to do when you find that necessary."

I answered, "I do see that necessity as well. If we were to split the world, our parts of the world might eventually fight each other.

The two ways you described as how we could cooperate are not that different, except in who has the final word. You would have the power base in both cases, which I would propose to remedy with pledges and also my leadership of a covert action and intelligence service that is under my authority and not yours. It would have full range of operation up to eliminating or correcting anyone except for you."

Khan said, "Let us contemplate these possibilities and also see where our cooperation takes us with developing my plan. Let us pledge to support each other for a limited time, while we come to further agreement."

I pressed the call button and asked for a mediator law wizard.

He introduced himself and said, "I will represent both of you. I will help you draft a pledge, giving both advice and recommending solutions. I will maintain confidentiality. You can agree to crimes without worry about my revealing that to anyone else. However, I reserve the right to resign my role. If I were to do so, I would be magically prevented from revealing what I learn."

We magically pledged an agreement to work with each other in good faith while aiming to have further agreements. Many contingencies were specified.

We went over the video. Khan said, "The video had the following dialog,

The one who looked like a forest elf called Spock: The mid-1990's was the era of your last so called world war.

The Doctor: The Eugenics Wars

Spock: Of course. Your attempt to improve the race through selective breeding.

The Doctor: A group of ambitious scientists

That history was actually the cover story we were going to use to avoid confronting the ICW with a violation of the Statute of Secrecy.

We would avoid showing visible magic, while channeling strength and ability to resist damage through magic. We also enhanced ourselves through rituals. We would use magic only where non-magicals could not see. Our wizarding traits would be presented as due to a secret genetic engineering program in the 1950's. I was born in 1959. Who is to say what secret technologies were being developed during that part of the Cold War? No one could say it was not developed."