June 18, 1996. 3:00pm. Beauxbatons Academe' de Magie. Hermione was exiting her Potions lab when she felt a sense of tension and intense focus. Susan Bones, who accompanied her for many classes, grabbed her arm as she appeared to stumble. "Hermione, are you OK" she asked. "Something ….." Hermione stopped herself from answering – Susan was not in the "know". "Let me just sit for a bit" Hermione said, and sat down on a stone bench. Susan watched as Hermione's face shifted from one emotion through another until, at 3:30pm she wrapped her arms around herself, smiled and sighed a sigh of relief. "What is going on, Hermione? What happened?". Hermione glanced around to make sure no one was there. She cast a privacy ward. "I think it's my boyfriend." She whispered "He apparently was experiencing some very intense feelings, and I could feel them. Is that normal? Of course it's not normal! Evan is not normal!" Hermione finished. "Are you sure he is a muggle?" Susan asked. "Your Aunti apparently assessed him. He is not registered as being a magical, but weird things many times happen around him." Hermione replied. "Susan – you must not tell anybody else, not even your Aunti about this." Hermione added. "Why?" Susan said. "I just don't want anybody to know about this connection. It is rare between magicals, and even rarer with muggles." Hermione said. "OK, Hermione. I won't tell. Where is he now?" Susan asked. "He was transferred to Bosnia" Hermione responded. Seeing the blank face on Susan, she further explained, "Bosnia is a state near the coastal mainland across from and east of Italy. Bosnia and other neighboring states used to be part of what was Yugoslavia; but have been in civil war for several years." She explained. "His unit is part of an international peace-keeping mission" she concluded. "I see." Susan responded.
June 18, 1996. 3:00pm – unknown location in Serbia – Ambassador Merjem Ilma Bajric POV (A/N – I made up this name from online sources of common Bosnian women's names and Bosnian surnames. There is no intention of using anyone's real name.) The Ambassador was simmering after her talk with the Christian barbarian. How could anyone expect anything different when talking with infidels! She thought, as they were walking toward the helicopter. All of a sudden, bullets and RPGs started buzzing by. One of the soldiers of her protection unit (other infidels!) had the audacity to grab her (!), throwing her to the ground while yelling "Duck and cover!". The offender turned toward the bullets, returning fire. Then the commander told three others to take her to the helicopter. Just as they were approaching, the helicopter exploded, sending her flying and landing on her back. A piece of hot shrapnel slicing open her upper arm almost to the bone. She herself, lost consciousness and woke up as 'The Offender' patched up her arm. Looking around, she noticed they were now behind the helicopter wreckage, using it as cover against the flying bullets and RPGs. 'The Offender', Fenix was apparently his name, made a dash to a distant truck and brought it back while under fire. An amazing and daring operation to say the least. Still, an infidel. He then loaded them all onto the truck. As they drove off, she noted he was not with them! "Where is your ….Fenix?" she asked one of the soldiers. The man, a young boy really, looked solemn. "He is back there making sure we have a chance to make it back." She understood – he was sacrificing himself so they could make it to safety. As they were driving away the gunfire and RPGs were redirected back into the trees. Soon they couldn't hear them anymore, but they were much farther away. A sadness spread through her. A young man, infidel or not, had sacrificed himself for her safety.
CHAPTER BREAK
According to the map he had, the nearest town to the west was Vrtiste. They were 200 km from Bosnia, but only 160km from Bulgaria (to the southeast). 200 linear kilometers – much more if they had to drive on a road, especially if many of the roadways were awash with debris. As Evan looked at the map, the idea of travelling to Bulgaria, and then to Greece (further to the south) appeared more appealing. There were fewer villages along the way, and it might be a path the Serbians didn't expect. He had to intercept the LT and the rest of his team first. Evan transformed into his Harpy Eagle form (aka Beaky) and flew west, looking for the truck that held his team, keeping near the mountainside for cover. He found them a few kilometers outside of town. He continued quickly to near the edge of town and landed within the tree line. He cast a mild notice-me-not and mild Confundus on himself, and transfigured his uniform to that of a Serbian soldier. Evan then made his way into town. He got to the center of town just as his team arrived, and tried to flag them down…unsuccessfully. They drove by without stopping. He wanted to head-slap himself.
He looked at the map, grabbed the nearest bicycle and drove off, hoping to 'cut them off at the pass' (A/N – John Wayne's voice just doesn't hack it here, does it?). The road the LT was on zig-zagged down the side of the mountain into the valley below. Evan followed the easiest (and straightest) path downhill, whether road, path or stairs – real 'mountain biking'! Evan nearly flipped over a cage of roosters sitting in his path. This required more concentration and spatial awareness than a firefight! Evan entered Mu-Shin and drove. He drove, weaved and actually ….JUMPED….(whew) over objects in his path! It was only by the 4th crossing with the main road that he was able to get a little bit ahead of his team. He stopped at the 7th crossing (a lucky prime number); jumped off the bike; removed the notice-me-not and confundus charms; and transfigured his uniform back to regular, and waited, standing in the middle of the (already narrow) road. A moment later he saw the truck come around the hairpin curve. Evan reached out both his hands in a "stop" motion. He was sure McCormick saw him, yet he didn't slow down. He quickly cast Arresto Momentum and a cushioning charm on the vehicle, and one behind him, and waited for the vehicle to come to a jerking stop. McCormick jumped out, handgun pointing at Evan.
....
Do you want to read ahead by more than 60 exciting premium chapters?
Then join my p*atreon right now.
Link: p*atreon.com/Sonic_Spectre (Remove the *)
Free members can unlock upto 2 chapters.