Chapter 178 - Ch: 2-3

Chapter 2 

After that the group walked past a group of arguing wizards. The argument was concerning the fact that the one wizard was wearing a woman's nightgown and it was making the muggles suspicious. 

"I refuse to put those on," the nightgown wearer said as he was offered a pair of pinstriped pants. "I like a healthy breeze 'round my privates."

Potter's Angels and Hannah broke out into a fit of giggles at this declaration. The males were grinning too. More familiar faces were noticed as the group walked around. Oliver Wood introduced the group to his family. Wood had just been signed onto the reserve team for Puddlemere United. Wood had just graduated in Nym's class. 

By the time the group returned to their campsite from exploring they found an amused Merlin watching Arthur Weasley trying to light a fire next door using matches. Every time a match lit Arthur dropped it in surprise. 

"Quite amusing isn't it," Harry said. 

Merlin sighed then said, "I suppose I'd better go help him."

Merlin introduced himself to Arthur and proceeded to show Arthur how to light a proper fire. Harry noticed a little wandless magic being used to make the fire burn faster so that it could achieve the proper setting for cooking.

"If dad knew he was chatting with the Merlin and not just someone he thinks is named after him he'd lay a golden egg," Ginny informed her mate. 

"Let's go watch this Charlie's Angels Dean and Seamus were talking about," Cho suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea," Susan agreed.

The group went inside their tent and congregated around a pensieve projection TV and used Harry's computer system to pull up the correct movie. It was an enjoyable experience for the group of friends. As the day wore on excitement grew among the magical campers. As the excitement grew so did the blatant use of magic. The Ministry didn't seem to be able to keep up. Vendors selling their magical wares came out in force. Enchanted roses charmed for the colors of the two teams shouted the names of the players. Green bowler hats with dancing shamrocks and scarves with roaring lions representing Bulgaria were among the available apparel. Also available were flags which sang the national anthems of the two teams facing off, miniature toy brooms which flew about, and miniature figurines of the players which strutted about and preened. 

"I'll take three dozen pairs of those," Harry said to a vendor which was selling omnoculars. 

Harry exchanged 360 galleons with the happy sales wizard for thirty-six pairs of what looked like brass binoculars. 

"Blimey, thanks Harry," George said as he accepted a pair of omnoculars. 

"Yes, thank you," Hermione added mentally, knowing that her lover with his superior-than-elf physiology didn't require any omnoculars to see the match with superb clarity. 

Harry and his companions returned to their campsite and distributed the remaining omnoculars. Shortly after a loud gong sounded from the direction of the stadium and alternating green and red lanterns blazed to life lighting the path through the woods.

"It's time to go," James announced, practically giddy like a school boy.

"Men," Lily said while rolling her eyes at her husband's antics.

"Indeed," Morgana agreed.

Despite their words the two witches did feel a bit caught up in the excitement of the event. They followed along with the rest of the group through the woods and towards the stadium. It was a twenty minute walk to the stadium but when they emerged the group beheld a structure with immense golden walls.

"It seats 100,000," Arthur Weasley announced proudly, leading his children next to the group of Riders. "The Ministry has had a task force of five hundred working on it all year. The muggle repelling charms are quite effective."

"You have prime seats. One of the top boxes is waiting for you straight up the stairs," the Ministry witch checking tickets at the nearest entrance said. 

The group climbed the carpeted dark purple stairs while other magicals filtered off into the lower levels in diverging corridors. At the top of the stairs there were two possible directions to go. The Riders and the Weasleys went right. To the left was the Minister's box. Cornelius had invited Harry to the Minister's box but the Rider had been forced to decline due to the size of his party. Cornelius had understood and ensured Sirius faced no problems in obtaining one of the more expensive top boxes which just happened to be located across the stairs from the Minister's box. These two boxes were centered directly between the two opposing goal posts. The stadium was suffused with a golden luminescence. The three loops on either side of the oval stadium rose into the air. Large black billboards were floating around the outer edges of the pitch with golden writing that would flash across them displaying advertisements like a non-magical scrolling marquis. 

"According to the program a display from the team mascots will be held before the match," Hermione announced as the group took their seats. 

"That's always an interesting display," Mr. Weasley said. "Teams bring creatures from their native lands."

A few minutes later a familiar wizard in a lime green bowler hat stepped into the box. 

"Harry," Fudge greeted warmly. "I was wondering if I might take a few moments of your time to introduce you to a guest of mine."

"That's quite alright Minister," Harry said as he stood. 

None of the others in the box bothered standing for it wasn't them the Minister had addressed. Arthur nodded politely at Fudge. 

"Harry Potter, this is Minister Oblansk. Minister Oblansk this is Harry Potter," Fudge introduced. 

Oblansk said something excitedly in Bulgarian as he recognized the famous Mr. Potter. Harry reached into Oblansk's mind and took the necessary knowledge to speak Bulgarian. 

In flawless Bulgarian Harry said, "I'm pleased you enjoy the Potter Enterprise's pensieve-TV so much Minister. Do you have a favorite program?"

"I enjoy the world news channel Mr. Potter," the Bulgarian Minister answered after recovering from his surprise over the celebrity speaking his native language. "My children also have a fondness for Pokémon."

"Both are quite popular," Harry agreed.

The two wizards conversed for a few minutes longer before Fudge and Oblansk took their leave to join the rest congregating in the Minister's box. 

"The Minister's box sounds like part of a dirty joke," Sirius declared, causing the nearby Remus to do a spit-take from the butterbeer he had been drinking.

"Sirius," Lily hissed with disapproval. 

"Don't be such a prude Lily," Sirius chastised. "Don't make me tell Harry how many broom closets you and James visited in your senior year. You don't think we weren't watching on the Marauder's Map?"

Lily glared at Sirius and fingered her wand. Before any further conversation could occur a booming voice amplified by a sonorous charm rolled over the stadium.

"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup," Ludo Bagman Head of the Magical Sports Department, called. The cheering from the crowd was louder than anything those present had ever heard. The black board stopped displaying advertisements and instead displayed Bulgaria: 0, Ireland: 0. "Without further ado let me introduce the Bulgarian Team Mascots."

"Veela," Harry observed, with none of the excitement in his tone that was racing through the loins of many men present in the stadium. 

The blonde haired females down on the stadium floor could only be described as beautiful. They had skin that seemed to glow. Their hair blew behind them in a wind that was purely magical. The veela began to dance. Harry watched as Fred and George stood up as if to head towards the railing to dive off. Mr. Weasley restrained his two younger sons. Bill meanwhile was keeping Charley and Percy seated. The male Riders were all unmoved. They could feel the attack on their mental defenses but shrugged the cloying yet attractive feeling off. Harry's perceptive eyes spotted Irish fans in the lower rungs of seating ripping off green shamrock apparel. 

"Occlumency," Nym said inquiringly to Bill who was sitting nearby.

"You can't be a curse breaker without learning it," Bill answered with a confirming nod.

As the male audience booed in protest that the veela were leaving Ludo Bagman said, "Kindly put your wands in the air for the Irish National Team Mascots!"

At his words a massive green and gold colored object that looked something like a comet shot into the stadium before splitting in half and streaking towards the two goal posts. A rainbow connected the two fragments. When the rainbow faded from sight a moment later the fragments merged back into one piece. The rejoined piece was now a giant shimmering shamrock which rained gold coins. 

"Leprechaun gold like that is fake," Hermione advised Fred and George who were eying the coins but had yet to make a move to take any.

The twins were smart enough to notice that the others hadn't gone for the gold. At Hermione's words the twins also realized the shamrock was actually comprised of thousands of tiny bearded Leprechauns wearing red vests and holding a lantern of glowing gold or green. The shamrock dissipated while the leprechauns floated down to the pitch on the opposite side from the veela. The tiny bearded creatures sat cross-legged to watch the match. 

"And now ladies and gentlemen, kindly welcome the Bulgarian National team," Bagman cried. 

Harry and his mates watched and listened as Bagman introduced both teams. There was much cheering from the Bulgarian contingent as their team was introduced but the noise reached new levels when Victor Krum, the Bulgarian seeker, was introduced. Krum was sallow skinned with thick bushy eyebrows. His nose was thick and curved. He was thin in stature. He looked like a large bird of prey. 

"And here all the way from Egypt is the Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch, Hassan Mostafa," Bagman called as a small skinny wizard with a thick mustache strode out onto the pitch carrying a crate of Quidditch balls under one arm and his broom under the other. 

Mostafa mounted his broom, kicked the crate open, and blew his whistle while flying high and fast. The match was quite entertaining for the watchers. One memorable moment was when Mostafa fell under the power of the veela and when he had been brought to his senses attempted to throw the veela off the pitch. He was unsuccessful and the match continued with players acting ferocious towards each other. Eventually tempers came to a head and the leprechauns and veela went at each other.

Arthur shouted, "And that boys is why you should never go for looks alone!"

The veela did look like avian reptile hybrids at this point as they flung fireballs at the leprechauns which shielded with rainbow colored shields. A few veela were transfigured into rabbits, squirrels, and other wildlife that day after being hit by rainbow colored spells. 

To his mates Harry mentally projected, "I don't think Arthur went for looks even a little bit!"

"Hey," Ginny objected while the other females mentally chuckled. 

"You have to admit he is right Gin. We've seen pictures of your mother when she was younger," Cho pointed out.

"Even then she couldn't have been called attractive," Susan added.

"And you're bloody gorgeous," Harry asserted.

"I suppose you're right," Ginny agreed on both points. 

While the group had been conversing Krum had taken a bludger to the face resulting in a broken nose. Mustafa with the tail of his broom on fire from an angry veela was too distracted to notice the foul. 

"Lynch has finally spotted the snitch," Harry announced moments before the Irish seeker went into a dive.

"Let me guess, you've never lost sight of it?" James amusedly inquired.

"Nope," Harry confirmed.

James exchanged an amused glance with Sirius. James Potter was quite proud of his remarkable son. Sirius was proud of his godson. The Irish fans were cheering their seeker on but Victor Krum was right behind his opponent. Flecks of blood flew from Krum's nose and it was a wonder he could see anything. 

"Are they going to be able to pull out of that?" Hermione asked as the two seekers drew even.

"I don't think Lynch will be able to," Harry answered.

Moments later, Harry was proven right as Lynch smacked into the ground. As Krum shot into the air with the golden snitch glinting in his grasp Harry sensed it. His training under Master Oromis so long ago to constantly sense the threats around him kicked in. Dropping out of the sky was an unknown device. The Rider's keen eyesight picked up the projectile rapidly approaching the stadium far before any other being could sense it. Merlin and Dianna picked up the threat moments later but by that time Harry was already out of his seat and out of the box as well. The Rider shot into the sky under his own power.

"Little one…no!" Saphira cried in anguish as she jumped out of Between near the top of the stadium invisible to all but her Rider's friends and family.

Harry's flight was too fast for even the dragon to catch him as he intercepted the missile. As if sensing the threat posed to it from the wizard flying towards it the missile detonated. Harry screamed as the shield he had been forming around the missile was hit with the force of the nuclear blast from the hydrogen bomb. Light and heat so bright those in the stadium below were forced to cover their eyes blossomed throughout the region. This effort helped little. Harry felt as if every cell in his body was in agony as the heat washed over him. He poured power into his shield to reinforce it as the nuclear reaction raged within the sphere of space his shield encompassed. Saphira's considerable power flowed into her Rider. 

Harry sensed spacetime distorting to his right and looked over to see a pocket dimension forming. Recognizing the work of his son he felt relief even as his power struggled against the energy released by the bomb. Cool soft hands touched Harry's searing skin. Dianna was there, adding her power to his own. 

"I'm with you, love. Let's move it into Merlin's construct," Dianna's mind encouraged her lover.

Harry didn't even realize his mind was moving so slowly as exhaustion taxed his mental faculties. Together the two immortals strained to move the spherical shield. The miniature sun still roiling within the shield moved into the pocket dimension and Merlin sealed the spatial anomaly shut. The fairy Queen with her arms around her mate helped him fly back to the box. Dianna had cloaked herself from the sight of the mortals who didn't already know about her so it appeared as if an exhausted Harry Potter had flown down into his box. Stunned silence filled the stadium. 

Voices broke the silence as half bloods and muggleborns explained what it was that had almost snuffed out all their lives. Thirty-eight seconds after the blast sphere, as Harry's shield containing the roiling nuclear explosion would from that day on be called, had disappeared the cheering started. Harry heard none of it. He was struggling to hold his sanity together. The pain was so intense from the severe radiation burns that covered most of his body. Lily, Dianna, and Morgana as the three most skilled healers were running glowing silver palms over Harry's form rapidly healing the damage.

"He shouldn't have been able to do that," Hermione said. 

"Well he just bloody well did," Nym asserted.

"No, he shouldn't have been able to do that even with Dianna's help," Hermione insisted.

"What do you mean Hermione?" Cho asked.

Hermione held up a small device in her palm. The device was a tricorder named after a piece of technology from Star Trek with the same function. It was one of Hermione's projects she and Harry had been working on using magic and some of the science AIVAS had been showing the Riders. 

"That nuclear bomb was one of the biggest ever made by mankind. We've measured all of our strengths to their limits in those endurance tests Harry insisted we all take. Even with Saphira's help and Dianna's help…the numbers just don't add up. Harry shouldn't have been able to hold back a tenth of the power put out by that bomb," Hermione explained.

Harry sat up at that moment as the last of his injuries was healed. He was looking off into the distance. Those surrounding him felt a pulse of power come out from the warlock and they could suddenly see a glowing hologram materialize from the micro-pensieve projector which he had just teleported in. The connection from the projector interfaced with the computer system back in the mage's lab and through there to the satellite system the Riders had recently put in orbit. While designing a system for Pern it had been decided that an advanced satellite system should be constructed around Earth. 

"Dear god," Emma whispered in horror as the hologram showed hundreds of objects leaving most of the countries in the world heading towards strategic points around the world.

"Armageddon," Dan whispered.

Hundreds of nuclear missiles were streaking towards preprogrammed targets in a bid for mutually assured destruction. Harry's eyes hardened for a moment before he disappeared. He reappeared moments later looking completely refreshed. Time travel was a wonderful thing. By jumping back in time and resting the warrior had restored his strength before he caught up with the point he had departed from. Harry's space capable armor assembled around him and he leapt onto Saphira's back. The dragon had been perched on the back of the stadium behind the box. She leapt into the air and disappeared Between. 

"He can't possibly stop them all," Emma whispered worriedly.

"He's got it under control," Merlin spoke up. "We've got our work cut out for us."

The famous mage was pointing to a dozen locations on the hologram where nuclear bombs had obviously gone off. Even as the group watched the other in-flight missiles began disappearing from the hologram. 

"He's doing it," Ginny pointed out excitedly.

"How can we save all those people?" Sirius asked with dismay.

"Can we fake a nuclear blast and relocate the victims to Mars?" James questioned.

"We can do it. We must do it," Dianna assured. 

"We've got the data. Let's jump back in time and get to planning," Morgana asserted.

The Riders left as one in the still cheer filled stadium. Many wizards were laughing and crying in relief greater than what was felt on the day their savior became known as The Boy Who Lived.

Harry Potter floated in space hovering above the atmosphere on his massive dragon. With magical eyesight far beyond their light receptive eyes could perceive the bonded pair reached down into the atmosphere and located the speeding missiles with ruthless efficiency and remotely teleported the explosives into deep space on the other side of the sun. Even with his immense skill in remote teleportation the task taxed Harry's abilities but he knew he couldn't fail. 

"That's the last of them," Harry told Saphira as he failed to sense anymore nuclear missiles.

"Yes," Saphira agreed, too tired to say anymore.

"Let's go take a nap," Harry suggested.

Saphira agreed before disappearing Between time and space.

"Harry," Hermione shouted as her refreshed looking mate appeared in the common room of the Martian Riders complex.

"You've all been busy," Harry noted as he examined his friends and family.

Saphira had sensed the other Dragonriders jumping between times to rescue the victims in the nuclear blast zones. 

"So have you," Sirius pointed out.

"Did you save them all?" Harry asked.

"With the help of Dianna's people," Lily answered.

"We conjured charred human remains in the blast zones and let the buildings burn," Merlin supplied.

"What did you do with the Heads of State and their families?" Harry probed.

One of the thirteen nukes that had gotten through Harry's teleportation net had dropped right on Number 10 Downing Street. Other cities which had been destroyed were Washington DC, New York, Shanghai, Beijing, Mumbai, Delhi, Moscow, Ontario, Vancouver, Rome, Tokyo, and Cairo. 

"We have them in an enchanted sleep," Hermione explained.

"We weren't sure what you would want done about them," Ginny added.

"Prepare a meeting chamber and get ready to assemble all the Heads of State. It's time for me to make my presence known," Harry directed.

"Do you want them to know about everyone else we have rescued?" Remus asked.

"No, we'll still keep most of our true capabilities a secret for now," Harry assured. 

"Harry…how were you able to contain that blast?" Hermione asked. 

Harry looked pensieve for several moments before saying, "I'm not completely sure but I think it has something to do with the true name of gramarye."

Merlin replied with a confused expression, "Alagaesian magic?"

At Harry's nod Hermione pointed out, "We found no trace of the magic the Grey Folk used to bind gramarye."

"We all know that magical languages are just a way for the magician to shape their magic with their will to do what they desire. They're a crutch. I'm only speculating at this point but perhaps the true name of the ancient language is different. Perhaps that word somehow has a more fundamental meaning. I didn't even speak it aloud but when I was trying to find the energy within myself to maintain that shield I was thinking about my lessons with Oromis. I asked him about taking energy directed at me as an attack and drawing power from that. Oromis thought it might be possible with the true name of gramarye which I now know," Harry explained.

"You might have tapped into some way of doing that subconsciously," Jaimie proposed.

As her mate nodded Dianna added, "You were putting off more power than I have ever felt you projecting before."

"Something to study another time," Merlin suggested.

"Susan and Luna are handling the press," Lily informed her son. "After what you did at the Cup the vultures are demanding answers."

"Never mind that now. I need to go speak to AIVAS about some type of technology capable of absorbing the radiation fallout and scrubbing the atmosphere. We can probably do it with magic but I would prefer to use technology so that the tech can be sold by Potter Enterprises," Harry announced.

"Already done," Nym announced while waiving her hand over a coffee table and causing a cube measuring a half meter in length, width, and height to appear. A swirling pattern was etched into the device. Nym's mind connected with her lover's thoughts and the plans for the radiation scrubber were transferred over to him. "It's my job to anticipate your needs and thoughts."

"You're the best assistant ever," Harry told the metamorphmagus as he leaned down and gave her a kiss.

"It helps that Saphira has a link to your mind and can tell Nym what you are thinking," Cho amusedly stated.

Nym stuck her tongue out at the Chinese beauty.

"Several thousand scrubbers have been produced," Sirius announced.

It turns out that magic could be used to mass produce products provided no active power was running through the object at the time. Duplication spells were wonderful. So was time travel.

"Let's get the scrubbers deployed then and when the room is prepared for the Heads of State I have some talking to do," Harry announced.

John Major suddenly felt himself return to consciousness and sat up as his groggy mind cleared with a surge of energy. The British Prime Minister looked around and found himself seated at a large conference table. The table had many sides each a little wider than the person sitting at it. He didn't know the prefix for the geometric shape of the table but there appeared to be dozens of sides to accommodate the dozens of people sitting at the table. 

"Prime Minister," a familiar voice said to John's right. 

John turned his head and saw his Queen sitting next to him.

"Your Majesty, do you know where we are?" John asked.

"I know only that he seems to know where we are," Elizabeth said while nodding towards the figure standing in the middle of the open center of the table.

The man was tall with dark hair and an athletic build. He possessed intelligent green eyes and wore a pair of jeans and a dark green button down sleeveless shirt. 

"I do believe magic might be involved," Bill Clinton said from Major's left. "Unless this is some type of afterlife," the American President added. "The last thing I remember was being in my situation room trying to shoot down a nuclear missile heading towards our capitol."

"I remember the same," John agreed.

"Are you Harry Potter?" Elizabeth asked in a louder voice while addressing the male standing in the center of the room.

Harry's eyes turned to the Queen of England with some surprise.

"You know who I am, your Majesty?" Harry queried, confirming his identity.

"I have read some of those delightful tales about you to my grandchildren. They are quite taken with those stories," Elizabeth replied.

Harry barely suppressed a groan but couldn't hide the wince. 

"What are we doing here?" Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin, the Russian President, demanded in thickly accented English.

"And where is here Mr. Potter?" Bill added, recalling the wizard's name from a historical briefing his magical liaison had given him shortly after he had taken office. 

"A short while ago hundreds of nuclear missiles went off in a pattern that would have eliminated a large portion of life on Earth," Harry explained while waving his hand and causing a hologram to appear which showed a model Earth and the pattern of attack of the missiles. "In the case of thirteen of these missiles they hit their targets. I regret that I was not aware of them until after a missile dropped on the stadium of the sporting event I was attending."

"The missile targeting Blackpool," John spoke up. At Harry's confirming nod and the expressions of the other world leaders he added, "We couldn't figure out why a missile was heading for an area with such a low population density. That missile was one of ours."

"Why were you firing on yourselves? Quite a few of those missiles which hit were sent by the same country which suffered losses," Francois Mitterand, the French President, pointed out.

The missiles originating within a country and targeting the land of their country of origin reached their targets before Harry became aware of the threat. 

"We lost contact with the launch points where the missiles came from and were unable to reach the staff," Major explained. "We don't know what happened."

"We experienced the same issue," Clinton admitted. 

"Is that why you brought us here?" Elizabeth asked Harry. "To explain what is going on?"

Harry nodded. A hologram showing the reborn Lord Voldemort appeared next to Harry. Several of the people present shivered in revulsion.

"This is a wizard who calls himself Lord Voldemort. He was born December 31st 1926 as the bastard son of Merope Gaunt. He is a terrorist who hates all non-magicals humans. This is likely in part a result of the fact that he was left to live out his childhood in a non-magical orphanage before he discovered his powers and that his father was a non-magical of some wealth and standing. He has since then done many evil things. Approximately an hour ago as far as we can tell he initiated some type of twisted plan to wipe out most non-magical and magical life on Earth," Harry announced.

There was silence for several seconds before Boris shouted, "This is outrageous. Are you telling me one of your British wizards just tried to wipe out all life on Earth?"

The Russian's outraged eyes alternated between the three Brits in the room. 

"Not all life on Earth. He and his most loyal followers are likely sitting comfy in a heavily protected stronghold somewhere," Harry answered.

Not even all of Riddle's most loyal followers were to be spared it seemed. Lucius had known nothing about the attack. Riddle had realized he didn't stand a chance of defeating the muggles using conventional Death Eater tactics so had devised a plan to use their own weapons against them. 

"You said you were attending a sporting event when the Blackpool missile hit your stadium. How are you still alive?" Major asked. 

"The Quidditch World Cup," Elizabeth supplied.

The Queen was apparently well informed about magical happenings.

"And how is it you seemingly stopped the hundreds of other missiles that never reached their targets," Francois added. 

Unlike those leaders that had been in destroyed cities at the time of the attack Francois knew most of the missiles had simply disappeared off of tracking. 

"And how did Voldemort accomplish this attack?" Major asked. 

"To answer your questions in order…I was able to contain the blast from your warhead. I sent the missiles away. And Voldemort used the Imperius curse to take control of the staff of each of the launch points. This bit of magic is essentially a mind control curse," Harry explained.

This explanation brought up several more questions.

"You sent the missiles away where?" Clinton wanted to know.

"You wizards can control minds?" Major probed, feeling his stomach clench in panic.

"The other side of the sun into deep space and quite easily, Mr. Major," Harry replied in a calm voice, his expression devoid of emotion.

"I was told the risk of this type of breach of security was incredibly low," Elizabeth said, quieting all other conversation.

"You knew this could happen?" Major asked the queen incredulously.

"Our magical community is one of the oldest in the world. Having a monarchy has allowed the secrets of the magicals to be passed down through my family whereas elected offices don't have that luxury. You are reliant on what the wizards tell you. My family has always gathered intelligence on the magical world and tried to stay up to date," Elizabeth explained. 

Harry was fascinated by this explanation. 

"Did you perchance employ magicians of non-magical parentage to gather this intelligence for you, your Majesty?" Harry inquired.

"Yes," Elizabeth confirmed.

Harry sighed before saying, "I have observed that non-magically raised magicians quickly pick up the bad habits of their magically raised peers once they enter the magical world. They seem to lose all ability for complex analytical reasoning skills. In their defense it is very hard to apply a lot of logic to magic. It tends to defy logic. Magicians and technology do not traditionally get along. Your non-magically raised analysts probably didn't think Riddle would resort to these tactics using technology."

"You thought he might. How else could you react so quickly to neutralize the attack," Elizabeth pointed out.

"No, I didn't consider this tactic. I just work really fast when I need to," Harry answered. 

"How many died?" Major asked.

"Millions," Francois supplied. "But not the billions that would have died had all the missiles hit."

"What about our families?" Major probed.

"Your families are safe. One contingency I did prepare for was that the world leaders might be attacked. You and your families have been carrying around portkeys for some time," Harry explained.

Most of the non-magicals present had been given a brief explanation of magical capabilities including transportation methods so knew what a portkey did. 

"This Voldemort needs to be hunted down immediately," Boris spoke up for the first time in several minutes to demand.

"I agree," Jiang Zemin, the Chinese President, added.

Jiang had sat and listened to the explanation and contemplated everything he had heard.

"I highly advise that you not get involved in wizarding affairs," Harry replied.

"This Voldemort just murdered millions," Boris objected. "Of course he will be hunted down. And if you stand in our way there is nowhere on Earth you can hide from us."

Harry let out a grim smile. Suddenly the room shuddered and began to rise up. The white walls of the room quickly gave way to windows. Those in the room gasped as a strange landscape was depicted. The roof became see-through or so it appeared to those sitting in it. The same charm as was on the Great Hall of Hogwarts allowed those inside the Martian module to see Earth in the distance. 

"We aren't on Earth," Harry said in a deadly calm voice. "Nobody wants Riddle dead more than I do. He murdered my parents when I was one year old and then attempted to kill me. He has done things to himself that make him a very hard creature to kill. If you challenge him he will probably rip out your soul and eat it."

Boris shuddered at the tone in the young wizard's voice and the fire in his green eyes. 

"Why did you bring us here then if you don't want our help in dealing with this Riddle character?" Clinton asked.

"I brought you here for several reasons. I have been doing my best to prepare both societies for reintegration where non-magicals are aware of magicals again," Harry explained. 

"He has been upping the level of technology in the wizarding world through his company Potter Enterprises," Elizabeth explained for those around her without the benefit of her resources.

Harry nodded his confirmation.

"I have also taken…steps…to stimulate the belief in the possibility of magic in the non-magical population," Harry added.

A look of understanding lit in Elizabeth's eyes and she said, "Santa Claus may I presume?"

Harry let slip a small smile.

"That was you!" Clinton exclaimed as the other world leaders realized who had given out gifts to everyone all over the world the previous Christmas. 

"Another reason for bringing you here is that my company can help with the fallout from the thirteen missiles which impacted," Harry explained while waving his hand and causing a radiation scrubber cube to appear hovering next to him. "This is a radiation scrubber. It will capture and purify the air containing nuclear fallout. My company has quite a few pieces of technology which will be released to the non-magical world in the near future which will benefit humanity greatly. These advances will appear non-magical in nature. Already they are being distributed around the blast sites," Harry explained.

"And we will need to tell the public something," Major cottoned on.

"We can use your company to cite where the source of this miraculous life saving technology came from. We can also say you have a system which shot down the missiles," Clinton suggested.

"I find it unacceptable that you were so easily able to disarm our missile systems," Jiang put forth.

Several of the world leaders turned incredulous expressions to the young Chinese President while several others looked like they agreed with him. 

"What I want to know is how this will be prevented in the future?" Francois said.

"It's taken care of," Harry assured.

"How is it taken care of?" Boris wanted to know.

"No more nuclear missiles exist on the planet Earth," Harry informed the occupants of the room.

Dead silence reigned for several seconds before an explosion of protest came from multiple fronts. Elizabeth, Major, and Clinton were some of the few who remained silent. Harry snapped his fingers and all sound in the room ceased. He nodded towards the three sitting side by side who had remained silent.

Catching his meaning major pointed out, "Someone will just make more."

"You could try," Harry conceded. "But the second any nuclear project becomes a weapon I will just remove it from Earth. Our species has advanced beyond the point where we can afford to have weapons of mass destruction lying around waiting to annihilate us." The mage waved his hand and caused a tablet computer to appear in front of every politician at the table. "I'm sure you have further questions. You can communicate with me through this tablet. You will now be returned to your various homes. Those of you from destroyed cities will be relocated to your emergency bunkers along with your families."

Everyone disappeared except for Queen Elizabeth. She looked around with some surprise.

"Why am I still here?" Elizabeth questioned.

"I sensed you wanted to talk with me," Harry answered, his powerful Rider telepathy having easily picked up on the Queen's desire.

"I'm sure most everyone wanted to talk with you. Why am I still here?" Elizabeth probed. 

Harry gained something of a sheepish expression and explained, "I admit a certain fondness for my Queen. When I was much younger I would entertain fantasies that maybe I was the bastard child of one of your sons or some relative you had just discovered and that you would come rescue me."

"Rescue you from what?" Elizabeth queried.

"Umm…never mind," Harry quickly replied. 

Elizabeth filed this oddity of Harry Potter away for later investigation.

"What you described…those were feats I do not think even Merlin could have accomplished," Elizabeth pointed out.

"Oh I don't know…Emrys is a pretty powerful mage. I'm sure he could have saved those people. It just would have been harder for him," Harry replied. 

"You speak as if you know him and as if he is still alive," the Monarch probed. She only received a mysterious grin from the youth in return. Elizabeth peered intently at the wizard, trying to determine his character. "What motivates you Mr. Potter?"

"Call me Harry," Harry invited.

"In private please call me Elizabeth," the Queen answered, surprising the warlock. 

"I have many motivations. I strive to educate myself in every way possible in subjects that interest me. I also strive to protect my loved ones. I seek adventure although I don't have to look very hard. My life is very adventurous. Those books you said you read your grandchildren…they're nothing compared to the truth," Harry answered.

"Why so mysterious, Harry?" Elizabeth questioned.

"I have to keep the ladies guessing," Harry replied. "I have a friend that would very much like to meet you. Her name is Saphira. I don't want you to be alarmed. She is a dragon but she is also friendly and intelligent."

Elizabeth's eyebrows were raised in surprise.

"From what I'm given to understand dragons are anything but friendly," Elizabeth replied.

"I am not of that breed Queen of the humans," Saphira replied as she slowly faded into view.

"Oh my," Elizabeth exclaimed as she became aware that the chamber was much larger than she had thought and was capable of accommodating such a large creature. "She is magnificent. You can understand what I say, Saphira?"

"Yes, but I can also speak telepathically. If you project your thoughts towards me I will sense them. You do not have to project very hard. My mind and that of my Rider can pick up thoughts across the planet," Saphira explained.

"You called Harry your Rider? What does that relationship entail?" Elizabeth questioned.

"We are bonded and share a telepathic link deeper than any other type of connection. This silver palm marks me as a dragon Rider," Harry explained while holding up his palm with a visible gedwey ignasia. 

"Is Saphira why you were able to save the planet and perform feats even Merlin could not easily accomplish?" Elizabeth asked.

"She is a very large part, yes," Harry confirmed. 

"Thank you very much for saving the planet," Elizabeth said. "Thank both of you."

"There is no need to thank us. It was not the first time we have saved mankind and I doubt it will be the last," Saphira replied. 

"Would you like to go on a ride Elizabeth?" Harry inquired.

The Queen's eyes lit up in anticipation. 

"Do you mean do I wish to go for a ride on Saphira?" Elizabeth clarified.

"Yes," the dragon confirmed.

"I think I would like that," Elizabeth agreed. "But my attire doesn't lend itself to riding a dragon."

As she spoke Elizabeth's dress changed to a comfortable pair of pants and a top. Her shoes were replaced by boots. An armored spacesuit the likes of which Elizabeth had never imagined tailored for her form appeared on her body. The Queen found the suit easy to move around in. Saphira crouched down while her Rider assisted the monarch in mounting her. Elizabeth soon found herself on Saphira's back with her arms wrapped around Harry Potter's waist. 

"But there is very little atmospheric pressure on Mars. How will we fly?" Elizabeth suddenly asked.

"Magic," Rider and dragon answered in unison before Saphira jumped Between.

The next several hours spent flying over the Martian surface on the back of a dragon were surreal for Elizabeth but also the most thrilling time of her life to date. When she was returned to Earth and her family, that enjoyable time and the promise from the magical pair to take her flying again would sustain her through the trying times to come.

Chapter 3

The world was in an uproar. Millions were dead. The offices of the London Times were actually sufficiently far from the blast zone that the paper was able to keep on printing. The radiation scrubbers worked so well that Geiger counters couldn't measure any discernible difference in ambient radiation inside of the blast zones relative to the areas outside of the blast zones. The prominent paper told the tale very well.

Harry Potter Saves the World!

In a stunning twist of events the world almost ended yesterday. Indeed hundreds of nuclear missiles were launched initiated by a terrorist named Tom Riddle. A wealthy inventor fourteen year old Harry Potter created a system which disabled the majority of the missiles before they could reach their target. Potter also developed radiation scrubbers which cleanse the atmosphere of the radiation and fallout. Potter is the owner of Potter Enterprises, a new technology company that is coming out with several revolutionary technologies in a short period of time. Potter is the orphaned son of James and Lily Potter who were killed in October of 1981 by Tom Riddle for opposing his terroristic ways. Since then Harry Potter has devoted himself to opposing Riddle at every turn.

The article went on to briefly explain some of the details of Riddle's atrocities including many of the killings perpetrated in the last war. Everything was highly sanitized so that the non-magicals could understand what was going on. The article also made sure to stress that the nukes which got through were sent from within the country that was struck. There was very little time of flight. Nym was getting quite a few requests for Harry to appear on talk shows and for other interviews. AIVAS was kind enough to build up a full-proof background in the non-magical computer systems.

The Daily Prophet had a similar theme to it. 

Harry Potter Foils Dark Lord Again and Saves World Cup

Harry Potter is being described as the greatest wizard since Merlin. A hundred thousand eye witnesses saw Potter fly, you read that right readers, without a broom above the stadium and stop cold a muggle weapon which seemed to make another star blossom in the sky. Potter conjured a shield which contained the nuclear weapon meant to kill every witch and wizard at the Cup. This attack was carried out by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named using the imperius curse on muggle operators of the weapons. Potter then went on to stop hundreds more of these weapons from destroying the world. How did Potter become so powerful? What will You-Know-Who do next?

For a full photo viewing of Potter's save see page 2

For a full biography of Harry Potter see page 3

For the muggles' reaction see page 4 and 5

For the Ministry's reaction see page 6

"Harry, you've screwed up a hornet's nest," Nym informed her boyfriend as she swept into his lab from her office.

One of the doors from Nym's office opened into Harry's lab. 

"Hello to you too, lover," Harry greeted the witch without looking up from the armored spacesuit he was waving his hands over.

Nym watched in fascination as her boyfriend's fingers danced through strands of visible magic. She saw glowing holographic runes rearrange themselves while some disappeared and new ones appeared as he worked. 

"Sorry…the non-magicals are just going a bit crazy. I had to have Ginny take over answering the floo calls for the magicals," Nym explained. "What are you doing?"

"I'm tweaking our space-armor design so that it will react next time. The control runes were blown out by the radiation bath I took while containing the nuke. Next time I'm hopeful the trigger runes will throw my suit on me before I am bathed in radiation," Harry explained.

"Seems reasonable," Nym agreed. "I've arranged a few interviews both on the television and for newspapers. Remus mentioned that Potter Enterprises products have been flying off the shelf. Everyone seems to want a little piece of something sold by the world's newest hero."

Harry rolled his eyes at this announcement but let it slide off of his shoulders. He stood and stretched his back before turning and eying Nym.

"You're very tense," Harry said as he directed his lover to a chair and began rubbing her shoulders. 

Nym melted against her mate's touch as she continued, "I can't count the number of awards everyone wants to give you. You're getting an Order of Merlin first class. There's been talk of renaming it the Order of Harry or making a separate class for the new name. Merlin never saved that many lives."

"There weren't that many lives to save back then," Harry pointed out. "Order of Harry just doesn't sound as good as Order of Merlin."

"Too bad they don't know your other names. Order of Eragon or Order of Treyis sounds better," Nym suggested.

Harry shrugged noncommittally and said, "I was just about to watch Lucius' latest report. Would you care to join me?"

"Sure," Nym agreed.

Harry walked over and tapped a series of runes on the runic keyboard which controlled the various systems of his lab. The entire lab became a pensieve. The scene shifted to a dark chamber in the bowels of Malfoy Manor. What was once Lucius' place to hide dark artifacts was now an expanded suite of rooms used by the Dark Lord and his inner circle of followers. 

"You summoned me my Lord?" Lucius probed as he knelt before the Dark Lord.

Voldemort sat on a throne made of what appeared to be human bone transfigured into something more comfortable. 

"I gather you are wondering why I was going to let you and your family perish in that attack Lucius," Riddle said with a hissing quality to his voice.

"It is not my place to question your will my Lord," Lucius answered carefully.

Riddle was silent for several moments while Lucius focused on the variant of occlumency he favored, a passive form of mental defense which hid the user's thoughts behind false memories and thoughts instead of active defensive barriers. 

"There is a property of the Dark Mark which allows me to call its bearer back to me when it becomes necessary much like a portkey. I knew you would be clutching your wife and son when the attack occurred. I was going to pull you back. I had monitoring charms throughout the stadium. When the attack failed I decided not to reveal your true identity as one of my followers," Riddle explained. "Call that experience a test of your resolve."

"Did I pass my Lord?" Lucius inquired.

"You would not be alive if you hadn't," Riddle replied. Lucius knew he had made the right decision in returning home after the failed attack. "What is the reaction of the Ministry and Fudge to Potter's rescue?"

"Fudge is gushing with praise for Potter and has decided Potter will receive at a minimum an Order of Merlin," Lucius explained. "The rest of the Ministry feels the same. They are all quite curious to understand how he grew so powerful."

"That is the million galleon question," Riddle said musingly. "Not only did he foil my plans to decimate the wizarding world…but he has halted my plans to reshape the muggle world as well."

Lucius detected no hint of anger in the Dark Lord's tone. That scared him more than he cared to admit. Voldemort of the first war would have raged and would have been flinging cruciatus curses at his followers. The new Lord Voldemort was much more calculating. 

"What is thy will my Lord?" Lucius inquired.

"Check with our suppliers in the seedier sides of magical Britain and see if any of these ingredients have been acquired," Riddle instructed while a piece of parchment with a list of ritual ingredients appeared in Lucius' hand. "If Potter has used any of the rituals I suspect he has those ingredients being purchased will likely tell us. I will tell you this Lucius…the World Cup was not a complete loss. A servant from my past has returned to me after having proven his unflinching loyalty. I have not exhausted my tricks to end Harry Potter. Now go."

Lucius' audience with the Dark Lord had ended. As he left the room his report ended.

"Well it looks like Tom has acquired a new or rather old minion. I wonder how the World Cup was involved," Harry mused.

"He's being a lot more careful about operational security in not telling Lucius this new minion's identity," Nym pointed out. 

"I really wish Tom would have been less careful when constructing his ward scheme in Malfoy's basement," Harry mused. "Otherwise I could just kip on over there and try and pluck the information for his plans out of his mind along with the location of the remaining soul container."

Riddle had essentially turned the expanded space beneath the Malfoy's drawing room floor into a self contained little universe complete with very magically resistant entrances. The location was also protected by some black magic variation of the Fidelus. The harder one looked for the pocket universe's entrance the more ill the searcher became. 

"We'll get him soon enough," Nym assured. "Now that Lucius has managed to confirm that Nagini is indeed the last Horcrux other than the active Riddle himself we know exactly how to take him out when the time comes."

"Are you nervous about your test?" Harry asked.

Nym was planning on taking her Mastery in DADA early the next morning.

"Not as much as I probably should be. You've trained me well, lover," Nym asserted with a fond smile for her lover.

Nym had been good at defense before she had met Harry but he had helped her improve her skills to a whole new level. Her man knew magics so old they had been lost to time and public awareness and she was proud to be his mate. 

"I have every confidence you will do well," Harry assured his lover before leaning down and planting a kiss on her lips. 

"How goes your study of Earth history? I know Cho, Hermione, and Luna can't get enough of alternate-Earth's history," Nym mused while she continued to enjoy his truly magical hands working her sore muscles.

Harry had now moved down to rub Nym's legs. The alternate-Earth Nym was referring to was the Earth from Pern's universe. AIVAS possessed records for thousands of years of that Earth's history beyond the point the Riders' universe timeline was at. Now that AIVAS had been granted access to the Riders' full computer systems after a successful review of his base code the Riders also gained full access to AIVAS' memory banks. 

"I'm absorbing as much information as I can with concern to the next forty or so years from our current date while also reviewing advanced technologies with the Council," Harry explained. "I'm hoping to avoid some of the pitfalls that Earth experienced as it grew."

The Council consisted of Harry, Hermione, Dan, Merlin, and Dianna. The mandate of the Council was to review advanced technologies from AIVAS' databanks and decide if the Earth of their world was ready for these advancements. Compared to some of the technologies in AIVAS' databanks the ships the Pern settlers had used to reach Pern were quite low-tech.

"I still find it hard to believe the settlers were willing to give up so many fantastic technologies," Nym mused.

"Me too," Harry agreed. "But then again some of the 'growing pains' that Earth went through were quite horrible and without technology that Earth's population would have never reached a high enough level to cause so much trouble."

"Without technology the quality of life on that Earth also would have remained low and deaths would have been far more common. The Pern settlers found a way to move past it," Nym argued.

"I don't disagree. I just think there was a better way than giving up on almost all technology. It left them virtually defenseless to Thread. The settlers might have come to see things the way we do if their culture had survived with more of their history intact," Harry pointed out. 

"We'll have to toe that line. Which is what the Council is for," Nym mused. 

"My new fame might actually be useful for something. If I can point out the stress an overpopulated society will put on Earth perhaps I can help encourage laws which will limit population. Even if we expand to other planets limiting population would be a good idea," Harry suggested.

"The key is going to be that new method of birth control the Council approved. The injection which cures AIDs will also go a long way in garnering you favor," Nym acknowledged. 

There were truly some wonderful advances Earth had made in the thousands of years between the present of the Riders' timeline and when the settlers left the alternate-Earth for Pern. The new form of birth control dubbed The Ring was in the form of a ring which contained a dose of a birth control fluid which was absorbed through the skin. The disposable ring was worn for approximately two hours and then thrown away. The birth control fluid had no ill effects and lasted a minimum of six months for a single dose. 

At that moment Sirius strode into the lab.

"Sirius…you used a door!" Nym exclaimed in surprise as her mother's cousin came to a stop before the couple.

"See…an old dog can learn new tricks," Sirius replied with a grin.

There was a running joke among the Riders that Sirius liked to just pop into a room with apparation to startle the room's occupants. 

"I just think you don't enjoy being blasted against walls," Nym mocked.

Harry hadn't taken kindly to his godfather appearing in his room when he was in the middle of an intimate moment with Ginny a few days back.

"How's your head?" Harry inquired.

"Point taken," Sirius replied while sitting in a chair he conjured across from the couple. "I'm here to give my report on my shift on Pern."

"You could have just written it up," Harry pointed out.

The Riders were taking shifts on Pern so that at all times they had a presence on the distant world.

"You know how much I hate reports," Sirius replied. "Besides, can't I visit my favorite godson?"

"I'm your only godson," Harry replied. 

"And they won't give you another," Nym added. 

"Cheeky metamorphs," Black muttered. "Anyway…it was more of the same, politics. The Weyrleaders, Lord Holders, and Craft Masters all had a conference. They discussed AIVAS and his revelations. That old Glass Master Norst stormed out after denouncing AIVAS."

"Master Norist," Nym corrected.

"Norist," Sirius amended. "But he was the only one to storm out. AIVAS speaking and showing the holograms with the pensieve-Projectors we provided really changed a lot of minds."

"It did have a very positive effect on many," AIVAS chimed in over the lab's speaker system. 

"But this is only the beginning," Harry cautioned. "There will be resistance to change."

"There always is," Nym agreed.

"Let's hear the rest of it," Harry prompted.

Sirius went on to summarize the remainder of his shift on Pern including the progress with the power station and beginning to get the volunteer students acclimated to using the work stations. It was an exciting time for the Pernese people. 

Bridget Regan, known to her students at Hogwarts as Professor Regan, sat on a beach bordering the ocean under the shade of an umbrella enjoying the relaxing setting. She was reading a letter from her favorite student. The affection she had for Harry Potter was perhaps inappropriate but she simply couldn't help herself. He was bloody gorgeous and brilliant and far more capable than anyone his age had a right to be. Bridget and her favorite student had been corresponding throughout the summer. They talked about school but not anything at the level Bridget was teaching at Hogwarts. The Arithmancy discussions she found herself engaging in were above NEWT level at Master level and she found it hard to hold up her end of the exchange. At times Bridget suspected her favorite student could teach her class better than she could. 

Bridget laughed as Harry's letter described some of the antics he had gotten up to with his friends in the last few days. She always enjoyed hearing about the non-school topics. In return Bridget regaled the young man she was rapidly considering a friend with the events of her own vacation. Harry was very discerning, picking up on the tension she hadn't described in so many words between Bridget and her mother. As she read about his adventures with all those young witches Bridget couldn't help but think about what naughty things he got up to with Hermione, Nymphadora, and his other girlfriends. Harry had alluded to the relationship he shared with the witches surrounding him with the exception of Hannah Abbot. That complex relationship excited Bridget.

Bridget really couldn't help herself. Her younger friend had cured Lycanthropy and saved the world all before taking his OWLs. He was a fascinating specimen of a wizard. Thinking about Harry caused her excitement to grow. Bridget put the parchment down in her bottomless bag and drew her wand. A strong Notice-Me-Not ward went up before Bridget drew a toy shaped like her favorite male organ from her bag and slipped it over her wand via the slot shaped for this purpose. The witch then began using the magical toy for the purpose it was intended while thinking thoughts of Harry Potter. Unsurprisingly this gorgeous witch was only one among thousands of witches around the world who routinely pleasured themselves to thoughts of their gorgeous savior. Fortunately for Bridget she was also one of the lucky few that had a shot out of making her fantasies become a reality. 

Ginny entered the Hogwarts Express compartment she usually shared with her close group of friends. 

"Lo Ginny," Hannah greeted.

"Hey Gin," the others called.

Gin nodded back at them and leaned over her boyfriend to give him a peck on the lips. 

"What's the matter love? The usual Weasley rush," Harry inquired, noticing how discomfited his mate was.

"And then some," Ginny replied while sitting down next to Luna. "Amos Diggory floo called this morning to tell my dad Mad Eye Moody had suffered a fit of paranoia and started cursing things. The police were called and the Improper Use of Magic Office also."

"My dad was trained by Mad Eye," Neville announced.

"Mine too," Harry agreed.

"I'm sorry…I don't mean to put the guy down but this happens quite often and my dad is always the one who goes and straightens things out," Ginny explained. 

"Who is Mad Eye and why would his parents ever name him something so horrible?" Hermione asked.

"His real name is Alastor Moody," Susan supplied. "He's a former Auror, maybe the best there ever was."

"This is why he's called Mad Eye," Neville said while using the micro-pensieve projector he pulled out of his expanded jacket pocket to project an image of a scarred man with a peg leg and a glowing blue eye which spun crazily.

"I take it black magic prevented magical medicine from giving him a replacement limb and eye?" Hermione questioned.

"Yeah…he took out some really nasty black magic users but not without a cost," Harry replied. "He is probably also one of the most notoriously paranoid people you will ever meet."

"He has a habit of blasting anything he thinks is suspicious and asking questions later," Ginny supplied. 

"Does he have any family?" Cho inquired.

"No, unfortunately not," Neville replied. "I think his family was killed by dark wizards long ago."

"No wonder he is the way he is," Hannah said. 

There was silence for several moments before Luna said, "Professor Binns was banished from the castle a few days ago."

"Really," Hermione said with surprise.

"Yeah…I heard about that too. Gran is on the school board. Dumbledore was scrambling to find a replacement. Binns has been at Hogwarts longer than the Headmaster has," Neville replied.

"Well good riddance. That ghost turned generations away from history," Susan pointed out. 

"It will be interesting to see who the new teacher is," Neville mused. "Perhaps we'll get another interesting teacher like Professor Regan."

"Neville Longbottom…did you just confess to liking a teacher while sitting next to your girlfriend?" Susan asked in mock outrage. 

Hannah suppressed a grin. 

"What can I say…you're all bad influences on me," Neville answered. 

"I blame your dragon," Harry corrected. "Voranth is a dirty dirty dragon."

"Thank you," Voranth projected to the group of Riders.

"Don't go constricting us to your human morals," Saphira objected.

The Riders were all grinning at the antics of the dragons sunning on top of the train. Each dragon was perched on top of a separate car or several cars in the case of a being Saphira's size. 

"You know, it's odd," Hermione mused. "The weatherman on the telly said it would be raining in this part of the country today."

"Was it a high probability?" Luna inquired while giving Harry a knowing look.

"Quite," Hermione answered while arching her own eyebrow at her mate, a suspicion growing.

The other occupants of the cabin caught on and were looking at Harry questioningly. 

"What…the dragons couldn't very well sun themselves if it was raining out," Harry pointed out. 

"Harry…you're manipulating the weather," Ginny said in awe after she realized what was going on.

"Only a small area of the atmosphere," Harry corrected.

"I don't see a cloud in sight," Neville announced while gazing out of the window. 

Harry's grin was unrepentant. He was getting better at wielding greater and greater amounts of energy with the help of the Eldunari. 

"So how about that Triwizard Tournament," Harry said.

His efforts to change the subject weren't fooling anyone.

"We've talked that subject to death Harry," Susan replied. 

"Yes…but now we get to watch the excitement of our fellow students as they find out," Harry pointed out. 

"Before their hopes of competing are crushed when they hear the new age limit rule," Ginny was quick to point out. 

"You're just waiting to see how outrageous the twins get trying to get around the restrictions," Hannah accused knowingly.

Ginny's grin was highly amused but she didn't deny the accusation. 

"It was bloody hard to keep from letting on that I know about the Tournament. My parents and older brothers kept on hinting about it. It drove the twins and Ron mad," Ginny grumbled. 

Just then the compartment door opened for a moment before closing again. Nym appeared as she dropped her fairy cloaking charm and plopped down in Harry's lap. The exhaustion was apparent in the pink haired witch's demeanor. 

"How did you do?" Harry asked.

Nym perked up for a moment and declared, "You're looking at the newest Defense Master!"

"Congrats," were called from around the train compartment from those present. 

Harry turned Nym's head and caught her mouth in a kiss, his lips ravishing hers and his tongue wrestling against hers. Nym moaned into the kiss while her body shivered. Those in the compartment who had become good at sensing magic, felt the transfer of energy into the older witch. Nym broke the kiss with a gasp and laid her head against Harry's shoulder as she recovered from the climax.

"Thanks, I needed that," Nym said, the exhaustion felt after the draining testing washed away thanks to the magic her mate had just poured into her. 

"Umm…Nym, not to be rude…but what are you doing here? You graduated after all," Neville pointed out. 

"I'm Harry's assistant. Zepath can easily transport me wherever I need to go," Nym explained. 

"And I've set up portals between her parents' house, my trunk, and the Chamber," Harry added.

"I go where he goes," Nym asserted firmly, entwining her hand with Harry's and snuggling into his lap. "And that reminds me. My parents are throwing me a party later to celebrate my Mastery. You're all invited."

"Excellent…your mom makes great cake," Cho said with a grin.

"My hips agree with that," Hannah agreed.

"I like your hips very much," Neville asserted, earning a grin from his girlfriend. 

The riders were so active that they could eat a lot more than they did and not have to worry about weight gain. As the day wore on friends of the group including Seamus, Dean, the Weasley twins, and others from their year stopped in to visit before moving on. None of the visitors noticed Nym. Harry had expanded the fairy enchantments on her bracelet to include a strong Notice-Me-Not feature that was keyed to make anyone but those she desired unable to notice her. Also as the day wore on the storm that wanted to blanket the region and through which Harry's weather magic cut grew more intense. 

"That's it…I'm letting the storm through. It's getting too intense for me to hold back without really tiring myself," Harry announced.

"Wow…you're getting really hot Harry," Nym suddenly exclaimed after her skin brushed against her mate's neck.

"She's right," Hermione agreed after feeling his forehead.

"It's the power I'm channeling to cut through the storm," Harry explained.

"Well stop it. There's no need to block the storm. Farenth and the others will be just fine," Susan asserted, speaking of her dragon.

"In the long run these power channeling exercises will be very good for him," Luna said knowingly while meaning her mate. "But there is no need for you to overexert yourself at this stage Harry."

The sorcerer released the magic. The sky overhead immediately darkened. Within a few moments of the sky darkening rain began to fall. It grew steadily worse as the Express glided towards Hogwarts. 

"This is not nice. But at least our neck bands protect us from the rain," Saphira announced. 

The dragons had decided to refer to their enchanted cloaking bands as neck bands instead of collars. Their Riders of course agreed. 

"How is Hedwig?" Harry inquired. "Maybe I should be making her a neck band too."

"She is fine under my wing little one. I'm not sure she would wear it if you made her one," Saphira replied. 

"She's a proud owl," Susan suggested, breaking in on the mental conversation that wasn't meant to be hidden from telepaths of the Riders' strength.

"No more than Crookshanks," Cho added while amusedly watching Harry stroke Hermione's pussycat. 

"Well they are both exceptionally smart creatures," Hermione put forth.

"That they are," Harry agreed.

Harry teleported his snowy owl, Hermione's clever cat, and the rest of the group's animal companions into their dorms to avoid the rain as the Express pulled into Hogsmeade Station. The rain was freezing and heavy as the doors to the Express opened. Harry whispered several words to hide the fact he was skilled at silent casting and gestured with his wand. Suddenly the rain hit an invisible barrier covering the train and the pathway to the carriages before sliding off. 

"Thanks Harry," Parvati said after a few moments of amazed silence as she got off the train with her friends.

"Yeah…thanks Potter," a sixth year Ravenclaw added, knowing he himself would have been incapable of such a spell if he had even known the incantation and wand movements. 

"Hagrid," Harry called over to the half giant.

"Yeah," Hagrid responded back warily.

The half giant had been warned by Dumbledore that Potter was not to be trusted. 

"Maybe the first years could ride in the carriages with us so they don't get soaked?" Harry half asked half suggested.

The group of first years looked between Hagrid and the carriages hopefully. 

"Professor Dumbledore has charged me with getting them to the castle in the boats so that is the way we will be going," Hagrid rebutted. 

"Alright…we can at least apply a temporary rain repelling charm to them," Harry suggested to his friends and lovers. 

The Riders pulled out their wands and began enchanting the grateful firsties. With the task split up it didn't take more than a minute. Hagrid watched on throughout but didn't comment. The Riders were the last to board the carriages but they didn't mind if it meant keeping the first years from getting sick. Harry cast the same rain repelling spell over the carriages up to the entrance of Hogwarts when the caravan reached the castle. The student body had always been aware of Harry Potter's above average power. He had made no secret of his power. But after having saved the world and his performance in front of so many magicians at the World Cup he would be held in a whole new class of magical practitioner. 

Several students in the entrance hall were soaked despite the shields.

"That bloody poltergeist is a menace," Seamus was saying with a growl as he wrung out his robes.

Susan hit the Irish wizard with a drying charm.

"Thanks Susan," Seamus said while the others affected were being dried off. "That little blighter disappeared right quick when Harry entered."

"After what Harry did to him first year I'm not surprised," Hermione replied. 

The others grinned at this. Harry's trick with Peeves had been the talk of the school on September 2nd 1991. The Riders and other students quickly took their seats in the Great Hall waiting for the feast to begin. 

"Bloody hell, not another Creevey," Harry muttered as he noticed the firstie who resembled Colin Creevey waiting to be sorted. 

The other Riders grinned. Colin had been a fanatical follower of Harry since the Creevey boy's first year but the celebrity had managed to deflect the bulk of the fan boy's zealous nature through minor telepathic suggestions and targeted Notice-Me-Not charms. But Colin's zeal was so great Harry constantly had to renew the charms. Harry was tempted to make the telepathic suggestions stronger but he knew he held such a crucial role in Colin's psyche he was afraid of damaging the boy. Harry knew he was a role model for the younger wizard and felt it was worth the effort of renewing his enchantment to let Colin have someone to look up to. 

Ginny projected so all the Riders could pick up on it, "I think if you gave him the opportunity Colin would drop to his knees for you faster than any of us could, Harry."

The resulting groan from her boyfriend brought a mischievous grin from the youngest Weasley and snickers from the other Riders. 

"It looks like the new Defense teacher isn't here yet," Ginny observed.

"Forget that…I want to know who that woman is," Nym projected to all of her companions while mentally indicating a squat woman in a pink ensemble that only served to draw attention to how unattractive she was.

"Delores Umbridge…she's a toady that works for Fudge. She is a real nasty woman that was a driving force behind a lot of the anti-werewolf legislation before Harry did his thing with Lycanthropy," Neville supplied. "My gran despises her."

"If the malice she is radiating is anything to go by I'm not surprised," Harry said.

"She is probably our new history professor," Hermione surmised. 

"She and Albus should get on famously," Harry suggested.

The other fourth years were sitting nearby and couldn't help but catch snippets of conversation between the Riders. 

"Imagine if those two mated," Ginny suggested.

Seamus did a spit-take with his pumpkin juice all over Lavender Brown. Lavender glared at Seamus who had a horrified expression on his face.

"I'm with Seamus on this topic…I would rather not imagine that," Neville replied. 

"There is a reason Dumbledore never procreated," Dean put forth. 

Any further conversation was prevented by the first years being led into the Great Hall at this time by Professor McGonagall. Only one of the first years out of the whole group was wet but he wasn't just wet, he was soaked. Dennis Creevey had fallen in the lake which the rain repelling charm hadn't been intended to protect against. Dennis appeared excited despite his dip in the black lake all wrapped up in Hagrid's moleskin coat. Harry barely paid the sorting any mind and only noticed when Dennis was sorted into Gryffindor. The feast began almost as soon as the sorting ended with only enough pause for Dumbledore to say tuck in. 

A few minutes into the meal a clear mental voice projected, "Eragon."

Harry glanced up at the ceiling as did Saphira. The dragon jumped Between and reappeared on the roof.

"Harry what is it?" Hermione asked, sensing something had disturbed her mate. 

"I need to go to the roof. Arya is here. Cover for me," Harry directed.

That was all the warning the group got before the celebrity disappeared. Nym was quick enough to get up an illusion to cover for her mate's absence. Harry materialized on the roof and found Saphira rubbing up against a familiar green dragon. Beside the reunited pair stood the slender form of Arya Svit-Kona dressed in leather riding gear of a make Harry could only recall from memories he had received from his past life. 

"Is it truly you Eragon?" Arya asked hesitantly in the Ancient language her race spoke. 

"Yes, I am Eragon," Harry replied in the same tongue.

Even though she was in a strange land Arya could sense that the magic which kept falsehoods from being spoken aloud in her native tongue was still at work. Arya was upon the man she had thought she had lost in a flash. She wrapped her legs around him and pressed her lips to his, her mouth and tongue conveying how much she had missed him. 

"I thought I had lost you," Arya said with tears shining at the corners of her eyes.

Harry was a little unsettled. He wasn't used to seeing such emotion from the normally stoic Arya. 

"We have a lot to talk about. I'm surprised you were allowed to come alone," Harry mused.

"Oh Blodhgarm was not happy," Arya assured. "He thinks I can't sense him but he's not far away monitoring my safety. I brought him along on the journey to this country but told him I would see you alone."

"We should go somewhere private and talk. I will send someone to assuage Blodhgarm's fears," Harry suggested. Mentally he projected, "Emrys, there is an old friend hiding in this location. Can you bring him to Albion?"

Harry had projected Blodhgarm's location to Emrys. 

"Yes father," Merlin agreed.

"I would like that," Arya agreed.

"I'll take us there," Harry said while wrapping an arm around Arya's waist even though it wasn't really necessary.

The pair of Riders and their dragons vanished and materialized moments later in the trunk forest. Arya looked around and saw the replica of her home in Du Weldenvarden. 

"You've changed quite a bit and not just in appearance," Arya observed while taking a seat on the nearby bed. Harry joined her a moment later. "Tell me what has happened? I sensed your death and then I sensed you again years later."

"My physical body died but my son cast magic which caused the essence of what Saphira and I are to transfer to one of Saphira's eggs. That essence in turn merged with the egg and the Rider the egg hatched for," Harry explained while gesturing at his physical form. "I go by the name Harry Potter in this form."

"Fascinating," Arya said. "And you remember everything?"

"Every moment," Harry assured. "And it's not just the memories," he added while shifting to his natural form. Arya gasped as she beheld the most gorgeous male her eyes had ever gazed upon. It was a mixture of the Eragon she had known and what he currently looked like in this modern time. There was also something more, something like what Blodhgarm put off but more. "Saphira has enhanced me a bit."

"I can tell," Arya agreed, having never been more aroused in her life. Harry returned to his previous form and Arya was unsure if she was relieved or disappointed. Something else occurred to Arya and she asked, "You mentioned a son. Have you taken a mate?"

"Eragon has taken quite a few mates," Saphira interjected, saving her Rider from answering. She could sense his discomfort and wanted to ease that feeling. "Dragons do not mate for life. Part of that gift the Eldunari gave Eragon so long ago made him more like dragons. When he was reborn in Harry Potter I brought him even further along. Eragon will still mate for life like other two legs but he will also require far more mates than most two legs. He is driven to this and is capable of satisfying many mates."

Harry was surprised. He had never thought of his nature in the terms Saphira had just described. 

"Thank you for explaining that Saphira," Harry sent to his dragon.

"There is no need to thank me," Saphira replied. "Arya feels the draw."

The dragon's statement was said with such assurance that Harry glanced at Arya. She had a slight flush to her skin. Arya's hand slid over his. 

"I have missed you Eragon. Our time was cut short," Arya explained. "For me it has only been a little bit over three years. Over twelve hundred years have passed for you but for me I still feel your loss keenly."

"What happened after I left?" Harry probed.

Arya's gaze showed she was concentrating on her memories of the past as she answered.

"Nasuada wanted to control all magic users in Alagaesia. It sparked off the most violent war that I have ever heard of. By the end of the conflict Alagaesia had been reshaped. My people took Du Weldenvarden into a specially devised pocket space our spell crafters constructed. Unfortunately this pocket space does not experience the flow of time the same way the rest of the universe does," Arya explained. "When I sensed you bond with Saphira anew I could tell who you were. I came as quickly as I could organize an excursion but even my haste has allowed several years to pass from your perspective."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that…and in hindsight I am somewhat sorry I left," Harry explained. 

"I'm not," Saphira interjected. "The parting has made us all appreciate each other that much more."

"She is wise," Arya observed. "So what happens now?"

"I have much to show you if you can stick around," Harry suggested.

"I would like that. I have made arrangements to be away for quite some time. And with the time differential it will seem like much longer out here," Arya replied. 

"Good," Harry agreed while taking Arya's hand. "Let me show you Albion and introduce you to the others."

The pair disappeared via teleportation.

After Arya had been introduced to the others and she was getting settled in Nym informed her mate, "I'm amazed we didn't have a major disturbance at the feast tonight."

"And why is that?" Harry inquired.

"Nearly Headless Nick let slip to Hermione that there are house elves working in the kitchens of Hogwarts," Susan explained.

Harry winced while Arya looked confused. 

Arya questioned, "What is a house elf?"

"Dobby," Harry called in response.

The house elf in question popped into the common room of one of the Riders' modules on Mars where a good number of the Riders and dragons plus Blodhgarm sat. When he laid eyes upon the two new elves Dobby's eyes bulged and he dropped to the floor in a bow. 

"Old ones," Dobby whispered reverently. 

"Fascinating," Blodhgarm commented as he observed the small creature. 

"No one is really sure of the origins of house elves but they have been serving wizards for millennia," Hermione explained. "Most house elves get along with their families but there are also those families that abuse the house elves."

"When Hermione questioned Dobby and found out the Hogwarts elves were happy she agreed to eat again," Ginny observed with a small smirk.

"I won't be chastised for caring about the plight and treatment of house elves," Hermione stated primly. 

"And we wouldn't have you any other way," Harry assured before leaning over and pecking his mate on the lips. 

Arya found it a bit unsettling to see the man she had realized she was in love with when she thought he had died with other females. The fact that these other females didn't seem to experience any jealousy had her curious. 

"He is an alpha male of two-legs," Fírnen projected, breaking into Arya's thoughts. "He wants you and you want him. Do not deny yourself what you want."

"I never said I was going to," Arya replied. 

"No, but I would have thought you would have taken him already," Fírnen said.

"We haven't exactly had much time alone. Give us time to get reacquainted," Arya cautioned.

"Dobby, this is Arya and Blodhgarm. I've mentioned Arya to you before. They'll be staying with us for awhile. Do you remember where I said Arya lived?" Harry queried.

"Yes Harry Potter Sir," Dobby agreed with a vigorous nod. 

"Would you make sure her tree is habitable? And Blodhgarm will tell you where he wishes to stay," Harry requested.

"Yes Harry Potter Sir," Dobby said while looking to Blodhgarm. 

Blodhgarm rose and Dobby snapped his fingers. Both elves disappeared. 

"What an interesting little being," Arya mused.

"He can get a bit excitable but we love him," Cho said.

"You mentioned a place called Pern when I asked about your dragons being able to teleport," Arya said. "Where exactly is this Pern?"

"Oh you're in for a surprise," Jaimie suggested knowingly from where she sat next to Diana.

"This is Pern," Harry began while sending his micro-pensieve projector hovering into the center of the room showing a hologram of the world from another universe.

Harry went into a fascinating history of Pern from that point and its current state. Arya listened with rapt attention. The world had definitely changed from what Arya remembered but she wouldn't change it back for anything. She had the male she had fallen in love with back in her life and exciting prospects for the future.