High Earth Orbit - Achilles...
The bridge of the Achilles was filled with a tense excitement and anticipation. Harry was seated in the Control Chair with his fingers contemplatively tented under his chin. To his left, on a first visit to the ship, was General Hammond, who looked like he still had to get used to the huge space that was the bridge. Major Davis was also present, standing nervously next to the General and his eyes rigidly focused on a point somewhere on the huge blue marble of Earth. Harry doubted that Major Davis suffered from vertigo but he was clearly uncomfortable on the panoramic bridge. Looking much more comfortable was Daniel who was leaning against the Control Chair to Harry's right.
"What's their ETA?" asked Hammond.
"The squadron should have launched about ten minutes ago," said Major Davis. "I guess the pilots wanted to see how they handle in atmospheric manuevering before they leave Earth."
"I just hope everything goes right for this shakedown run," said Hammond grimly. "I sincerely hope we don't have a twelve-fold X301 incident."
"The X302 performed excellently when Colonel O'Neill did its test flight a week ago," said Harry stoically, "there should be no problems."
"From your mouth to God's ears, Ambassador," replied Hammond in turn. Harry turned his head to one side and in his mind's eye saw the sensor feed from the Achilles' sensors.
"Here they come," reported Harry, pointing down towards the Earth below them. Twelve indistinct shapes had appeared and were approaching with extreme velocity. As the shapes drew closer it became possible to distinguish them in more detail; each approaching craft had the same distinctive C-shape of a Goa'uld Death Glider; however, these did not have the curved lines of a Glider, but was more angular in design, resembling almost the old F117 stealth fighter. Instead of having the twin cannons on the wings, these craft had multiple hardpoints where anti-fighter and anti-Ha'tak missiles were mounted. The anti-Ha'tak missiles was a culmination of multiple technologies; the chassis of an Exocet missile had a shield modulator on the nose, they contained weapons-grade naquadah and a seperate amount of potassium, which at detonation would give enough energy to theoretically vaporize a Stargate. The main dogfight weapon of the X302 was officially labelled the PC2 (Plasma Cannon) a three meter weapon located on the bow directly underneath the pilot module, but what gave it the edge over a Death Glider was the fact that the PC2 was almost fully articulated; using a system borrowed from the Commanche helicopter, the PC2 followed the direction and orientation of the pilot's head, so it didn't matter whether the pilot had to get his nose pointed to the target, he just turned his head toward it and blasted away.
The X302 was colored in an obsidian black, making it extremely hard for an eye to spot the craft. Even the cockpit canopy was specially treated to stop it from reflecting the glare of any star or nearby lights. Inertial dampening systems protected the pilot from the gravitational forces of extreme speeds. The X302 had a next gen Naquadah Matrix Power plant which provided power for propulsion of a combination of gravitic engine (for space flight) and scramjet(for atmospheric flight) and of course, the crowning achievement of the scientists at A51, the miniaturized Hyperspace Window Generator. The X302 could reach Abydos (the closest planet with a Stargate) in a day with a spot Hyperspace jump; if the pilot wanted to go further and faster though he would have to shut down all weapons systems and the gravitic engine and build up an energy reserve to use for the Hyperspace flight.
The squadron of 12 X-302s left Earth and swooped towards the Achilles in perfect formation.
"Achilles, this is Red Leader," came the smug voice of Jack O'Neill, flying the lead X302. Harry rolled his eyes at the reference to Star Wars. Jack was flying the lead X302 with Sam as his second seat. While Teal'C flew wingman with one of the best new pilots to come out of the secret X302 training program, Major Cameron Mitchell.
"Red Leader, this is Achilles," said Harry, engaging the subspace channel. "You're looking good and my sensors detect no problems with any craft in the squadron."
"Roger that, Achilles," said Jack, "requesting permission for Hyperspace roundabout the Solar system." Harry nodded towards General Hammond.
"Red Group," said General Hammond, "I want to say something profound and memorable on this occasion, where for the first time in almost five years we have a fighting chance against the Goa'uld, but all I have for you is this...you are the tip of the spear that we will drive into the heart of the monster, do Earth proud. Red Group, you have a go for Hyperspace. God speed."
"All right, boys, you heard the man," said Jack over the squadron frequency. The twelve X302s turned as one into an exit vector and in front of the fighters twelve small swirls of purple energy appeared and the next moment they dived into Hyperspace and vanished from sight.
The next day Harry was alone on the Achilles, which was still in Earth orbit and relaxing on one of the soft lazyboy chairs in one of the VIP suites. He had spent most of the time going over the data from the X302 flights and noting any problems or anomalies which would have to be fixed before the X302s took to the heavens again. He swirled his drink of mango juice absentmindedly, content to just watch the liquid and clear his mind of all the data he had reviewed.
His blissfully content mind was rather rudely interupted, however. The Achilles AI intruded on his thoughts and told him that remote subspace transponder 01 had been activated. Harry's mind went from near relaxed to racing beyond Hyperspeed. He nimbly jumped to his feet and instructed the AI to beam him to the medical ward. Harry was consumed in white light and when the world had righted itself around him he was in the medical ward of the Achilles.
The Medical ward was a large hall sized room with extremely bright white walls and lights with multiple slab like beds lining the perimeter of the room. The beds themselves did all the healing work using the original Ancient healing technology that the Goa'uld Sarcophogus was based on, this didn't require doctors to be present. Harry looked around and with a thought the room began to change. The beds retreated into the walls and a single healing bed appeared in the centre of the room.
Harry sighed and shook his head, trying to brace himself for what he was about to see.
"Transport him," said Harry aloud to the AI.
The next moment a column of white light descended from the ceiling and landed on the bed.
The light slowly faded.
Harry reflexively closed his eyes and gritted his teeth at the sight on the bed. On the Healing bed, dressed in mangled black robes that was torn in places, was the clone of Harry Potter. The clone's face was riddled with bleeding cuts of various depths and from the looks of it, had both his legs purposely broken as well. But Harry knew that this was just the beginning, he opened his eyes and mind to the Universe and felt the residue of destructive alteration matrixes' or as the wizarding world would call them 'curses'. The most prominent being the Cruciatus, which was still affecting the nervous system of clone Harry, hence the reason for the state of unconsciouness. Harry's eyes were drawn to the bruises and cuts around the wrists, indicative of imprisonment.
Harry activated the healing bed and it glowed white for a moment underneath the body of clone Harry. The diagnosis was grim. Malnourishment was another problem added to the list, and the clone's mind was in a near depressive state. Harry touched the brow of the clone and drew his hand away as if scalded. It seemed that Dementor exposure was another malady afflicting the young clone. All this combined to cause the coma that Harry was now detecting. The torture, imprisonment, malnourishment, and Dementor exposure was just too much to suffer. Harry was rather amazed that his clone was still clinging to life, most others would have been killed from treatment such as this.
With a thought Harry activated the full healing function of the bed and a brilliant white light rose up from underneath the clone. For ten minutes the pure healing energy worked and finally it retreated and disappeared back into the bed. The physical injuries were now healed, but the curses and dementor exposure was another matter entirely and it remained uncertain whether the clone would retain his sanity.
However, Harry could spare no time to treat his clone. It would take weeks to accomplish anything, and even then it was doubtful the clone would ever make a full recovery. This was the sign that Oma Desala had spoken of. He was needed in the wizarding world.
It was time to end this, and for that, he would need more time.
Having placed his clone in a stasis pod that would preserve him near indefinitely, Harry walked with purpose and determination onto the bridge of the Achilles and sat down in the Control Chair. With a thought he activated subspace communications and a few moments later a holographic screen appeared in front of him. The smiling face of Apollonia appeared in view, with the lush background of Seaworld rather prominent in the feed as well...she was probably in one of the beach huts.
"Husband," she said in greeting.
"Wife," said Harry with a fond smile. "How are you and your passengers faring?"
"Well enough," she said, patting her belly fondly. "Mornings are tough though." Harry grimaced inwardly, how the Ancients never invented something to get rid of morning sickness for pregnant women he would never understand. He vividly recalled the time when his wife had a rather unexpected bout of the condition and accidently threw up all over his feet. Apollonia however lost the happy expression on her face as she saw the expression in his eyes. "What is wrong?"
"My clone on Earth is in critical condition," said Harry shortly. Apollonia understood what this meant as well as he did.
"Then it is time," she said with sadness and resignation.
"Yes," said Harry with a nod. "However, I will return before your due date. I will be there."
"You can't guarantee that, my husband," said Apollonia with a rue smile. "It is three months before I am due to give birth, not to mention the possibility for a premature delivery. And do you really think you can kill Riddle in just three months?"
"I know, I know," said Harry with a sigh, "I will try, however. If I have to turn the wizarding world upside down and shake it to find and dispose of Riddle to return to you before then...I will do so." Apollonia laughed briefly.
"It's times such as this when you remind me why I married you," she said fondly.
"You just like my cooking," said Harry teasingly. Apollonia clicked her tongue with irritation.
"No, you lump," she scolded, "besides the fact that I love you, you have this...stubborn determination to always do the right thing."
Harry couldn't say much in return so he let his blush speak for him. "Anyway, I hate to impose on you, but I'll need you to see to any calls from the SGC. Perhaps see if Sam can't stay with you for a while, in case of the baby being premature."
"I understand," nodded Apollonia.
"Well, I have more preparations to make before I return to Earth," said Harry with a sigh, "I love you, my wife."
"And I love you, my husband."
Harry stood again in the Medical ward, where a circular stasis pod now stood in the middle of the room. CloneHarry was now clothed in white garments within the pod and looked quite peaceful at first glance. Harry knew though that underneath the exterior it was a whole different story.
Harry took a deep breath in and out, and opened his mind to the Universe...he cast his perceptions forward...reaching toward the mind of CloneHarry...there was hardly any resistance on the surface (confirming that the consciousness had retreated deep within the recesses of the mind in an attempt to protect itself)...Harry penetrated into the mind softly, like a gentle breeze...he was looking for the divergent memories of the past eleven years that seperated the Harry from his clone...it was extremely difficult focusing on a coherent pattern in his search...CloneHarry's mind was a mess...Harry cast about trying different avenues of approach in the endless dimensions of the mind...searching...and then...he found something...
...CloneHarry being sorted in Ravenclaw House...the first view of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...Harry was rather impressed at the construction of the school, but obviously he had seen much more impressive Ancient architecture.
...CloneHarry was somehow entered into a magical tournament between two other wizardry schools...the betrayal of a friend...the sheer fright of confronting a dragon...later having to rescue a friend from the bottom of a lake...then tackling a final challenge...the memory ended abruptly.
...CloneHarry entered his second year...no post from friends...a house-elf intercepting his mail...visiting his best friend in Ravenclaw, Hermione Granger, a studius witch, for a few weeks...visiting Diagon Alley...the strange attacks on Hogwarts students...including his best friend Hermione...his sheer desperation to save her and solve the mystery...discovering his Parseltongue ability...finding the Chamber of Secrets...confronting the Horcrux of Tom Riddle...
...in first year...challenging the way magic was perceived and done...why was a wand even necessary...why was magic taught and studied in such a near haphazard fashion...confronting the disembodied spectre of Tom Riddle...getting past the obstacles guarding the Philosopher's Stone. Why wouldn't Dumbledore answer the question of the reason Riddle tried to kill Harry?
...third year...a prisoner had escaped from Azkaban...Sirius Black...he was coming after CloneHarry, everyone said so...he was a mass murderer of non-magicals...he was responsible for revealing his parents hiding place to Riddle...the sheer betrayal and rage at learning that Sirius Black was his father's best friend and his godfather...Dementors...learning a Patronus Charm...the struggle to overcome his need to hear his parents voices...the night of the full moon...everyone had it wrong...Sirius was innocent...Pettigrew was the traitor!...capturing Pettigrew...fighting Professor Snape, and Lupin the werewolf...revealing to a dumbfounded Minister of Magic a very much alive Pettigrew...Sirius is freed!
...confronting the fake Mad-Eye Moody in fourth year...Barty Crouch Junior...being tied to a gravestone by Alecto Carrow...they steal CloneHarry's blood! Riddle rises into full life again!
...fifth year...CloneHarry is nearly ignored by Dumbledore...nothing is revealed to him...learning useless Occlumency lessons from Snape...the dreams of what Riddle desires...refusing to learn from Snape...sneaking into the Restricted Section...learning Occlumency on his own...confronting the useless Ministry of Magic...Delores Umbridge...Fudge...confronting Dumbledore in anger...
...deaths...kidnappings...torture!...Sirius is killed in battle!.
...sixth year...suspicions of Draco Malfoy...Quidditch Captain...a failed romance with Ginevra Weasley...the hunt for the horcruxes...the Death Eater attack on Hogwarts...Slughorn...Dumbledore and CloneHarry fights back to back in a Death Eater ambush...successfully defend Hogwarts from a Death Eater incursion...fighting the triple agent traitor Snape...Snape was the one who told the prophecy to Riddle!...Dumbledore injured gravely and is bedridden...
...seventh year...leaving with Hermione and Neville Longbottom on a Horcrux hunt despite objections from everyone...falling in love with Hermione ...learning ...training ...fighting ...searching the British Isles and Europe...vampires...werewolves...apprenticing under a Nicolas Flamel who trained Harry as his last act alive...
...for four years...fighting an ever desperate war while still trying to find the Horcruxes...the Ring of Slytherin destroyed...Tom Riddle's diary destroyed...Hufflepuff's Cup destroyed...Ravenclaw's Quill destroyed...Slytherin's Locket yet to be found...Nagini the snake would have to die before Riddle did...the final piece of the seven split soul.
...a massive Dark army attacks Hogwarts...Riddle himself leading it...fighting Riddle...he's too strong...CloneHarry cannot beat him...captured...torture...ARRRRGGHHHH!
Harry pulled away the instant he realized the scream was coming from his own throat. The memories were horrible, the emotions associated with them...even more horrible. The last one of CloneHarry's imprisonment was nigh unbearable and it rose dark emotions within that was a struggle for Harry to control. There was no time to walk back to his living quarters for meditation. Harry sank down into a lotus position and immediately began the process to internalise and make sense of eleven years of jumbled memories.
Harry emerged from his meditation to find himself still seated on the floor of the Medical Ward on board the Achilles. A mental consult with the AI told him he had been in meditation for nearly two days and his growling empty stomach seemed to affirm this fact. A white light materialized next to him and revealed a plate of steaming hot food, which he promptly grabbed and began wolfing down. He finished his meal and the dishes vanished.
Harry stood and had to stretch out the stiffness in his muscles for a while before moving forward and placing a hand on the still humming stasis pod.
"How did you manage to do all that and still stay sane?" asked Harry with a weary sigh. "Don't worry, rest now. You are safe. I will take the torch from here."
Harry vanished with a flash of white light.
Earth, England...a week later...
Hermione Granger walked in a daze, with her best friend Neville Longbottom a few steps behind her, watching her back. Her long, bushy brown hair tied into a ponytail which was buffeted by a light, chilly breeze. Her eyes were drawn in dark circles from lack of sleep and her grey robes were creased and dirty from use. Neville was a tall man who stood a head-height above her, with broad shoulders that was drawn in and slumped, brown messy short hair and hazel eyes that scanned the horizon around them for any threat. His similar grey robes was also patched and worn with use, the only thing looking new and in good repair was dragonhide boots that adorned his feet.
Both witch and wizard had their wands out and ready for anything. With but a thought they both apparated.
After the squeezing feeling passed Hermione could smell salt in the air and hear the rushing of waves, which caused her to look up and regard her surroundings properly. She looked out at a moonlit sea and star-strewn sky, and for a moment thought she saw a satellite swooping fast overhead. Her head lowered to see that she was now standing upon a high outcrop of dark rock, water foaming and churning below her. She glanced over her shoulder. A towering cliff stood behind, a sheer drop, black and faceless. A few large chunks of rock, such as one upon which she and Neville were standing, looked as though they had broken away from the cliff face at some point in the past. It was a bleak harsh view; the sea and the rock unveiled by any tree or sweep of grass or sand.
"Are you sure Dumbledore gave us the right co-ordinates?" said Neville stoically.
"Yes, this is the place apparently where Tom Riddle brought his youthful victims," said Hermione darkly.
"To think they brought orphan's here," said Neville shaking his head in disbelief.
"Not here precisely," countered Hermione, "there is a village of sorts halfway along the cliffs behind us. According to Dumbledore the orphans were taken there for a little sea air and a view of the waves. Riddle would have climbed down over there," Hermione pointed, "probably used his childhood understanding of magic to make the climb a little easier. He brought two small children with him, probably for the pleasure of terrorizing them. The journey on the sheer cliff would have done it alone. But our final destination is ahead."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Dumbledore let me visit his memory in a Pensieve, of this place when he first found it," said Hermione, getting irritated.
"I wonder why he and Harry never tried to get the you-know-what in there?" murmured Neville.
"The Death Eater incursion into Hogwarts interupted their attempt back in sixth year," answered Hermione. "Then the war took on a life on its own, you know the rest."
Hermione beckoned Neville to the edge of the rock, where a series of jagged niches that made footholds led down to boulders that lay half-submerged in water and closer to the cliff. It was a treacherous descent and the two moved slowly to avoid the possibility of slipping and possibly injuring themselves. The lower rocks were slippery with sea water. They could feel flecks of cold salt spray hitting their faces. She raised her wand. 'Lumos'," she murmured, as she reached the boulder closest to the cliff face.
A thousand flecks of golden light sparkled upon the dark surface of the water a few feet below where they crouched; the black wall of rock beside was also illuminated. Hermione held her wand higher and it revealed a fissure in the cliff into which dark water was swirling.
"We'll have to take the plunge it seems," said Hermione with a sigh. Neville groaned in complaint but didn't verbally object. They both slid from the boulder they were on and landed in the sea and began to swim. Hermione with breaststroke and Neville with a sloppy freestyle. She held her lit wand in her teeth to keep the area in front of them illuminated. The water was icy, and their robes became waterlogged and weighed them down.
They swam and the fissure soon opened into a dark tunnel that they could tell would be filled with water at high tide. The slimy walls were barely three feet apart and glimmered like wet tar in the passing light of Hermione's wand. A little way in, the passageway curved to the left and they saw that it extended far into the cliff. They continued to swim, their benumbed fingers occasionally grabbing onto wet rock to sped their way faster.
Finally, they emerged out of the water, their hair and robes gleaming with wetness in the gold light from the wand. They found steps that led into a large cave. They climbed the steps shivering. Hermione pointed her wand at herself and the icy water evaporated instantly and she dry as a bone, another spell later and Neville was also dry. Eventually they were standing in the middle of the cave, both their wands held high, examining the walls and ceiling.
Hermione waved her wand and a slight mist came floating out of it and streamed along the walls...the mist began to turn various shades of colours.
"This is definitely the place, there's magic residue everywhere..." murmured Hermione.
Anything she was about to say further was cut off as her Magic Mist abruptly vanished and a strong breeze started to fill the cave.
"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Neville ominously. Both wizard and witch moved with signs of long experience and stood back to back, their wands raised, mentally preparing an arsenal of spells to unleash with but a thought and a point of the wand. The breeze continued to build in strength until from the ceiling of the cave a bright white light descended that glowed with such strength that it near blinded the both of them in contrast to the darkness their eyes were used to. The mass of white light settled on the cave floor in front of them and began to take a human like shape.
Hermione, thinking that this was part of the cave's defenses that protected the Horcrux, pointed her wand and began to unleash spells...Neville joining her not a moment later. The being of white light raised what looked like a long staff of light and before any of their spells could connect a cage like dome shield appeared and harmlessly absorbed the attacking spells. Hermione felt near oppressive levels of magic begin to pervade the cave and the next thing she knew her wand was burning and in a reflex she would later kick herself for, let go of it and it sped towards the being of light...Neville's wand following not a moment later.
Hermione and Neville felt desperation as they tried to think of anything to do...but...there was nothing...
"Oh, how dependant you are on these crude devices," came a disappointed sounding voice from the being of light. This confused Hermione...was the being referring to their wands? "You came here to seek the piece of the soul of Tom Riddle," stated the being.
Neville finding his courage spoke up in defiance, "Oh yeah, and what of it? What is it to you?"
"What is it to me?" asked the being, as if amused by the question. "It is my purpose."
"Who are you?" asked Hermione in anger.
"Me?" asked the being again. "I'm not really sure...it's rather difficult to explain to ones with such limited knowledge of the grand scheme of things."
"What?" asked Neville in bafflement and confusion, looking at Hermione.
"You both knew me," said the being, the white light still glaring in their eyes, "I know I should know you, but I don't."
"Stop talking in riddles and show yourself," snarled Hermione. The being seemed to take heed of the command, as the bright light surrounding the figure slowly faded. It resolved to show a tall, rather muscular man, wearing intricately styled purple robes, with a tall staff in his right hand made out of a black obsidian material and a glowing diamond like jewel inset as a headpiece. Long black hair cascaded down his head and reached his shoulders. It was as Hermione studied the more curious aspects of the strange wizard's appearance that she felt her heart shoot up into her throat and seemingly lodge itself in her asophagus. Green eyes like two hardened emeralds stared over both her and Neville and the familiar features of a face that tantalizingly haunted her dreams at night. A slight breeze from the entrance to the cave parted the fringe of the wizard slightly to reveal the jagged lightning bolt shape of a curse scar on his forehead.
Hermione fainted.
Neville grabbed the limp form of the witch before she could hurt herself and stared at Harry Potter in a combination of awe and fright.
"You died," said Neville in a near whisper that pervaded the cave.
"That I did, Neville Longbottom," said Harry, walking forward slowly and staring at the woman his other self was in love with.
"Voldemort publicly executed you in Diagon Alley," said Neville, shaking his head as though to convince himself that Harry was an apparition of their imagination.
"And what did you see Neville Longbottom," retorted Harry walking closer, "a curse of some vague description apparently hitting me and then I was vaporized into white light." Neville couldn't help but nod. Harry couldn't help but marvel at his timing in beaming out CloneHarry and putting the event in motion for that scene using a little time jump. "I barely remember it. I barely remember you or Hermione or any of the others." Neville shook his head in confusion and turned to face Hermione, trying to lightly shake her awake. "Allow me," said Harry and Neville flinched as Harry bent over and lightly caressed and cupped Hermione's cheek, willing her to wake with his Ancient skills.
She gasped and opened her eyes. Harry abruptly got out of her field of view, Neville would do better to calm her down.
"Neville?" she said, her voice small and unsure.
"Yes, Hermione?" said Neville uncertainly.
"It wasn't a dream, was it?"
"No." Hermione began to sob and tears began to fall. For a long time, Neville just cradled her and allowed her to sob into his robes. In the meantime, Neville was staring at Harry who merely looked enigmatic at what was essentially his girlfriend being embraced by his best friend. The next thing Neville knew, Hermione had launched herself at Harry and began to pummel his chest in anger.
"You bastard! How could you let me believe you were dead!" screamed Hermione incoherently, and continued on it that vein for a while. Harry merely stood stock still and absorbed the blows without a concern in the world, looking hardly phased at all. Finally, Hermione ran out of steam and fell to the floor in an exhausted huff.
"Are you done?" asked Harry, with mild irritation in his voice. Harry drew on his memories from his clone. "You always assumed things Hermione and jumped to conclusions before they could be properly explained to you.I did die, Hermione."
"But if one dies...how can you be here then?" she demanded. "It's impossible."
"Can you honestly claim to know how Fate and the greater Universe works?" asked Harry in anger, slamming his staff into the ground. Harry would have to be very careful here, because he was in essence working with a less advanced society, and his explanations and actions would ripple out for hundreds of years to come among wizards. "I died. The curtain of this existence was pulled back, and what I beheld was beyond human understanding and comprehension. I became more than a wizard...more than human...this plane of existence we are currently in is but the beginning of the great journey!" Neville and Hermione was stunned speechless at Harry's words. "I lived another lifetime in a mere week since my death and it is beyond words...but, I had a task to fulfill on this Earth, and so I've been sent back until my task is done."
"Even if we believed all this," said Neville with a frown, "how do...
"How do you know I'm not a Death Eater, impersonating Harry Potter?" said Harry with a frown. "That's simple, do you think a Death Eater would have power like mine? Riddle would never let someone so powerful (a potential rival) be in his ranks. We could sit here in this mouldy cave for one hour to rule out Polyjuice Potion. I'll allow Hermione her wand back to check me for glamours, you can ask me anything only Harry Potter would've known, though you'll forgive me if I have a somewhat slow recall, it was another lifetime ago, after all."
Harry dropped Hermione's wand at her feet and walked a few steps away and sat down with his legs folded, and resting his staff on his lap.
Hermione hesitantly picked up her wand and walked towards Harry carefully, who merely stared inscrutibly at her. She waved her wand over the form of her 'apparent' lover mentally sending a simple 'Finite'. Nothing happened. She started to practically bathe Harry in every form of dispelling and disenchantment she knew. Nothing happened. Frustrated she put her wand in her wrist holster, and began firing personal questions at Harry. Unfailingly, though it seemed to take him a few moments for each answer, Harry answered correctly.
Before Hermione knew it, an hour was up, Harry had drunk or eaten nothing...no Polyjuice.
She sat with a huff and shook her head, continuously mumbling, "It's not possible, it's not possible..."
"Are you satisfied?" asked Harry airily, with a slightly bored expression on his face.
"Merlin," said Neville, shaking his head, "you've convinced me...but...I still don't understand how you can be back."
"It is as I said," said Harry patiently, "I was hit with the curse, I died, but it was not the end, I left the burden of my life, I had done everything possible against Riddle in my previous incarnation...I was at peace for the first time and what was beyond death was...wonderful." Neville continued to look lost. "Have you read or heard an account of Merlin's death?"
Neville's mind seemed to latch on to the familiar knowledge and his eyes widened. "My Grams told me an old story from the Founders time. It said Merlin stood amongst the four founders looking frail and old beyond his years...he gave them their final blessing, fell down and before they could even begin to take his body for burial it was consumed with white light and vanished...my Grams told me that as a bed time story."
"That's a mere myth," said Hermione with a frown. "There is no way that that can be historically accurate."
"All myths and legends began as truth," said Harry enigmatically, "I will say this...that this plane of existence is just one of many infinite layers above and below. That it is within all of us to move beyond just as Merlin did." Hermione shook her head again, seemingly not accepting it. "I apologize if I have rather knocked the logical order with which you understand the world around, but you did ask, and I answered truthfully. I am Harry Potter, yet not the Harry Potter that you knew. I understand that you were lovers with the other Harry, and you can't accept the strangers' eyes that stare out of his eyes."
Hermione gasped in astonishment, was she that plain to read? Her Occlumency was flawless, yet this man, this Harry, had read her as if he had known her all along, and yet he fully admitted that he didn't really know her...her mind just could not accept that apparent paradox.
"Hermione," said Neville softly, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I think, we should continue with what we came here for. I'm satisfied that he is at least Harry Potter and an ally..."
"...but..."
"Hermione, magic is not logical," said Neville with a sigh, "your muggle upbringing has helped you a lot, and your knowledge makes you powerful...but your weakness is that you don't trust to instinct, you don't have a concept that some things in the wizarding world even defy understanding by wizards...you are so focused on the trees that you forget it is a forest. At least that what my Gram says when I think too hard about my magic. My instincts tell me that this is Harry Potter, that like Merlin, he has returned in a dark time of great need. And you have to admit, that the one thing that will galvanize the Resistance would be if Harry was to return."
Hermione hung her head and tears began to fall again and her shoulder shook in sobs that she near visciously silenced.
After a few moments Harry stood from his seated position, and awaited Hermione's acceptance or denial...the latter would be disappointing, as it would mean she had no hope of eventual Ascension.
She raised her head and with near miserable eyes asked, "Do you at least remember my love for you?"
Harry closed his eyes as the bittersweet memories from his other self prompted a longing to rise in his heart and an infinite sadness. "I do." She wiped her crying eyes furiously and visibly tried to master herself.
"There's at least that, then," said Hermione in a listless voice, "and for the record," her voice gaining a slight strength, "I know that there is more to magic than spellbooks and logic. It's just...it sounds so...outlandish on the face of it."
"As outlandish as a Chamber of Secrets?" said Neville with a slight grin on his face, "all the teachers and countless historians over the centuries denounced it as myth...yet Harry goes and shows it to be plain truth." Hermione turned rather hesistantly to face Harry properly, as if she was afraid he might be a spectre and vanish if she looked at him properly.
"Did it hurt much to die?" she asked in a small voice. Harry recalled the final memories of his other self and added his own twist.
"No, it was rather much of a relief at that point," replied Harry with a sigh. "I'll rather leave it to your imagination at what Riddle did to me before that final moment in Diagon Alley." Both Neville and Hermione winced at the mere thought. "But I believe we cannot spend much more time here, time is something I do not have the luxury of anymore and you must do what you came for."
"Right," nodded Neville but frowned, "hey, but aren't you going to help us? I mean, those are Voldemort's traps we'll have to face before we can get the Horcrux."
"Are you asking me to help?" asked Harry with a raised eyebrow. Hermione and Neville looked at each other in exasperation.
"Yes!" they chorused together.
"Very well," said Harry simply and turned around, his staff clanking on the floor as he walked forward in the cave. Neville and Hermione hurried to follow. Harry approached the wall of the cave and his hand began to caress it with his fingertips. He felt the matrixes of embedded spells within the walls and muttered in Ancient under his breath as he recognized each matrix and began to piece them together in their function. Harry began to walk along the cave's perimeter, touching as much of the rock as he could to identify each spell...he was trying to find the linking lattice that anchored all of the matrixes and kept them fixed and permanent. He ran his hand back and forth until finally he found it.
"Here," he said, "this should be a doorway. The entrance is concealed."
"How did you figure that out?" asked Neville in bewilderment.
"It's called 'Mage sense' in the ancient texts, I prefer to view it as simply using my entire body as an eye to the true Universe beyond the surface of the material world," explained Harry, as he stepped back from the cave wall, and hit his staff into the ground, focusing his mind...the diamond in the headpiece of the staff began to glow with white light that seemed to focus itself at the rock. For a moment, an arched outline appeared there, blazing white as though there was a powerful light behind the crack.
"You can actually use that staff?" asked Hermione with wide eyes.
"Of course," said Harry, as though it was obvious, "do you think I carry it around for my health? Or for decoration?"
"Then you have to be really powerful like Merlin to be able to use a staff," said Neville with amazement.
"I couldn't say whether I'm more powerful or less than Merlin," said Harry with a shrug, "Haven't met him yet, though I believe he would wipe the floor with me if it ever came to a friendly duel. And that's nonsense about you not being powerful enough to use a staff...anybody with the capability to use a wand can use a staff, of course, you'd need to develop a certain mental capacity before you use it, otherwise you'd blow yourself up with the first spell cast. Not to mention that the early Ministry perpetuated the idea that only Merlin could wield a staff."
"Maybe because a staff was rather visible, and that was when wizards began to hide themselves from the non-magical, a wand is more handy and can be hidden," theorized Hermione.
"Yes, that is one reason," said Harry, "now I need to concentrate if I want to get this doorway open..." Harry was staring at the old runic text that made up the spells of the archway; he knew he must have looked rather stupid, just staring at the wall as the spells were only visible to his own eyes. When Harry finally realized the nature of the doorway he chuckled.
"Really, Riddle is that the best you can do," murmured Harry, shaking his head.
"What is it?" asked Neville.
"The doorway requires payment before we are allowed to pass," said Harry with a grin.
"What kind of payment?" asked Hermione wearily.
"Blood."
"Blood?" said Neville in disgust.
"Yeah, not much imagination does Tommy boy have," said Harry mockingly. "The idea was probably that any enemy must weaken himself or herself to enter." He frowned in thought for a moment and stared behind him at Neville and Hermione speculatively. "I would donate some of my own blood to open the door, but...I'd rather not chance how the enchantments would react to my presence."
Neville sighed, "I'll do it." Neville flicked his wand and a rather large old fashioned razor was conjured, so that it sticked out of the tip of the wand. He winced and flashed the razor over his arm with the cut directed to the doorway, there was a spurt of scarlet droplets that peppered the rock face ahead of them. Hermione had her wand out in an instant and waved it over his arm, muttering a healing charm and the deep cut was gone.
"Thank you," nodded Harry. "Ah, that did it!"
The blazing silver outline of an arch had appeared in the wall once more, and this time it did not fade away: the blood spattered rock within it simply vanished, leaving an opening into what seemed total darkness.
"Follow me," said Harry and he walked through the archway with Neville and Hermione on his heels, lighting their own wands hastily as they went.
An eerie sight met their eyes; they were standing on the edge of a great black lake, so vast that Harry could not make out the distant banks, in a cavern so high that the ceiling, too, was out of sight. Clearly the interior of the original cave was not that great, but Riddle had altered the dimensions of the interior to give it that ominous grandure. A misty greenish light shone far away in what looked like the middle of the lake; it was reflected in the unnaturally still water below. The greenish glow and the light from the two wands were the only things that broke the otherwise velvety darkness.
"Let's walk carefully forward," instructed Harry, "follow in my footsteps and do not touch the water."
"What's wrong with it?" asked Neville.
"It's has some form of enchantment on it, that is keeping it absolutely still, almost like a mirror...there is a reason for that," said Harry, beginning to walk carefully forward, his staff ticking lightly on the hard ground.
"If anything disturbs the water something will be activated then..." said Hermione, following in Harry's wake. "...but what?"
"I'd rather not test that water and find out," said Harry grimly. They set off around the edge of the lake. Their footsteps made echoing, slapping sounds on the narrow rim of rock that surrounded the water. On and on they walked, but the view did not vary: on one side of them, the rough cavern wall; on the other, the boundless expanse of smooth, glassy blackness, in the very middle of which was that green glow. The utter silence of the place was clearly beginning to unnerve Neville.
"Uhh...this might be a stupid suggestion, but why don't we just summon the Horcrux?"
Harry stopped for a moment, to consider this...drawing from the memories of his other self about Riddle...would he simply assume a wizard would think it a stupid idea to simply summon it and not put any protection against it. "Anything's possible," said Harry with a grin. "One of you give it a try."
Hermione and Neville looked at each other, the latter who gestured for her to do the honors. She held her wand aloft and mentally sent a Summoning Charm for the Horcrux.
With a noise like an explosion, something very large and pale erupted out of the dark water some twenty feet away; Harry noticed the rotting flesh, a flash of a diseased and bloated face, then it vanished again with a crashing splash that made great, deep ripples on the mirrored surface. Neville and Hermione leapt backwards in shock and hit the wall. Harry frowned in thought. Riddle had used a specific frequency of power to animate the dead body of a person to his bidding, it was a corrupted form of the Ancient healing technique that was used on the non-magical dead...it seemed that that knowledge had persevered or been rediscovered.
"Inferi," murmured Hermione in fear.
"If any part of us had touched the water, we would be assaulted with a wave of the undead?" asked Neville, to which Harry only nodded. "So where's the Horcrux?"
"In the middle," said Harry, and pointed to the misty green light in the centre of the lake.
"That means there has to be a way to cross it," said Hermione in thought.
"It is what I am seeking," confirmed Harry, and kept walking until..."Here we are," and he stopped along a seemingly ordinary part of the lake. Harry felt the hidden spell matrix not by the spell itself, but by the effect of the spell...light was being distorted in an unnatural pattern around something.
"I don't see anything," said Hermione. Harry raised his hand and felt through the thin air towards the lake, as though expecting to grip something invisible. His hand abruptly seized on something. His staff came slightly forward and the diamond pulsed briefly with an inner light and immediately a thick coppery green chain appeared out of thin air, extending from the depths of the water into Harry's clenched hand. Another pulse of light came from the staff, and it began to slide through his fist like a snake, coiling itself on the ground with a clinking sound that echoed noisily off the rocky walls, pulling something from the depths of the black water.
Neville and Hermione gasped as the ghostly prow of a tiny boat broke the surface, glowing as green as the chain, and floated, with barely a ripple, towards the place where Harry, Hermione and Neville stood.
"Do you think this boat is safe?" asked Hermione with a frown, "I mean...it's Voldemort's boat."
"Well, Riddle would need to cross the lake without attracting the attention of the Inferi, since he can't exercise control over more than a few of them at a time," explained Harry, "he would want to eventually visit his Horcrux to renew the enchantments around here or perhaps remove it to another location if he learned this one was compromised."
"So the Inferi won't touch us if we crossed in Riddle's boat?" asked Neville hopefully.
"At some point, they will inevitably realize we are not Tom Riddle," said Harry with a grim smile, "there are more enchantments ahead, that Riddle made so that only he could penetrate it, we will see."
"I don't think that will hold all three of us," said Hermione, staring uncertainly at the eerie looking boat, which was quite small. "It looks like it was built for only one." Harry stood carefully closer and placed a hand on the rusty surface of the boat.
"It will only allow one wizard at a time to pass over the surface of the lake," said Harry, closing his eyes and focusing on the matrixes he was sensing, "it measures magical power and will sink if more than one wizard tries to climb in."
"So what do we do?" asked Neville. "Going across one at a time comes to mind."
"Riddle would most definitely not go back and forth across the lake in quick succession," said Harry in thought, "that would trigger the Inferi to attack us."
"So only one of us gets to go across," stated Neville.
"I doubt that Tom Riddle ever thought a wizard like me would come across one of his Horcruxes," said Harry with a smirk. "I have a way for all three of us to get there, but one of you must go on the boat." Hermione and Neville looked at each other uncertainly.
"My turn," said Hermione resolutely.
"You sure?" She nodded.
Harry stood aside and Hermione climbed carefully into the boat. She sat uncomfortably on the hard steel hull and she gasped as the boat began to move at once towards the distant green light.
"Neville, come stand behind my back," instructed Harry, Neville nervously did so until there was barely an inch between them. "That's fine, now, hold on to me around my chest." Harry raised his arms to allow Neville to lock his arms in a monkey grip. "Do not be startled." Harry focused his will and projected a disc of power under their feet...a few moments later as he checked its consistency, with a thought he and Neville rose into the air.
"Whoah!" exclaimed Neville in alarm, looking down in near disbelief at how they were now hovering three meters in the air over the glassy black surface of the lake. Harry turned and they began to move forward in pace with the boat. Below them Hermione looked in fascination at the slight glow of the ethereal disc underneath the two wizards' feet. She shook her head in amazement and was startled as she saw another, as yet lifeless, Inferi floating in the water.
"I assume you both know how to deal with Inferi," stated Harry, as they floated along on air and water.
"Conjure flames and ward them off," said Hermione from below.
"Yes," nodded Harry, "I think that if the time comes, that task will go to you both, while I deanimate them. Though I hope to avoid triggering them at all."
"Harry, only the wizard that animated them can do that..." said Hermione.
"Always with you, what can't be done," chided Harry, channeling Jack and quoting from Star Wars. She huffed in irritation, turning her head to look at the greenish glow towards which the boat was still inexorably sailing. The greenish light seemed to be growing larger, and within minutes, the boat came to a halt, and Harry and Neville touched down on a small island of smooth rock in the centre of the lake. They both helped Hermione out of the boat, being careful not to disturb the water. The island was no larger than one the VIP suites on the Achilles; an expanse of flat dark stone on which stood nothing but the source of the green light. Neville and Hermione willed their wands brighter and the true nature of the light became apparent.
It was coming from a stone basin, which almost looked like a Pensieve, which was set on top of an ornately curved pedestal. Harry approached it and his two companions followed in his wake. Side by side they looked down into it. The basin was full of an emerald liquid emitting a phosphorescent glow.
"I've never seen or read of a potion such as this," said Hermione, looking troubled. "It has no characteristic I'm familiar with."
"Well, I've seen the phosphorescent glow come from certain plants which have sedation properties," mumbled Neville in thought. Harry stared at the basin itself and lightly ran a hand along its curve.
"Anything?" she asked of Harry.
"There is a barrier spell that prevents the potion from being touched," said Harry and in demonstration, tried to put his hand in and was stopped an inch above the surface. Neville also tried but his fingers encounted nothing but what seemed to be solid and inflexible air. Harry took a step back and there was a solid thump as the base of his staff hit the ground. "Do not move, I'm going to try sort out the enchantments on this." He closed his eyes and the large diamond headpiece started to glow with too many colours to count, the mutliple tendrils of light began to tentatively snake out towards the stone basin until they were rolling, diving, descending and ascending over it. For two minutes, this continued, Harry muttering in Ancient under his breath.
Finally, the multiple tendrils of light receded back into the headpiece of Harry's staff and disappeared.
"There's something not right here," said Harry, opening his eyes and staring at the glowing green basin.
"What is it?" asked Neville in concern.
"All magic leaves traces," said Harry with a frown, "each wizard who performs magic has their own unique...fingerprint, if you will, each wizard channels magic through his mind in a unique way. This entire cave," he said, staring around at the large dimensionally expanded lake and cave ceiling, "radiates with that signature."
"So? It's most likely Riddle's signature, why is that significant?" asked Hermione, when Harry remained silent.
"Because this potion in the basin," said Harry gesturing to it, "was also brewed by Riddle if what I'm reading is right, but...I'm detecting another unique wizard's magic signature somewhere in the depths of this potion."
"You're saying we're not the first wizards since Riddle to visit this place after he finished constructing it?" asked Neville. Harry nodded, looking troubled at the implications.
"Ok, we're getting ahead of ourselves," said Hermione, "one step at a time, lets first get the Horcrux and most likely this mystery will be illuminated futher then. I assume that the Horcrux is in the potion itself?"
"It appears on the surface that way from my search," confirmed Harry.
"And what wards did you find on the potion stopping us from getting it?"
"We've seen the one that stops us from touching it," he said, "we can't vanish, part, scoop or siphon the potion, nor can we transfigure, charm, or otherwise make it change its nature."
"That only leaves..." said Hermione in thought, and then her face blanched, "drinking."
"We can't drink that," said Neville aghast, pointing at the sinister looking potion.
Harry held up his hand and flicked his fingers, a moment later in his open hand appeared a stainless steel cup. He approached the stone basin.
"Harry, NO!" shrilled Hermione.
"I'm not going to drink this, Hermione," reassured Harry, "I'm just going to test your theory..." He dipped the steel cup and it penetrated the barrier and was partially immersed the potion, he lifted it again and came away with half a cup of the eerie potion. He swirled it a bit to check its viscosity and then promptly chucked the potion back into the stone basin and the cup vanished in his hand with a strange white light. "Now this is rather clever of Riddle, this potion has to be drunk to reveal what's beneath it. If we simply try to empty the basin with a cup it will refill itself continuously. If I'd hazard a guess this potion is a personalized Enfeeblement draught, only Riddle can drink this and come to no harm, hence the reason why his magical signature is so strongly radiating from the potion."
"That's a seriously impressive Potion's skill," commented Hermione.
"Indeed," was all Harry said to that. "But again, Riddle couldn't know someone with my power would ever come along...so..." He opened the palm of his hand and this time a slightly glowing, purple glass pyramid appeared in his hand.
"What is that?" said Hermione in curiosity.
"The closest analogy that you would understand is something like a Portkey," said Harry with a smirk, he let his staff lean on his shoulder and opened his other hand and another steel cup appeared in it. He dropped the glass pyramid inside the cup and once again penetrated the invisible barrier with it. The cup was immersed and Hermione saw how the glass pyramid swirled around inside and then Harry tipped over the cup completely and the glass pyramid disappeared within the depths of the potion. Harry pulled out the cup and it vanished again. "Where do you think it would be safest to dump this potion?"
"In the ocean outside," said Hermione, "but Harry, I thought we couldn't vanish the potion."
"I am not vanishing it..." he grinned, "the glass pyramid is a magical beacon, it will allow me to focus a special spell just on the potion itself...something Riddle never could have foreseen to protect against...nor does he have the knowledge of it," He took his staff in his right hand again and it started to glow, this time with a white ethereal light...there was suddenly a whooshing sound and the green potion was engulfed with bright white light that lit a good portion of the cave interior and then the white light shot up seemingly into the ceiling and vanished.
Hermione looked at Harry in awe, "That was Teleportation..."
"You know of it?" asked Harry sharply.
"I'll explain later," said Hermione with an impatient wave of her hand and bent over the now empty stone basin. Lying innocuously at the bottom was a golden locket. "Oh no!" she moaned.
"What is it?" asked Neville.
"That isn't the Horcrux," she said staring at the piece of jewelery. "Dumbledore showed me all the memories of them he showed you Harry...do you remember?"
"Yes...there should be an ornate 'S' on its surface to mark it as Slytherin's," said Harry, "this one is also too small." He reached carefully into the stone basin and touched the locket with a finger...nothing happened...his hand closed around the locket and brought it out of the basin. "It also radiates the signature of that other wizard I sensed." Harry thumbed the small button on the side that would open it and a fragment of parchment was revealed. He flattened it in his hand and read aloud to Neville and Hermione:
To the Dark Lord
I know I will be dead long before you read this
but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret.
I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can.
I face death in the hope that when you meet your match,
you will be mortal once more.
R.A.B.
"Well, I guess this R.A.B. wizard beat us to it," said Harry with a snarl and handed the note to Hermione; who stared at it as if trying to see through it.
"Who could R.A.B. be?" said Neville.
"I would need to consult a geneology in the library at Resistance HQ to be sure," murmured Hermione, she waved her wand over the parchment and after casting a few spells, "this parchment was written in the late seventies, during Voldemort's first reign of terror."
"And it has to be a Death Eater," reasoned Neville, "only a Death Eater would call Riddle 'the Dark Lord'."
"That'll certainly help narrow the search," said Hermione in satisfaction pocketing the note. "So, R.A.B., an active Death Eater during the seventies, one who probably betrayed Riddle and was hunted down, well...we'll see."
"Are we done here then?"
"I don't see anything else we can do," said Harry and turned around away from the stone basin and also pocketed the fake locket. The two men helped Hermione back into the boat and it promptly turned its prow a hundred and eighty degrees and headed back in the direction from whence it came. Harry and Neville once again took to the air and after a few minutes returned they returned to the edge of the lake. The instant Hermione left the boat, the coiled chain hooked itself against the cave wall and twirled itself around the tip of the prow and it began to sink once more back into the depths of the lake. The chain became taught and promptly vanished again.
Harry took the lead again and they walked the long journey back towards the stone archway. Neville again volunteered to open it with his blood, and the doorway opened instantly after receiving its tribute. They walked into the ante-chamber cave and the archway disappeared behind them.
"I think before I return to Resistance HQ with you that some things need to be discussed," said Harry stoically, "we can perhaps go and find a cosy place in the village nearby."
Hermione considered this and nodded. "OK." To avoid another dip in the icy water, Hermione joined Neville and they were airborne on another disc of power that Harry conjured under his feet. They landed on some solid ground just outside the fissure. "Hold tight on my arms," instructed Harry.
"Are you going to side-along Apparate both of us?" asked Neville in astonishment.
"Something like that," said Harry with a grin, and with a barely a sound two wizards and a witch disappeared.
Three cloaked and hooded figures walked into the local Dover Inn. It was an old brickwork three floor building that rented rooms on a nightly basis for a relatively expensive fee, considering the state of the rooms you got in return; they were small, only had a single bed and a black and white Television with a rickety chair in each, but since it was the only Inn in the small village it didn't leave travellers much choice. The manager of the Inn, a balding burly middle-aged man with a grim appearance and a huge moustache, eyed the strange figures as they entered the front door of the Inn, various tables dotted the floorspace which was occupied with patrons eating meager meals served from the small kitchen and and on one side a bar held its share of drunken patrons.
The moment the lead figure approached him though, he seemed to get a slight glaze over his eyes and he totally forgot about the three strangely dressed figures and only focused on the fact that they were potential customers.
"Can 'ey 'elp ye?" he said gruffly.
"Yes, we'd like a room for the night," said the lead figure in a pleasant voice.
"Tha'd be fifty," said the manager. The money was before him on the desk before he could blink and it was pocketed, he reached back to a board of wood with nails hammered into them and on each hung a numbered key. "You're 'n 'umber four," handing the key to the stranger.
"Thank you," said the stranger, and the three figures silently walked through the tables, where the patrons eating immediately lost all interest in the strangely dressed people and went back to their meals. The three headed up the stairs and turned down a narrow hallway and approached a door marked with a loosely hanging number 4. The figure didn't even bother with the key and a 'click' was heard from the lock and the door swung open on its own.
Harry pulled open his hood and flared his cloak slightly to free his arms and switch on the light. Neville closed the door behind them and placed a Locking and Imperturble Charm on it. Hermione also had her wand out and was scanning the room for anything suspicious and casting various wards and charms to prevent sound and many other forms of eavesdropping. She also cast a Perimeter Alarm ward that would alert her if anyone magical approached the Inn.
"I think that should do it," said Hermione.
"It's good work," praised Harry, looking around at the room using his 'mage sense.' He was leaning against the wall, preferring to let Neville take the single chair in the room and Hermione sat on the bed with a tired sigh. "I need to know what happened after I was captured in the battle for Hogwarts." It had happened four months ago, well, relatively speaking, according to the memories of CloneHarry. With Dumbledore bedridden due to a Curse no one knew to counter, the then Headmistress McGonagall had no chance. Riddle and his full might of Death Eaters, Dementors, Giants, and Werewolves had stormed the weakened wards of Hogwarts that was still anchored to the ailing Dumbledore. The battle that followed was the greatest of the War so far. But the enemy was too many. The Ministry was in all but name under Riddle's control anyhow. And any Auror-in-exile came too late. CloneHarry had confronted Voldemort directly in this battle, and a titanic battle it was. The best that could be hoped for was that Harry would kill Voldemort and then continue the Horcrux hunt to finally finish the madman. But CloneHarry was beaten and captured. This was the last memories of the strategic situation that the real Harry Potter had.
"Well," said Hermione, looking grim, "we at first had to retreat and scatter all over the country. Neville and I had the job of getting Dumbledore out of Hogwarts. He asked me for some reason to shrink his entire personal library before we left."
"The Order of the Phoenix also had various 'doomsday scenario' tasks to do before we abandoned Hogwarts," said Neville. "They packed up the Restricted Section and spirited it out of Hogwarts. Left various deadly traps in key locations that we didn't want the Death Eaters to get at too easily, places like the Room of Requirement or Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom and so forth."
"The house-elves were also convinced to follow the Order," said Hermione in turn, "so at least they're not making it easy for the Death Eaters to make a base out of Hogwarts. Latest intelligence we heard said that Severus Snape himself is in charge there."
"Typical," muttered Harry in disgust, his memories of Severus Snape made a hot anger and rage fester in his heart.
"Since Hogwarts fell," said Hermione in sadness, "British wizarding society has all but become stagnant and isolated. Diagon Alley and Gringotts is almost the only things left running, but Riddle has his fingers everywhere. Any shop that wants to remain open has to pay tribute to him or face a pack of Death Eaters burning it down. The Goblins have remarkably remained somewhat neutral in the whole disaster although that is only the front they present to Riddle. There are a contingent of Goblins in Resistance HQ who report to us on any financial movement in Death Eater accounts and if any artifacts are removed or deposited."
"That's rather unprescedented," said Harry raising his eyebrows in surprise. It was rare for Goblins to agree with wizards on anything.
"They realize with Riddle running the show their profits have plummeted," said Neville with a grin, "it's their finances that keeps the Resistance going."
"The Auror's in exile have reformed their organization within Resistance HQ," explained Hermione, "they go on nearly daily raids on any tip they can find on Death Eater, Werewolf and Vampire locations."
"Do they catch them or is it more appropriate to call Aurors' Hitwizards these days?" asked Harry with a raised eyebrow.
"They only capture when it's believed they are going after a Death Eater with valuable information," said Hermione grimly, "otherwise," she mimicked a slashing of the throat.
"I see," said Harry unperturbed, he had to know whether to act as a soldier or a policeman, guess it would have to be the former. "And how is Albus doing?"
"Madam Pomfrey has him in Resistance HQ under near constant medical observation," said Neville.
"They still don't know what curse he was hit with, only its effects," said Hermione wringing her hands in frustration, "he can't walk, his powers have been blocked, and it's a struggle for him to eat food. Pomfrey thinks that if we don't get a counter-curse within a year it will be too late for him." Harry dreaded asking the following question but it had to be done.
"Who did we loose when Hogwarts fell and since then?"
Neville and Hermione looked at each other with inner pain written over their faces and with dread turned to face Harry.
"McGonagall," said Neville shortly. "She was AKd by Snape."
"Another he'll have to answer for," said Harry viciously, "continue..."
"Dean Thomas, died fighting a werewolf pack," said Hermione.
"Mrs Weasley, Percy and Ron," said Neville, "when they sacked the Burrow." Harry started at that, Mrs Weasley was a kind plumpy woman who was as close to a mother figure the other Harry had had. Percy and Ron had been his least favorite Weasley brothers after he had made friends with the Weasley twins, Fred and George, in first year.
"About five Aurors have died since Hogwarts fell," said Hermione in thought, "none that we knew personally, but their morale as a whole is shot, and we can't keep losing them at this rate."
"Is there any good news?" asked Harry in exasperation.
"Well, besides you coming back from the dead,now," said Neville in thought, "what are the numbers?" he asked Hermione.
"Ten Vampires destroyed, thirty Dark Werewolves killed, that's roughly four packs, three captured Death Eaters, and six killed...all since Hogwarts fell," she reported factually.
"You've at least won some battles," said Harry with a frown, "but you're not winning the war."
"Tell us something we don't know Harry," said Hermione with sarcasm and frustration, "if you tally all those under Riddle's command, he's hopelessly outnumbered when viewed against all the witches and wizards in Britian and the Continent. But your average Joe Wizard and Jane Witch is so petrified with fear that they won't come forward and fight for their own bloody country!"
"That is because they can't see who is on their side," said Harry easily, "all that they see is Voldemort, standing at the head of a dark army, and if they don't obey his call, the Dark Mark will be floating over their houses the next day."
"Well, we're the secret Resistance, Harry, we can't exactly advertise ourselves for recruits," said Neville in objection, "we can't risk another traitor or double-agent in our midst."
"I agree," said Harry patiently, "but hit-and-run tactics on Death Eaters can only get you so far...but I'm getting ahead of myself, it's better we discussed my plan with the entire Resistance."
"Plan?" asked Hermione.
"You didn't think I came back blindly did you," said Harry with a smirk. "I have a plan, or at least, the rough outline of one. And the first step will be for me to cure Dumbledore."
"You think you can do it?" she asked archly.
"If I cannot, then no one can, at least on this plane of existence, anyway."
Glastonbury, Somerset, England...
Glastonbury Tor is a large teardrop shaped hill with an elevation from the Summerland Meadow plains around it at nearly 158 meters. It's only architectural feature is on the summit, St. Michael's Tower; the remains of an old church that survived until the Dissolution of Monasteries in 1539 when King Henry VIII ordered that all the properties of monastic institutions be seized in the English Reformation. St Michael's Tower today was restored to modern standards to allow tourists to safely examine and walk through medieval archway at the base of the Tower.
The Tower was roughly twenty eight meters from its base to the highest ramparts, it was a prime example of old medieval architecture; it had a square footprint on the earth, square pillars, arched windows that hadn't seen glass in centuries and the stonework was a dull earth brown and splotches of white calcification from exposure to the elements over the centuries were splattered all over. Since it was late evening there were no tourists and the area was still as a graveyard. The green lawn around the Tower had the first twinkles of dew on them and was visible in the half-moon that hung overhead.
From the archway that ran through the base of a tower was a meticuously maintained path that snaked all the way down the tall hill towards the entrance of Glastonbury Tor. It was on this path, merely a few meters from the archway that Harry, Hermione and Neville appeared, again hooded and cloaked. It was his companions turn to lead as they escorted Harry towards the archway and into the Tower itself, his staff tapping in rhythym to his steps.
Harry looked up at the dilapidated Tower looming above and around him and turned to Hermione with a raised eyebrow.
"How do we get in?"
"Oh, I forgot," said Hermione, reaching into the pockets of her robes and handing Harry a small roll of parchment.
"Fidelius Charm?" asked Harry waving the roll. She nodded and he opened the parchment, it read:
The Headquarters of the Resistance is in the tunnels under Glastonbury Tor.
It was written in the familiar penmanship of Dumbledore, so Harry could only assume that his old mentor was still able to be the subject for such complex spells as the Fidelius, which was a hopeful sign. As he looked up he was shocked to say the least. There right in front of him on the ground directly under the centre of the Tower, was a Ring Platform, the unmistakeable Naquadah obsidian ring was indented in the ground somewhat. Hermione walked over to one of the nearby walls and pulled back on an old section of the wall that had revealed itself, and there was the nine keypad button controls, marked in Ancient.
"How did Dumbledore find this place?" asked Harry lightly.
"It was in an old handwritten book in his personal library," explained Hermione, "he thinks it was Merlin's journal, but there's no way to be sure, it's written in very old English in some parts of it and in another language I've never seen or heard of before." Harry was willing to bet the Achilles that it was written in Ancient. "Anyway, to get in we have to stand within the circle and we will be teleported into the tunnels below. I find it rather odd though that if Merlin built this ring portal that this control pad would be styled in this fashion, it's almost Muggle in design."
Neville walked forward to step within the circle and Harry followed a moment later.
Harry would have to be very careful now. If the Resistance had set themselves up in a hidden outpost of Merlin's then he would have to be very careful not to appear too knowledgeable of the Alteran devices that would no doubt be within. Hermione pressed a sequence of buttons that chimed with every push. She pushed the section of wall back and ran towards the ring platform and joined them with the ring perimeter.
There was a whooshing sound and one by one, the black obsidian rings shot out of the ground and surrounded the three. There was a flash of white light. The rings descended into the ground and the night was still again. The Ring platform vanished and no indication was left that two wizards and a witch had just used an Ancient Ring Platform to vanish into the hidden tunnels below.