I hope y'all liked the last chapter, here's the next one.

This story will be pretty graphic with blood and gore and violence so fair warning.

Let me know what y'all think of this story and where it's going. Also I haven't decided on pairings or no pairings or what, so I'm very open to suggestions on that. This chapter is a little later than I anticipated, and this one is mostly formative. Expect some more action in the next chapter or two.

CHANGES: Last chapter Captain Lazarus was referred to as 'Captain.' After reading some reviews and speaking with some people it's come to my attention that this is rather wrong. He will now be Void-Master Lazarus. Harry is the Captain, or Lord- Captain, of the Gathering Storm and the other two ships.

Lots of stuff happening this chapter, especially towards the end. I've got to start moving it along plot wise, and I realized some stuff has to change for that to happen. I hope y'all like it, read and review!

Harry sighed as he took a swig of his amasec. The interrogations had gone smoothly after he permitted the old man to use his translation spell. The young Rogue Trader had decided he did not want to rely on the old man's 'magic' in case it was Warp tainted, and had had each prisoner undergo hypnoconditioning to teach them Low Gothic. Harry was currently in one of his massive rooms, this one a faux garden, and he was contemplating what to do with his prisoners. Right now they were all still being kept in their cells.

It had come as a shock, certainly, when the old man had awakened and begun shouting about Harry's parents being a witch and wizard from his world and being part of the group brought along with himself. It had been somewhat surreal to interrogate his own parents, or supposedly his parents. The man, James, had been belligerent and wild, requiring a fair dose of 'persuasion' that Sergeant Drusus was all too happy to dole out.

Harry had several options here, and he knew he would need to decide rather quickly. He could still summarily execute each and every of his new prisoners. His training as a Commissar encouraged this, and even demanded that he execute them. Or he could take them in, use them to form the basis of his retinue. That would be the Rogue Trader thing to do, to hide them until his small fleet of ships reached the Koronus Expanse and was free from Imperial rule.

According to the Navigator of the Gathering Storm they would be reaching their destination in a week's time and would then be dropping out of Warp space and back into realspace. By then Harry knew he must have made his decision.

Harry finished his amasec, setting the glass down on a rock. A servitor or serf would be by to clean it. He strode out of the garden room, Sergeant Drusus and his two additional veteran bodyguards falling in step behind him. Harry's long black coat whipped behind him as he briskly walked towards the brig. He activated his vox and began speaking. "Brig, this is Lord Trader. Prepare the prisoners." A double beep acknowledged the order and Harry was confident that they would be carried out.

Minutes later he arrived at the brig, and was directed to a large room where the prisoners had all been gathered. Each one was shackled still and had been denied access to each other until now. Furious chatter and nearly flat out yelling filled the air as the wizards and witches bombarded Dumbledore with questions. Albus was doing his best to answer them, leaving out that Harry was the long lost son of James and Lily. It was this somewhat relieving reunion that Harry broke up, throwing the door to the auditorium open and striding in. His eyes were cold and hard as he surveyed the room and it's occupants.

Several of the wizards had been belligerent during the interrogations and Harry was happy to see those who had been most vocal during the interrogations were now some of the most subdued. Whether that was because they had learned their lesson or because they were simply tired and sore from the beating Harry did not particularly care. He walked to the center of the room, eyeing the shackled prisoners. The chatter and questions towards Dumbledore quickly turned to shouts of anger towards Harry.

The shrill voice of a bushy haired witch, a student Harry assumed, pierced the air and Albus flinched. "I demand you release us. We are all citizens and have rights!"

Harry laughed. "You are not citizens of the Imperium of Mankind and therefore you do not have rights. I am the commanding officer of this ship and my word is law." A hush fell among the gathered prisoners. Ship? They didn't know they were on a ship.

Harry projected his voice, making sure he sounded strong and firm, just as he was taught in the Schola Progenium. "You are all, as of right now, prisoners of mine on board the Gathering Storm. We are a week's journey in warp space from our destination of Kudrun. But that means nothing to all of you."

Confused faces looked around, looking from each other and looking to him. His hand strayed to his bolt pistol and he knew he must make his decision one way or another.

"I have come to the decision that I will be sparing your lives." A collective sigh was heard from the prisoners.

"But that does not mean you are free. I will be keeping your weapons and you will be, as a whole, confined to my personal decks. This is so I can monitor you and assess you for skills and anything that might be of use to me." Several of the wizards and witches now looked outraged, some yelling indiscriminately at Harry.

"I am a licensed and Warranted Rogue Trader of the Imperium of Man. You are currently on board the Gathering Storm, my capital ship. My word is law outside of Imperial space. You will henceforth refer to me as Lord-Trader, Master, or Lord- Captain." This was again met with anger from the prisoners, but they were still his prisoners and in no place to bargain or even gripe.

The young Rogue Trader paused before speaking again. It seemed like some of the prisoners were being slightly overwhelmed with the new information, and indeed many looked confused. "The language I am speaking now is Low Gothic, the language of the Imperium. You all have underwent hypnoconditioning and hypnolearning to be able to understand and speak Low Gothic." Some of the confusion among the group quelled, but more rose in it's place as now they were curious as to this 'hypno' talk.

Harry raised his hand for silence, and the crowd reluctantly died down. "You will be escorted to my deck within the hour. But first you are to witness the disciplinary actions of the day. As you watch you would do well to remember that I do not tolerate cowardice nor incompetence. Ignorance and idiocy are punishable offenses."

The young Rogue Trader motioned to one of the gray uniformed guards standing by one of the doors on the far side of the room. The guard turned and opened the door, revealing a line of three more prisoners. These prisoners were crewmembers who had been caught committing various crimes. Two had been caught stealing, punishable by ten lashes each. The third had been caught attempting to murder another crewmember. That was not something Harry tolerated on board his ships, and as such the would be murderer was scheduled for execution.

Harry scanned the faces of the magical prisoners as the three other prisoners were being led in. Albus seemed put off and disappointed. The bushy haired teenaged witch looked disgusted. The ginger haired boy next to her was staring at the prisoners. The black haired boy, slightly pudgy around the midsection, was trying to make eye contact with Albus. Several of the men stared hatefully at Harry. He would be sure to watch them carefully in the future. One of the girls was staring intently at his eyes. Another was staring at the claw mark scars running down his cheek.

The three prisoners were brought in in shackles, and were each shackled to restraints at the center of the room. Harry removed his black coat and rolled up the sleeves of his expensive and tailored shirt. His bolt pistol and chainsword hung from his hips for the assorted crowd to see. He walked over to a shelf hidden from view from most of the room and retrieved a leather whip.

"For stealing Crewmember Designation C-19875 and C-17472 are sentenced to ten lashes each, to be carried out by myself. C-19875 will be first."

The first man's restraints were moved up to a higher peg, leaving his arms raised. A leather wrap was given to him to clench between his teeth. Harry moved behind the man, and gave the whip an experimental crack. Based on the horrified faces of his magical prisoners Harry assumed that in their world they did not whip thieves. Harry raised the whip, and brought it snapping down onto the man's now bare back. The sound of leather on flesh contact echoed through the chamber and several of the magical prisoners flinched. The crewmember himself flinched, jerking in his restraint as the whip left an angry welt on his back.

The next blow was much the same, the crewmember jerking in place and biting hard on his leather piece. The bushy haired girl now looked to be a mixture of anger and disgust, a sentiment shared by plenty of her peers.

The third slash drew blood, sending a slight red mist into the air. The man flinched hard, as did Albus along with many of the magical prisoners. The next few blows of the whip turned the man's back into a criss cross of deep red gashes that leaked blood down his back and legs in thick rivulets.

Within minutes the first man was done, his back a thorough mess of wounds, and the second man brought up. Harry lashed the second man with speed, not needing to make a point to the wizards anymore and certain that the next prisoner would send quite a message. By now many of the younger children looked sick or pale, obviously unused to such bloody displays. The adults looked more angry and furious, but some also seemed resigned.

Harry rose and spoke once more after replacing the whip in its spot. "For attempted murder Crewmember Designation C-24569 is facing execution, to be carried out by myself." Now every face in the crowd of magical prisoners was positively disgusted and repulsed. Harry gave no time for the information to sink in and quickly withdrew his bolt pistol, firing a single shot into the crewmembers head. The bolt flew true, exploding once it entered the skull, showering the area in brain and gore. Dead silence filled the room as the only noise was the spent shell clattering to the ground and bouncing. Harry heard the sounds of retching from the magical prisoners, and gestured quickly to the guards. He supposed that it was a bit cruel of him to handle the situation as he did, but it had a very lasting impact on the magical prisoners.

Within moments the guards had cleaned up the body and all of the gore that came along with the execution, and had led the other two prisoners away. Horror dominated the eyes of nearly everyone in the room. Harry could see that Sergeant Drusus and his two veterans were amused. Clearly these new prisoners were unused to such displays of gore and violence. That was something new to Harry. He had grown up in the Schola Progenium and had been a Colonel- Commissar attached to the Imperial Guard. Death, blood, and violence had not only been commonplace, but had been dominating factors on a daily basis of his life.

Cell Block, Gathering Storm, Warp Space

Several hours before Punishment Demonstration

Sirius Orion Black woke up kicking and screaming, plagued by hellish nightmares of daemons and aliens. He had no way of knowing it, but every single one of the witches and wizards were suffering the same fate as they lay unconscious.

Firmly set in the waking world, away from the terrible things he had seen, Sirius looked around in confusion. He had no idea where he was, nor how he had gotten there. A pounding headache battered at his skull, thankfully the dim lighting of the tiny room he was in did little to exacerbate his pain.

Sirius duly noted through the headache that he was naked, and with a start he realized his wand was nowhere to be found. Looking around at the room he was in Sirius's heart sank. Metal walls. A small metal cot with a thin blanket and no pillow. A pile of rags in the corner that might work as clothes. So he was back in a prison of some sort. He cursed and lashed out with a kick to the nearest wall.

Pain jolted up his bare foot as he realized his mistake. Taking a deep breath Sirius composed himself. He had been to prison before. A much worse prison, in fact. At least here soul sucking Dementors weren't floating through the hallways. That said it was still a prison, and an unknown prison at that.

Sirius pulled on the rags that he supposed counted as clothes. They were not very substantial, but they would suffice.

Sirius went to the door, an imposingly sized metal monstrosity, and knelt down to what could only be the food flap. Carefully prying it open Sirius glanced around as best he could. It was a metal corridor, the same color as his cell, and across from him he could see another door identical to his own.

Sirius yelled at the door across from his own, "Hey! Anyone!? Albus?"

The only answer he received was a swift kick to his door, the surprising and loud noise sending him jumping backwards. A loud sentence in a language Sirius didn't immediately understand followed the kick to the door.

Memories were slowly returning to Sirius. Memories of the ritual, of being pulled through the portal, and of his hellish nightmare. The ritual had gone wrong, pulling, if he remembered correctly, everybody through. And now they were all stuck in this prison. He could vaguely remember being seated in a metal chair, and a dome shaped helmet descending on his head.

Interrogation Room, Gathering Storm, Warp Space.

Several hours before Punishment Demonstration.

"I'll ask you one more time. Why were you trying to summon me?" The voice of the young adult was cold and filled with malice. Sirius looked up, his silence taunting the scarred man in front of him.

A laugh came from the young adult, even as his fist connected once more with Sirius's jaw. "It doesn't matter. Your leader, Albus, told me everything." The throbbing pain from his face, and the headache from before, combined to ensure that Sirius didn't even consider it odd that he could understand the young man 'interrogating' him.

Sirius looked up again, angry now. The young man had been punching him in the face for the last fifteen minutes, and for apparently no reason at all.

Sirius spat on the metal floor, a small bit of blood mixed into the saliva. "Fuck you. Bastard."

The laugh came again, as did another fist. Sirius was getting tired of this, and decided it was time to do something. His hands and feet were shackled, but that would not deter Sirius.

Sirius took a deep breath, focusing his magic as best he could. It was not the first time he had been tortured. Actually this wasn't even torture. He had had worse fist fights with James before. But that wasn't the point. The point was that he was angry and getting angrier every second he was in this interrogation room. This helped fuel him, though, allowing him to put more magic into his hands, focusing it and gathering his power.

Enough magic was soon gathered and focused in his hands, but before he could do anything he felt the cold barrel of a gun pressed against the back of his head. Sirius knew exactly what a gun was and the damage that it could do, even if he hadn't seen one since the last war with Voldemort.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The voice came from behind him, deadly serious and calm.

Sirius let the magic dissipate. So this strange young man with the scarred face knew of magic. That was unsurprising, especially if he had been doing 'interrogations' on all the witches and wizards who had been sucked into the portal. That turned Sirius's attention to the fact that he did not quite know exactly how many or who had been sucked through the portal as well. He just assumed that everyone involved had been sucked through as he let the magic dissipate and turned his palms upwards in a nonthreatening manner. He didn't want his brains blown out by the now angry young man standing behind him.

A thought entered Sirius's head.

"How can we understand each other? I didn't understand your language earlier." The situation seemed to defuse slightly, the barrel of the gun being removed from the back of his head. The intimidating man in the corner still stood with another gun held in his hands. He had been there the whole time, watching and waiting.

The young man sat down across from Sirius, a smile on his face. Sirius couldn't get an accurate read on the man. One minute he held a gun to his head and the next he was smiling. Just minutes before he had been pounding Sirius across the jaw. And now he was just smiling, his upturned lips stretching the scarred tissue of his cheek.

The young man across from him grinned before he spoke. "Hypno-casque. An expensive bit of technology, but worth it, as it turns out."

"Why am I here? And where am I?" Sirius asked, feeling a bit emboldened by the young man's seeming good mood at the moment.

The young man looked him in the eyes. The striking green eyes seemed familiar, but Sirius couldn't quite put his finger on from where they were.

"You're here because I haven't shot you yet. Take him to his cell. Bring me the next one."

Interrogation Room, Gathering Storm, Warp Space

Harry was getting frustrated. This was his sixth interrogation of the day, and they were not getting very far anymore. Sure the first interrogation, with Albus, had been very revealing and helpful, but ever since they had been rather tedious. Now they were more of a means of stress relief for Harry.

Anger bubbled up inside Harry's heart as he thought of how he had ended up here, as a Rogue Trader. If it hadn't been for Throne- damned Inquisitor Ovidius and Governor Owain then Harry would have still been a Colonel- Commissar of the 95th Kharlosian Rifles. But no. Harry had had to stick his head where it didn't belong, and now here he was, separated from his comrades and his troops, away from everything that he had held dear. All because he had made a single mistake. It wasn't even a mistake! It had been the right thing to do, Emperor damn it! But that hadn't mattered. Once the Inquisitor and the Governor were upset then Harry was lucky, very lucky, to have not been killed. Instead he found himself shuttled off, sent across the galaxy to spend the rest of his life as a Rogue Trader.

Throne damn it all! Harry lashed out another punch at the bushy haired woman in the chair in front of him. Her interrogation had been the worst so far, her awful screeching and yelling grating on Harry's nerves until he had no other option but to hit her. The first bruise was already forming, her eye swelling up and turning black and blue already.

"You bloody bastard! You can't do this!" Great. The screeching was starting up again.

Harry pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers and answered the young woman. "I obviously can. Now be quiet and answer me. Who is the strongest among you?"

The young woman looked up, pure hatred and anger in her burning in her eyes. She simply spat at Harry. He closed his eyes, sighed in frustration, and glared at her. Harry looked up to Sergeant Drusus and nodded. The Sergeant walked over, grabbed her by the arm, and escorted her back to her cell.

Meeting Hall, Gathering Storm, Warp Space

Two hours before Punishment Demonstration

Harry looked around the room, surveying the people seated at the table in front of him. They were some of, if not the very most important people on board the Gathering Storm, and indeed the whole little fleet.

Explorator Inshius sat nearby, a Tech- Priest of the Adeptus Mechanicus, who had been attached to Harry's little entourage. He was in charge of making sure the three ships stayed up and running at peak efficiency, and overseeing any repairs or modifications that would need to be made. He was an important member of the crew, but was ultimately under Harry's authority, and would be especially once they left Imperial space. Several servitors wheeled and bustled around him.

Void- Master Lazarus, who was essentially the master of the ship, sat next to the Tech- Priest. He was in charge of running the ship tightly, and managing the other two smaller vessels. He made sure everything ran smoothly and that the ship as a whole could function. He was in charge of much of the day to day operations of the Gathering Storm. Without him or a suitable replacement the entire operation would grind to a halt.

The Ecclesiarchy had sent a missionary, Missionary Sedaris, along as well. He was as puritanical and devout as could be, dressed in the traditional brown and uncomfortable robes, always lugging a massive chainsword and several books of Imperial creed. He sat beside the Void-Master.

Harry turned his gaze from that side of the table to the other. Seneschal Thaeus sat there, at Harry's right hand side. He had once been the right hand to a Planetary Governor of some backwater planet, but he had been pulled and reassigned to Harry's newly commissioned Rogue Trader fleet. He was to serve as Harry's right hand, making sure his troops stayed loyal, brokering deals on Harry's behalf, maintaining relations with Imperial officials, and also serving as Harry's accountant and account manager, making sure that Harry was indeed making money. This was a huge responsibility, and Harry had yet to discern if he could trust the man. He knew little about him, but he supposed everyone in the room knew little about each other. It was a very rare and odd circumstance they found themselves in. Harry sighed. Oh well. Nothing I can do about it now.

Next down the line sat Navigator Morias, the Gathering Storm's Navigator. He was the chief Navigator, and guided the ship through the Warp.

Next to the Navigator was Head Astropath Pinus. He was a psyker in charge of communications with the other ships and with the Imperium at large. He was a very important figure. He was the last figure seated at the table.

Harry spoke, immediately gathering the attention of everyone in the room.

"As you all know, you are now part of my Rogue Trader fleet. I have met each one of you individually, and I am sure you have all met each other by now. I have an important matter to discuss with all of you, but first I would like reports from each of you of your respective duties. Seneschal, you first."

Seneschal Thaeus, a short man with a stocky body, stood from his seat. His hair was grey with age, but his one remaining eye bespoke shrewd wisdom. His voice was clear, if not overly strong, when he spoke. "A deal has been struck with Governor Arriod of Canopus, and the local Imperial authorities. If we complete our mission of subjugating Kudrun and bringing them back to Imperial rule we will receive a regiment of Imperial Guard troopers, complete with equipment and light transports."

Harry nodded in satisfaction and looked down the row. He was happy with that arrangment. He would be needing more troops, and a well-trained regiment would serve him well. Right now he had two regiments of essentially mercenaries, one of each stationed on one of the two Sword- class frigates now under Harry's command.

Navigator Morias was next in line. He raised his old head, filled with wires and odd devices that Harry could only assume kept the Warp taint at bay, and spoke. "We should be exiting Warp travel in about seven standard days. We will then be within twelve hours travel of the planet Kudrun." Harry nodded again, satisfied, and looked down the line.

It was now Head Astropath Pinus's turn to speak. "I have nothing to report, all communications are normal between us and the other ships." This was good.

Next was Explorator Inshius, closest to Harry on the left side of the table. His voice was wheezing and mechanical, and his body appeared to be more metal and wiring than flesh and bone. "All systems are running normally and efficiently. I have nothing to report otherwise."

Void-Master Lazarus spoke. "All ships are loyal and running appropriately, Lord Trader. I recommend we resupply and stock up before leaving Imperial space. Canopus would be a suitable place for this." Harry nodded and noted it down on a data slate.

Next was Missionary Sedaris, who did not speak but instead bowed his head. Harry took this to mean that he had nothing to say.

"Good. Now to the matter at hand. Yesterday I was the target of a summoning ritual." As soon as Harry had said this every eye in the room turned to him, each rapt with attention and scrutinizing his every move.

"The ritual was not of this world, and was instead coming from another universe entirely. It appears that I was the target, but I was not selected personally. I was simply the best candidate. The ritual failed, instead of bringing me through the portal that was opened..." Here Harry was cut off with several shouts of "Portal?!" "Warp portal?!"

He raised a hand to silence the group. "It was not a Warp portal. It was different in nature and no damage nor taint was done or introduced to the ship. As I was saying, the portal instead sucked through the individuals trying to summon me. Several dozen human beings were sucked through and into the ship. They are now my prisoners."

The group was paying Harry their full attention. Some were seemingly becoming angry.

"I have been conducting interrogations and interviews. This meeting is to simply inform you of the fact of their existence and presence on the ship. They are no threat and are my property and should be treated as you would treat something that belongs to me. No harm shall come to them by your hands."

Missionary Sedaris looked directly at Harry, anger burning in his eyes and spoke with fire and vitriol. "They are heretics! They must be burned!" It seemed that Morias and Pinus agreed, although they appeared less righteously angry and more unnerved at the potential Warp corruption risk.

Harry responded, "I said they were no threat. They are a potential asset to me and I intend to use them as I see fit. Remind yourself who is in command, Missionary."

"We are still in Imperial space. The heretics must be killed!" The Missionary was right. As long as they were in Imperial space Harry must abide by Imperial law.

"No evidence exists that they are heretics. If any such evidence comes forth I shall do my sworn duty, as a former Commissar, and execute them myself. Rest assured, Missionary, no heretics are on this ship." Harry's response was strong, and gave no room for bartering.

Harry stood and began to exit the room. Sergeant Drusus fell in behind him. That meeting had not gone too well, but Harry knew that he needed to lay down the law with his crew, especially the most important members. Thinking for a moment as he walked down the hall, Harry considered that they were not quite even members of the crew. They were all powerful players on the ship, and while they would soon fall under his authority, right now they technically did not except for Harry's role as Lord- Captain of the ship and fleet.

Captain's Quarters, Gathering Storm, Warp Space.

Several hours after Punishment Demonstration.

The prisoners, as the group of witches and wizards, had very easily realized they now were, had been delivered to the Captain's personal decks shortly after the disgusting execution, just as the Captain had said would happen. Dozens of men in grey uniforms, all holding rifles, had herded and shepherded the group here, then they had left. They were now in a large room that appeared to be a garden of some sort. The ceiling of the room was just a painted color, not the real sky. It was unnerving to the witches and wizards.

Nearly everyone was crowded around a single figure, the elderly Albus Dumbledore. Questions and shouts bombarded him from all sides as the witches and wizards demanded answers or reassurance.

The constant noise and shouting were getting on Sirius's nerves, and soon he couldn't deal with it anymore. His head was pounding from the 'interrogation' earlier, and he was fed up with the whole situation.

As nearly all of the rest of the wizards shouted their questions Sirius stood on a rock and cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, "Everybody shut the bloody hell up! Albus, what the hell is going on?" All eyes turned to him as the questions stopped, and Albus used this time to take a few steps backwards and brush off his crude garments. They were all dressed in rags and crude clothing.

The old wizard spoke, looking around at the group in front of him. His eyes were brimmed with tears. "The ritual failed, and failed badly. It pulled us through to here. I believe that we are in a separate universe from ours, something of a parallel universe, possibly. This place is much different than the one we know."

A stream of questions fired off at Albus, who just raised his now weary looking head and met the eyes of the group in front of him. "I fear there is no return. I have led you all here, to a universe of damnation and hellfire. I had a vision, on the way through the portal, of daemons and beasts of unthinkable horror." Many of the witches and wizards nodded that they had too experienced that.

"According to our captor everything that we saw was real. The beasts, the daemons, the killing and bloodshed." A tear rolled down his cheek as he was overcome with emotion. He looked away from the large group, and instead focused on several individuals and spoke to them, "I do not know what to do."

Captain's Quarters, Gathering Storm, Warp Space.

Two days passed before their captor returned to speak to the witches and wizards. Two days since the disgusting demonstration of power and cruelty that was the whipping and execution. Since then the magicals had been fed four times, twice per day, and given more adequate clothing. They still had not seen their wands, but that was to be expected seeing as they were now prisoners.

None of them had tried any wandless magic, not since Severus Snape had attempted to gather magic and found himself quickly beaten unconscious by lurking guards.

While the group had access to several of the rooms and decks in Harry's private quarters they had all stayed in the garden room. Harry mused over this as he entered, feeling his boots touch the artificial soil of the room. Perhaps they felt somewhat at home in this particular room, or perhaps they felt safer. It did not matter either way.

As soon as they saw Harry several things happened. The bushy haired girl who loved to screech and howl started doing exactly that, and several of the men had attacked. One, a large black man with a bald head, had swung first. Harry dodged his rather clumsy punch and returned with a sharp blow of his own to the man's nose. Sirius, one that Harry remembered from the interrogations, came sprinting in, intending to tackle the Rogue Trader. Another strike to the nose and Sirius fell away, hands grabbing his broken nose.

Harry half-shouted, "Enough! I came here to speak to you all, not fight or shoot you." His hand strayed close to his holstered bolt pistol, and the crowd backed off some.

He continued, "There is pressure from my staff for me to execute you all. And over the past two days I have come to the realization that unless you can offer me something of value then I must dispose of you. Albus, gather whomever you think best and bring them to me." With that Harry strode off to a large rock near one of the walls of the garden room.

Albus nodded and looked around at the crowd. Everyone had gathered when Harry had walked in. The old wizard spoke, "If we want to live we must prove we are usefull to him somehow. Severus, you are a potions master. Please come here. Minerva, you are a transfiguration master. If you would... Hermione, as well. Tonks, you as well, dear." With each name each person came and joined him. "James and Lily, as well." Dumbledore selected these few people from the group, and walked over to where the young Rogue Trader was seated. He had pondered deeply the significance that their captor was named Harry Potter, the exact name of the lost Potter child. That revelation had shaken Dumbledore to his core, confusing and befuddling him more than anything ever had. How had Harry Potter, a wizard baby, ended up here in a separate universe from the one he was born in? And why had the ritual chosen him as the hero to summon? Albus had so many questions. But he knew he could not ask them yet.

The smaller group approached their captor, and stood there. Albus was the first to speak, "Lord Trader, we are here to demonstrate our use." The Rogue Trader nodded, happy that Albus, the proud former Headmaster, had respected him by using the title.

"As you know, we are from a separate place entirely. A place where magic is real, and not this Warp magic you have here." So it seemed the connection from the interrogation of Albus had gone both ways. Harry had seen into Albus's head and Albus had seen into Harry's.

Albus continued, "We have strong magic, with infinite uses. Severus here," He gestured to a tall and dour looking man, "is a potions master. He is an expert in brewing and creating all manner of potions. Minerva," He gestured to an older lady," is a master of magical transfiguration. Tonks is a metamorphmagus. She can change her appearance at will, completely undetectable too." Harry raised his eyebrows at that. That was indeed an impressive and useful skill. He was not sure how useful a potions master would be without any ingredients from his natural world. And he wasn't sure what transfiguration was.

Harry looked from the witch, the metamorphmagus, who was busy trying not to meet his gaze, and turned to the next witch. She was the bushy haired temper tantrum who enjoyed yelling. Her face was yellow and swollen with bruises.

Albus spoke, introducing her, "This is Hermione Granger, one of the brightest witches of her age. She is an amazing student, and brilliantly intelligent." The bushy haired girl, Hermione, stared at Harry with a look that was unmistakeably deep disgust and hate. Apparently she had not been a fan of Harry's demonstration two days prior." And next to her are James and Lily Potter." The old man locked eyes with Harry as he said their last name.

Harry locked eyes with Albus. His heart tugged and squeezed and began racing as soon as he heard the word 'Potter'. Potter was his last name, but he was an orphan. He had been raised in the Schola Progenium as a Commissar. But James was his middle name, too. And that was too much to be a coincidence. He had never known anything of his parents, not a single detail. But now, a man who looked so much like him, and a woman whose eyes were so much like his own had appeared in his life. His life had been thrown upside down lately, first becoming a Rogue Trader, then the attempted summoning, and now this? It was all too much to bear at the moment.

Harry stood abruptly, and in his head began reciting Imperial creed. It calmed him to think of the God- Emperor who watched from above. He quickly exited the garden room, setting a guard to make sure he was not followed by any of the witches or wizards.

Garden Room, Gathering Storm, Warp Space

"What was that about, Albus?" James Potter asked the former Headmaster. As soon as the young man had heard the word 'Potter' his entire demeanour had shifted. His breathing had changed and it looked like he began sweating slightly. He had rushed off soon after.

The old man looked down at the younger James, "I don't rightly know, son. But he will be back to speak with us again, I am sure." The group dispersed and gathered among each other, wizards and witches chatting and talking, doing their best to adjust to their new situation.

It was the middle of the 'night', or when the lights shut off in the garden room, that Albus was grabbed by two muscular men in grey uniforms. He was taken through several halls and corridors, before being unceremoniously deposited on the ground in front of a seated Harry.

The room was dark, and Harry had his pistol in his hand. "Tell me everything you know about the Potters."

Albus looked up, not daring to move. Harry was obviously very angry, rage evident in his voice. Albus answered, "They are a magical family from my world. James and Lily had a son, years ago, but he vanished several days after being born. The name of that boy was Harry James Potter."

Harry held the pistol in his hand, not quite aiming it at the former Headmaster. "That is me. That is my name. Are you telling me that I am from your world?"

Albus shrugged as best he could, "I do not know. It's as much a mystery to me as to you."

Harry seemed content with this answer, and lowered his gun. "Do the others know of this… connection?" He asked.

Albus shook his head 'no'. A few moments later the two muscular men returned and grabbed him, escorting him back to the garden room. Harry was left in the dark room to think.

Garden Room, Gathering Storm, Warp Space

It was three more days after the last encounter with Harry when it happened. In the middle of the 'night' cycle the doors to the Garden Room where all the witches and wizards were staying opened up, and the lights flashed on, blinding the surprised occupants. Hermione Granger woke up immediately.

A deafening mechanical roar pierced the silent sleep of the group as the lights went on, and shouting soon filled the air. The witches and wizards were roused from their sleep violently, scrambling for wands that were not there.

As the wizards and witches scrambled to organise and find out what was going on it seemed their worst fears were coming to light.

Hermione saw a man, old but strong, run through the open door, holding a massive chainsword high above his head. His first strike eviscerated the nearest wizard to him, sending blood and gore flying. Hermione was sick immediately, vomiting on the ground. She saw several of her classmates do the same thing. They had all seen some nasty things during the war with Voldemort, but none as up close and personal as this.

The crazed man's second strike decapitated a witch. Behind him appeared two more men, these dressed in the grey uniforms of the guards. They raised their weapons and began firing, the hiss-crack of their lasguns felling witch and wizard alike.

What the fuck?! Hermione thought. So this is it. We weren't useful enough to keep. Bloody bastard. She was, of course, referring to Harry. She, and many of the others, had reached the conclusion that Harry had decided not to keep them alive and instead to just murder them.

Hermione saw Severus Snape fall, his head nearly exploding from one of the las shots. She was nearly sick again as she kept running, trying to find a place to hide. From behind her she could hear the roar of the chainsword and the screams of the dying. It was a sick and twisted way to execute his prisoners, but everything she had learned of the 'Rogue Trader' Harry inferred that he was indeed rather sick and twisted.

The slaughter went on for long, bloody minutes, the crowd of witches and wizards still standing growing smaller and smaller. Hermione ran as fast as she could, but the room offered little protection or opportunities to hide. She tripped, falling to the ground, and heard the roar of the chainsword above her as the crazed man prepared to swing downwards. A coughing bark sounded, and then another, and then another. The chainsword fell nearly silent, now a simple rumbling rather than the deafening roar, and the next sound Hermione heard was the thump of a body hitting the fake soil next to her. She opened her eyes, which had been shut tight with fear, and saw a truly fearsome sight. The brown robed man's body fell beside her, barely clinging to life.

She saw Harry, his long black over coat blowing in the wind he created as he strode forwards, his pistol in his hand as he fired shot after shot. His face was contorted in pure rage, his scars twisted menacingly on his cheek. Hermione rolled over, and curled up into a ball, hoping he wouldn't see her. Her hopes were dashed when he locked eyes with her, brown eyes full of fear and tears meeting green eyes full of hate and ferocity. He looked away, diverting his attention back to aiming his pistol.

Hermione wondered why he had looked at her but not shot her dead, and despite her racing pulse and frantic mind looked up, peeking at the carnage taking place. Harry was still advancing, firing his pistol all the way, but his targets were not the witches and wizards. No. Harry was shooting down the attackers, the ones who had been slaughtering the witches and wizards.

The entire slaughter had lasted only about five minutes, until Harry had arrived and killed the attackers. But during that time much damage was done, and barely over a quarter of the witches and wizards had survived the attack. The bodies were removed, both of the witches and wizards and of the attackers, and soon Harry was gone.

Meeting Room, Gathering Storm, Warp Space.

Once again the important individuals found themselves summoned to the meeting room by their Rogue Trader, this time in the middle of the night cycle. Looking around the table it was obvious that Missionary Sedaris was missing. He had not been seen in nearly a full day's time, and while it was not the business of really anyone in the room many were curious.

The door swung open, banging against the wall, revealing a bloodstained and angry Rogue Trader. His black Commissariat overcoat was soaked in blood, and his bolt pistol still smoked slightly.

He spoke before he even reached his seat at the head of the table. "This is my ship. I will not tolerate any insubordination or disobeyal of orders, Imperial space or not. I ordered that the prisoners be treated as my property, and this is how I am obeyed?" Harry waved his hand and four of the guards entered, tossing Missionary Sedaris's still living body onto the table. He moaned in pain.

"Sedaris, and several of my soldiers, just slaughtered three quarters of my prisoners. Three quarters! They were an indispensable potential resource that has now been denied to me. And for that Sedaris is to die. Imperial law be damned." Within a blink of the eye Harry had retrieved his bolt pistol and fired a single shot, ending the man's suffering. The empty shell clattered to the floor.

Harry spoke again, "Thaeus, stay. The rest of you go. Prepare for the subjugation of Kudrun, we should be arriving in two more days." Everyone else left the room, except Harry and Seneschal Thaeus.

"Seneschal, you told me my troops were loyal on this ship."

The Seneschal bowed his head, afraid to anger Harry further. "They appeared loya, Lord- Trader. But I do not yet have the resources to monitor them all."

Harry sighed. "Resources? You mean spies? Surveillance?" The Seneschal nodded in the affirmative, and with that Harry waved his hand, dismissing him.

So Harry needed more spies to monitor his troops, he thought. He could get more spies, easily. But what makes a better spy than a witch with an undetectable disguise, hmm?

Captain's Medical Bay, Gathering Storm, Warp Space.

Harry walked into his private medical bay, his bodyguards behind him. They were only a day out from dropping out of Warp space, and it was time to set his plan in motion.

The witches and wizards who had not been killed during Sedaris's slaughterfest had been brought to his private medical center, where the servitors and surgeons had sewn them up and fixed them all in remarkable time. This was not his first visit. He had made several others, convincing the survivors that the attack had not been from him and that he had actually intended to keep them all alive.

Harry had a tricky relationship with the witches and wizards. On one hand he knew they were possible resources, on the other he knew that they were dangerous and that he could not trust them yet. But then again he did have some connection to them, through the Potter's. It was this connection, he suspected, that made him stay his hand in executed them in the first place.

The medical bay was a large white room that rank of disinfectant and blood. He walked past several of the beds, looking at each occupant as he walked by. Sirius Black yet lived, eyeing Harry suspiciously as he walked by his bed. Hermione Granger lived too. She had been one of the first to be convinced that Harry had indeed saved them from the crazed zealot. She had done a marvelous job convincing the others as well. It seemed she understood that Harry would not have saved them without a purpose.

Neville Longbottom, one of the wizards who Harry had not known until the incident, lived as well. The same was true with Luna Lovegood, 'Mad-Eye' Moody, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Those were the survivors who Harry had not met or known before the slaughter. The other survivors, the ones he knew, were Lily Potter and Tonks. Unfortunately neither Albus nor James Potter had survived, something which upset Harry.

Without their leader, and indeed without most of their numbers, the group of witches and wizards were broken and alone, more so than they had ever felt since arriving in this new life.

Eight surviving wizards and witches, out of nearly two dozen. Those were unacceptable losses, especially so early. But nothing could be done about it now except to utilize the others as best as possible. And Harry had a few ideas about that.

Harry spoke, addressing all of the survivors. "Over the past few days I have made several trips here, trying to alleviate concerns and anger towards me. I did not send the attack, as you know, and the man who did has been dealt with. In the next two days we will be dropping out of Warp travel and arriving at Kudrun. I have special missions for some of you. If you perform them well you might earn my trust, and with that several privileges. I do not want to be in conflict with you. I want to work together."

He finished his little speech and soon left the medical bay. He would allow the prisoners to talk amongst themselves.

Captain's Medical Bay, Gathering Storm, Warp Space.

Sirius turned to his left and his right. The young man, the Lord- Captain, had just left. On his left he could see Mad- Eye Moody, the angry and grizzled ex- Auror looking quite upset about their situation. To his right he could see Neville Longbottom, the talented and strong, if quiet, son of Alice and Frank Longbottom.

Sirius called out, "Alastor! What should we do?"

The gruff old man responded, "I don't know, but I'm going to kill whichever bastard killed Albus." Sirius could hear the anger and sorrow in the older man's voice. Albus had been one of his last true friends, and now he was gone.

"I think we should do what he says. If we can get our wands back then maybe we can find a way to go home." Sirius proposed. The ex- Auror paused and considered it before nodding slowly.

"Aye, perhaps. I'd say the chances are slim, though." This time it was Sirius's turn to nod in agreement. Without Albus and many of the others their chances of successfully returning to their world were very slim. Even if we did return, then what? Voldemort's already won the war and Dumbledore is gone. We'd never win. Sirius thought. Perhaps it was time to work together with this 'Lord- Captain.' Perhaps that was the best way to make a new life for himself.

Hermione was having the same thoughts several beds down. She was realizing that the chances of return were slim, and even if they did return then what did it matter? They had nothing left there. And if they had nothing left there then why not rebuild here, in this new place? She sighed. It pained her to think it, but it appeared that the best course of action would be to gain the Lord- Captain's favor and go from there.

That was the conclusion that everyone in that medical bay ended up making. They were in a new world. A much bigger, much more dangerous world, and they would have to look out for themselves and for each other because no one else would. And the first step to doing that was earning the Rogue Trader's trust.

Captain's Quarters, Gathering Storm, Warp Space.

Sirius Black sat across from the young man who just several days earlier had been punching his face into a bloody and bruised pulp. The young man, Lord- Captain Harry, as he preferred to be called (among several other titles), was detailing out his mission.

The Lord- Captain was dressed in his usual long black overcoat with sparse gold trimmings and had his usual armament at hand. Sirius was dressed in a loose fitting set of grey garments. "You were one of the better fighters, yes?" The Lord- Captain asked.

Sirius nodded his head, and spoke. "Yes. Me, James, Mad- Eye, Kingsley, and a few others were the best of the Order."

Harry nodded. "Good. You, this 'Mad-Eye', and Kingsley, will be attached to my bodyguard unit when we arrive at Kudrun. You will be expected to protect me and follow all orders. This is a great opportunity for you all. Do not fail me, I am trusting you with this."

Sirius was soon dismissed and led away by a small squad of uniformed troopers. He caught a glimpse of Hermione being led into the room as he was ushered out.

"Hermione Granger. It was told to me that you are one of the brightest and most inquisitive of the group. I am offering you a position under Explorator Inshius, the Tech-Priest of this ship. You will be performing research and analysis, and keeping an eye on him for me. With you will be Lily Potter. I will expect reports on the Explorator and his doings."

Hermione nodded. So she was to be a spy, along with Lily. Well, she figured, at least she enjoyed research. And this position would allow her to learn much of this new universe they had been thrust into.

Soon Hermione was dismissed, and lead off by the same squad of uniformed troopers. She herself caught a glimpse of Tonks as she was being led into the room.

"Tonks, you have an indispensable and indescribably useful skill. I am offering you a job as my chief undercover agent onboard the Gathering Storm. You, along with Neville, and Luna, will report to my Seneschal for orders, but ultimately you will report to me. I want you to keep tabs on every potential threat to my authority and report back to me. This is a position of extreme importance and trust." Tonks nodded, and Harry dismissed her.

He wasn't sure exactly why he was trusting the surviving witches and wizards with so much, but it felt right. He felt confident that they would do their duties as he gave them, that the Emperor would watch over them all, and that the last week was only the beginning of what was sure to be a mind blowing experience.

Well that was Chapter 2. I was hoping to get 10k words in, but it didn't quite work out. Lot's of stuff changed this chapter, and several important characters were introduced. I don't really have a great idea as to where the plot of this story is going, but I've got a few little ideas. If you liked this then check out my other stories!

Feel free to leave a comment or review and thank you to everyone who read!