Chapter 57 – The beginning of the next journey, the end of this one.
Harry leaned back in his comfy chair in his house, Remus and Tonks were…somewhere, Harry had spent Christmas with them and Hermione and the Weasleys at the Burrow, Mrs Weasley having convinced them all to come for Christmas lunch.
Remus and Tonks had gone somewhere for the rest of the holidays until they returned to school.
Harry was happy for them, Ron was at a training camp for a Chudley Cannons a try-out camp for players, so the team and the captains could see their skills and see which players they wanted to bring in once they finished school.
Harry meanwhile, once school had broken for Christmas had returned home clearing out his fridge of everything which looked like it was going to walk.
He was at the moment relaxing with an Agatha Christie, Hermione had given him the set after she saw him reading the tatty one he'd picked up all that time ago.
Poirot was just gathering everyone together when…there was a knock on the door, Harry shook his head an wandered if his imagination was getting the better of him. The knock came again, it was coming from his front door, which was actually at the back of the house.
"Hermione!"
"Harry, how are you?"
"Good, good. Just finishing off the home work…"
"Really?"
"No, reading Poirot…" Harry welcomed her in and set the kettle on, there was still another 5 days or so of the holidays before they would return to school and finish their final year.
"I got a letter in the post the other day, it said I should see you." She said as they said down.
Harry nodded, the Brig had told him something along those lines when he'd returned from Hogwarts he'd gathered all his preliminary plans up into several cardboard boxes, UNIT could have them for their history, he didn't need them knocking around his house awaiting problematic questions from inquisitive friends.
Harry took the offered letter.
Dear Ms Granger,
A mutual acquaintance recently informed myself of your interest in pursuing further study after you complete your Hogwarts education, and also your interest in the organisation that our mutual acquaintance has had assistance from.
While I am sure our mutual friend has made aware to you that because of the nature of our assistance I cannot discuss any of it in this letter as I am sure you will understand.
The raven flies where most do not, seek out what you wish Ms Granger.
If you would like to meet to discuss this further please send a letter of acceptance to…
Yours Sincerely…
"So are you going to send off the letter?"
Hermione looked at him.
"You already did." Harry said sipping his tea.
"As soon as I got it, you're not surprised."
"We have to start making decisions, well we had to back a year or two ago, what made you want to?"
"I don't know…that battle Harry…there were muggles there weren't there, muggles who knew about that battle, that's how you found that location wasn't it?"
Harry didn't say anything and let Hermione continue.
"It was how Snape and that Lestrange were…"
"You didn't believe me when I was talking to Voldemort?"
"That lot of rot, you sounded convincing, really insane."
"You weren't worried then?" He asked curiously.
"Ron looked a bit…" Harry chuckled.
"Well I haven't gone evil."
"That I'm sure, just secretive."
"So…?"
"Snape and Lestrange, spells wouldn't have done that…I went to the library, and went on the internet when I got home. They would have needed some powerful sniper rifles, with silencers, considering the perimeter that Moody patrolled, and where we were sitting to fire spells."
Harry just raised and eyebrow, he still didn't say anything to confirm, or deny Hermione's suppositions.
"Did they tell you? The ministry and the order collected up all the bodies, supposedly they had holes in their bodies, which would be consistent with certain power levels of a blasting or cutting hex, or even your 'wandless stone' thing. But no bullets. There's also no information about that place we were at, just some vague reports from about 30 years ago about seismic faults, which is why that whole area hasn't been redeveloped…"
"Interesting Hermione." Harry said staring over his tea.
"Am I right? Or shouldn't I ask that?"
Harry shrugged.
"When will I be contacted?"
"Probably after we graduate, any thoughts on what you want to do, further study wise?"
"Just that I want to and that I'll need some help…" Hermione started to say.
"Why?" Harry asked curiously.
"Because we've been at Hogwarts for the last seven years, if you wanted to go to a normal university…"
"Oh right, records, study and all those marks and whatever." Hermione nodded appreciatively.
"So where will I be going for this meeting Harry?" Hermione asked eagerly.
"What meeting Hermione?
Hermione made some incoherent noises.
"Wait and see Hermione."
"After we graduate?"
"Probably. I'm not in charge of recruitment I just passed along your interest."
"So there is someone you know…"
"Hermione!" Harry exclaimed.
"Fine I'll wait."
"Want to come and have a drink with me and Ginny we're meeting at a nice coffee shop in…"
"Not Puddifoot's?" Harry groaned.
"No, Fred and George recommended it, it's a little way's inside Knockturn Alley."
"Ooo…not Knockturn Alley!" Harry said in a mock creepy voice.
"You changed my opinion of the overlooked alleyway, so do you want to come?" Hermione stated defensively.
"Sure…let me just…grab a coat and shoes…" Harry muttered as he walked up the stairs, Hermione trailing.
"Must muck you around a bit Harry, living down here and then coming back up to Hogwarts and wherever else you go."
"Stop fishing Hermione. I can manage the time difference perfectly well. I like it down here, I don't get the Prophet…"
"It's gotten good, there seems to be actual journalists."
"Plus no one knows where I live…by the way how did you…"
"Apparate to the back?"
"Yes." Harry said as he tied his basilisk boots, the boots that had seen other planets and ships and everything…after 2 years there was only some minor wear.
"I didn't I apparated to Sorrento walked the rest. I didn't think it would be polite to appear in the middle of your house."
"Umm…no." Harry said shrugging on his coat, and placing a single gun in a holster, along with his wand Hermione noticed.
"Why do you still?"
"After that thing with Malfoy…" Hermione started.
"Why didn't you have…?"
"I didn't think I would need it, but now just until we've finished, just in case, there's something slightly more subtle about a bullet than a fireball…or a curse."
"Only slightly Harry."
Harry locked his front door and shimmered away, he appeared in the twins shop where Hermione had agreed to meet him.
"If it isn't…"
"Our estranged partner."
"Come to check up…"
"…on our business?"
"Come to see…"
"…our new range…"
"…of interesting…"
"…and sometimes useful…"
"Weasley Creations?" They said together.
"Something like that. What happened to Weezes?"
"We're expanding." Fred said grinning.
"Really?"
"Yep…here…" George walked out into the back and came back with a normal looking fry pan.
"It's a frypan." Harry said plainly.
"That I am." It said in a plummy English voice.
Harry tried to keep a straight face.
"Ok…" He looked at the twins. They grinned madly at him.
"It's a normal frypan, we got the idea from mum, she always likes to talk to someone while she talks…"
"It talks?"
"Not really." The fry pan said.
"Not quite, it's got anti-sticking charms and all that…" George said.
"But it'll also give you pointers on what you're cooking, you have to tell it what's in it, but then it can talk about what temperature it's at, stuff like that." Fred said poking it.
"Amazing."
"Hopefully this is the last design…"
"…the first was terrible." Fred muttered.
"Why?"
"It shrieked and screamed whenever we put it on the fire."
Harry laughed as Hermione and Ginny wandered in.
"What's so funny?" Ginny looked between Harry and the twins.
"Talking frypan."
"Ohh…that was terrible, I thought you'd given up." Ginny asked.
They shook their heads.
Hermione came over and poked it.
"It's a frypan."
"That I am my lady."
"It says my lady when it hears a female voice."
"…but only says 'That I am'."
"When a bloke talks to it." Fred stated.
"Have you tried asking it?" Hermione said.
"It's not alive…"
"…it's just a variation on a charm…"
Hermione looked as though she was going to ask more.
"Trade secret I'm sure Hermione, let's go for that coffee…" Harry turned her towards the door.
Harry leaned back into the train carriage seat.
"Some year…" He muttered to himself.
It was the end of 7th year, the end of their Hogwarts education, it would still be some time before the NEWT results came in, but it was finished.
They were all in a bit of a quiet stupor, they weren't sure what to think, what to do.
Of course there had been parties, all the houses had found themselves in a large room with plenty of firewhiskey and other assorted drinks, the few remaining Slytherins partying with the rest of them.
It had been a long journey and now it was over.
"Some 7 years." Ron muttered, Hermione nodded.
It was just the seventh years in the compartment, Luna and Ginny were off else where.
"7 years…" Neville muttered.
"Amazing that we all got through it…" Draco muttered.
"So any ideas as what you're going to do?" It was the most anyone had said since the journey started, Ron since he was the one who asked it must have had some semblance of an idea.
"Have you Ron?" Harry asked Ron nodded eagerly.
"They said I had to wait until after I finished…I'm on the Cannons! Second Chaser! A recent training match laid their player out, he wont be able to play again…" Ron looked a little worried "Arm has been regrown so many times…"
Everyone congratulated him.
"I'm going travelling, I'm hoping to gather up samples…Gran said she'd help me start up my own business…"
"What sort?"
"Herbology, well all plants, not just magical ones, I haven't got it all worked out yet…"
"What about you two?" Draco asked Hermione and Harry.
"I've got some things to look into, I might rest a while, I think I've earned it." Harry laughed as everyone joined in.
"What about you Draco?"
"Not sure…pursue being an Apothecary Professor Shea said there are still some apothecary's in the old sense who travel around old and new places…there's still things to discover, people to meet and all that…" Draco trailed off.
"Hermione you didn't say….?" Ron asked eagerly.
"No…I didn't…I might go on to study at university…I guess things will come to pass…"
"As they always do Ms Granger…" Harry said in a Trelawney style voice.
The rest of the journey was spent talking about the good times…and the bad of their Hogwarts education, they'd all take away different things, unforgettable things, both good and bad…
…
Harry waved his hand in front of the church, or to be more accurate the area where wards existed in front of the church, here was where it all had started, where he'd met the Brigadier.
Today a good month after they'd finished Hogwarts, he'd been asked by Birmingham to meet him there, Hermione was being brought into UNIT: Night Wolf.
They were meeting in a small function room that the mostly empty library had, a little more private than the pub, which Harry had suggested.
"My son…" Harry turned around and saw the vicar walking down the path.
"Vicar…how is the flock?"
"There was another attack some time ago…"
"Everyone came…" Harry gestured the church. The vicar nodded. "So everyone was safe?"
"Some fires…nothing that could not be replaced…is it over?"
"Over…yes, it is…these will stand for much time though…till it is but a memory or a myth…" Harry looked back down towards the town. "Good day to you Vicar." Harry nodded and walked back down the path.
Supposedly Hermione had been given précis coordinates, right down to the second, so Harry stood and waited by a large oak tree which was in a blind spot from the library and that hid you from the town.
Each recruitment for UNIT and Night Wolf was handled differently, some signed up through what they heard in UNIT, others were recruited from universities, some were like Hermione brought in by friends, colleagues etc.
Harry's situation was unusual but it wasn't unique, he was amazed at the amount of people who were part of UNIT and Night Wolf because they stumbled into the situation and managed not to get themselves killed and were able to handle the situation without turning into a babbling mess or wanting to tell the world. Of course in some way Harry's case was the reverse, General Lethbridge-Stewart was in a Death Eater attack, which was his area, just not his…jurisdiction? Harry shook his head and glanced down at his watch as the hand ticked over a slight pop issued from the air in front of him.
Hermione appeared wearing a smart yet comfortable pants suit, her still short hair styled simply.
She looked around wide eyed expecting something amazing, then she looked at Harry.
"Harry!"
"Hello Hermione. I see you decided to come."
"Are you going to tell me…?"
"No, I'm just here as…a guide…"
"Bit ominous isn't it?"
"Cloak and dagger? Not really." He checked his watch. "Shall we go?"
Hermione nodded pushing her shirt down trying to remove the non-existent creases.
"Where are we?"
"In a town I visited when this all began…"
She nodded but didn't say anything.
The library's doors opened silently and Harry led her away from the main section to a series of function rooms.
Harry nodded to the second door in the hallway.
"This door?" Harry nodded and followed her in, inside was a large oval table, high windows and a skylight was letter light in without revealing anything that was happening in the room.
"Ms Granger please." Hermione had noticed that the man was sitting with two pieces of paper in front of him.
She sat in the indicated chair.
"Do you wish that Mr Potter stay during this…introduction? He can leave for the duration if you wish." Birmingham said calmly.
"No…no, Harry can stay…that's ok right?"
"Of course Ms Granger."
Harry sat a few chairs away from Hermione and Birmingham. UNIT had courses on various types of interviewing, interrogation and introduction; Harry had meant to look into it at some point.
"Ms Granger you expressed an interest through Mr Potter of the organisation that he has been associated with."
"Yes…I'm sorry I didn't get your name."
Birmingham chuckled.
"Birmingham."
"Birmingham?"
"Yes…Mr Potter and I are part of an organisation…"
Hermione turned and looked at Harry.
"Harry…" Harry just smiled at her.
"This is the official secrets act, if you could just read and sign it…" He offered her the first sheath of papers.
"Why?"
"Because what we are about to discuss is covered by the act…" Hermione flicked through the act scanning it quickly and then signing it. Birmingham was a little surprised.
"You do not wish to read…"
"I'm sure Hermione has already read the act or at least a edited version."
Hermione nodded and handed it back to Birmingham.
"So…?"
"Mr Potter and I are part of UNIT. The United Nations Intelligence Taskforce."
"The UN…knows about magic…?" Birmingham inclined his head.
"No…not everyone…Mr Potter and I are part of a section of UNIT, known as Night Wolf…which covers other endeavours which are above and beyond UNIT's normal coverage…this Ms Granger is something you will not have researched, the Official Secrets Act Amended Articles."
"Has…" Hermione started to ask.
"I've signed it Hermione, everyone does." Harry supplied.
Hermione did take her time to read these papers, it didn't say anything, nothing that she didn't already know, the amended articles, the ones Hermione was signed were ones for people from the wizarding world joining Night Wolf signed, which said basically they wouldn't release, pass on, transmit etc any information, ideas, theories etc back to the wizarding world, without express permission from the head of said organisation etc.
After about 30 minutes of calm reading Hermione finished and signed her name on the amended articles.
Birmingham checked over both and then slid it into a black envelope.
"Thankyou Ms Granger, or may I call you Hermione?"
"Hermione's fine…so…"
"It is always better to see rather than be told Hermione. Harry I'll meet you at the primary entrance position…" Harry nodded. Birmingham disappeared.
Hermione was left gaping.
"Is that it…? I signed all that for…" Hermione was shocked Harry chuckled.
"We're just meeting him closer to home…come on…"
Harry led her out of the library and to the oak tree, he offered his hand.
"Why can't I just apparate?"
Well…
"Best we just go my way…" She took his hand and they disappeared, reappearing on a path.
Harry gestured which way to go, after a while they reached a section of water where Birmingham was waiting, they could see a large castle across the water.
"Birmingham."
"Harry, they're just about to bring the boat around…"
"Honestly why don't you just use a freezing charm or something?" Hermione muttered.
"Please Hermione, feel free." Hermione blushed as Birmingham gestured the small dock.
Hermione walked over and said the freezing charm confidently, nothing happened, Hermione stared at her wand for several seconds before trying again, she then walked back over to the two men who regarded her, she tried a simple levitation charm, nothing happened.
Night Wolf had placed several jamming devices around the edge of the moat that the castle sat on, most of the moat was for show, and had long since dried up and been filled in, but much of it was still a valid protection. They had installed the jammers after Harry pulled his trick two years ago.
Hermione took a deep breath in trying once more, now walking a further distance out, it still didn't work, you had to go right back to the path and even then you were still on private land.
She walked back and regarded the pair.
"Some sort of jamming device, like radar jamming or something?"
Birmingham smiled as the boat arrived.
"You're going to enjoy it here Hermione…"
"Really? I just left one castle that tried to kill me and my friends for 7 years."
"The final year there was nothing in the castle. Even the 6th year…" Harry started.
"There was Snape! Not to mention all the Death Eaters in training, not just the ones from Slytherin!"
"Point taken." Harry replied as they both stood in the boat as it made a short journey across. They had ridden on far rougher things in the past.
Hermione was vaguely surprised by the door she was in a vague sense of shock and awe at this point having given up on outright surprise at some point.
"Well Hermione I'll leave you with Birmingham, I'll be in the mess…" Harry said patting her on the back.
"You're leaving?"
"Just a bit peckish, didn't have breakfast, I'm sure you'll find me once you're done?"
"Of course Harry." Birmingham nodded to him and lead Hermione away towards the Sorcery Division.
Harry was talking with a bunch of UNIT personnel who had come into Night Wolf for training in…everything that Night Wolf did. One of them Harry had recognised Captain Halliday, whom he'd met briefly a year ago.
They were all eagerly chatting to Harry about the stuff they'd found out.
Night Wolf was a training base as well as a research base after all.
Hermione rushed in just as they were getting up to leave.
"Sorcerer." Many of them nodded to him as they left.
"Good to see you Captain, hope it all goes well…" Harry waved to them as Hermione sat down.
"Sorcerer?"
"First Class. How was everything Ms Granger?" "Harry…I…I…"
"Breathe…Hermione." Harry got up and got two cups for some tea. "So…?"
"Was it like this when you were here? Did they…Merlin I couldn't take it all in…"
"And now?"
"Now…it's amazing Harry they offered…"
"They offered?"
"A job here, in several departments, general research, or in the Sorcery department." Hermione said it carefully as though savouring the word.
"And?"
"You know?"
"No, just that they were going to offer you more than that."
"They said they would be able to assist me in going to university! Cambridge! I can't believe it…and a job whenever I'm not studying…and all this…Merlin…you've known all this for the last two years…and you couldn't tell anyone."
"Neither can you, no one who doesn't already know." Hermione's face fell.
"I can't tell my parents?" Harry looked at her gently.
"It's the same if you work for the security services or whatever you'll have to run it by the Brig but I think the standard thing you can say to your parents, or 'close parental relations' is that you're working for the UN."
"The Brig?"
"General Lethbridge-Stewart, most people here calls him the Brig…a left over from his previous command."
"Oh…oh…"
"So what are you thinking of studying?" Harry asked.
"I don't know…there's so much…obviously researching or whatever…I guess I'll have to talk to some people…but Harry have you seen the library!"
Harry laughed.
"Wait till you see the space craft…"
"Spaceships!"
"Obviously Birmingham didn't tell you about that…"
"He said we'd have a short break…spaceships!" Hermione practically shouted Harry just laughed at her excitement…
Later in the evening he and Hermione were standing out in the grove.
"Well it's the beginning of a new and exciting journey Hermione." Harry said as they walked.
"And so soon after the first one…" Hermione replied looking around.
"It should be fun…"
They both laughed as the Brigadier walked up and handed Hermione a piece of paper.
She had been shown video footage early in the day, but there was nothing like seeing it.
He pointed at a telescope that was sitting ready.
"The RSCS Victory is located at…Merlin…" She rushed over to the telescope and waited as a ship slid glided into view.
"Oh my god…a spaceship…"
Harry laughed as Hermione gave up and they both started laughing again, staring up to the infinite blackness…
-/ - \\-
See my profile for the stories that follow this one and the prequel story to this UNIT: Night Wolf – Beginnings which tells the beginnings of Night Wolf. It also includes some of the action in this story told from Night Wolf's perspective.
It shows inception of Night Wolf, how it was created, how the spaceships were constructed, how Brigadier/General Lethbridge Stewart came to be in command of Night Wolf, how Birmingham arrived there.
It starts just before the first Voldemort War and goes right through to when the Brigadier encounters Harry, and maybe slightly beyond that encounter.
Tone wise it's a a bit darker on the other side of the fence.
Thanks for reading.