FicWad

Harry Potter and the Dark Lady
Chapter 25

Potter Castle
Mews
Wednesday
17 Sept 1997
13:33

The crisis was past. Harry in his Hell Stallion form stood over Roswitha, still snorting those odd green flames, but the crisis had passed. Nym lay on the pallet in the corner that Sarah had conjured, her long stint with Lilith in control while she and Harry cured first the most serious casualties and then Roswitha’s injuries, her abruted placenta having completely exhausted Nym.

The flaring magic had transmuted the walls of the mews to some kind of nearly transparent gemstone and Grindaknívur reported the stone Lilith was still glowing.

Andrew took Sarah in his arms and let her cry. It had been so very close. Roswitha and Harry’s Harold had nearly died four or five times. Harold’s twin, the filly Elizabeth, had technically died and that had brought Harry’s change and that stunning release of power that even Lilith had been barely able to direct. The filly Elizabeth was alive and well, though. The last two and a half weeks had passed in a settled, even stately manner with business as usual and the schools settling in nicely, and now this attack out of the blue had caught them completely flatfooted.

Andrew looked around a moment. “Sergeant of the Guard!”

Color Sergeant Mark Watson appeared in front of Andrew as if by magic and popped to rigid attention. “SAH!”

“You will inform the Regiment the crisis has passed, all parties are fine.”

“SAH, the Regiment will be pleased, SAH!”

“Funeral services for Corporal Wesson, Private Clew, and Private Chudri will be held tomorrow or the next day. Their bodies will be recovered to lie in state in stasis in the entry hall. We depend on you sergeants to prepare the Regiment.

“SAH, and the enemy remains, SAH?”

Andrew looked lost for a moment.

“SAH, I would suggest cremation, SAH.”

Andrew nodded and Color Sergeant Watson went to relay the orders to the Regiment. Andrew stopped him. “Color Sergeant, please tell the men that we are very pleased with their performance.”

Color Sergeant Watson said, “We thank you, sir, but it wasn’t quite good enough, was it?” He gathered himself, turned, and marched away, leaving a bloody print wherever his left boot struck the ground.

“Oh, and Color Sergeant, have that leg seen to. You won’t be helping us if you’re dead.” Andrew watched him go.

LTC Tuningfork of the Goblin Regiment approached Andrew. “We’ll stand the division down except for patrols, sir. The Tsarina’s Tank Army will send at least an MRD to secure the Hollow. The Duke’s rampage killed all the remaining Chinese wizards. The Duchesses killed the others, well the ones he didn’t get to first, here in the Castle.

“We have four hundred seriously wounded in hospital here and somewhere around four thousand walking wounded back with their units.”

Andrew nodded. “How the hell did they get in here, Tuningfork?”

Tuningfork grimaced. “Xi Shi sent so many the wards simply couldn’t kill them all, Andrew. She used a very long rope as a Portkey, had them all hold onto it, and then killed up to a thousand wizards by using up their magic and then their life force to make the Portkey. The five thousand who survived the trip through the wards in the Hollow, we think, may have been only one percent of those who came from the level of ash surrounding the Hollow, and were her strongest wizards and witches. They landed almost on top of the grazing Nightmares and one of them hit Roswitha with that cannonball hex. We were decisively engaged as we deployed to assist the Duke’s Own and Xi Shi sent another larger group to the castle, but the wards were more successful here and then the Duke went berserk. You know the rest.”

Andrew nodded. He had been at a function in London when the bond with Sarah had simply shut off. He had run from the room and faded on his own, for the first time, straight into the bedroom of the Ducal apartment. It was full of unconscious mates.

Looking out the Disillusioned wall he had seen the first piecemeal efforts of the surprised Division as they closed on the enemy and became decisively engaged. The commanders had responded well, though, and they fought a holding action with the Duke’s Own while arraying their remaining forces. Unfortunately that action had cost the Duke’s Own three dead and one hundred percent wounded.

The Chinese wizards had fought through the NCO-led Duke’s Own Regiment and flowed out into the kill sack set up by the Mage, Veela, and Goblin Regiments who were in a frothing fury. The fight had lasted an hour. At the forty-eight-minute mark the main effort had attempted the wards on the Castle itself.

The mates had snapped awake again as the wards were attacked a second time, and changed. Harry, well, Harry had gone berserk. He faded from the bedroom and reappeared in his Dragon over the vale in the Hollow that was the kill sack, and fell on the remaining Chinese wizards like a lightning bolt. He had eaten fully half of them, probably fifteen hundred, and tortured the rest into gibbering insanity with his vampire compulsion while still in his Dragon form before shredding them alive. He had found the Nightmares, morphed to his Hell Stallion and then faded them all to the mews. He then changed to his Warg and went on with his killing spree. He asked no quarter and gave none.

Meanwhile Nym and the mates, including Sarah, had gone feral Warg or vampire and hunted down the two thousand or so that survived the Castle wards and literally tore them to pieces, those that Harry didn’t catch. That had all started this morning at 07:08 and now—well, now they had policed up the casualties and Harry and Lilith had cured everyone who wasn’t already dead. Hagrid, fetched by Geoffrey, had come to find Harry with tears streaming down his cheeks and told him that Roswitha, Harold, and Elizabeth would surely die of the abruted placenta at 12:15. Harry had simply taken Nym/Lilith’s hand and faded away to the mews.

News of the fight had traveled from the students of the Royal Academy who, led by the Wargs of the Ducal House, had set up a defense at both the Royal Academy and Hogwarts. Their parents and then the media and the wizarding world now waited breathlessly by their wireless sets for news of their Duke and Duchesses.

The wounded Rita had met the reporters, who soon began appearing, after the wounded Hestia and Hermione had sorted out what had happened and brought them all to the Operations Theater. Maybe a mistake, that.

Geoffrey hadn’t got the Castle cleaned yet because the elves were caring for the wounded, ten thousand pints of blood makes an unbelievable mess. Some hallways literally ran with blood. The Castle was an abattoir.

The passageway to the Ducal apartments and the only passage to the children’s wing above it was filled with pieces of what had been humans, maybe. Beatrice and her group, along with Andrew, had made their stand there defending the youngest children. The mates had been too busy to police the reporters, and Andrew and the Court of St. James had found them wandering with sick-looking faces but cameras and pens out and working.

The Queen had been furious but had simply shut all of the reporters in the Operations Theater and told Field Marshal Inge to get this sorted. Then she had moved to the mews.

Tony Inge called John Major, who arrived with a phalanx of PAO (Public Affairs Officers) and started trying to set up for media briefings. Tony also called Pitior and the British Defense staff and they had all arrived at about the same time. Pitior arrived with two regiments of Spetsnaz and Marshal Plotempkin. The Defense staff arrived with a surgical hospital and the in country SAS. Gerald Naismith had arrived, looked around, and called Washington. The 212th MMASH (Magical Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) had arrived in train with the 1st Magical Corps lead elements and airhead security team.

Tony had suddenly found himself the De Facto Commander of 50,000 troops on the ground and another 300,000-700,000 getting in train to arrive shortly.

He also had the civilian government and the media using his Operations Center. Well, this would not do. Tony found a Spetsnaz captain at his elbow and said, “Find me a room to put these reporters in, a comfortable room with a view of the Hollow. “

“Da, Marshal.” The Russian captain snapped off a salute and took off at a run, to be replaced by an American captain.

“Sir, Captain Robert White, U.S. 7th Corps. I’ll be your Liaison.”

Tony stared at him for a moment; his presence meant the Americans had thrown a heavy Corps at the problem—hell a heavy Corps my ass: the heavy corps, one of the top two fighting formations in the world! This was getting out of hand. The other top fighting formation was the…

“Sir, the 18th airborne Corps is boarding aircraft as we speak. 7th Corps is now 7th Army. You have tactical command. Where would you like the Airborne Corps deployed?” Captain White just made the nightmare complete: a British officer with an American army group at his command.

Leslie Sherman strode into the midst of this chaos. “Is everyone all right, Tony?”

“Leslie, thank God! The Mates are fine—a little banged up but fine. Almost lost Melinda or one of the other Nightmares and her colts, not sure really, only just arrived myself. Apparently three KIA in the Duke’s Own and it looks like one hundred percent wounded across the Regiment with four hundred in hospital.”

Marshal Plotempkin, who had been standing listening, turned to the Senior Colonel of the Spetsnaz Martin Rebovitska. “Hospital, complete lockdown now. Get the Tsarina’s wounded magical troops in quarters and lock them down too. Find the honored dead and bring them here.

“You, Colonel Rista, launch the first MRD. I want two more to follow in twenty minutes and the Tank divisions at thirty-minute intervals after that. Leave the 5th MRD and one tank division with the artillery division on Guard at Chita. Standard deployment, the castle is twelve o’clock. Dig in for a hasty defense along the ridges and across the throat of the valley before that town.

“Marshal, I am Marshal Plotempkin, Military Commander of the Tsarina’s Guards Tank Army. How may we further assist you?”

Tony blinked. Oh God, it just keeps getting worse—a Russian Guards Tank Army and he just ceded command to me! “Erm—aahh...Marshal, an honor to meet you. I think we’ll be fine now. You can set up your HQ in here. As soon as we find a technomancer we can get the screens up and see both Chita and Godric’s Hollow.”

Lester Hamlish, who had just appeared, snapped his fingers and two robed and hooded Unspeakables moved to the screen. Soon it flickered and then came to life in a split view.

“Lester Hamlish, gentlemen, Chief Department of Mysteries. I would suggest….”

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Potter Castle
Public Study
17 Sept 1997
14:00

In the public study where that Mundane soldier with the blue and white stripped T-shirt had left them, the press moved to the disillusioned wall.

Glenda gasped. “So it wasn’t just the Castle, then. Morgana, look at that—there are thousands of bodies out there.”

Percival said, “Pieces—pieces of bodies, Glenda. No Divisional casualties visible, but it looks like the Duke’s Own are Guarding three bodies under sheets. Merlin! the Guards have been mauled. Every one of them is wounded.”

Percival lowered his omnioculars and wiped his eyes. He raised his omnioculars again.

“Mère de Dieu, look there.”

The Magical Le Monde writer was pointing at a spot on the floor of the Hollow where four Goblins had just placed a slab of rock. A T90 came crawling through the air, turret swiveling in an arc across its front. It was immediately followed by another and another. Then ten BMP 3s crawled through and raced ahead. They stopped and disgorged their troops in an arc around the transport slab. The process repeated while Goblins emplaced more slabs; each slab soon sprouted a T 90 and the process repeated itself at the new slab.

Charles Limrick, a technical writer for Magical World, said, “Those first things were tanks, Mundane war vehicles. The next were IFVs, infantry fighting vehicles. They’re all sporting the Duke’s Arms.”

Glenda sighed with relief, then almost shrieked, “The school! Idiots, check the school!”

Twenty pair of omnioculars and thirty pair of unaided eyes swung that way. “Pristine, Glenda. Looks like the Ducal House students are Guarding the entrance.”

Glenda nodded to Percival Gribbs. “Thank you, gentlemen, and you, Morgana.”

“God in Heaven, what is that?”

Everyone looked where Daniel Boxlighter pointed as a Hind D flew through one of the new, and heretofore untested, air portals. It clawed for altitude with a shattering, whining, roaring, thumping you could feel in your chest. As it climbed they saw the Duke’s Arms on its belly. The lead aircraft was followed by two more and then thirty-one MI 8s; last, three more Hind Ds. They roared, whined, and thumped away to the southwest.

Everyone turned to look at Charles. “Helicopters. The first three were what they call gun ships and the rest were transports. Probably carrying an infantry battalion.”

Glenda had been watching and counting. She smiled. “It appears our lovely Duke has been a busy boy. There are thousands of soldiers down there and more every minute. I think the Dark Whore has made a serious error.”

The reporters nodded. Attacking the Duke in his home and not killing him was probably the last mistake she would ever make.

Back in the Operations Theater Tony Inge was slowly getting a handle on his new army and it was magnificent. Those transport slabs were the bee’s knees.

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Potter Castle
Public Study
17 Sept 1997
14:10

In the Mews Elizabeth approached the last stall, looking for her boys. “Andrew, Harry?”

“Here, Mum. You might want to stay away from Harry, though; he’s having a bit of a moment.”

Elizabeth turned into the stall and hugged Andrew and Sarah. “Where’s Nym? Oh. Is she all right?”

“Fine, Mum. She and Lilith have been sharing for a couple of hours. Nym is exhausted. Everyone is fine, or will be. Every one of them is wounded and we lost a corporal and two privates from the Regiment, KIA. I don’t know what’s wrong with Harry. He won’t change back.”

Elizabeth walked up to Harry and hugged him around his massive neck. “It’s fine, dear. You stay in that magnificent form if you want. Lie down over here and keep Nym warm for me, though.”

Harry instantly moved to the corner and folded up in front of Nym very carefully. Elizabeth stroked his massive corded neck. “There’s a good boy.”

Andrew released Sarah and she crawled over Harry and spooned Nym. The stall began filling with mates. Elizabeth hugged or patted them as she led Andrew away. She arrived in the entry hall at the same time the Spetsnaz arrived with Corporal Wesson, Private Clew, and Private Chudri, escorted by the heavily wounded (but refusing medical attention) remainder of 3, Alpha 1, 1, The Duke’s Own (Third Battalion, Alpha Co, first platoon, first squad), SSG Lombard commanding.

The Queen watched as Corporal Wesson, Private Clew, and Private Chudri were lowered respectfully onto conjured biers and then looked at the Spetsnaz captain leading the detail. “Medics. Now.”

The captain knew a direct order when he heard one and sent his fastest runner to the hall where he knew the American wizard doctors were setting up. The entry hall was flooded with panting mediwizards and -witches in moments. SSG Lombard would not yield.

“SSG Lombard you are relieved; see to your squad. I have the watch.”

SSG Lombard saluted Andrew and collapsed into an American orderly’s arms; his six remaining squad members followed him into unconsciousness.

As they were taken away Andrew took station in front of the center bier facing the doors. His father joined him at the six o’clock position as Elizabeth uncovered Corporal Wesson, Private Clew, and Private Chudri and began cleaning them up. She worked silently, her tears falling like a gentle rain. She was joined by Molly Weasley and the other vassal wives after they first Apparated to the entry hall with their husbands and then stood in shock for a moment looking at the three dead soldiers, the Royals, the Spetsnaz platoon standing at present arms, and finally the blood- and gore-splattered entry hall where Amelia Fastida, Bellatrix, and Allison had cornered the last of the Chinese and flayed them alive before ripping them to pieces.

Romilda arrived looked around and left. She returned with most of the Ducal and Gryffindor House, younger vassals, and boarding and day wards; she found the other wards old enough to do magic and under Neville and Romilda’s direction they began cleaning the Castle and taking care of the youngest children.

Augusta was so proud.

The Queen finished her self-appointed task, cast a stasis charm, and finally looked up. Her eyes lit upon Baron Fellowes, her secretary. “Robert, could you bring the duty officer of the Guards Division to me, please? We’ll post an Honor Guard for these brave Guardsmen.”

Baron Fellowes looked around and Ron and Lavender Weasley stepped up. “We’ll take you, Baron.” Lavender led him to the transport Arms under the stairs.

The reporters had escaped their prison in the public sitting room and found their way to the entry hall. Imelda immediately snapped a picture. No one else dared.

The Queen continued to gaze silently at her three Guardsmen.

Baron Fellowes returned with Major General Sir Iain Mackay-Dick, KVCO MBE Commander of the Household Division.

The General looked at the Guardsmen. “Aacch, laddies, we’ve just gotten to know you and now we’ve to say goodbye.”

“General, we would have an Honor Guard posted of their brother Guards. The Duke’s Own Magical Regiment of the Guard is sore tested.”

“Ma’am, of course, ma’am.”

“His Royal Highness the Duke of York and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh will stand the watch with me until the Guard can be assembled.”

“Ma’am, of course, ma’am.” Major General Sir Iain Mackay-Dick bowed himself from the Queen’s presence and the young Weasleys returned him to the Horse Guards.

Remus entered the Operations Theater and moved straight to Tony Blair. “The Queen is preparing the Guardsmen killed in action for burial in the entry hall, Prime Minister.”

The room suddenly silenced. “The Queen? Herself?”

“With the vassals bonded.”

John Major and Tony Blair rose and led the parade to the entry hall.

“Godsdamnit, Newton, get those media people under control and keep them back.”

Mary Newton shuddered at the impossible task she had just been given by the Prime Minister. There were fifty of these wizarding media people here. Ah well, off to work then.

“John, what are we doing?”

“Paying our respects and not intruding, Tony. She’s taking this personally.”

Tony looked around the hall. A platoon of Spetsnaz in battle dress, at rigid attention with rifles and fixed bayonets at present arms, formed the outer ring, then the Royals facing inward in a triangle close to the biers, and finally the three Guardsmen on their biers, one beside the other.

As he watched, the vassals formed a line and passed by the biers. He joined the line with the Cabinet and Shadow Cabinet and then stood halfway up the staircase with them, watching the events unfold. Soon enough the Coldstream appeared and formed a platoon formation. They relieved the Spetsnaz who passed in the line, many crossing themselves, and then moved back toward the Operations Theater. As they moved off the Grenadier Guards appeared, formed up a close squad, and the captain in charge moved to the Queen and saluted smartly. “I relieve you, ma’am.”

The Queen smiled sadly. “Of this sad duty only, captain, I stand relieved. Guard your brothers well; they gave all in service to the Realm this day.” The Queen moved away and the captain took her place.

Andrew and Phillip were relieved and they moved the Queen to the private sitting room as the operations staffs and government people paid their respects and returned to their ever increasing control of the situation.

Elizabeth entered the private sitting room and faced the vassals. “The Duke and the Duchesses are all fine, as are the children.”

“Thank Morgana. Elizabeth, what happened?”

“We don’t know precisely, Molly. It seems Xi Shi attacked with close on a million wizards or magical beings. The wards were overwhelmed and let some through. Generally the most powerful survived the wards. She sent them in two waves, a distraction wave of perhaps half a million, of which five thousand or more got through, and then an—erm—”

“Main effort.”

“Thank you, Andrew, a main effort of perhaps another half million or more. The second wave attacked the Castle itself while Harry and the bonded were busy reinforcing the wards. Perhaps two thousand, maybe more, got through and into the castle. Harry left Nym, Sarah, and the mates to defend the Castle and he eliminated the attackers in the Hollow.

“Unfortunately the Duke’s Own Guards Regiment of Magical Foot was the first to respond to the threat; Corporal Wesson, Private Clew, and Private Chudri of the first squad to set a defense were killed in the ensuing fighting before the Duke could relieve the Regiment.”

Major General Sir Iain Mackay-Dick who had been listening, withdrew to the Operations Theater. True Guardsmen those, a squad against five thousand or more. In the finest traditions of the Foot, need to see to the Guard and the funeral. Need the military evaluation of this first, though. Sure, she had made them a Guards Regiment, but that didn’t make them a Guards Regiment. If this action was an indicator, though, she had been well right. There would be VCs all round for this squad. It was Rourke’s Drift all over again, only worse.

Sirius looked at Elizabeth. “Eliminated, ma’am?”

Elizabeth looked pensieve and did not answer.

“Ma’am?”

Elizabeth looked at Sirius unflinchingly. “They were winning against the Regiment and the rest of the Division was still coming set. Every trooper in the Regiment was wounded, some severely as we still have four hundred in hospital. Harry changed to his Dragon and it—they—he went berserk. He ate fully half of the remaining enemy combatants and then somehow drove the rest of them insane before he shredded them into very small pieces.”

“The Duchesses and mates, meanwhile, tracked down every magical being in the Castle not bonded to Harry and killed them. They were mostly in their Wargs or vampires and they also were berserk.

“Harry then cured as many wounded as he could, including Roswitha and her foals as they had been hit with a cannonball hex when the Chinese landed. Nym and Lilith were exhausted but Harry just keeps pouring magic and wroth into the bond. He is now in the mews in his Hell Stallion; the mates are with him. We’ll handle this situation until the Duke decides to join us in whatever form he chooses.

“I consider Magical Britain to be in a state of war with Magical China. You vassals and the Ministry of Magic will take all necessary steps to put us on a war footing.”

The Queen made to rise and Phillip was there in an instant. “Phillip, the Operations Theater. I would discuss this with my Chief of the Defense Staff.”

Phillip escorted the Queen, with a very determined group of vassals following.

The doors to the Operations Theater swung open of their own accord and Tony Inge looked up to see the Queen bearing down on him.

“Field Marshal, you are to consider that a state of war exists between Magical China and Magical Briton. You will take all necessary steps to swiftly conclude this conflict with a minimum of casualties to Magical Briton. Nuclear release is authorized.”

The entire Theater sat stunned for a moment and then Captain White spoke into his sleeve. “This is a NBC WARNO UK NCA (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical warfare warning order, United Kingdom National Command Authority) has authorized the release of NBC weapons. All forces are advised to assume MOPP (Mission Oriented Protective Posture) level 1 and stand by for CDM (Chemical Downwind Message).”

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Germany
Heidelberg
Campbell Barracks
17 Sept 1997
16:07

Jeremy Ted Johnson (LTC Ret), a stringer for CNN who was sitting in a briefing in the HQ building, watched in amazement as a MP in MOPP 1 burst into the briefing room, rushed to the CG (Commanding General) USAREUR (United States Army Europe) and whispered in his ear. He didn’t wait for whatever the CG USAEUR was going to say he took off for the outside of the room to see what was happening in the HQ.

He wandered into the Operations area just in time to hear a CDM being read into a secure radio net. He turned an about-face and headed out of the building, knowing that if he didn’t get out soon he would be detained for the duration.

This was no EDRE; those troopers had been deadly serious. On top of the whole Corps going to alert status and then silently waiting on their vehicles in their motor pools, it meant something was up, something big. Jeremy wasn’t buying that “when we know you will know” bullshit he had been fed earlier, either.

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Kunming, China
Xi Shi’s Hold
17 Sept 1997
00:10

Xi Shi sat stunned. They had failed. A million wizards and it still wasn’t enough. He had slaughtered them like lambs and now was in a towering fury. Time to look to her own wards. He would be coming soon and she must slow him enough to talk to him at least. Yes, she would throw herself on his mercy. He was soft; he wouldn’t hurt her. Hmmm, the wench...yes, she would give him the wench to take the edge off first.

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Potter Castle
Mews
17 Sept 1997
15:20

“Will he be all right, Nym?”

“Don’t know, Sarah. Never seen him like this. The Regiment?”

“Three dead, all wounded, Nym Mother.”

“Mary?”

“Yes, Nym Mother. Rest, Nym Mother, Hedwig Mother is in control.”

“Hedwig?”

“Nym.”

“See to the wounded, Hedwig. Find the Queen, secure the Hollow.”

“Rest, Nym, it is done.”

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Potter Castle
Operations Theater
Wednesday
17 Sept 1997
15:20

Hedwig swept into the Theater and flew directly to Elizabeth. “Nym and Sarah say see to the wounded and secure the Hollow, Elizabeth. Harry is still quiet.”

“Look at the pictures, Hedwig, so your bonded can see.”

Hedwig turned her head and looked at the screen. Tony Inge, without turning a hair, said “Duchess Hedwig, we’ve currently deployed a perimeter from the Tsarina’s Tank Army on the ridges around the Hollow and blocking the throat. The SAS and American 7th Corps Units are securing an area in front of the barbican and setting up an airhead. We’ll land the U.S. 18th Airborne Corp and prepare for combat operations. We await specific target information from His Highness.”

The uninitiated in the room looked askance at their de facto commander.

Hedwig turned to Elizabeth and Sarah sent, “The wounded, Hedwig, and the dead.”

Elizabeth nodded and Hedwig turned back to the screen. “The Duchesses would know the state of the Division and casualties.”

Major General Sir Iain Mackay-Dick stood. “Ma’am, the Duke’s Own Guards magical infantry is combat ineffective, ten percent casualties requiring long term hospitalization, and ninety-nine percent wounded. Three KIA and none currently in danger, the Guardsmen killed in action have been prepared for burial and currently lie in state in the entry hall of this castle and we await His Highness’s instructions as to the burial details. The remainder of the Guards Magical Division have been relieved and returned to quarters where they are seeing to their wounded and resting.”

“The Grenadier Guard is securing this Castle along with the Coldstream. They are also providing the Honor Guard. The Scots Guard is in train to arrive and begin exterior security operations.”

Elizabeth looked at Hedwig and at her nod she said, “Thank you, General Mackay-Dick, and yes I believe the magical division has achieved Guards status with this action.”

“A privilege to serve with the Duke’s Own Division, ma’am.”

Elizabeth nodded and looked at Hedwig. Hedwig nodded to her and she began to rise. Phillip was there instantly. “Thank you, Phillip. Come along, Hedwig dear.”

Hedwig faded to Phillip’s other shoulder as he offered Elizabeth his arm. “The entry hall, Phillip. Hedwig needs to see Corporal Wesson, Private Clew, and Private Chudri for the bonded.”

Tony Inge and the military staff watched as the Queen and the apparently in charge owl—errr, Duchess Hedwig left the Theater trailed by John Major, Tony Blair, and Major General Sir Iain Mackay-Dick.

Tony and John had switched positions in May but they both were read in on the Duke so the Queen still used them both to advise her and John, primarily to advise Bellatrix.

They reached the entry hall and the silent Guard and Phillip approached the biers. Hedwig looked and Elizabeth nodded. “Yes, Dear, we’ll wait on Harry. I put on the stasis charm. We might need to reinforce it soon.”

“Hoot.”

“Thank you, dear.”

Hedwig faded to the biers and went to each soldier She sat a moment looking at them and everyone in the room felt a building sadness overlaid with rage, a towering, incoherent animal rage.

Phillip frowned. “Elizabeth, Harry is completely out of control.”

“Nearly, Phillip. And as soon as he’s sure the mates and children are safe he’s going to completely lose control. Xi Shi surviving the next thirty-six hours is very doubtful.”

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Potter Castle
Training Hall
212 MMASH Wards
Wednesday
17 Sept 1997
16:20

Molly finally found Fred and George, both in bed and attended by their bonded. They had taken several cutting curses apiece and would be all right but were still on the hospital list. Their squaddies and SSG Barlow lay in the beds nearest them. Molly almost wept with relief.

“Alicia, Angelina, how are they?”

Angelina answered as Alicia had fallen asleep with her head on George’s bed and his uninjured left hand clasped in hers. “Fine, Mrs Weasley, cuts and bruises now. These American and Mundane British surgeons, eerrr, reattached Fred’s right and George’s left hands and the mediwitches did something to them and they’ll supposedly be fine.”

Molly was amazed and moved to look at her sons’ injured limbs. How on earth had they even found the hands and how did they get the right one on each boy? “Where are the mediwitches and -wizards, dear?”

Angelina swallowed and answered, “In the Mews, ma’am. The Potter mates and children are all there and they won’t leave, so the medics went to them.”

Molly’s nervousness returned. “Are they....”

“Rumor has it they’re fine. Reportedly Nym is magically and physically exhausted and they’re all wounded, but nothing life-threatening. Harry changed form and won’t change back. Apparently it’s worth your life to go in the mews. Harry is in a bit of a mood, they say.”

Molly nodded. “Well, they can’t stay in that stable so I’ll just have to go talk to him.”

Angelina looked doubtfully at Molly but knew there would be no turning her.

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Potter Castle
Mews
Wednesday
17 Sept 1997
17:02

“Chu, Minerva, you have to message Filius, Madam Maxime, Hugo at Durmstrang, and Mrs Parker at the Royal Academy. The PeeWees’ first games are today and you have to postpone them.”

Minerva looked at Molly but said nothing for a moment as she listened to Harry in the bond. “No, they liked the sport. Leave the events on.”

Minerva nodded. “No, Molly, the games and events go on.”

“But Minerva, you’re all injured.”

A tear ran down Minerva’s cheek and she nodded, then said, “As Harry says ‘so very badly’, but Corporal Wesson, Private Clew, and Private Chudri liked the sport and would want it to continue.”

Molly nodded and carefully picked her way to Harry and the Primaries around the other mates. They had all been seen to by the American mediwitches and -wizards who were now finishing up and dressing wounds. “Harry, dear, don’t you want to change back? I mean, if we’re going to the games?”

Harry the Hell Stallion looked at her and Ginny said, “Leave it, Mum. You don’t want him to change right now. He’s just barely in control of himself.”

Molly leaned down and kissed Ginny, then hugged Harry’s huge neck and kissed him on the nose. “It’s fine, dear, you stay in whatever form you choose,” and she withdrew.

Captain Marlene French, mediwitch 212th MMASH, approached her. “Ma’am, are you related....”

“Oh yes, dear, the Duchess Ginevra is my daughter and the Duke and the Duchess Hermione I have always considered mine.”

Marlene nodded. “Ma’am, quite a few of these witches are pregnant.”

Molly chuckled an earthy little chuckle. “Yes, they’re doing quite well on the Duke’s plan to fill the Castle.” Suddenly she was suspicious. “They’re all right?”

Marlene smiled. “Yes, ma’am, fine actually—a little banged up but nothing serious. We would like to move them from here but we understand the Duke won’t change forms and they won’t leave him. We’re bringing in an equine specialist from the U.S. for him—errr, Duchess Roswitha and the Nightmares.”

Molly looked around at the sparkling mews. “Well, dear, I think we should just leave them where they’re comfortable. You really don’t want them angry.”

Marlene nodded, remembering her trip through the abattoir that was this huge Castle looking for casualties with her FST (Forward Surgical Team) and those Spetsnaz for security. They had found the children’s wing, being guarded by the oldest Potter children, to be the only part of the Castle not painted in blood. Well, they couldn’t get into the Ducal apartment but Lady Agnes Potter had reported it was empty. They had not found a single piece of a human larger than a head and the graves registration company was still collecting and sorting body parts—1987 distinct sets of remains so far and maybe that many more besides, she understood.

Marlene looked at Molly. “Ma’am, I don’t know if you know, but since you mentioned her, the Duchess Hermione is pregnant.”

Molly beamed at her. “Thank you, Captain. Now if you’ll excuse me I need to go find her parents. Well, after I visit with the rest of the mates.”

Molly’s errand suddenly completed itself as Emma Granger steamed into the mews at flank speed trailing Dan like a dinghy on plane. She nodded at Molly and arrowed straight to Hermione. Emma looked at Harry and gave him a peck on the nose. She then climbed on his back and pulled Hermione out of the pile of Primary mates and Alphas and into her lap.

Dan followed her in and walked to the slightly surprised looking Harry. “If you’re going to stay in that form, Harry, you might as well get a saddle. They’ll all be here in a minute and they’re all going to want to see their daughters and hold them.”

Harry nodded and blew gently. “I’ll take that as an okay, then. Harry, we now have close on a million troops in train or on alert over the planet. Field Marshal Inge is in command by default. We’re going to need commander’s intent for the staff to work with, at least.”

Harry nodded and Dan chuckled. Suddenly a piece of parchment appeared in front of Dan and he caught it at about waist height. Dan looked at the parchment.

Field Marshal Inge:

The Magical Division and Tsarina’s Tank Army staged from Chita will prepare for and conduct a forced entry into China. Move to and secure Kunming, China. Evacuate any noncombatants and lay siege to the hold or holds of Xi Shi the Dark Lady and reduce it or them. The Dark Lady and her remaining forces are to be captured if possible; killed if necessary.

Armed magical or Mundane resistance will be fixed, isolated, and destroyed in detail.

Non Combatant and Divisional casualties are to be minimized by the application of overwhelming firepower.

Diplomatic efforts with the Mundane government of China are expected to produce a permissive environment.

Diplomatic efforts are to begin immediately. Preparatory operations are to begin in 24 hours and the main effort is expected to be prepared in 72 hours and execution to begin in 96 hours.

Harry James Potter, Duke of Magic
Commanding

Dan nodded. “I’ll get this to the Marshals, Harry. Harry, you’re going to want to appear at the games this evening in your human form. People are very nearly panicked. The press has been remarkably levelheaded and honest, but the only Duchesses they’ve seen were wounded at the time and they haven’t seen you. The pictures that are hitting the WCS (Wizarding Cable Services) and the WWWW are ghastly, no matter how hard Imelda tries to keep them non inflammatory.”

Harry nickered resignedly and Dan chuckled. “Price of leadership, I’m afraid, old boy.”

Dan skipped back from the massive teeth that snapped on air in front of him and smiled. “Now, now, Your Grace, let’s not be stroppy.”

“Daddy, stop playing and go to work. We’ll join you soon.”

Dan looked at Hermione snuggled into Emma’s lap where she was ensconced on the giant Hell Stallion who was her son-in-law and bowed. “As Her Highness commands.” He backed carefully from the stall and headed for the Operations Center.

Molly watched Dan leave as she checked each of her “daughters” over at least visually. She worked her way back to the still sleeping Roswitha’s stall and over to Hermione and Emma. “Hermione, are you going to tell us?”

Emma was instantly suspicious. “Tell us what?”

Hermione glared at Molly. Molly returned that mother look and Hermione’s glare melted. Hermione blushed. “We were going to tell everyone when we were sure.”

Molly gave her the look again. “Hermione, dear, you’ve missed twice now and I bet every one of the hundred charms have come back positive, haven’t they?”

Hermione nodded. “Yes, we’re pregnant.”

Hermione got a patent pending Granger bonecrusher hug from her mother. “Uuurrk, Mum!”

Emma sat back and eased up on Hermione slightly. “Does H A R R Y know?”

Harry turned his head and rolled one softball-sized eye at her.

“Mother! He’s still Harry, and of course. He knew before we did; he says we smell pregnant.”

Emma digested Hermione’s comment for a moment, then something penetrated the pre-grandmother glow. “Who is we?”

Hermione gave a little shrug. “All of the of-age school age-mates.”

Emma turned her head and saw gentle blushes on Daphne, Susan, Cho, Hannah, Marietta, Su, and the others. She beamed and crushed Hermione in another hug. Hermione sighed; apparently this was going to be like the weddings.

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Potter Castle
Operations Theater
Wednesday
17 Sept 1997
17:30

Dan walked into the Theater and found it neatly divided into sections with the overall command section consisting of the Principle Defense Staff in the center and the government arrayed along the back rows. He smiled; trust the staffs to sort out territory. It was necessary for the efficient command and control of an army, but they would be pilloried if the press ever found out.

Dan walked to Tony Inge and handed him the parchment. Tony read the parchment and turned to the Chief of Staff for Operations, General Sir Reginald Fontain. “Here we go, Reggie. Now we know his intent, let’s chop it up. First meeting of principals in an hour and get copies of this to the Army and Corps Commanders. We’re going to want to go deep for reconnaissance first so let’s get the Air Marshal working on an insertion.”

Dan thought a moment. “Sir, we’ll need the Magical intelligence apparatus too.”

Tony nodded. “Reggie, include Lord Black and Lord Lupin in the first meeting and fold them into the intelligence operation.”

Dan sat and watched as the staffs sprang to life and the room started that low, serious hum indicative of fully loaded, well trained staffs.

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Potter Castle
Public Sitting Room
Wednesday
17 Sept 1997
17:30

Mary Newton checked herself, centered and approached the podium at the middle of the Illusioned wall. She stood at the podium looking out at the magical media of the world. How did the crows always arrive so soon? “Ladies and gentlemen, the Queen will give a short address in five minutes. She will not take questions and you will not ask them. This is an address to the Magical Realm of Briton.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, Percival Gribbs, WWN 3. We are here in the public sitting room of Potter Castle where we’ve just been informed the Queen will address the Realm in approximately four minutes. While we are waiting I can describe the scene here and the events as we know them to this point….”

All around Percival reporters were furiously messaging or, in the case of the Americans, standing in front of cameras doing setups like Percy had just done. The minutes passed in what seemed like seconds.

Mary looked up and saw the double doors open. The Queen entered on Phillip’s arm and he led her to the podium. The room stilled and the Queen, with a troubled demeanor, said “At 7:08 this morning forces of the Chinese Dark Lady Xi Shi launched a massive unprovoked surprise attack on Godric’s Hollow.

“The Dark Lady’s forces were engaged by first the Duke’s Own Guards Regiment of Infantry and then the remainder of the Duke’s Own Guards Magical Division.

“While this attack was ongoing, a second massive unprovoked surprise attack was launched by the Dark Lady on Potter Castle itself at 07:56.

“This second attack was engaged by the Duchesses Potter. By 08:26 both attacking forces had been defeated by the Guards Magical Division and His Highness Duke Potter in Godric’s Hollow and by the Duchesses Potter and His Highness Duke Potter in Potter Castle.

“In consideration of this unprovoked and dastardly attack a state of war has existed between Magical Briton and Magical China since this morning at 07:08. I have instructed the Magical and Mundane forces of Briton to secure the Realm and prepare to defeat Magical China by force of arms. God send the right.”

Elizabeth took Phillip’s arm and he escorted her out of the public sitting room in a vast silence broken only by the whirring of the MTV (Magical Television) cameras. When the double doors closed behind her the room exploded in noise.

Mary resisted the urge to put her head in her hands.

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Potter Castle
Mews
Wednesday
17 Sept 1997
17:30

“Harry, go. I’ll stay with Roswitha.”

“Actually, Nym, I’ll stay. You need to be seen too.”

“Are you sure, Melissa?”

“Yes, Nym, but no funny business from any of you. Just sit there for once and watch the games. Harry, get Nym out of there at the first sign of trouble and all of you back here and in bed ten minutes after the last game.”

Harry stood and the mates helped Nym up. Harry changed to his human form and after several Scourgifies and clothing charms they faded to the Ducal box.

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Royal Academy
Sports Ground
Wednesday
17 Sept 1997
17:32

Percival had moved to the booth, as did Glenda and the rest of the journalists. They didn’t normally cover the PeeWees live, but the box just felt normal. Normal was good right now after the Queen’s stunning announcement.

As they sat looking out over the venues Glenda suddenly eeeped and ran to her booth. Bruce ran with her and then, after looking out, dove into the engineer’s booth and the mikes came hot and the on-air light went on.

Percy dove for the microphone. “We interrupt your normal program to bring you coverage from the Royal Academy sports ground. The Duke and Duchesses have arrived for the games and received a standing ovation. And the crowd gets a bow and curtsy from our Highnesses. There we have it, ladies and gentlemen, the pride of the Magical Empire alive, well, and from the look on the Duke’s face, highly displeased. I wouldn’t want to be a certain Dark Lady right now. And the athletes are on the field, gentle beings, and the Duke has released the first balls of the season on center pitch and we’re off on another grand season of Quidditch and it’s Warg vs. Badger on center pitch….”

Glenda meanwhile had pulled her microphone close and was giving a running commentary on every Duchess as she looked through her bizarre looking specially made 25x100 omnioculars on their little tripod.

Bruce sat back and smiled. It was good to work with professionals.

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Potter Castle
Operations Theater
Wednesday
17 Sept 1997
17:40

Elizabeth smiled as she heard Phillip’s little transistor WWN set and Percival Gribbs came on. Amelia Bones approached her and held out another little transistor set from which Glenda was breathlessly describing apparently every Duchess, and Harry, in detail. Suddenly Glenda broke that off and announced the arrival of the Potter children as the roar of the crowd nearly drowned her out and caused Percival to pause and then announce the same thing on WWN 2.

“Marshal Plotempkin.”

“Tsarina?”

“The realm entire and most of the free world will be attempting to get into the sports ground in a few moments. Please advise the appropriate units we expect very firm but very fair treatment of civilians. However, we will brook no nonsense and they will confine themselves to the sports ground.”

Sergei bowed. A good, stern Russian face over top of an assault rifle would be just the thing. He grinned at Elizabeth. “Of course, Tsarina.”

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Royal Academy
Sports Ground
Wednesday
17 Sept 1997
17:52

The people spilling from the Floos and appearing at the Apparation points found themselves facing a wall of troops wearing the Potter Arms on their Russian field uniform sleeves and directing them to the gate of the sports ground. People attempting to break the line to see where the battle had happened were very firmly rebuffed and a Veela or Goblin squad would soon appear. They were completely humorless.

The stalls on the Promenade were open, though, and soon enough the crowd wandered in to watch the Duke and Duchesses watch the games and events. It was a very reassuring thing having him sit there, and while not smiling he was apparently calm.

Elizabeth joined Harry and the bonded in the Ducal box as was her custom. “Very nice job, Harry, that’s settled the people very nicely. Nym, dear, are you all right?”

“Yes, ma’am, just tired.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Phssst, both of you stop that. Harry dear, I saw the note you sent to Marshal Inge. He’s up in the Operations Theater beavering away with the staff and combatant commanders. Amanda, your father is up there with him. Harry, that was very short notice though, ninety-six hours?”

Harry turned to Elizabeth. “If it weren’t for her involving the Guard already, Elizabeth, I’d just go myself. They deserve a chance to be there. Most of them will be healed enough by then and the ones that aren’t, well, they won’t be healed for months.”

Elizabeth nodded. “I know, dear, and I’m so very sorry for the Regiment’s loss. I prepared Corporal Wesson, Private Clew, and Private Chudri for burial and put them in stasis. You might want to check my work, as I have seldom used that charm. The Guards Division is providing the Honor Guard and interior and exterior security of the Castle.”

“Major General Sir Iain Mackay-Dick has gathered the memories of those who witnessed SSG Lombard’s and SSG Barlow’s squads’ action and have recommended them for the Victoria Cross; he’s pushing hard and will no doubt have them soon. He has also recommended all the Duchesses and you, Harry.”

Elizabeth watched Harry’s jaw clench. “Stop that. You all fought off somewhere near a million attackers. You lost three troops. You could have easily lost them all and they were glad to make the sacrifice. Honor them. And then go finish this.”

Harry sat blank faced a moment and then smiled the most evil smile Elizabeth had ever seen. It soon spread to the bonded and Elizabeth shuddered. Xi Shi was going to be doing some very serious suffering, to judge by the looks on those faces.

Elizabeth let him go a moment. “Harry, the funeral will be when?”

At that moment Augusta and Griselda entered the box and approached the Queen, Harry, and Nym. Augusta nodded and said, “Harry, my vassals have asked me where they may pay their respects to the members of the Regiment killed in action.”

Harry never even considered moving Corporal Wesson, Private Clew, and Private Chudri. “The entry hall, Madam Longbottom. I’ll set transport Arms on the Promenade.”

Harry faded away and Andrew moved and sat next to Nym—Harry had been supporting her with his shoulder—while Sarah did the same on her other side.

Griselda narrowed her eyes. “Nym, you should be in bed.”

Nym nodded. “Soon, Madam Marchbanks.”

Harry faded back into view and Andrew moved back to his seat beside Sarah. Harry sat and Nym snuggled into him. “The Stones are set, ladies. There are signs posted and Rita will tell the Media.”

Augusta nodded. “Thank you, Harry. We’ll pass the word to the magical peers.”

“Thank you, Lady Longbottom.”

As they walked away the mates clearly heard Augusta. “Where does this Xi Shi live?”

“China, Griselda, why?”

“I may go kill the bitch myself!”

They smiled their evil smile. Xi Shi wasn’t going to die. That would be too easy for her.

“Goddamnit. Geoffrey!”

Geoffrey popped in with Carolyn Jessup, Coporal Wesson’s intent-bonded. She was in a sorry state. Harry took her in his arms and sat back down. “The House Potter welcomes our new ward, Carolyn Jessup Wesson.”

The light that flared from Harry and the bonded and was absorbed by Carolyn stopped all motion in the sports ground for a moment and Carolyn relaxed into unconsciousness. Those in the Ducal box and surrounding areas clearly saw the shade appear. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

Harry looked at William “Bill” Wesson with tear-filled eyes. “I’m so sorry, Corporal. I tried to get there, I really did.”

“And took a huge risk leaving the Duchesses alone, begging Your Grace’s pardon. Don’t do that again. We took the shilling, sir we knew the risk. We took a lot of the bastards with us, Tim Bhupta and me. You would’ve been proud of us, sir; we were stacking ’em up like cordwood but there were just too many. Tell SSG Lombard and the squaddies we’re fine, sir—well, now that you’ve got me Carrie. We’ll see you, sir, someday in a few thousand years. You and Carrie name a boy after Tim and Bhupta and have lots and lots of kids. She’s a good lass, my Carrie.” Bill Wesson’s shade turned to Elizabeth. “Thank you, ma’am, for seeing to our bodies. You didn’t have to do that.”

Elizabeth nodded “It was the least I could do. You and your soldiers honored us beyond measure.” The shade faded away and the Potter Clan faded away soon after. They left not a dry eye in the house. This time Glenda was really crying. Bruce had to put on several commercials in a row before his on-air talent could get collected enough to continue. Even then, it was a rough night on the WWN.

It was an even tougher night in the entry hall as Harry stood frozen at the head of the bier with Carolyn Jessup Wesson Potter cradled to his chest; he radiated regret and pain at such high levels that it was detectable by the least empathic beings in the wizarding world.

Oddly, Carolyn snapped out of their conjoined misery first and toward morning she made Harry put her down and led him to the Ducal apartment using knowledge from the bond. Then she undressed him and pushed him into bed with Nym. As she turned to leave she found herself stripped, covered in a modest nightgown, and dragged into bed between Nym and Harry. Being exhausted, she just went to sleep.

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Potter Castle
Master Bath
Thursday
18 Sept 1997
06:00

Nym was using Harry’s favorite recovery method and floating in the nearly body temperature tub with a Bubble-Head charm on. Hestia was watching her and just floating with her partner. “Tia, we’ll be all right?”

“Yes, Nym. Harry is very hurt but he loves us and he’ll be fine. As long as he’s okay, we’ll be okay.”

“I thought he was just going to take off and kill her yesterday, Tia.”

“I did too, Nym.”

“Why didn’t he?”

Hestia looked at Nym and raised a brow. “I thought we didn’t want him to, Nym.”

“Well, yes, but before that hasn’t mattered to him. He gets the bit between his teeth and just goes ahead.”

Hestia thought a moment. “You and Roswitha were both down. The mates were all injured, lightly but still injured. We’ve never had those conditions before.”

“Tia, did we do the right thing? I mean him taking off and cleaning up those in the Hollow.”

“I think so, Nym. We would have lost Barlow’s whole squad and maybe Lombard and his squad too if Harry hadn’t gone. Why?”

“Well, you heard Corporal Wesson. He was very upset about that.”

Hestia laughed “Not to be rude to Corporal Wesson, Nym, but he didn’t exactly have the whole picture. We would have lost eighteen troopers if Harry hadn’t gone. As it was it was a miracle we only lost three. I still don’t know how that happened.”

“Those Chinese wizards were working in groups and overloading the stones on a trooper, then one of the group would send a Killing Curse. The stones have a hard time with those anyway. It was a great tactic on their part and it speaks well of the Regiment that they didn’t panic and fought back in their fire teams as they’re trained.

“I looked at the remainder of SSGs Barlow and Lombard troops’ equipment last night with Emmeline while you were sleeping. Every one of those sets of armor took multiple hits. Some took Killing Curses but only the three most exposed were overwhelmed. Marietta and the technomancers are looking at them.

“The stones weren’t damaged except for Corporal Wesson, Private Clew, and Private Chudri’s; they failed or were burnt out. The Runes department and curse breakers already have the mission of improving them.”

Nym nodded and breast-stroked to Hestia lazily. She folded Hestia in a hug, more like a snuggle. Hestia slapped her very shapely bottom. “Dyke.”

Nym spent a few minutes proving her right. Then pulled away. “Nuh-uhh.”

“Oh hell, no, Nym. Finish what you started.”

“You mean you?”

“Grrrrr.”

“Oh my, such a scary girl. I don’t know if I want to mmph.”

Hestia wasn’t waiting any more; she tackled Nym in the tub.

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Potter Castle
Operations Theater
Thursday
18 Sept 1997
06:00

Tony Inge came in and sat. His batman appeared with the morning’s second pot of that bizarre Darjeeling Earl Gray he had addicted Tony to as a young major. The man could mash a cuppa, though. It was, as always, perfect.

Marshal Plotempkin sniffed and came over. He looked at the well used 1960 issue field tea service, aluminum, officers, and beamed when Tony waved for him to sit. Tony’s batman poured for the Russian Marshal and stood waiting. He received his reward in the long sigh Marshal Plotempkin released and smiled.

Marshal Plotempkin looked at him. “Tell me, comrade Sergeant, have you ever considered service in the Tsarina’s glorious Guards Tank Army?”

“Oh, I say, Sergei, no poaching.”

Sergei laughed. “Who’s poaching? I thought you might perhaps be considering retirement, and there is always a place in the Tsarina’s service for a good man with a pot.”

He got a glare from Tony and chuckled. “So Marshal, our children have been exhausting themselves all night as is their wont. Shall we have a preview before His Highness awakens?”

Tony Nodded and looked at his watch. “Yes, Marshal, they should be underway with the rehearsal any moment.”

As Tony finished speaking, Chief of Staff for Operations General Sir Reginald Fontain stepped to the podium and a hush fell over the Theater.

Reginald cleared his throat and began, “Good morning, Your Highness, Duchesses Potter, Your Majesty, and fellow officers. We will present the intelligence overview first followed by the Foreign Office’s assessment and current status and then outline the broad plan.”

“Yunnan (Beautiful Clouds in the South) Province is the most southwest region of China bordering the countries of Vietnam, Laos, and Burma. Yunnan Province borders Guizhou Province and Guangxi Zhang Autonomous Region to the east, Chongqing and Sichuan to the north, and Tibet Autonomous Region to the northwest. Yunnan encompasses 394,000 square kilometers (152,084 square miles) and has a population of more than forty-two million people.
“Within these borders, Yunnan has a diverse topography that ranges from alpine mountain ranges to tropical rainforests as well as an incredible array of animals, including the Asian elephant and the protected Yunnan golden monkey. There is even a rainforest in the area known as Xishuangbanna.
“Kunming serves as the provincial center of Yunnan. It is situated at the high plateau of the eastern part of Yunnan Province with a population of 1.3 million.”
As he talked the screen behind him started at a view of China, Mongolia, and Russia including Chita and slowly zoomed in to first Yunnan province and then Kunming city. It split and displayed his text and the other side zoomed further. “Xi Shi’s hold is in a fidelius protected area of Daguan Park, located in the southwestern suburb of Kunming city. Daguan Park appears as a picturesque lakeside park.

“In the 35th year of Emperor Kangxi (1696), Wang Jiwen, governor of Yunnan, carried out a large scale construction of a two-storied pavilion. Ponds were dug and an embankment was constructed. With a good view of the waters and hills in the distance, and the sailing boats and trees in mist, the pavilion was titled Daguan (Grand View) pavilion.

“In later years the Daguan pavilion was twice reduced to ruins by warfare and flood. In the ninth year of Emperor Guangxu (1883), Chen Yuying, governor of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, ordered the Buddhist monk Xingtian to take charge of the renovation of the pavilion, and the pavilion has remained intact ever since. A large area of the park and the structures other than the pavilion miraculously disappeared at this time and are not mentioned again. I will be followed by Mr Cook from the Foreign Office.”

Robin Cook stepped to the microphone and all the military in the room stopped and paid close attention. “Highness, Majesty. The, errr, Mundane Chinese government disavows all knowledge of both the Dark Lady Xi Shi and magic.”

The military in the room groaned as that meant a non-permissive environment. Millions could die.

Robin Cook smiled and continued. “However, in the spirit of international cooperation the Chinese have begun evacuating civilians from an exercise area in Yunnan province and are preparing to conduct their first joint exercise with the 4th Guards Tank Army.

“I suspect Field Marshal Inge will want to learn Russian as we have been assured that will be the language for the exercise. I have passed the approved travel corridors and exercise area boundaries to the Intelligence Chief for his review. I will be followed by him.”

The military sat stunned; this was unprecedented. They did not know how unprecedented yet. The maps Robin had passed to General Sir John Foley were maps of China with not a mark on them.

Robin stopped and added, “Oh, the Chinese were adamant that anyone who interfered with the exercise was to be arrested and prosecuted by the 4th Guards Tank Army at its home station in Chita. We believe the Chinese are seeking a solution to an ongoing problem, that problem being the Dark Lady and her closeted magical empire.”

Marshal Plotempkin laughed. “The Chinese are always looking for a way to save face. This little farce will provide that.” He shrugged eloquently.

Tony Inge spluttered, “Yes, that’s fine for you, Sergei, but how am I supposed to learn Russian in a day?”

Sergei looked at him. “I’m sure His Highness will be able to help you with your lessons, Tony.”

General Sir Jon replaced Robin at the podium and a map of China appeared on both sides of the split screen, an unmarked map. “On your right is the map provided by the Chinese government identifying the routes of travel permissible to 4th Tank Army and on your left is the permissible exercise area.”

He let that sink in for a moment and then the right screen changed to include army corps routes in their classic broad arrows. “We have done the IPB and are confident that we have kept the axis of advance both on good terrain and within the limits of the permissible routes.” John smiled.

The left screen changed to a 1 over 100,000 UTM Military Grid map heavily marked with RPs (release points), BPs (Battle Positions) both defensive and support by fire, and intermediate and final objective eggs. As John outlined the IBP the left map further zoomed onto the penultimate objective egg, Xi Shi’s Hold.

“We have made an interesting discovery thanks to our American counterparts and Duchess Hermione. A member of the Guards Magical Division can see more on satellite imagery than we can. During our IBP Duchess Hermione has used the American KH 12 and 13 data to develop the map of Xi Shi’s hold you see here by the simple expedient of tracing it onto a piece of acetate. Due to the facilities of the devices used to obtain the data we have been able to get an image of each level of Xi Shi’s hold down to the second subsurface level.

“Unfortunately we have not been able to get an idea of what forces may be arrayed in these facilities, but we do have very good data on the facilities themselves and confidence in these data are very high.”

As he talked, the left hand screen had continued to zoom through each level of Xi Shi’s hold and the surrounding grounds.

“Our current estimates are that this Hold could support up to one hundred thousand troops. We believe Xi Shi lost slightly over one million troops in her assault on Godric’s Hollow and Potter Castle.

“Estimates of her initial troop strength are based on population data derived from known magical/Mundane demographical data and put her maximum possible strength at 1,236,300. That being the case and using again demographical data from the west we believe her current possible strength to be close to one hundred thousand magical troops.

“The Honorable Mr. Cook has, through his negotiations, reported that outside of official policy the Mundane Chinese government is very aware of magic and the magical world and considers it to be a problem. This is apparently due to Xi Shi’s long reign as the Dark Lady beginning circa 1945 and her, errr, penchant for killing large numbers of government personnel including armed forces troops, who she perceives to be a hindrance to her reign of magical China.

“The Order of the Phoenix have shifted their operations to China and have been able to confirm much of this data, and again confidence is very high. We are currently working on tactical intelligence gathering in support of the impending operation and will report developments as they can be verified. I will be followed by Chief of Staff for Operations General Sir Reginald Fontain, who will outline the broad plan.”

Reginald stepped to the podium. “Currently we envision an operation in seven major phases: develop, deploy, envelop, assault, withdrawal, and reset, followed by release of allied troops to their NCAs.

“In order to keep to the Duke’s schedule we will deploy the reconnaissance elements using magical means at 17:00 today to begin developing the situation. The appropriate units have been notified and are currently working with their assigned Guards Goblin Regiment engineers.

“As those elements conduct reconnaissance in China we will move the main body of troops to ISBs (Intermediate Staging Bases) in Chita Oblast using magical means.

“Based on the reconnaissance we will refine targets and deploy the lead elements of the—errr—4th Guards Tank Army (+) on the twenty-first at 17:00 and envelop Xi Shi’s forces. The envelopment will be complete by 17:00 on the twenty-first and we will immediately assault the identified forces and locations. Upon completion of the capture of the enemy forces we will withdraw to Chita and Godric’s Hollow and then reset the forces involved and release them to their NCA.

“Subject to your questions, this concludes the briefing.”

The two Marshals sat in contemplation a moment and then Tony turned to Sergei. “Thoughts, Marshal?”

Sergei nodded. “It is very thin on real tactical intelligence, but the reconnaissance effort should cure that.”

“Given the Chinese abdication of sovereignty of their magical world I think there is opportunity here to expand the Realm to the benefit of both peoples, the citizens of the realm and the magical citizens of China.

“If this Ming Na Wen is really who she’s reported to be, then the Duke could take her to wife and he would then have himself holding the original Briton, Rowena/Hermione/Nym holding Europe and European Russia, and Roxanne/Susan/Anastasia holding Asian Russia and I suspect Mongolia and northern China if the stones’ zones of influence are comparable.”

Tony Inge nodded. “Leaving us Lilith and an unknown number of stones still as unknowns. It is a workable plan militarily, Prime Minister.”

Tony Blair blinked and John Major chuckled. “Welcome to the world of National Command Authority, Mr. Prime Minister.”

The shadow cabinet laughed while the new labor cabinet wrestled with the idea. Finally Tony Blair sighed. “I’LL recommend it to Her Majesty and His Highness on the strength of the Marshal’s endorsements. I will attach Marshal Plotempkin’s comments referencing Magical China.”

Tony Inge nodded. “Okay, Reggie, take an hour to refine and then take it again from the top.”

Reggie Fontain smiled; that had gone much better than expected. He had expected to be castigated publicly over the lack of detail. Saying this plan lacked detail was like saying the Titanic had a small leak. Okay, so let’s go, Reggie. you have an hour to beat the staff into fleshing it out.

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Potter Castle
Entry Hall
Thursday
18 Sept 1997
09:00

Harry stood rooted again, head bowed as the citizens of the magical Realm passed in a silent respectful line behind him. He was thinking about what he was about to do. In a few hours he would send other young men and women into what would surely be harm’s way. He desperately cast about for a method to not do it.

Since eight o’clock that morning when he had awoken after a troubled sleep Harry had been standing there. He had at first tried to feel for Xi Shi but she had put up some kind of ward he could not penetrate from this distance. Next he tried feeling along Bao’s Mark connection but Xi Shi severed it. Harry had howled in frustration, shaking the Castle and terrifying those in line.

Now he just stood turning it over in his mind. He could either let Xi Shi go or physically go there and stop her. He and the bonded couldn’t fight two hundred or so thousand wizards by themselves. So the only course left was the conquest of magical China.

Should he wait? Xi Shi knew he was coming now, so if he waited she might drop her guard; but meanwhile she might mount another attack. They really had no clear idea of the number of magical beings in China nor how many were on her side.

Carolyn entered the hall and the line parted respectfully for her. She moved to Harry’s right side. “Nothing for it, Your Grace. She started it, you need to finish it before we have more of this. What if she had attacked Diagon Alley or one of the other magical centers?”

Harry just nodded and folded Carolyn into his arms.

She waited a few moments and then led him away.

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Potter Castle
Roof Garden
Thursday
18 Sept 1997
10:00

Nym faded in and smiled at Harry’s hammock. She walked to it, pulled one side down, and crawled in, sandwiching Carolyn between herself and Harry. “How are we?”

Carolyn answered. “Better, Your Grace.”

Nym chuckled. “Carolyn, I think you can call us by our given names, or Nym in my case, please.”

“I wouldn’t dream of being so forward, Your Grace.”

Nym smirked. “Well, all right, dear, but it’s hard on your throat screaming his whole title.”

“Nym!”

“Oh Harry, hush. We all know you have to bond her. Sure, the ward thing will hold for a while but soon you’ll have to bond her. She knows it and Bill knew it. The mates have done some talking to their troops this morning and they suspected it, and they find it comforting to know you’ll save their wives and families.”

Carolyn nodded. “it’s come up in the Potter’s Field and I know the newly bonded were hopeful. We discussed it several times. It’s a comfort to the husbands, or at least they say it is.”

“Well, I have no intention of mmmmph.”

“Yep, that’s the best way to shut him up, Carolyn. Just keep doing that every time something stupid pops out and you’ll have him soon enough.”

“Mnn!”

“Shh, Harry, it’s not polite to talk with your mouth full. Now you two go about your business but try to be quiet. I want a nap and the kids are outside in the roof garden. Harry, we have a briefing at noon.”

“Nymmmph! Carlymmph!”

Nym chuckled as Carolyn subdued her future mate, and as the wrestling slowed she closed her eyes and drifted into a light sleep.

Outside the hammock Amelia Fastida looked at Bellatrix and Allison. “Well, what do you think?”

Allison raised a brow and leaned back on her elbows in the soft grass watching the lumps move around in the hammock. “A week probably, certainly not until after the funeral.”

Bella nodded. “That could be a problem with a fully bonded witch. He’d have to take her almost immediately.”

Amelia frowned. “One bridge at a time, I think. If we can get him over this one the troops’ reaction should help if there’s ever another.”

Allison nodded. “There’s almost sure to be another, Amelia.”

Amelia shook her head. “Not if Marietta has her way. She’s adding that energy absorbing rune to the armor and on test it held off a hundred mates and Ginny casting a Killing Curse this morning.”

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Kunming, China
Xi Shi’s Hold
Thursday
18 Sept 1997
18:00

He was mad, very mad. He had very nearly gotten through her Occlumency barriers from his Hold. Then that attack on the Mark had very nearly gotten in too. He must have some alive, then. Why would he keep them alive? Ah, the Mark. He was using it in other ways. So he could identify her slaves with it and he could follow it back to her. Hmmm, fine, sever her connection to it and command the remaining troops the old-fashioned way. First she needed the trigger-enabled poison in their children or spouses. “XUAN!”

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Potter Castle
Roof Garden
Thursday
18 Sept 1997
11:00

“Sarah, what the hell is wrong with that hammock?”

“Nothing, Andrew, it’s just Nym, Carolyn, and Harry getting used to each other.”

“He all right, then?”

“He’s better, Andrew. I don’t think he’ll ever be all right about it.”

Andrew nodded. He had served in the Falklands and seen units chopped up by losses. It changed their commanders sometimes out of all recognition. Losing men under your command was a lot of what officer training was about, but it never prepared you for the reality of self doubt and recrimination that successful, well educated, and prepared commanders experienced at each loss. He wondered how Harry was dealing with it, considering his lack of formal education in the military sciences.

Sarah looked at Andrew and smiled gently. “Your twin will be fine, Andrew. He’s educated himself more thoroughly than most general officers and by extension he’s educated the bonded. We’re a very professional bunch now.”

Andrew smiled back. “Doesn’t take the hurt away.” He pulled Sarah to him and they were puppy-piled. They spent the next few minutes wrestling Harry and Warg Sarah’s pups into submission before Eugenie and Beatrice appeared in their Wargs and took over the battle.

Elizabeth arrived to eleven snarling, tussling Wargs and Sarah, Andrew, Amelia Fastida, Allison and Bellatrix laughing as they watched the battle.

She smiled and stood silently surveying the scene until Nym’s head popped out of the hammock, which continued its lumpy writhing as Nym’s bright pink hair blew wildly about her head. “I was napping!”

Nym should have stayed quiet. As it was she attracted the puppies’ attention and they came galumphing over on their giant paws and immediately attacked the hammock, eliciting hoarse bellows and high pitched squeals.

As Elizabeth stifled her laughter and Phillip stood eyeing the hammock with a mirthful expression, the abused hammock finally gave up the ghost and the cotton drill split along the bias and dumped Harry on the ground, Carolyn face-down astride him, and Nym was deposited serenely sitting Indian fashion on Carolyn’s rump. This lasted about a shocked second before Miriam, the Alpha Warg pup, sensing advantage, launched the attack.

In the bellowing, barking melee that ensued a lot of tension was released. The Potter mates transported in on by one and joined in in their Wargs or just by diving into the writhing pile as Ginny did.

Nym’s pink-haired head rose out of the pile and she waved in Elizabeth and Phillip’s direction. Elizabeth waved back and then turned and sat in the loveseat that had appeared behind her. She pulled Phillip down and sat watching and holding his hand as Harry and Andrew were slowly but surely overcome by the combined efforts of mates and children. It would be one of her most cherished memories.

Finally all of them were overheated and panting, just lying on what had been a very neat lawn and Elizabeth sighed. “Harry, the Prime Minister and Chief of the Defense staff are prepared to brief at noon.”

Harry waved an arm tiredly to show he’d got it and Geoffrey popped in with a few elves and lots of picnic baskets. Rose and Tulip followed with the babies and youngest Potters, and a very homey picnic lunch on the ground of the roof garden went a long way toward restoring Harry and the mates.

The pups, of course, had already recovered and were now paddling around the pond despite their mother’s stern looks. Geoffrey laid out nine steaks on platters and the pups leapt from the pond and shook, spraying water everywhere. Geoffrey, having already had this experience at the lake, had laid the pups’ lunch far from their parents.

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Godric’s Hollow
7th Army Training Area
Thursday
18 Sept 1997
11:32

SFC Jones resisted the urge to scream imprecations about Lt Kern’s parents in his face and instead ground his teeth together. “Sir, why is it that you’ve held your platoon up short of the crossing this time?”

Kern’s platoon was supposed to drive onto the stone slab and then assault straight ahead when they arrived on the other side. If they received no resistance they were supposed to drive three klicks (kilometers) and then go into a hasty defense while the rest of the armor battalion transported across the slabs and took up an Israeli lager before moving out to their first in a series of ten objectives.

They were using real slabs for this exercise but the crews were walking through the exercise without their vehicles, which were still in their motor pools in Germany, thoroughly confusing the Mundane media who were watching the motor pool gates like hawks but seeing less and less movement as the troops transported to the Hollow using the stones the Goblins had set in their maintenance bays behind the closed shop doors.

Lt Kern looked at SFC Jones. “I have to report LD (Line of Departure), Sergeant.” SFC Jones’s head turned an ugly red color and the vein in the center of his forehead started throbbing. Just as he opened his mouth LTC Jackson, Commander of Kern’s battalion, walked up, grabbed Kern by the arm, and walked him across the event horizon of the slab. They appeared two hundred meters away, where LTC Jackson had a little heart to heart with Lt Kern. They came back and a white-faced Kern immediately moved his platoon through the event horizon of the slab. SFC Jones smiled and trotted after them.

LTC Jackson glared at the next platoon leader and soon the 13th Tank was running at the transport slab as fast as their tanker legs would carry them. They didn’t call the old man Action Jackson for nothing, after all.

CSM word ran by in between Charlie and Delta Companies leading the Battalion TOC (Tactical Operations Center) and LTC Jackson fell in with them and disappeared over the event horizon of the slab.

The Hollow had already been laid out with white tape marking avenues of approach and white paper signs marking TRPs, Phase lines, and Objectives. It was a ten-mile-long, nine-mile-wide sand table with an American and Russian army group conducting a rock drill and their senior commanders watching on the screens in the Operations Theater.

Sergei looked at Tony. “Well, that’s the Americans moving finally.”

Tony nodded and looked at his watch and then at General Eric Shinseki. Eric looked calmly back at him. “It’s their first exposure to this type of transportation. I suspect you won’t find them hesitant on the next rehearsal.” His words proved prophetic.

The Americans, in their normal fashion, were soon inventing new and novel ways to use the slabs, such as using an observer with a satellite phone to shoot tank main gun rounds through the event horizon in volley, effectively clearing the exit point and the four thousand meters in front of it unless the rounds ran into a hill or several reinforced concrete buildings.

Eric turned back to the screen and asked, “So reconnaissance begins at 17:00 tonight, main body deploys at 17:00 GMT on the twentieth, and combat operations are complete by 17:00 on the twenty-first?”

Tony nodded and Eric commented, “Ambitious.”

Tony smiled. “The Duke will change if something undoable pops up. Those are just guides for now.”

Eric nodded and continued watching and writing notes. Lieutenant General John M “Jack” Keane, Commander, 18th Airborne Corp sat watching silently. His Corps would deploy tonight and encircle the southern portion of the target while the Russians encircled the northern half. Then they would seal the AOR (Area Of Operations) and start reconnaissance. Operations on this scale had not been conducted since the Second World War. Too bad the whole operation was completely blacked out.

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Potter Castle
Operations Theater
Thursday
18 Sept 1997
11:58

Harry and the mates faded into the Theater and moved silently to seats. At Tony Inge’s nod General Sir Reginald Fontain began the refined briefing.

Harry listened through it and then nodded. “We’ll send the air companies of the Regiment through along with the owls. Please tell your men not to engage witches on brooms or owls, gentlemen.”

Harry raised Nym and led the bonded from the Theater. On the way out he stopped and Tamara Frank Potter and Kyla Fry Potter turned back into the Theater and approached Tony Inge. Tamara spoke. “We’re the on duty Divisional Staff, Field Marshal. You may relay request and suggestions through us.”

Tony nodded and then turned and explained to Eric and Jack as the mates found seats and watched the screens and the staffs.

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Godric’s Hollow
7th Army Training Area
Thursday
18 Sept 1997
16:58

Harry and the mates stood on a knoll overlooking a field of granite slabs. Harry watched tensely as first dismounted troops went through and then after satellite communications were established the mounted troops pushed through their assigned slab.

“Cho, Katie, be careful.”

They rolled their eyes and did a little two-woman chorus. “Yes, Harry. Love you too.”

Harry smiled. “Hedwig, you and the kids too.”

“Yes, Harry mine.”

Harry watched them fly through a now-empty slab and then he and the mates faded away to the Castle and the Operations Theater.

In the AOR the units began settling in and deploying their LP/Ops (Listening Post/Observation Post) and the data began flowing back to Army HQ.

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Potter Castle
Operations Theater
Thursday
18 Sept 1997
17:30

The Technomancers under Ann, Teani, and Sophie had installed two additional large screens on either side of the center screen in the now hugely expanded and rigidly stratified Theater.

Harry, his mates, and the Royals occupied the first three rows. The British Defense Staff occupied the row behind them with the combatant commanders down to Division level or their liaisons in the center behind Harry and the Primaries followed by the Russian and American staff in blocks left and right in front of their screens, and the British government filling in all but the last row. The press corps, now under oath not to reveal anything without Duchess Rita’s approval, occupied the last row.

The center screen was again set up in Harry’s Division situation and orders screen and Tamara and Kyla were in the battle captains seats in front of the front row and slightly elevated.

As Hedwig and the owlets orbited along with Katie and Cho’s air troops, the AOR grew red (Russian), green (US), blue (British), Potter Tartan (Magical Division). and black (enemy or unclassified) standard military symbols which then started crawling over the maps. Subordinate battle captains started coming to stand behind Tamara and Kyla, whispering first to them and then into their headsets. Teanni and Sophia approached the group and soon the screens on either side which were resolves of the main just at an American or Russian AOR specific level grew the animated symbols. The battle captains stayed firmly planted behind Tamara and Kyla.

Sergei watched for a moment and then laughed. “And so the professionals learn another lesson. Watch your generals, gentlemen, or Harry will have them all in his pocket.”

“Sergei!”

“Your pardon, Tsarina.”

Anastasia shook her head and turned back to the screen.

Harry had dropped into his trance and was thousands of miles away.

“Morgana!” Glenda dug in her bag and switched her 25x100 omnioculars for a pair of 7x50s.

Percival chuckled. “What’s wrong, Glenda, too much magnification?”

Glenda nodded without taking her eyes off the omnioculars on their tripod. “Yes, no need to remind myself how perfect they are every time I look at one. Their pores are even arranged in pleasing ways.”

Percival laughed and continued his running commentary into a microphone.

His, like the MTV reporter’s feeds, were going to one of Rita’s associate Duchesses who was monitoring it for OPSEC (Operational Security) purposes before release, but the oaths kept them from mentioning unit names or numbers and the map displayed pixillated operational data, only allowing a blur of color through. This was probably unnecessary as the 1st Mage Technomancer assets had deployed with the lead elements and were blocking all enemy electronic and magical communications.

The American MTV reporters had whined about the delay but Duchess Dan (Hong’s Beta) peering over Rita’s shoulder with that fire coming from her nose stopped that.

Percival looked at Bruce Titterhorn, who was either trying to get laid or learn about magical television production from that American pouf MTV producer. Was there some unwritten law that producers had to be poufs?

The MTV witch was getting along famously with Imelda and had acquired a cameraman with some kind of portable camera and two others who did who knows what with that furry thing on the pole and that huge light and they were all traipsing all over, irritating people endlessly.

Even compared to Imelda this Lisa Cole was brash and forward. If she thought those big teats were going to get her somewhere she was about to be disabused, hopefully very humorously. Of course there was always the chance the Duke would take her. Hmmm, time for a pool then.

Percy looked at Glenda. “Want to start a pool on that Cole witch?”

Glenda raised her head and narrowed her eyes at the witch in question. “Bonded or beaten?”

Percy laughed. “Both?”

Glenda nodded thoughtfully and Narcissa appeared. “No more than a Galleon a square and include the possible changes. The Clan’s in for twenty squares.” She placed a stack of twenty Galleons on the table and faded away.

Glenda put her hand over her heart. “I so wish they wouldn’t do that.”

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Potter Castle
Operations Theater
Thursday
18 Sept 1997
18:30

“Harry, we have to go to the wake.”

Harry raised Nym and the Clan stood and faded away, leaving only Tamara and Kyla in the Theater.

The Queen made to rise and Phillip was there instantly. “Gentlemen, we’ll be at the Potter’s Field.” Phillip escorted her past the bowing or curtsying military and government staffs and out to the transport Arms.

Imelda alone of the reporters followed and Lisa Cole and crew followed her.

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Potter’s Field
Thursday
18 Sept 1997
18:35

Imelda, Lisa, and crew arrived on the Potter’s Field transport Arms and looked into a sea of magical beings.

The wake had been going on for thirty minutes already and the pub had been expanded to the limits of the Goblins’ magic. Every room was packed and the crowd sat in the hugely expanded beer garden too.

Imelda oriented on Harry, who was escorting Carolyn. The Regiment all sported black stripes on their right sleeves now. Lisa took the scene in and then started scribbling text as she watched silently and her crew rolled tape for fill.

Carolyn mounted a low platform on Harry’s arm and he stood on her right with Nym flanking her to the left.

Carolyn swallowed and looked over the crowd. “I want to thank you all for coming.”

Fifty thousand murmured renditions of “Least we could do” roared back at her and she smiled sadly. “Bill, Tim, and Bhupta wouldn’t want you sad and neither do I. They…they were killed in the service of the Realm and our liege and could not have wished for a more honorable way to go, as you squaddies know.”

An almost unified roar of “Too right!” came back.

Carolyn really did smile now, then continued, “I’ve been accepted into the House and will be fine.”

Color Sgt Watson’s voice boomed out, “For which we thank the Duke and Duchesses.”

Followed by a truly unified chorus of “Too right!” boomed in response.

Carolyn continued, “So we’ll always and forevermore raise a glass to our—” here she raised a glass of Highland Park single malt Harry handed her and the crowd followed— “absent comrades.”

The crowd repeated, “Absent comrades, gone but never forgotten,” and they all emptied their glasses of whatever they held.

Harry looked out over the crowd. “Two Drinks and Sally Ann?”

“Sir?”

“The Duke’s buying.”

Color Sgt Watson answered for them all. “We thank His Highness.”

Harry got the “Too right!” and smiled.

Lisa Cole set up for her intro and exit piece and managed not to cry until after the intro. She would have to wait to do her voiceover, though.

Her crew kept rolling for fill and caught an exchange between Harry and a delegation of Senior NCOs from the Regiment. Color Sgt Watson was the spokesman. “Sah, the Regiment would like to know where we’re to bury our honored dead.”

Harry smiled grimly. “Where they fell, Sergeants. It is forever the Magical Realm bought with blood.”

The Hollow flared momentarily and the ground shook. Tomorrow when they got to the vale they would find a mirror-polished black granite slab with

IN THIS VALE LIE THE HONORED DEAD OF THE DUKE’S OWN GUARDS DIVISION OF THE FOOT.

DISTURB THE REST OF THESE, HIS, AND MY BELOVED AT YOUR PERIL.

SO MOTE IT IS.

THE MAGICAL REALM OF BRITON

carved deeply into it and three black granite headstones with open graves in front of them and black granite cover slabs with the Potter Arms carved on them.

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Potter Castle
Operations Theater
Friday
19 Sept 1997
16:00

After the pipers led the caskets, surrounded by their Honor Guard of the Grenadier Guard and Coldstreamers, in front of Harry and Nym escorting Carolyn, followed by Sarah, Andrew, and then the rest of the Royals and the Duke’s Own Regiment to the vale accompanied by the slow, mournful skirl of Lochaber No More. Corporal Wesson, Private Clew, and Private Chudri were laid to rest and covered and the pipers led the Duke’s Own away to the rousing Royal Scots March.

Harry sat in the Operations Theater in his trance with the skirl of the pipes firing his blood as the mates went about their business.

The air companies and Hedwig were rotating platoons and owls through tours orbiting the area in which the reconnaissance had located Xi Shi’s forces.

Her messengers had been picked up by the recon elements with increasingly deranged messages demanding that her vassals send troops, and those vassals and messengers were now in the dungeons awaiting interrogation and the opportunity to swear to Harry or try single combat. They universally swore if offered the chance.

The picture was clearing and it appeared that Xi Shi had indeed sent a million-plus magical beings against them, mostly wizards, and mostly first-generation wizards at that.

Harry was furious. Xi Shi’s vassals had had the very entertaining red-hot poker to the brain experience as Harry dug through their minds but the odd subservient attitude their culture forced upon them saved all but the rapists, murderers, and pedophiles. The staffs watched in horror as these were brought before him and some were turned to statues of ash in bursts of intense heat and then Geoffrey or one of the other elves Vanished the ashes.

That the Queen sat watching and nodding grimly in approval at every whump of heat-expanded air was not lost on them; but really, this was a different kind of war.

General Eric Shinseki watched as the data on the Division orders screens updated after every prisoner was brought before Harry and put two and two together. He turned to General Ruth Holt, Commander, 1st Mage Corps, and raised a brow. She nodded and explained, “He’s pulling that information from their minds. That was what the screaming was about before Duchess Bellatrix put up the silencing charm. It appears he immediately and summarily executes rapists, murderers and pedophiles.”

Sergei nodded. “Da, the Chinese would have known this. They get their worst magical criminals cleaned up for free. He swears the others as vassals. Something they either don’t care about or are willing to accept. I suspect he’ll install this Ming Na Wen as the Empress of Magical China and run it as a vassal state as he does with my Tsarina and the magical Rus.”

Eric blinked. “He’s taking us back a thousand years.”

Sergei smiled. “I can arrange for you to argue the point with him, but I would suggest you wait. He’s a little moody today.”

Jack Keane nodded. “Burying troops will do that for you.”

All the generals in the room nodded at this. They turned back to the screen and the mission continued to unfold.

Sir John Foley was puzzled. “Why doesn’t she attempt a break-out? I mean, one would assume she knows she’s encircled by now and with only Light forces. She hasn’t even tested them?”

Duchess Janet Carruthers Potter appeared and answered, “Because Harry is constantly applying pressure to her wards. If she lets them down for a second he’ll be inside them and he’ll have her.”

Ruth goggled. “From fifty-three hundred miles away?”

Eric looked at her. “I take it from your reaction this is difficult?”

Ruth nodded. “Unheard of, even in legend.”

Phillip turned and smiled a vicious kind of a smile. “That’s our little Harry. We’re so proud.”

The room waited for the “Phillip!” remonstrance and took note when it didn’t come. Apparently the Queen was sharing Harry’s mood, from the grim set of her features and the brief predatory smile at each “whump”.

Ruth looked at Janet. “Better, then?”

Janet smiled a brilliant dazzling smile. “You can’t imagine.”

“Oh, yes I can. I’m old, not dead, Janet.” Ruth’s comment drew turned heads and she shrugged.

Before she could speak, Alessandro Caetano Kothenborger steamed into the Operations Theater in high dudgeon and marched straight to Harry. “You can’t call on me when you need help, my lov—lord?”

“Uh-oh!”

“Phillip!”

“Allessandro, how are you?” Harry bent to kiss her knuckles.

Allessandro pouted. “Hurt that you didn’t even think to call me is how I am, Harry. You know the bond isn’t complete. I only felt your pain and anger and now your resolve.”

Harry seated Alessandro on his left in the seat diplomatically vacated by Sarah, and after a moment’s seat shifting and making sure his mates were comfortable he sat and took her hand in his and he, Nym, Sarah, and Allessandro leaned together and shared a murmured conversation.

Eric turned to Ruth. She sighed. “Alessandro Caetano Kothenborger, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards. The Wizarding UN if you will. There have been rumors she was bonded somehow, but Merlin, she’s 158 and should have been well past it.”

Janet grinned impishly. “Harry apparently has interesting effects on witches and she would have been an Alpha or at least a Primary, or perhaps will be. Are you still unbonded, Ruth?”

Ruth Holt squirmed in her seat for a moment. “Yes.”

Janet reached out and took her hand for a moment and then laughed. “Nym and Sarah will want to meet you after we’re done with Xi Shi, Ruth.”

Ruth nodded and sighed. She wondered, briefly, whether giddy with relief is what she was supposed to be feeling at sixty-four years old.

Eric cleared his throat. “Colonel Carruthers, is there anything we should know about the ICW?”

Janet thought a moment. “Alessandro will ensure that Harry’s actions have standing. Not that he needs it, but it will kill the political issues, or most of them. The Arab magical states will oppose us just because they can, as they always have. Other than that she’s unlikely to bring any more of the magical world in to help. The developing magical world is like the developing Mundane world, too inwardly focused to offer much more than verbal support. And some of their leaders are little tin-pot dictators who really don’t want Harry anywhere near them. Harry is the dominant magical power on the planet.” She shrugged. “Other than that, no changes.”

“Not to question you, Your Grace, but Ruth, your estimate of Duke Potter?”

Ruth looked at Eric. “Don’t oppose him. The casualties would be staggering and he would still win. On top of that he now commands a magically augmented Guards Tank Army with heavily technomancer improved equipment. It’s well within the realm of possibility that he could defeat both the magical and Mundane forces of the U.S. in a conventional conflict and I suspect the Mundane U.K. would support him in any type of war he wishes to wage and would certainly reply in kind to any non-conventional attack on him.”

Eric nodded. Ruth had just completely backed up General Ham’s assessment of the U.K.’s burgeoning magical military capabilities. This could be good or bad. Unfortunately that was up to the politicians.

Eric sat staring at Harry and thinking. Suddenly he recognized the prisoner in front of Harry. “Your Highness, I know this man. He’s a retired U.S. Colonel, Jeremy Johnson.”

Harry turned those unnerving, almost glowing green eyes on Eric and waved his free hand. Suddenly they heard, “Jeremy Johnson, Colonel, United States Army Retired. I am not a combatant. I’m a member of the press corps.”

Eric looked at Ted Johnson. “Ted, what the hell are you doing here? This is a closed exercise!”

Ted sighed. “Finally! Hey, Eric! I hopped a ride with 1/46 Infantry and ended up here—well, not here, but out in some field looking at a bunch of Russians digging in. Did you know there’s most of a Tank Army running around out there? I’d been holed up in a nice little hide watching for a couple of days because when I tried to get back 1/46 was surrounded by Russians so I E&E’d.

“Well, this afternoon something happened, and while I was trying to get a look down into the valley these, err, Scots Guards they said they were, picked me up and this little grayish man transported me to some cell. Now I’m here.

“I know it’s crazy sounding but it’s the truth.”

As Eric stood momentarily stunned by the rush of words from his West Point roommate; Harry looked into Ted’s mind and after he got through the wall of terror that was screaming, “April is going to kill me,” he found him to be telling the unvarnished truth.

Rita and Mary Newton walked up. “Harry, give me the Colonel; we can use him.”

Harry blinked and then found Rita’s thought. They needed a tame Mundane reporter to allay fears with a cover story.

“Okay, Rita, you can have him; but be careful, we can’t let him go till after this is over and we’ll have to modify his memory. Oh, and Amanda, we need April Johnson, the Colonel’s wife from Clarksville, Tennessee, in the U.S. They’ll be guests of the House for the duration.”

Rita beamed and she came and took Ted’s arm and dragged him toward the magical media in the back of the room.

Eric sat back with a puzzled look and Tony Inge laughed. “Get used to it, old man. In action he’s even faster.”

Geoffrey popped in with the Household elves and dinner was again served in the Operations Theater.

After dinner Harry sat watching and rocking whichever of his kids were handed to him.

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Potter Castle
Godric’s Hollow
Saturday
20 Sept 1997
16:30

Harry stood watching the units lined up in front of the slabs. The troops were checking their vehicles and weapons. The officers were looking at maps and Op Orders. Senior NCOs were putting on a fine demonstration of nonchalance and napping.

The plan was made. The reccon elements were closing the circle. The cages were already out in the hollow and the Magical Division was armed with roll after roll of peel-and-stick Portkeys that activated five seconds after being slapped on something. The Army would hold the outside of Xi Shi’s hold and provide a deception by mounting but not pressing home an attack in rotating sectors. The Division would all fade, Apparate, or Goblin-fade each platoon into a different room, Stun and clear it, and then use the defended rooms as bases to clear sections of the Castle with the peel-and-stick Portkeys.

Harry was confident the mates could fade their troops in if Xi Shi was distracted for just an instant. Harry and the HQ were going after Xi Shi and her lieutenants over the strenuous objections of both marshals.

Harry had simply told them that that was the way it would be. He knew he couldn’t let her run loose. She had to be captured or killed early or she would kill one or more of the Division. Plus Lilith was issuing instructions often that she not be killed.

“Harry, five minutes.”

“Thanks, Nym. Love you.”

Nym smiled. “Love you too, sweetie!” She stepped in and gave him a kiss as the units came to stand to and reported status.

“Harry, we’re ready. The slabs are shifted.”

“Thank you, Grindaknívur.”

“Harry, no movement.”

“Got it, Katie.”

“Same, Harry.”

“Okay, Cho.”

“Nothing, Harry mine.”

“Thank you, Hedwig.”

“Sydney, Kaitlyn, the Duke’s Own is SP time now and LD in thirty seconds.”

Harry jogged off the knoll and onto the Division HQ’s assigned slab.

Sydney Bucknam Potter and Kaitlyn Babbit Potter nodded and typed into their keyboards and the orders flashed across the bottom of the center screen, causing the American and Russian battle captains to hit Send on their pre-typed orders.

The Tsarina’s Guards Tank Army in the Hollow and Chita and the U.S. 7th Army from the Hollow and their motor pools uncoiled and crossed the SP and the LD right behind it.

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Kunming, China
Xi Shi’s Hold
Sunday
21 Sept 1997
00:30

Chang Li charged into the Mistress’s bedroom and screamed, “They’re coming! Mistress, they’re coming!”

Xi Shi sprang awake and jumped from the bed. She ran to the window and looked out, stunned. As far as she could see there were shapes moving in the darkness. She dropped her shield for a moment and probed.

Thousands, hundreds of thousands of minds.

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Kunming, China
Xi Shi’s Hold
Sunday
21 Sept 1997
00:33

Harry smiled. It was chilling to watch and even more chilling to feel. Xi Shi had made the mistake like Luna said she would. Now the Magical Division was in the Hold.

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Godric’s Hollow
Prisoner Cages
Saturday
20 Sept 1997
17:00

Michelle Woods watched opened-mouthed as prisoners began appearing in a cascade of arriving Portkeys. The prisoners immediately attacked the bars and the mesh between them.

Unfortunately for them, all they did was increase Lilith and the bonded’s strength. The bars and mesh had been cold-rolled from ingots inscribed with the same magic absorbing and charging runes Harry’s restrictors had and that charged the stones and the bond.

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Kunming, China
Xi Shi’s Hold
Sunday
21 Sept 1997
0:32

Xi Shi groaned, near exhaustion. Chang and Xuan Li and the wench were perhaps all that were left. Somehow he had gotten in while she directed the fight outside the Hold—not just him, but his bitches as well.

She looked into the corner where the one bitch lay groaning and smiled an evil smile. The bitch had kept Xi Shi from getting to that cross hall full of troops, but she had taken that putrefying curse full on. Too bad really, it had had that pretty red hair.

Of course, that had been the beginning of the end for her own troops. Suddenly that magnificent black Dragon had appeared and it was insane with fury. Fully half her troops had been killed by it and then suddenly there were insane Dragons everywhere.

She had reached out to touch its mind and withdrew immediately. Its only thought was killing her.

Xi Shi looked around and felt the Hold shake again. One more of those and he would be through.

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Kunming, China
Xi Shi’s Hold
Sunday
21 Sept 1997
01:33

Harry reared his bloody head back and rammed into the wall where he felt Ginny with all his strength. This time it gave. Harry puffed a little fire to clear the dust and found Ginny. He picked her up in gigantic paw and faded away.

Nym and Sarah charged into the huge hole and slapped the three witches up against the walls. Hermione led her squad in and looked at the women. She smiled grimly and put stones on Xi Shi and her two lieutenants. They disappeared, headed for special cells in the Deep Hold.

Susan and her squad rooted through the rubble and found a little blood by the foot of the bed. “If she was here, she’s wherever Harry took Ginny, Nym.”

Nym focused on the bond a moment. “Lilith’s Heart. Ginny is fine now, Na Wen is with them. All right, Harry will be will be back soon, let’s clean out the rest of these and get the Unspeakables in here.”

The mates nodded and went back to work. Nym was proved right as the descending quiet was interrupted by a sonic boom and then the ground shaking at Harry’s impact. His victory roar was shattering and the blue-green arc of flame reached almost a thousand feet.

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Potter Castle
Operations Theater
Saturday
20 Sept 1997
18:30

Tony Inge stood watching the screen in a mixture of pride, awe, and terror. Harry in his dragon was ripping through wizards, buildings, and anything in his path with claws, jaws, and fire. The destruction he left in his wake was total; the very earth burned under his massive tail.

Then he attacked the core of the Hold and ripped it to pieces as the mates changed to their Dragons and finished off whatever wasn’t wearing the tartan, buildings and all. Harry suddenly disappeared and the mates froze for a moment.

The divisional troops were desperately slapping stickers on every Chinese they could find to keep the out-of-control Potter bonded from killing and/or eating them.

Tony looked at the battle captains as they sat breathing hard with little curls of fire coming out of their nostrils and asked, “ladies?”

Sydney answered, “Duchess Ginevra was cursed and wounded. Harry transported her and Na Wen here. She’s fine now and Harry will be back in Kunming shortly. You may withdraw your units.”

While Sydney was talking, Kaitlyn was typing and the withdrawal orders scrolled across the bottom of the screen.

As the units of the Tsarina’s Tank Army and the U.S. 7th Army withdrew, Harry and the mates vented their rage on Xi Shi’s Hold.

Tony watched as the battle captains faded away.

He sighed and Andrew took one of their seats as Phillip filled the other. The changeover went unnoticed by the deployed forces.

In the back of the room everyone heard Lisa Coles’s cry, “Merciful Gawd, he’s a monster!”

Phillip turned and looked at her. “Yes, isn’t he just.”

At that moment Pope John Paul II walked through the doors. “I would suggest you never anger him, Miss. There is every possibility that he is on God’s side. His left hand as it were. Elizabeth, you did not call?”

“I’m sorry, Holiness, but we’ve been busy.”

John Paul looked at the screens and sighed. “When will we have an end to war, merciful Father?”

“Amen. Elizabeth, no letter?”

“Patriarch, as I told his Holiness, we’ve been busy.”

“We heard. We came to consecrate the vale.”

Elizabeth nodded wryly. It needed no sprinkling of holy water to consecrate it. That had been done with blood.

John Paul tsk’d at her. “The proprieties, Elizabeth. People take comfort in these things.”

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Dharamsala
Dalai’s Apartment
Sunday
21 Sept 1997
02:30

His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso awoke and wiped a tear away. It was done, then. Now he must travel to this Duke Potter. Revenge on the Dark Lady would not serve.