The Lord of Shadows Arc, Book Two: MorningStar

Important Notes!!:This is unbetaed, as the Amazing Anna-Beta is on vacation till September. So corrections, suggestions, will all be accepted in the spirit they are given. Thanks! (Also, now you can see what difference the Amazing Anna makes. ^_^)



Written after HBP came out, so now officially AU. I will, however, be incorporating many things from that book into my story. No, no spoilers if you haven\'t read, but references for those who have. Something I\'d already planned and noe I have Canon terminology for. Some things are also completely different, as I\'ve already identified the Half Blood Prince(s) in my story. (And to be honest, I think my idea works better. But anyway . . .)



The opinions of the characters in no way reflect the opinions of the author. I refer specifically to Helen/Trinity\'s thoughts re: certain French people and the Polish. Both are good, beautiful, intelligent people.



I apologize for some aspects of this chapter which constitute that sin of sins, the \"Data-Dump.\" But I really wanted to present all that info in the context of the story in this first chapter, so. . .



Uh, the Agrippa is the Three Books of Occult Philosophy, the Donald Tyson translation which I know you can find on Amazon for a pretty penny. The Liber Al vel Legis mentioned is also called The Book of the Law, and was written by Aliester Crowley. Oral tradition has it that few who read it can understand it, and those that do are driven mad by the understanding. My initial reading suggests that such a thing may not be too far off, though perhaps exaggerated, likely by the author himself. That being said, I prefer his Book of Lies for sheer humor.



Explanation of American Military ranks can be found here: http://www.military-quotes.com/military-rank.htm



The term \"Witch-breed\" was actually first used (to my knowledge) by Neil Gaiman in his short work 1892. There are some X-over thingys going on, but not to the point that you need to be familiar at all with the other material. If you are, it will be fun. If you aren\'t, you probably won\'t notice. I hope. I hate X-overs with material I don\'t know.



Finally, any characters you recognize from anywhere else are not mine, though I wish they were. No $$ is being made from this story. This story contains mush slash, sometimes detailed. . .and some het, generally not so much. Some threesomes.



And there will be progressing darkness as the story moves on.



If you haven\'t read the Prologue and Book I, you prolly should.



And now, on with the story.


_______________________________________________







Book II: Morningstar,
Chapter One: Holiday







\"The Omega Male is considered \'lowest\' in pack ranking. This does not mean that they are not considered as vital or important, for as many attest, the Omegas keep the pack a pack, and not an assortment of loosely related wolves. They are characterized by their tact, diplomacy, and playful sense of humor. They are fierce warriors known for their unbreakable loyalty, which often translates into incredible feats of courage and bravery. However, in more intimate relations, Omegas must be handled with care, as they are characterized by extreme submissiveness. The Omega\'s priority is to please their mate, and so will give total control to their dominant. They will quickly learn their mate\'s preferences in all things, and will do everything to not only please their mate, but also to avoid the chance at displeasing them. This includes, often, not \'making themselves a bother\', which means that they will not complain, protest, or in any way show any sort of dissatisfaction with anything their dominant does or does not say or do.



\"These traits are especially severe in many Old World wolves, since they have been raised in the belief that, as a Were, they are not worthy of any type of love or affection. If an Old World Omega finds a mate, s/he will become so submissive that they will eventually completely suppress their own personality in an effort to become more pleasing to their mates. But, since they also believe they can never please anyone, this will eventually wear them down until they die from self-neglect. They will not speak of their own desires, will not initiate any sort of contact, and will never, ever suggest anything to their dominant. Moreover, since most Old World wolves know next to nothing important about what they are, they will not even know what, if anything, is wrong, nor will they know how to ask for help. They often waste away before the eyes of their lovers who never knew their was anything wrong to begin with.



--The Complete Idiot\'s Guide to Dating (and Mating!) a Werewolf






******************




Remus frowned as he watched Severus sleep, the noise of the engine dulled by muting charms, and absently rubbed his chest in what was rapidly becoming a habit. As he had been so many times since he\'d helped free the man, he longed to lean over and place his lips upon those of the other. But no matter how strong that desire grew, he couldn\'t. Some instinct kept him from this. The same instinct that kept him from reaching out to take his hand, the same instinct that told him to lay low and not be troublesome.



It was painful. Very painful to desire something so badly yet not be able to act in anyway. Severus seemed content to go slowly, since that is what it seemed he himself wanted. Which, Remus reflected bitterly, made sense from his point of view. After all, anytime he tried to even part-way mention something, or bring something up, or act on his own, that damnable force rose up within himself that demanded he not make a nuisance of himself. This, coupled with the overpowering desire to please Severus in anyway, including not getting in the way, made Remus silent and very frustrated. Any attempt and his body would paralyze itself, leaving him unable to speak or move, and hardly able to breathe. And when Severus once asked if something was amiss, Remus had found himself denying any trouble, that he was simply lost in thought.



Remus sighed, leaning back against his seat, pushing the tray-tables back up and locking them in place. He wanted to sleep like the potions master was, but between the need to protect, the need to please, and the dull ache in his chest, sleep forsook him like the tramp it was.



The flight attendant passed by, giving him a strange, sympathetic look before moving on down.



Remus was not looking forward to the next month.







Katie Jones was a sensible girl from Montana who had always dreamed of traveling the world. When she was in college, she fell in love with an Air Force pilot who just also happened to be a born-Werewolf. After she\'d graduated and he\'d served the rest of his term, they got married, he got a job piloting international flights and she became a stewardess. It was a happy life, though they didn\'t have any children yet. They had been trying, but since his time of the month fell at exactly the wrong time for her, it was a little difficult. But that was okay--when they Were supposed to have children, they\'d come. In the meantime, they\'d just keep trying, be patient, and continue their respective careers.



It was from her burgeoning maternal instincts and her experience with her husband that she noticed the problem with the passengers in seats 41 A and B. 41A was a gentle, British Werewolf who spoke softly and was obviously head-over-heels for the dark haired wizard in 41B. He was also very obviously not an Alpha, a fact which tall, dark and sleepy either hadn\'t noticed or else . . . or else he was an exceedingly cruel man who didn\'t deserve the man in 41A.



She sighed with vexation, and her co-worker, Sam, heard her.



\"Lemmie guess,\" Sam said. \"41 A and B?\"



She nodded. Sam sighed in commiseration. \"I\'ve seen what they teach about Weres and other Witch-breed in Europe and the UK. I don\'t think they\'ve updated since the first Crusade.\"



\"I know,\" She spat. Werewolf rights had consumed her ever since she\'s met her \"Loupy\", and the state of affairs in the Old World was disgusting. She narrowed her eyes in thought as they micro waved more dinner trays. \"Let me go get something from my bags, I\'ll be right back.\"



She was damned if she\'d let tall, dark and clueless ruin such a sweet man.






Draco, Harry, Susan and Lisa were taking the flight time to do as much of their summer homework as possible. Although Harry would generally prefer to do such serious study with Hermione somewhere nearby, he found that Lisa, Ravenclaw that she was, was nearly--though admittedly not quite-- as good. Which, as she was from Hermione\'s Circle, made sense.



They were currently struggling through Agrippa.



\" \"The philosophers, especially the Arabians, say, that man\'s mind, when it is intent upon any work, through its passion, and effects, is joined with the mind of the stars, and intelligences, and being so joined is the cause that some wonderful virtue be infused into our works, and things . . .\'\"



Susan sighed in vexation as she trailed off. \"You\'d have thought they\'d have learned to avoid run-on sentences by his time, wouldn\'t you?\"



\"At least the chapters are short,\" Harry commented. \"I mean, we\'re already on chapter sixty seven.\"



Draco snorted. \"Out of seventy four. In Book One. And then Book Two has another sixty chapters, and Book Three sixty five more after that.\"



Lisa seemed untroubled. \"It is supposed to take the summer.\" She said tranquilly. \"And you\'ve already started making use of it.\"



Harry scowled. \"Philalethes\' \'Encomium\' was a happy find, I\'ll admit. But the rest is. . . rather dry and wordy. At least Philalethes had some rhythm. \'These are the Mysteries for which I wept, Glorious Agrippa, where thy Language slept, Where thy dark Texture made me wander far, Whiles through that pathless Night, I traced the star. . .\' Much more palatable, that.\"



\"Amen,\" Susan agreed. \"But at least it\'s the only assignment we have. We\'ll have a hard enough time with this as it is, what with the traveling.\"



\"I\'m sure they\'ll give us some free time during the month,\" Lisa murmured.



Harry twitched as he caught a faint sound from one of the air-phones. It was hung up, so surely, that couldn\'t be the sound of laughter. Could it?





After what seemed to be forever, but was actually only half the time that muggle flights took, the plane finally landed. Harry quickly stood and stretched, joints popping back into place as he reached into the overhead cabins to where they\'d stored some of their luggage, while Draco retrieved their brooms from beneath the seats.



Then came the long wait to get off, as the rows in front emptied. Professors Snape and Lupin, their chaperones for the trip, were in front as they shuffled down the aisle, suppressing impatient sighs as they listened to the chirpy flight attendants wish every single passenger farewell.



\"B\'bye! B\'Bye! B\'bye! B\'bye! Hold it right there!\"



The woman stopped Snape with a hand on his chest, then was replacing it with a worn, tattered book. \"Read this or regret it!\" Again the bright chirpy smile and \"B\'bye!\" and everyone was moving again.



Severus looked down into his hands as he entered the terminal. The Complete Idiot\'s Guide to Dating (and Mating!) a Werewolf. \"Great,\" he muttered, but held on to it anyway. It wasn\'t like he\'d found anything like this back home, and there was always the chance that he might, possibly, learn something.



Looking around, he gathered their group together--himself and Lupin, the four students, and their respective families. Which meant that there was a horrible Muggle family with them--the Dursleys-- as well and the Bones, and the Turpins. He had to admit that the whole thing looked like a disaster waiting to happen. Luckily, the Dursleys had so far kept to themselves. They had once tried to approach Harry, but had been frightened off by some off-hand comment Lisa had thrown out at just that moment.



No sooner had they all started moving toward the lines than a man in a uniform stepped out of the crowds and approached them.



\"Snape, Lupin, good to see you again! Flight go well?\"



\"Ah, General Garou, good to see you as well.\" Snape stepped forward quickly and shook the man\'s hand, remembering the tension of Lupin\'s last meeting with the man, in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. \"The flight was cramped, but the company was, for the most part, pleasant.\"



The general smiled, glancing behind Snape to where Lupin was strangely trying to make himself look smaller. \"Professor Lupin, my pack welcomes you to our home territory.\"



Lupin looked up, into the eyes of the other Werewolf, and nodded. The general smiled, nodded again, and turned to the others. \"If you all will follow me, we\'ll have you on your way to today\'s destination. Oh, and welcome to Las Vegas, Nevada. For the short time you\'re here today, my pack will be proud to guard and assist you in any way possible.\"



At this, he motioned to a group of rather tough looking, golden-eyed men and women dressed in all back and carrying M-16s. Together, they were led down a hallway and some stairs, emerging again onto the tarmac, the heat again beating their skin.



\"I knew it,\" Vernon muttered. \"The freaks have their own customs line!\"



Faint growls could be heard all around them, but Lisa\'s mother grinned. \"Says the man surrounded by armed soldier Werewolves. One would hope for Darwinism to work a little faster, sometimes. . .\"



The soldiers grinned nastily, eyes glinting in a reassuringly cruel way.



\"Which reminds me,\" Lisa spoke up. \"Werewolves are allowed into the United States military?\"



General Garou glanced at her over his shoulder. \"Not only are we allowed, we\'re actively recruited for any job requiring toughness, dedication, aggression . . . so, security guards, police forces, soldiering. Under the American Civil Rights Act, we are entitled to all the same rights as every other citizen. Under the American\'s With Disabilities Act, Lycanthropy is considered a disease, the treatment of which must be covered by any Health Insurance company, and that employers must not only not discriminate against us simply because of our state, but must also help us find wolfsbane, must count a pack as \"immediate family\", and grant us the day of and after the full-moon off with pay. And finally, the Endangered Species Act outlaws the hunting or persecution of any witch-breed, including Weres.\"



Lupin looked pained to hear this, but Lisa only nodded. \"So, do most Weres take such positions as you mentioned--military, police, that sort of thing?\"



Garou nodded. \"Most, though certainly not all. We\'ve our share of poets and preachers and politicians. But being in a position were you can be a little more aggressive helps ease the transformation at Moon-time. Even without wolfsbane, Weres given these opportunities tend to be more. . . civilized when in their changed state. And they\'re all certainly healthier. But here we are, one more small air trip before you\'re done for the day.\"



The group stopped in it\'s tracks. \"What, precisely, is that?\" Snape asked.



\"That, Professor, is a modified Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk. Modified to handle a few more passengers than usual. We won\'t be going far, but this way you\'ll get some fresh air and a great view.\"



Harry smiled. \"I\'d always wanted to ride a helicopter. Where are we going?\"



\"That\'s classified for the moment. You\'ll find out soon enough, but I\'m not allowed to say out loud, here in the open. I can say that you will be perfectly safe.\" General Garou grimaced as he glanced at the Dursley\'s. \"Hope she plans on doing something with them,\" he muttered.



Lisa had already crawled up into the hold. \"Come on, you all, I want to see what this muggle contraption does!\"



Draco rolled his eyes. Another Weasley . . . he thought.



* * *



Trinity scowled. Her guests would be arriving at any minute, and here she was stuck in a meeting discussing security arrangements with some French representatives who apparently didn\'t know their asses from their heads.



And people say the Poles are idiots. . .



Trinity growled as she suppressed that thought. It wouldn\'t do for Helen to be the personality that greeted her guests. Never mind that the British were one of the few nationalities Helen didn\'t despise.



Captain Han heard her and glanced at the clock. \"Miss Trinity, I realize you have people to meet. If you\'d like to leave, I\'ll brief you later.\"



Trinity forced a smile onto her face. \"Thank you, Captain. If you don\'t mind, I would like to greet them.\"



\"Comme impoli!\" One of the representatives muttered as she walked out the door without even a nod in acknowledgement.



\"Please excuse Miss Trinity,\" Captain Han murmured. \"She has a lot in her mind right now.\"



* * *



The office General Garou and his pack had led them to was, to put it mildly, interesting. Posters, photos and printouts papered the wall, bookshelves overflowed into tall piles on the floor, and the radio was playing a mix of Hildegard von Bingen, U2, Purcell, David Bowie and what sounded like the soundtrack to The Lord of the Rings.



Above the door was a banner which read \"When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite.\" And on the door itself \"Every man and every woman is a star.\" As Harry read, the words on the door shimmered and shifted, changing to read, \"Love is the law, love under will.\"



\"Somebody\'s been studying their Crowley,\" Draco murmured behind Harry. \"Both of those were direct quotes from Liber Al vel Legis.\"



\"And that\'s Churchill above the door,\" Susan added. \"Gran really admired him.\"



They were interrupted by shouts outside the door. \"Hey, Trin, the redcoats are here!\"



\"The--damnit! I was hoping to greet them when they arrived!\"



The door slammed open, and Harry found himself face to face with two large green eyes, the one on the right with a pupil which glowed slightly red. He jumped back into Draco with alarm, to find the eyes set in a pale face with short dark hair. The intruder sighed.



\"My apologies, Harry. I meant to meet you and your friends up on the strip, but was delayed by some. . . people.\" The woman looked around the office, scowling, then turned away again.



\"\'ey Frankie! Where\'re those info packs I had made up on my desk?\" She called over her shoulder.



A muffled shout answered. \"Oh, thanks. . .\" She turned back. \"C\'mon, y\'all. Let\'s go sit in the conference room--my office is a bit. . .crowded, I think.\"



Hesitantly they followed her down the hall, The Dursleys intimidated by what little they could understand on the computer screens they passed, the Bones and Turpins equally intrigued by what they couldn\'t, and Remus sniffing the air with suspicion.



What\'s wrong? Severus asked into the stillness of the coven-bond.



Remus sniffed again. Her scent. . . she should be half the size she is. And she smells like she\'s covered in armor. . .



The conference room was a long office dominated by a long rectangular table surrounded by wheeled swivel chairs. In front of each chair was a folder, a stack of books and papers, and a name tag. There was no place for the Dursleys.



Their guide dug a small envelope out of her pocket. \"Lieutenant Williams,\" she addressed a soldier by the door. \"Here\'s the replacement memories for the Dursley\'s. Take them back to the airport in the city, wipe the last. . .oh, ten hours from their minds, and then replace them with these.\"



Vernon did not like hearing that. \"Now see here--!\"



\"Dursley, who buys more than fifty percent of your drills?\" she growled.



\"Ah--er. . .\" Vernon spluttered. \"Company called Rohwling\'s. . .\"



\"Yes, indeed. Did you know that they are a little known subsidiary of Lockheed Martin? One set up almost sixteen years ago with the express purpose of purchasing drilling supplies and equipment for the US Military and NASA. Wouldn\'t it be a shame for them to terminate their contract with your company for reasons such as fraud, poor quality, price gouging or. . . attempted bribery? Why, I imagine no one would ever contract with you again.\"



Petunia paled. \"That\'s blackmail!\"



\"Oh, now see, you\'re not as stupid as you look.\" The American grinned in delight. \"Run along now, and enjoy your stay.\" And using both hands and a foot, she managed to shove them out of the room and shut the door behind them.



\"How troublesome,\" she sighed, staring for a moment at the grain of the door, before turning to the sound of Harry\'s sniggering. \"Don\'t get too excited, Harry. Their schedule shadows our own. I just can\'t have them remembering anything about or related to this base. I\'d have left them in Vegas, if possible, but I couldn\'t have him raise a fuss right there in front of everyone, which would have involved more memory wipes. . . and I\'m just waaay too lazy for any of that.\"



\"And just where are we?\" Susan\'s father asked. \"Are we in some muggle place, or magic, or what?\"



She cocked an eyebrow. \"Or what.\" She replied. \"You\'ll find that the boundary between what\'s \'magic\' and what\'s \'muggle\' is a hell of a lot thinner than on your side of the pond..\" Her left hand twitched slightly as she said this. \"As for where you are, you are currently about five stories underground, at the United States Air Force Groom Lake Facility, better known as Area 51.\"



Lisa gasped. \"The place where all the UFOs are?\"



\"Well, that\'s the handy cover story,\" the guide chuckled. \"While this is in fact a fully functional spaceport, and has been for about a thousand years, we put up the light show to distract the muggles from what\'s really here. Which, apparently, has something to do with the satyrs on C level playing DDR and Unreal Tournament all day.\" She shook her head.



\"Anyway, we\'ll only be here one night, since you\'ve had enough travel for one day. First off, my name is Helen Mulhulland, but everyone calls me Trinity, or Trinny. You\'ll eventually meet Helen, I\'m sure, but not yet. If you look in front of you, on top is our full schedule for the next month. I\'ll give you a moment to read it over, then ask the questions I know you\'ll have.\"



Harry bent down over his stack, giving a brief moment to wonder why Trinity referred to Helen as another person, and started reading.



American Tour, Summer 2004



Saturday 7/17: Arrive at Area 51. Orientation.

Sunday 7/18: Leave Area 51. Zion National Park for Lunch--Start Firearms training. Stay night in Salt Lake City. Visit Genealogical Archives. In bus entertainment: Full Metal Alchemist.

Monday 7/19: Salt Lake City to Yellowstone National Park. Continue Firearms training. More FMA.

Tuesday 7/20: Yellowstone to Billings, MT. Firearms and Riding Training. Finish FMA.

Wednesday 7/21: Leave Billings, arrive in Wolf Nation Territory. Meet up with Canadian/ Wolf Nation Rep. (Laughing Crow Jones). Train with \'Crow--Riding, archery, spear-work, meditation.

Thurday 7/22: Spend day with Medicine Lake Tribe. Train with \'Crow. Full Moon tonight. Possible meet-up with Kunga pack.

Friday 7/23: Leave Wolf Territory at noon, depart for the Badlands (Wall, SD). Training with \'Crow.

Saturday 7/24: Leave Wall, SD, early. Hard drive to Chicago, IL. In-bus movie: The Matrix, random anime selections.

Sunday 7/25: Morning, visit Chicago Wolfsbane Plant. Afternoon, depart for Indianapolis.

Monday 7/26: Depart Indianapolis for hard drive to Lancastershire, PA for dinner and short Hexography lesson. In bus movie: Spirited Away. Depart in evening for Philadelphia.

Tuesday 7/27: Morning at historical monuments, afternoon to New York.

Wednesday 7/28 : Sightseeing. Go to Ball Game (NY Yankees Vs. Tampa Bay Devil Rays.).

Thursday 7/29: Free Day. Wanna see a show on Broadway? I can get good tickets for anything. Some training with \'Crow and myself.

Friday 7/30: Morning off. Evening Gig: Annual Reception for Pan American Witch-breed Society (PAWS) at Wayne Manor.

Saturday 7/31: To Baltimore. Meet up with Japanese Rep. (Yahiko Takaeda) at Otakon. Spend night at my place. Training with Yahiko--Ki manipulation and hand-to-hand combat. (Please, no big ki blasts near my house!)

Sunday 8/1: To the Capitol. Visit Archives, National Zoo.
Private White House dinner with President Condolina Reese and cabinet.

Monday 8/2: Visit Air & Space Museum, and anyplace you\'d like to go.

Tuesday 8/3: Leave Capitol, hard drive to Memphis. In bus movies: Star Wars Trilogy.

Wednesday 8/4- Friday 8/6: Board the River Queen, go south. Training with Yahiko-- no blasting the boat to smithereens! The Best of Dragonball Z. Don\'t get too many ideas. . .

Saturday 8/7: Arrive in New Orleans. Meet up with Meso-American/ Vampire Rep (Tyrese LeBeau Lee). Evening meeting with Capt. LaFitte.

Sunday 8/8: Free Day. Training with Yahiko, \'Crow, and myself. Evening Gig: Tipitina\'s Uptown.

Monday 8/9: Leave New Orleans, through Houston to San Antonio. In bus movie: Dogma, The Princess Bride

Tuesday 8/10: San Antonio, hard drive to Roswell. Movie: The Fellowship if the Ring. Enjoy the little town.

Wednesday 8/11: Roswell, Hard drive to Phoenix. Movie: The Two Towers
Thursday 8/12:Phoenix to Grand Canyon. Movie: The Return of the King

Friday 8/13: Grand Canyon to Las Vegas. Movie: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Saturday 8/14: Vegas to Area 51. Return to Britain





There was silence as everyone read the schedule. Harry and Draco found that they had so many questions, they didn\'t know where to start. Remus finally cleared his throat.



\"I see you\'ve noted the coming full moon,\" he said, hesitant. \"You should, er, be aware of a condition I have--\"



\"You\'re a Werewolf,\" Trinny said. \"Don\'t be ashamed of it, no one else is. And yes, I do know. It\'s why we\'re going that route, to be in the Wolf Nation Territory at that specific time. They\'ll help ease the transition, and I hope show you things about your \'condition\' you\'ve never been able to appreciate before.



\"Also\", she continued, gesturing to the pile before him. \"In the envelope below the itinerary is a set of tags identifying you as a visiting Werewolf, so local packs don\'t get territorial, it will allow you to obtain free wolfsbane at any hospital, McDonalds, or Starbucks across the country, and in case of an emergency, will let hospital staff know of your condition so they don\'t give you, say, moon-sphere treatments for a skin injury or some such thing.\"



Remus drew a chain with two aluminum plates attached, each with his name, nationality, and the words \"Pack: Potter-Malfoy\" on them.



\"Dog-tags?\"



\"Weres have been an important part of the US Military since the Revolutionary War. When the tags were introduced, it was a wolf pack that started calling them that, and the name caught on. This is for your safety, nothing more.\"



Remus nodded, slipping the chain over his neck, while Susan piped up.



\"Why all the training? I mean, firearms?\"



Trinny smiled. \"Anyone like to answer that?\"



Susan frowned. \"Because in the upcoming battles, we need to be prepared for anything?\"



\"Very good, that\'s part of it.\" Their guide nodded. \"Let me show you something.\" Lights flickered above the table, resolving into the forms of little people, only a few inches tall. One was dressed as a muggle police officer, the other was in torn jeans and a tee-shirt.



\"This was taken from several surveillance cameras in LA last winter. The wizard, Brian Keena, was a known collaborator with several terrorist groups, including the Death Eaters of Britain and certain Neo-Nazi cells here in the US. The muggle police officer, Danny O\'Rourke, only knew he was wanted, dead or alive, by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Watch what happens.\"



A moment more the figures remained frozen, and then the muggle was running on a street after Keena, yelling at him to get down on the ground. Keena turned into an alley, learning quickly that there was no way out. O\'Rourke approached slowly, gun held before him.



\"Give it up, Keena,\" he said. \"Don\'t be stupid.\"



Keena, it seemed, couldn\'t help being stupid, and raised his wand. In the alley shadows, it was clear O\'Rourke couldn\'t see what was being aimed, but any decent cop knew a coming attack simply by posture. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger once, surprise registering on his face when the bullet slammed into a shimmering barrier one foot from the terrorist\'s face. Keena smirked though he stepped back as though pushed. O\'Rourke frowned, and did the only thing he could thing of. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three more shots in rapid succession, and then the wizard was on the ground, unmoving, the muggle reholstering his weapon.



\"Let me show you that a little slower this time.\" Trinny murmured.



The figures replayed the event in slow motion. The second bullet was stopped six inches from Keena, and the shimmers formed cracks in the air. The terrorist scowled and started sweating as a third bullet came within three inches and the sparkling cracks encircled his body. The fourth broke through, shards of magic spinning into the ether as the bullet slammed into Keena\'s skull, just below the exact center of his forehead.



\"Why do you suppose this is what happens nine times out of ten?\" Trinity asked.



\"Because the wizard had to use his own energy to stop a bullet,\" Harry replied. \"The muggle only had to twitch his finger to start it.\"



\"Exactly.\" Trinity said. \"Usually, wizards use their own energy to work magic. But muggles tend use the energy found in natural chemical reactions, such as the explosive reaction of gunpowder with ignited oxygen. The strongest shield charm is only as strong as the one who casts it. Most wizards with sufficient focus can block one bullet, the effort of which will completely drain them. Keena was much stronger than average, about equivalent to either of the professors here.\"



\"You will also note that pulling a trigger is quite a bit faster than saying. . . any spell, charm, hex or jinx.\"



\"So, what\'s our best strategy when faced with a gun?\" Harry asked.



Trinity nodded, pleased with the practicality of the question. \"We\'ll discuss that as part your training in the coming days.\" She looked around the room. \"I know there must be more questions. . .\" she drawled.



Draco scowled. \"What does the term \'Witch-breed\' refer to? I\'ve never seen it before.\"



Inexplicably, Trinity turned to Severus. \"Why don\'t you answer, Professor? I\'m sure you and Xavier discussed this from time to time.\"



Severus started. \"You know Professor Xavier?\"



\"I know everyone, sweetheart.\"



\"Right.\" Snape sighed. \"Witch-breed is the term used for quasi-magical human variations. Werewolves, for example, are the oldest known group, and how the name was termed. As I recall, Werewolves were first bred back in the days when humans lived a bit closer to nature. At that time, humans lived in tribal groups, and the women, living in such close association with each other, all had synchronized monthly cycles, and would usually bleed at the full moon, as a result of the gravitational shifts. As you ladies know, your magic tends to focus inward at those times, which leaves you weaker on the outside. The Werewolves were bred to be warriors who would defend the physically weaker witches from enemies and predators during the time of their vulnerability. Thus, as they were bred for witches, the term witch-breed.



\"Of course, not all witch-breed are Werewolves, or even Weres of any type. More and more, witch-breed are simply magical or quasi-magical humans with very unusual and specialized talents, often having some sympathy with a certain part of nature, but just as often not. For every person with an affinity for, say, spiders or bats, there are other people who can control fire or ice.\"



Harry blinked. \"So, are they special wizards? Are they human?\"



\"Oh, they\'re human, alright, just. . . different variations on the theme.\" Trinity answered. \"Interestingly enough, most witch-breed who aren\'t Weres are often classified as either muggles or squibs. Professor Xavier, who was briefly a teacher of your own Professor Snape, and is currently the president of PAWS, has a theory that those who many people call squibs are simply unrecognized witch-breed. I personally think he\'s on to something.\"



\"Fascinating,\" Lisa murmured. \"I don\'t suppose you know of any good books--\"



\"Look under the papers, hon.\" Lisa picked up the folder to look at the books stacked beneath. \"Oh, thank you!\"



\"Anytime. Now Harry, I seen ya twitching, dear. What\'s eatin\' ya?\"



Harry couldn\'t hold it in anymore. \"Why does your eye glow red like that?\" He paused. \"I mean, I don\'t wish to pry into something that\'s not my business, but I was . . . wondering . . .\" his voice faded into chagrined silence.



Trinity snickered. \"Harry, sweetie, no, that\'s good that you want to know, and you have a right to know. You\'re in a strange place filled with stranger people, being hunted down by a band of rampaging terrorists, glowing red eyes are something to be wary of, I understand. And to answer, here\'s why.\"



With her right hand, she reached over to her left ear, as though to scratch it, but instead pushed something in. And then, like loose dust falling off an old book, half her skin fell away into nothingness to reveal smooth, polished chrome. Everyone gaped, for her entire left side seemed to be made of delicate metal joints and armor, spider-silk fine metal tendons atop the left hand pulling silver fingers terminating with retracted needle-like claws. The eye, as Harry noted, glowed a sullen red deep in the pupil, and the ear was elf-pointed, with a small antenna attached.



There was silence for several moments, finally broken by Lisa\'s father. \"Oh my dear sweet heaven!\" he whispered. \"A techno-witch! I thought they were all destroyed a few years ago when--\"



\"All the others were, yes.\" Trinity replied. \"I survived, the last of my kind, though my personality didn\'t exactly remain intact.\"



Which is why she refers to Helen in the third person, I bet. Harry thought. \"You have multiple personalities?\" he asked.



Trinity nodded. \"Yeah. Three -- myself called Trinity, Helen who\'s very, very angry at having her spell-singing career disrupted, among other things, and the third. We don\'t know her name, and she hasn\'t yet manifested, but we know she\'s there.\"



The British were at a loss for words. Trinity quirked a grin. \"Well, if that\'s it for now, you\'ll be shown to your quarters for tonight.\" As she spoke, the illusion of skin reformed over her metal. \"Dinner is at eighteen hundred hours, in the mess. The pick-up Quidditch at Sunset, then my farewell concert later tonight. See you then.\"






Harry had never been allowed pizza before. Oh, he\'d seen his cousin Dudley eat it plenty of times, but there was, of course, none left over for Harry to pick at. This time though, not only was he allowed to have as much as he wanted-- he was even allowed to pick his toppings. So, naturally, he chose a combination of pepperoni, Roma tomatoes, and pumpkin shavings. The base didn\'t have pumpkin juice during the summer, but they did have a wide variety of fruit juices, fizzy drinks, and fruit flavored fizzy drinks. So, in an attempt to honor his school meals, he chose an orange flavored fizzy drink, which looked close enough to pumpkin juice.



What really confounded him though, were the choices in crisps, which were strangely called \"chips.\" But when he\'d asked the nice man in fatigues which were the best, he\'d shrugged and said \"They\'re all good. I\'d go with the regular Doritos myself.\"



Harry had never had Doritos either.



But, he figured, that\'s what being in a foreign country was all about. So he sat himself down with Draco, who had a plate of General Tso\'s chicken on rice, and listened to the conversation around them. A Master Sergeant sitting to his left was kind enough to give a running commentary.



\"That there is Tech. Sergeant Jerry McDonal, who spent six months bustin\' those Taliban sons-of-bitches\' in Kabul, came home for thirty days--during which time he knocked up that pretty wife of his--before bein\' shipped out again to bust some balls in Baghdad. Luckily, he jus\' got shipped back a day \'fore his daughter was born, but ah tell you, some uh those bombs he dropped were payback to that dickhead Saddam fer pullin\' him away from his girl.\"



Draco smiled, he could well imagine his reaction if someone shipped him off to war away from his Harry.



\"And nex\'ta him is the always lovely Petty Officer First Class Nadia Shenko, borrowed from the Navy. They say that her first assignment was Basra, and the city fell just by her decidin\' she wanted ta get a tan, so out she went on deck in a bikini early one morning. . .\" he left of chortling, but she\'d overheard, and finished the story.



\"Let\'s just say, boys, that these missles,\" she pointed to her impressive chest \"put the \"awe\" in Shock and Awe.\"



Harry choked on his orange fizzy drink. \"I dare say they might!\" he gasped and Draco pounded his back.





Remus wondered silently what was so fascinating about the book that woman had given Severus on the plane. No sooner had they reached their quarters earlier that evening than he\'d pulled the book out and stuck his large, shapely nose into it. And now, past dinner, and well into watching a lively night-time quidditch game, Severus still had yet to put it down. He wondered if it was some sort of potions related book, but somehow he didn\'t think so. Even the first edition of Most Potent Potions hadn\'t commanded this sort of unwavering concentration.



Severus frowned as he read, memorizing the words as he went.



\"To avoid such a heartrending fate, it is important that the dominant recognize that his or her mate is an Omega, and then follow these guidelines. First, make it clear to your Omega that you love them. This may be hard, especially the higher up the dominance chain you are, but this is essential. Next, you must make it even more clear that you are pleased when they start something, that you are pleased when they communicate their own desires. Work with the instinct that\'s there: If they are reluctant to initiate an intimate encounter, ask them to \"surprise\" you one day, and then show how happy it makes you. Third, it is sometimes very useful for the dominant to act submissive from time to time. The Dominant can make the Omega\'s favorite dish for supper one night, or can do their chores, or make the coffee. If still in the \'dating\' phase, it is essential that the Dominant do some courting. Gifts of all types work well, but if dating an Old World wolf, gifts that express love for both the human side and the wolf are especially valued. One fellow I knew gave his girlfriend a beautiful Damascus blade with a wolf engraved into the ivory hilt. Another woman gave her man the complete works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.\"



Severus sighed inwardly. The book was very informative, and explained a great deal about Remus\' behavior. He glanced up to the quidditch game. Against a backdrop of a thousand stars, Harry and Draco were testing themselves against some of the finest pilots in the world, and seemed to be having quite a fun time doing so. Next to him, Remus watched, rapt, the light of the half moon shining gently on his face. Affection was difficult for Severus, but it wouldn\'t hurt, he thought, to try a little something. In the name of experimentation, of course.



Remus started when Severus\' hand slid into his own. Glancing over, it seemed the potions master had finally stopped reading and started watching the night game taking place above them. Smiling, Remus gave the hand a very slight squeeze and turned his attention back to the game.








A summer breeze blew softly through the trees of the Forbidden Forest, giving the butterflies something to dance on as they waltzed from flower to flower. They were somewhat disappointed to find some of their flowers crushed under the body of a sleeping centaur, draped along the edge of a deep pool. As he slept, he dreamt of planets and stars.



For some reason, Mercury and Venus were moving into trine with Mars, which wasn\'t yet the oddest thing. For, no longer were the plants in the elliptical, but arranged around Polaris and the Sun.



\"Mercury and the Sun\", he mumbled in his sleep. \"Venus and Polaris. . . all through Mars. . .Mercury and Venus . . . Polaris and the Sun . . . .Mercury Polaris. . .\" With a sudden snort, he woke to the feeling of eyes on his back.



\"Who\'s there?\" he demanded, rising to stand on all hooves. The sun glistened on the hoof-print which marked his chest. \"I can fell you watching me,\" he snarled. \"Reveal yourself!\"



Across the pool, leaves rustled. \"I-- I\'m sorry,\" a soft voice replied. \"I just wanted to see. . .see if it was true what they said.\" The leaves parted to reveal a petit Centauress, long chestnut tresses falling like waves down her back and over her round, rich breasts. \"It\'s true, I see,\" she continued. \"The most beautiful of our kind was exiled for his extraordinary sight.\"



Firenze blinked. He knew that face from long ago. \"Neyla?\" he asked. \"When did you get so . . . aren\'t you still just a filly?\"



She stifled a soft laugh. \"I have not been a filly for several years now, when I moved at last to join the Mares. You are much spoken of there.\"



Firenze pawed the ground bitterly. \"I imagine I have. Firenze, who had to find a new herd with humans. . .\"



Neyla scowled, irritably stomping a hoof. \"Perhaps that is what those idiot males say, but it is not what we say. We say you have made a herd with all creatures, we say that your herd is lead by those who cannot be classified as any single thing. We say--\" she stopped herself short, breathing heavily. \"I near forgot myself,\" she muttered, looking at the water. \"About to speak of silent things.\"



She looked back up. \"Firenze, the mares support you. Since you left, no foals have been conceived. The wandering herds are breaking up, only we in our hidden places remain together. We want you to know we still see you, still hear your song on the wind, and your name writ large in the stars. You are the last stallion, Firenze, at least on this island. When the time comes to call the herds together, it is the Mares who choose the Head. And they have already decided that you will be the one chosen.\"



\"Despite my other, far more overriding alliances?\" he looked more than skeptical.



Neyla lept across the pool and stood chest to chest with Firenze. \"No, my love, because of them.\" A twittering bird caught her eye. \"I must go now, the message is delivered and I am tempted to rush destiny.\" She looked back at him. \"I\'ll see you again soon!\" she said as she leant forward to press her lips to his, and then she was vanishing back through the trees.



Firenze stood frozen, hands drifting to those still burning patches of skin where her breasts had pressed against his skin. \"What a . . . whoo!\" he exclaimed into the morning breeze.







Gregory Goyle ran. He had some faint idea of where he was running to, but not much. His overwhelming direction was not so much to someplace, as it was away.



Away from those people who claimed to be his family.



Away from that creature with the red eyes.



Away from the acrid scent of terrified sweat, the cloying odor of urine.



Away from all the blood and little pieces of. . .



Away from the acidic smell of his own vomit.



Away from the bits and pieces that were once . . .



Away. Away. Away. . .





************




From: The Space Between: The Correspondences of Harry Potter, vol. II





Dear Harry and Draco,



I hope this note finds you both well. Though it has only been a matter of hours since you left for America, it has been over a week since last we spoke, and it seems as though the whole island has gone crazy in your thus-far-short absence.



First off, Minister Fudge has decided to no longer deny the painfully obvious, and has started taking the You-Know-Who-is-back problem seriously. Except, he\'s so incompetent can you believe who he had arrested? Stan Shuntpike, that fellow from the Knight Bus. I mean, yes, please, hunt down the Death Eaters, but don\'t be so obvious when you don\'t know what in blue blazes you\'re doing!. . .Arg. . .



Also, and this is of more interest I think to you, Draco. I regret to inform you of Vincent Crabbe\'s death. He was killed last night by Voldemort. Gregory Goyle ran all the way to the Burrow to escape what he saw. We haven\'t been able to get much out him, but apparently it was very brutal, and very messy. The only motive we can find is that Crabbe refused to take the mark, something which Goyle had also decided to refuse. The latter is now safely housed with the Order, while I must believe that the former is now beyond all fear and pain. Blaise has mentioned the possibility of taking Goyle into his Circle as has, to my surprise, Neville. But both agree that you two should be back from your travels before any decision like that is made.



In other news, Ron\'s healing still progresses. We will soon be able to use regular healing spells on him to heal the injection sites. He is, though, privately frustrated with the whole situation, as you already know. In the meantime, he has finally started showing some devotion to his studies. Every morning he reads from the copy of The Art of War which Sirius left him, followed by books and treatises on tactics and strategy. He has also started reading up on Magical Law, a task which Sharke and Phox are eager to help with.



Most of the rest of the Weasley family has been by, and they send their love. Bill has gone to the Black Forest to meet with some werewolves for the next few weeks. Fred and George are working with Todd and Blaise to develop any sort of potion that might help Ron. Percy was promoted, and is no longer an assistant. Rather, he\'s now the Undersecretary of Magical Commerce. He has since apologized to his family for his revolting words two years ago, though Charlie bitterly reckons it\'s due to his getting his promotion from the fact that his family is close with Harry.



What else, what else . . .?



Oh, Hedwig misses you very much, Harry. Neville says that the gnomes are attending their duties in the gardens, but Hedwig refuses to fly very far from the Estate to deliver any message. Neville thinks she\'s awaiting your return.



I shall write again soon, and hope to hear many interesting things from you.



Much Love,



Hermione.



PS: I think Firenze has a girlfriend. I\'ve seen the same Centauress at the edge of the Forbidden Forest for several days now. She\'s quite beautiful.






reviews are nice. ^_^ thank you. . .