29-Jun-2003
Title: Parallel 22/?
A Harry Potter/Gundam Wing fanfic by Stormy
Rating: R
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4
Summary: Heero Yuy and Harry Potter. Transcending time and space, the mystery of what became of Harry Potter is about to unfold.
Warnings: Shonen ai (1x2), possible SBxRL (Should I or shouldn´t I? ^^)
Spoilers: TPS, CoS, PoA, GoF, (HP), Endless Waltz (GW)
Additional Notes: I am trying to keep track of everything but sometimes I forget things. However, I am fully aware of the mystery regarding Heero´s wand – and will get to that when the time is right. Also, I did mention that Sally and Wufei are a couple – because they are. Sort of. However, I have plans (Parallel is shaping up to be very long, remember?) and we´ll see what happens later on, especially when Wufei finds himself enjoying both Draco AND Ginny´s company in upcoming chapters.
Additionally – Parallel has NOTHING to do with Book 5. For one thing – Sirius will never die in my world. ^^ For another, while I liked OotP well enough, there were a great many things I did NOT like – and simply don´t want to use. If that bothers you, then you might want to stop reading. But as you can see, this fic STARTS at Year 6 – and I outlined (briefly) what happened in MY year 5. So don´t look to OotP to have any startling ideas on me – and rest assured, Tonks and Umbridge will NEVER appear in my work. *snorts* Unless I´m feeling mean or desperate. Nor will that atrocious idea of Hagrid´s half-brother – personally, I thought that whole deal regarding Hagrid´ brother could have been removed from the book easily.*shrugs* My opinion. Nothing more, nothing less.
Finally, as usual, the chat room got a sneak peek at the first portion of chapter 22 on Sunday June 22 (fate, neh? ^^) and the rest of it when I finished it today (points at date below). For previews, fics, jokes, RPG-like behaviour and insanity, stop by the chat room every Sunday, Wednesday and Friday between 8pm and 1am Eastern time.
Firmus qui sollicito
The words stretched across the front of the building that lay adjacent to the Ministry, etched into the granite and marble and enchanted against erosion and weather-wear. Loosely translated, it meant 'keeping one's eyes firmly on the future'. It was something the Aurors who populated the building took very seriously.
Drilled into them repeatedly, every morning, the words were almost as casually used as a greeting from one to another. After all, safety and security was all about seeing the danger coming before it hit you, to take it out before it did you. It was about keeping your senses keen, your mind sharp and staying alert, both on and off the job. All the training in the world couldn't save you if you had your head in the sand and your ass in the air.
Jason Armstrong had been the top Auror in his youth. He graduated from Hogwarts with top marks in his Newts, and quickly rose through the Auror ranks to make Captain within his first five years, a feat duplicated by only one other in the history of the Aurors. He firmly believed that constant vigilance – something hammered into him by his old trainer Moody – could do more to prevent lives then any amount of healing spells and protective wards. He prided himself on knowing what went on in the lives of every person under his care.
It was for that reason he considered the deaths of the Potters – top Aurors in their own right – to be his greatest failure. So much protection, so many resources and manpower expended to safeguard the hopes of the future, and he let two of his people get slaughtered, along with a host of innocent muggles.
For the longest time, he had firmly believed Sirius Black to be the murderer. The fact that Black never received a formal trial had been a mere drop in the ocean that was Ministry justice. If he thought about it hard enough, Jason could almost admit to himself that the sole reason he believed so firmly that Black was guilty was because it gave him an excuse as to why he hadn't protected James and Lilly better. But more then that, it was better to be angry. If he kept himself furious at Sirius, he didn't feel the heartbreak and utter grief that festered in his heart over Sirius' betrayal.
Jason could remember the first day Sirius, James, Remus and Lilly had shown up for Auror training. James, so obviously besotted with his young wife and determined to both impress and protect her. Lilly, determined to prove that her skill with Charms could easily match any other spell an opponent could throw at her. Remus Lupin, scared to be there when so many people thought he didn't deserve to even live, but eager to prove that his being a dark creature didn't make him a dark wizard. And Sirius, so cocky, brash and enthusiastic – Jason had been instantly reminded of himself, though he admitted silently he never would have dreamed of breaking so many rules as the four of them boasted about.
Sirius had been his pride and joy. In an officer's eye, there is no room for favourites, but Sirius' obvious skill and natural ability shone through the ranks of the newbie Aurors like a beacon. It truly was hard not to notice.
Jason had gone harder on Black then anyone else, determined to see him take the role of Captain once he himself was ready to move on. He wanted a capable person in charge, and there was no one ready that he felt was even remotely qualified.
Aurors are and were a strange bunch. A good many of them were prejudiced and close-minded. It was something inevitable, despite the galleons the Ministry paid out for psychological counselling. Like Muggle police officers, it was something you had to learn to deal with in your own way. The fact that they constantly dealt with the scum of the wizarding world had turned their world a darker shade of the light they fought for, and their views on life and the people that inhabited it, slowly but surely began to turn cynical.
A perfect example was the general view on Remus Lupin. The Ministry had successfully argued that every Auror had the right to know that Remus was a werewolf, in order to protect themselves if necessary. The instant his secret had been revealed, Remus had been at the bottom of the pecking order, constantly taking the barbs and slings Aurors usually reserved for criminals. Only his friends had stood by him, making their team one of the most successful in the entire department. Their loyalty and commitment to each other was nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Even when lies and rumours about the dark lord had threatened to break them up, their professionalism had carried them through their missions, and Jason had supported them whole-heartedly. He knew Sirius would be the perfect one to carry on as Captain – he had none of the prejudice of the other department heads, and was known throughout the station as a fair arbitrator.
Then the dream team had been shattered, and without the support and protection of his friends, Remus had been cast out from the Aurors, too emotionally drained to defend himself. Sirius had been left to rot in Azkaban, and Jason had given Captaincy to some recruit that had neither the skills nor abilities of Black but had been the best of what had been left. He himself had become the Auror-in-Chief.
'Lucky me.'
When word had come to Jason about the deaths of the Potters, and Black's subsequent capture, his grief had been instantly shoved beneath layers of rage and betrayal. It had taken a long time to deal with his feelings about Black, even longer before he could think of Sirius without wanting to storm Azkaban himself and demand to know 'WHY?!?' before personally Avada Kadavaring the bastard himself.
Black's escape had been met with Armstrong assembling the best Aurors he could to track the man down, even though he knew in his heart that if Sirius Black didn't want to be found, then no one would EVER find him. He should know. He had trained Black himself personally.
Then came the day that Sirius had been found innocent. Disbelief warred with incredulity over the decree, straight from the Ministry itself. Peter Pettigrew had been found, delivering a most profound message of Sirius' innocence. Jason had watched the trial proceedings – a mere formality, really – silently from the back of the courtroom. He had watched as Sirius had been declared free of all charges. Black had seemed to not care – still gaunt and haunted from his years in Azkaban, he now wore grief like a cloak in the wake of his godsons apparent death. His eyes were bleak, dead with the loss, and the sight sent chills through Jason.
The two could have been together years before if Jason had only insisted on doing a more thorough investigation. He had berated himself for even thinking that Black could have committed such atrocities to the very people he looked on as family. Black could have had more time with Harry before…..
Jason hadn't stuck around for much of the trial. The one question he'd had all those years had finally been answered, and the answer was one he never would have expected. Still, he thought bitterly, he should have known better. 'And you call yourself an Auror.'
The past six weeks had been filled with memories being brought back almost against his will, and when the alarm went off that something big was going down in Diagon Alley, Jason had decided to go along with his best team. If nothing else, it would take his mind off his own problems.
'Denial is a very good thing.'
He had been completely unprepared for the sight of two black-robbed figures, obviously dead, lying in front of a group of strangers, with the sons of Arthur Weasely and Lucious Malfoy crouching on the ground, looking scared to death.
"What is going on here?" he demanded, his long stride eating up the ground beneath him. A large black dog was hunched near them, fur bristling and teeth bared in a snarl, but he had faced more dangerous looking creatures then that before. He pushed the last few people out of his way, striding up to the group and holding up his identification card to the first person he saw, a dark-haired boy with somewhat Asian features wearing muggle clothing.
"Jason Armstrong. Auror-in-Chief. Who the hell are you?"
Draco's mother had told him there would be days like this. He should have stayed in bed.
The house-elves burning his breakfast was a minor discomfort. And his father's eagle owl had left a nasty little present on the kitchen floor after delivering the morning post just as he entered. Thankfully though, a quick clean up by Murky the house elf and an equally fast curse on the owl's tail feathers had righted that.
And certainly the day had started to brighten after that – hadn't he been given permission to go to Diagon Alley with a pocketful of galleons? And he met an interesting boy at the bookstore who was as intelligent as he, if a little naïve in terms of magic. So far, so good.
Even the shock of meeting Potter, someone he'd thought dead for weeks now. Shocking, yes – but possibly get-over-able, provided Weasely was stashed somewhere out of the way.
'The shock must setting in.' Draco cursed his insatiable curiosity that had caused him to hesitate in stunning Weasely, Potter and the strange boys, including Wufei, when they had tried to herd him off to Merlin knew where. One minute he was being escorted away; the next, he was cowering in a heap with the redhead while a battle was fought right over top of them.
Draco blinked again, his eyes still wide, but needing the moisture. He finally managed a look at Weasely who was still gaping in horror at the dead body laying a few feet away, a black-handled dagger sticking out of the chest. Draco swallowed hard, and turned back to the long-haired boy he had thought was a girl who had stood up after examining the body with Wufei. The boy – 'Duo', he recalled faintly – had a smirk on his face.
"….why should he get off easy?" Draco heard him say.
He had seen what the boy had done to the other one. Draco felt a little sick
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!?"
Draco's head snapped up and he watched, his face turning even whiter as a burly, muscular man in official looking robes stormed over. The large dog Draco knew as Sirius Black had started growling deep in his throat, his fur bristling. Next to him, Ron was still focused on the body, not even noticing the new arrivals. His freckles stood out more then ever on his pale face.
"Jason Armstrong. Auror-in-Chief. Who the hell are you?"
The blonde Slytherin shook his head, summoning all the years of training he'd had at composing himself, and took a deep breath. He fixed his wary eyes on the boy he knew was Harry Potter, as he traded looks with Wufei and Duo before stepping forward.
"Heero Yuy," he said calmly, his voice steady and low. Draco was surprised to see such composure from the Gryffindor. And what was with the 'Heero Yuy' bit anyway? "Two Death Eaters attacked me and my friends. We defended ourselves." A small smile graced his face. "You can see the results for yourself."
Armstrong looked unbelieving. "You and your little friends here took out TWO Death Eaters?" His eyes were as sharp as a hawk, and he gestured roughly to one of the Aurors to go to the other body a short distance away. Already the crowds had started to come back as curiosity set in. Draco assumed the man didn't want anyone contaminating his 'crime scene'.
"Sir." Potter nodded firmly. Duo suddenly knelt by the second body, across from Draco, and drew the dagger out with a soft squelching sound. Draco turned green.
"And who are your friends that helped you out?" Armstrong demanded. "I want names. Now!"
"Chang, Wufei," Wufei said, just as calmly as Heero. Draco, startled, glanced over. Wufei looked utterly unimpressed at the man's angry voice, and even a little bit bored. Another Auror, the name Mako on a tag on his robes, noticed Wufei's sword and gave the boy a strange look. Draco waited, but the agent didn't do anything else. Duo was next.
"Duo Maxwell, at your service!" He said cheerfully. He took a strange, see-through object from his pocket and dropped the dagger into it. He then presented it to Armstrong. "Here. For evidence. But I want it back."
Armstrong blinked at the long-haired, skinny boy who looked like a strong breeze would knock him over, accepting the bag somewhat numbly. "YOU killed that person?"
"He was going to kill my boyfriend," Duo drawled in a tone reminiscent of Draco's. "I tend to take that kind of thing sort of personally." Had Draco not been so stunned, he would have applauded.
"Sir?" A second Auror strode up to the group and saluted. "The other is dead of course, but there's a hole in his chest. He wasn't killed with magic."
"Well?" Armstrong glared at the group. No one moved. After a minute, Heero nudged Duo sternly.
Duo sighed, and reached behind his back, pulling out the strange weapons Draco had seen them all use, and handed it over, muttering," ..take away ALL my toys…"
"A gun?" Armstrong blinked. The second Auror accepted the weapon somewhat gingerly. "What are you doing with a muggle weapon?"
No one answered. The other Auror blinked, as though unsure of what to do. "Sir?"
Armstrong waved the other off. He looked like he was about to blow, when his eyes finally fell on Draco. 'Oh boy.' "MALFOY's kid? What the hell are YOU doing here?"
Draco swallowed again. "….I'm not entirely sure," he offered weakly. His mind was still whirling. His mother would never let him go anywhere alone, ever again. His father would kill him. That settled it.
He should have stayed in bed.
Jason resisted the urge to massage the bridge of his nose and stoutly ignored the pain starting to spread up his neck. He just knew his physician was going to have stern words with him later for adding even more stress to his life.
Two dead men dressed in Death Eater robes. Three armed kids who took them down. A large dog that looked vaguely familiar, if only he could think straight for a minute. Muggle weapons. And now to find the son of Lucius Malfoy right in the middle of it, looking shocked and sick.
Something big was happening right in front of him but damned if he knew what it was. With a sigh that he masked through years of practice, he took a second to scan his other team. Mako had taken charge, splitting the team up to handle the work. They had succeeded in backing away curious onlookers and the first body was being levitated into the air. The second body was being looked over by one his trusted Lieutenants, an enterprising young witch named Eva Brown. The third body was being guarded until more Aurors arrived from headquarters to assist – there were a lot of witnesses Jason wanted questioned. He turned back to the group of teens. 'Like them, for instance.'
Before he could demand some however, a shout rang out from down the street, and another small group of people joined the scene. A blonde boy raced down the cobblestone road, followed by a brown-haired boy, a curly-haired girl and a redhead. They were pushing their way past the crowds, clearly intent on joining the ones in front of him.
Eva's head snapped up and she raised a wand automatically, but was stunned when Heero brushed past her, pushing her hand so her wand pointed harmlessly at the sky. He held up his hand to stop her from retaliating. With a flash of her blue eyes, she nodded stiffly and pocketed her wand, though she kept a wary on the boy. The blonde skidded to a halt in front of Heero, his face calm but his eyes flashing.
"Status?"
"We're fine Quatre," Heero said quietly, smiling slightly. The boy – Quatre, Jason filed the name away for future reference – nodded and then beamed.
"You just can't stay out of trouble, can you?"
"I think you've got me confused with Duo," Heero returned easily. "And it's him who did all the dirty work."
Quatre shook his head. "I am NOT surprised."
"HEY!" Duo shouted indignantly. Quatre grinned and then frowned and walked over to where Ron and the Malfoy boy were still sitting.
"What happened?" gasped the curly-haired girl. "Har-Heero? Ron? MALFOY?" Her voice shook as her eyes remained riveted on the second corpse being levitated.
"Are you guys all right?" chimed the small redhead. The tall, brown-haired boy didn't say anything, but was checking everyone out with one piercing green eye, verifying for himself that everyone was in one piece. The subtle way he did it, as well as the cat-like prowl he did around the Aurors, picking out the location of their wands beneath their robe sleeves, screamed 'training!!!' At Jason. He snarled.
"That's it. You're all coming with me so I can get some decent answers out of you!"
"I'm afraid we can't do that," a voice cut in smoothly.
Jason's eyes snapped to the side. "And why no—" he stopped as he registered the familiar face standing there.
Long black hair, pulled back in a ponytail. A weathered face, a little more strained looking then he remembered, but the eyes were still as bright and dangerous as he remembered. Jason frowned, some of the wind taken out of his sails as he realized who it was. A cold ball materialized in the pit of his stomach, but he kept his face placid as he nodded his acknowledgement.
"Sirius."
"Hello Jason."
Quatre ducked past Heero, pausing long enough to clap a hand on Duo's shoulder before reaching Ron and the other boy. The two boys looked like they were seconds from complete shock, and Quatre's concern for them overrode his concern for the others, now that he no longer sensed any immediate danger. Heero, Duo and Wufei, he was confident could handle themselves, but Ron was looking quite sick, and the blonde was as white as a ghost.
"Ron?" he asked gently. "Are you okay?" He felt Trowa's presence behind him, automatically watching his back while his attention was focused elsewhere. The redhead was gulping in big shaky breaths and his eyes were as wide as saucers.
"He killed them! Both of them!" he gasped out, staring up at the soothing gaze of the blonde. "He…he…" Ron couldn't speak anymore, and clamped his lips shut.
"I know he did Ron," Quatre said quietly, laying a hand on Ron's arm. "I could feel Duo's turmoil – that's why we came back as fast as we could." He shook his head. "I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm sorry we weren't fast enough."
"Not your fault," the other boy said faintly. Quatre looked over and smiled reassuringly.
"My name's Quatre," he said, holding out his hand.
The boy stared at him in surprise – and then hesitantly reached out to grasp it, shaking it firmly. "Draco."
Quatre had an impression of fear, anger, surprise, shock and even more fear. He shook his head again to rid himself of the other's emotions, and then concentrated on sending nothing but soothing warmth. His space heart didn't allow for telepathy, and focused more on receptive empathy, but if he tried hard enough…….sure enough, the fear in Draco's eyes started to clear a little, and some of the color began seeping back into his face.
He smiled. "Are you two okay?" he asked again, this time including Draco. They nodded. Quatre knew realistically they weren't, but at least they weren't on the verge of passing out anymore. He placed a comforting hand on Ron's knee, squeezing lightly to remind Ron he wasn't alone there. The redhead looked at the hand, and then up at his face, giving him a shaky smile, recovering a bit of his composure.
Trowa tapped his arm and Quatre swung his gaze around to see Sirius and the large Auror staring at each other. Sirius was clenching his fingers around his wand so tight he could see the white from where he knelt. The tension was thickening almost tangibly, and Heero looked ready to intervene on his godfather's behalf. Quatre sighed.
"Back in a sec," he told the two. He gave Ron's knee one last pat and gestured for Hermione to take his place. The curly-haired girl nodded, and she and Ginny joined the two boys under Trowa's protection. Smiling, Quatre turned and jogged over to the others.
Trowa remained where he was; content to watch over the two from a vantage point where he could see everything, including the body of the elderly woman being magically lifted carefully by another Auror. A brief look of pity flashed behind green flecks before it settled back into blankness.
Quatre stepped between the two larger wizards and held out his hand to the larger man who shook it almost automatically. "Mr…?" he cocked his head at the Auror, as though listening to something only he could hear.
"Armstrong. Jason Armstrong."
"Mr Armstrong," Quatre nodded and flashed a brief smile and a nod at Heero who nodded back slightly. "I know you want answers, but here is not the best place for them."
"Correct, Mr Winner," came a new voice this time. Everyone turned to see Minerva McGonagall striding towards them. Her eyes, sharp behind her glasses, rested on each of them for a brief moment. "Professor Dumbledore would like you all to return with me to Hogwarts so we can sort this out. Mr Armstrong?" She inclined her head firmly at him.
Jason eyed his old professor for a long minute. Minerva McGonagall was a respected and trusted member of the Hogwarts staff, revered by her students for her mastery over Transfigurations, and was well-spoken of by many high-ranking members of the Ministry. Personally, he remembered her as a stern taskmaster, but a fair teacher. If she and Dumbledore were involved, then it must be even bigger then he thought. With that in mind, he nodded once, accepting her terms. His Lieutenant blanched and turned to face him.
"Sir, I don't think you—" Jason cut her off with a firm look.
"Transport the bodies and get someone to do a full autopsy. And then I want a 'Prior Incantito' done on their wands. Immediate team only and don't allow anyone else access until I return. Is that clear, Lieutenant Brown?" His tone brooked no disobedience.
"Sir!" Eva saluted, and then turned back to her work. Jason nodded with satisfaction and then glared at McGonagall.
"Well?"
"Mr Malfoy, you will accompany us," the professor said briskly. "Owls have already been sent to your home, and the Burrow, Mr and Miss Weasely, and your parents shall arrive at Hogwarts within the hour. If you'll all gather 'round, I have a port-key that will take us there." She held up a long, Gryffindor scarf.
Heero grasped a section of scarf and nodded at the others. Duo, Sirius, Hermione, Ginny, Wufei and Quatre followed suit. Trowa helped Ron and Draco up and ushered them over to take hold of the scarf and took the end for himself and Armstrong. Minerva looked around to make sure she didn't forget anyone and then tapped her wand once on the scarf.
"Activus," she intoned, and then the group disappeared.
End Part 22
Jason's in for a surprise! Will they trust him with everything? Gonna have to wait and find out. ^^
Yeah, this chapter took a bit of time – I was writing other fics, getting caught up on my art and creating a new 'chat features' section for my page – which is in desperate need of an update. ^^ A friend, Chibiange, did a side fic starring Sirius and Remus (licks lips) for me which will be posted there as soon as I get to it. Probably tonight or tomorrow at some point.
Not to mention I have a life outside of the fandom, and as much as I want to be able to do nothing but write and draw, occasionally I have to do things like work. ^^
Thank you for all the comments, suggestions, reminders and tips! I read Every. Single. Comment. And I consider your words carefully – I even make notes when someone catches something I didn't so I can address it later on. I have post-it's all over my desk!
What I'm getting at is your feedback means a good deal to me – and though I may not have time to respond to everyone individually, it doesn't mean I haven't read what you have to say.
Specifically, I'd like to thank:
Tiamatorin – for your ideas about the Squib Theory. I know there are some holes in mine, but I never once claimed to be a biologist – I tried to keep it something simple yet believable. I'm sorry it was working for you, but your ideas are interesting. Maybe I'll re-work the idea in a future chapter. ^^
Ergonykos – You're right. The canon Draco IS violent. But I also don't like canon Draco very much – he's a one dimensional character that hasn't experienced any growth whatsoever in the books, remaining as childish and mean-tempered as he was in year one. You'll see a lot of Draco to come, including year 5 from him – where he grew up a little. I have no intention of making Draco a soppy, sappy do-gooder though – he's sarcastic, spoiled, brilliant and wants everyone to know it. He loves power and being in positions of authority (personally, I think he'd make a wonderful Auror). But he also knows right from wrong – he may not agree with Dumbledore, Harry etc on everything, and he'll certainly never win the 'nicest personality' award but he's not a murderer. I made him grow up a bit in my fic since JKR won't let him in hers.
You also made some good comments at Quatre – you've seen him in action this chapter, you'll see more to come. But he can't sense creatures per say – he can only get emotions, and he usually has to be touching the person, unless he shares a bond with them, as he does from working for years with the other pilots, or with those he considers family.
Weather Marmalade - ^^ To be perfectly honest, I've been working so hard on the storyline within the HP world, I haven't really thought of them returning. Certainly Quatre and Trowa will, but as for Wufei…well, that goes along with what I said up at the top – we'll have to see. I don't think Heero will want to go home, and you know Duo will go wherever he is.
Additionally, the potion used to transport them in the first place is still at Snape's disposal, and 'returning' needn't be as climactic and heart-wrenching as one would think…^^
Arabian Babe – sleeping arrangements will be clarified when the boys return to the Burrow after their 'interrogation'. ^^ THAT I fully admit I forgot to clear up – thanks for pointing that out. ^^
Feedback please?
Stormy
Please send comments to: dingostorm@hotmail.com