In the castle courtyard a line of students waited in line for their turn at the wheel of the muggle car. After James Bond had allowed Justin Finch-Fletchley to drive his car around the grounds, Professor Bond found himself besieged with requests from other students for a chance to do the same. It had begun with the muggle-borns but soon spread to every student, even those from pure blood families that usually had nothing whatsoever to do with all things muggle. The headmaster had been forced to intervene to avoid disputes among the students waiting their turn. That's how Professor James Bond, first muggle Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry found himself with a new role of teaching Drivers Ed!
"Not too bad Mr. Goyle," Professor Bond said as he climbed out of the Vanquish's passenger seat. Harry and Ron standing close by could see James looked slightly paler than usual. "You just need to remember that the steering wheel turns clockwise to go to the right and anticlockwise to go left, not the other way around."
"Professor Bond!" Professor McGonagall said as she came hurrying up. "Professor, we have just received an urgent message from the ministry for you. Someone called Q has been taken seriously ill. He is asking for you."
"I have to get to London right away." James Bond replied.
"We can use the flue connection in the headmasters office to get you directly to Diagon Alley.
The waiting students were forgotten as the Professors hurried into the castle.
"Who's Q, Harry?" Ron asked knowing his friend knew a lot more about Professor Bond than anyone else.
"I met him once. He's a nice old man and I think he was James' mentor when he was growing up. James certainly looks up to him in many ways like a father. Q was the Quartermaster's predecessor and was responsible for all the gadgets and weapons that James used in his work. I hope he will be alright." Harry told Ron. The other students around took little heed of Harry's comments except for a few Slytherins who without drawing attention to themselves noted every word.
Voldemort looked amused, "So this muggle professor at Hogwarts is some sort of muggle auror. Well we will teach him the dangers of meddling in our world."
"Lucius, I am very disappointed in your son. If it weren't for others," Voldemort indicated two rather fat death eaters to one side. Goyle and Crabbe beamed in the Lord admiration of their sons' information, "we would not have found out about this opportunity to show that fool Dumbledore that we can reach even his pet muggle." Voldemort hissed at Lucius Malfoy who stood before him with his head bowed.
"My Lord," Lucius replied bowing low, "Draco has warned caution against acting on this so-called information. He is suspicious of the apparent ease the information was obtained."
"Nonsense! This is your son merely trying to make up for his own failure. He will receive my displeasure for this failure when next we meet. Tell him further failures on his part will only compound the welcome he will receive." Voldemort shouted at Lucius Malfoy. "Leave me now before my displeasure with your son spills over onto his father!"
Lucius made a hasty departure. He was furious that Draco had placed him in this position. The boy's failure in this matter would receive his father's displeasure as well as the Dark Lords.
James Bond stood before the gathered crowd as he struggled to find the words for the eulogy he was giving beside the coffin.
"Q was a unique individual. A genius as a designer of some of the most advanced technology of this age. But that is not what made him the great man that changed the direction of so many lives. It was his humanity, his ability to reach so many of us in our darkest moments and make us see that what we do was necessary. Here today are many who in the not too distant past were the bitterest of enemies. The walls have fallen not just between our nations but also between us as individuals. Q gave many of us the skills and the strength to survive to see this day. The world has changed much but Q showed us the eternal truth that good men must endure the darkness and in the end the light will be victorious."
"So many years ago Q for whatever reason took pity on a skinny young recruit. He helped me cope with the training and then after I survived my first mission more by good luck than skill, he put me back together and made me realise not just the importance of what we do but the honour involved in it. We fight and give our lives so others can be safe and free. Q is not dead, not while one of us stand against the dark. For there is always a new darkness that will threaten us and it is for each generation to stand and to take up the torch for the light of freedom for us all against that darkness."
Around James Bond in the grounds of the cemetery stood many of the intelligence community surviving leading figures. Former allies and enemies gathered on this one occasion to mourn the passing of one of their number. M stood to one side, her counterparts from Russia, the United States, and China close by. All knew him not by his name but by the single letter of the alphabet, which stood for his role in British intelligence, "Q". Quartermaster and chief inventor of those necessary aids to agents in the field. His coffin draped in the Union Jack, garlands of flowers and wreaths stood at the side.
Silent as the grave itself dark figures crept around the edges of the headstones on the edge of the cemetery. Black robed and wearing masks they stole into position surrounding the area. Their arrival however did not go unnoticed. James Bond saw out of the corner of his eye, the first of the death eaters to move forward into the sight of the mourners. With a mere look in his eyes, he alerted M who was standing next to Felix and his CIA colleagues and Valentin and his KGB buddies. The Chinese agents didn't miss the sudden increase in the tenseness of their fellow mourners. Hands casually drifted inconspicuously into coats and pockets.
"James Bond I believe. Does that old fool Dumbledore think we would tolerate such an insult as a muggle teaching our children." The death eater in the lead yelled.
"What do you want?" James yelled back.
"To teach you muggle fools to stay out of matters that don't concern you." The death eater replied and then crackled in laughter as he drew his wand.
But James was faster and drew his hand from his jacket.
"Muggle weapons are no use against us!" the death eater yelled as he noticed the movement and it was true enough. No bullet would penetrate the protective spells they had cast around themselves in preparation for this attack. But it was not a gun that James Bond drew from his jacket. It was a wand. "Expellarius!" James yelled and the death eater was blasted backwards as his wand fell from his hand.
M threw a stunning spell at the Death eater immediately in front of her and caught him by surprise too. The other mourners made the most of their first volley of curses and nearly all the Death eaters were incapacitated. The remaining death eaters scattered seeking cover amongst the headstones of the cemetery. The death eaters who attempt to disparate screamed in hideous pain. Blue uniformed members of the army of light could be seen moving into the cemetery from all its entrances. There was no escape for the remaining death eaters. A game of cat and mouse began between the combatants but it could in the long run have only one outcome now.
Many miles away from the scene in a secure bunker deep under Whitehall, M watched the relayed video from the cameras overlooking the cemetery. Beside her stood her counterparts from the worlds major security organisations. Never before had they ever stood in one room. Never before had they all faced a common threat together.
"I believe you have all been briefed by your local ministries dealing with… let us call it the hidden world. Before their internal disputes have gone largely unnoticed by our world but with the rise of this new Dark Lord we are all involved in this war whether we like it or not. Terrorist attacks linked to these death eaters are occurring everywhere. If they are not contained and defeated we will face obliteration. James Bond has special links with the troops you just saw take out the terrorists. James?"
"Thank you M, Ladies and gentlemen today you witnessed an attack by these terrorists known as Death Eaters and the counter operation against them. The whole thing was an ambush set up to show you how we intend to take out these death eaters. You might be surprised that both the planning of the counter operation and the intelligence that this ambush was based on was all the work of one individual. And he is 16 years old."
The gathered security chiefs and their aids were, to say the least, shocked.
"A teenager?" one asked.
"An extraordinary teenager who I have been training for many months. It will be him who will direct all actions against the Death eaters, with our help of course. His name is Harry Potter. You just saw him in action. That was him impersonating me giving the eulogy at the funeral."
"Call that an eulogy, do you?" a voice from the side muttered.
"Q, please!" M whispered to the old man sitting nearby.
"And don't think I didn't see that pitiful excuse for a wreath from the department either. After all the years I gave to the department you'd think…" Q continued to mumble.
"Q this was a fake funeral." M hissed to Q, "I see no point in wasting departmental funds on extravagant flowers when you aren't really dead. I promise you when you are really dead I will order a much more suitable wreath. Now if you don't shut up the order will be going in tomorrow!"
"Harry Potter and his troops will lead the way in all actions dealing with these Death eaters." James continued ignoring the conversation to his side.
Discussions amongst those present broke up into small groups. The Russians were huddled around Valentin and he used exaggerated hand gestures to get his arguments across the new Russian security chief. Felix was having a similar discussion with the US undersecretary of defence.
"This is hopeless!" James said quietly to M.
She just gave a small smile and replied, "Patience 007. This is a good start. It will take them time to absorb what they have learned today. I am sure that in the end they will co-operate fully. I mean what other choice will they have."
"I hope you are right." James said turning around to watch the monitor screens again. He could see Harry begin to transform back into himself and still in the naval uniform of a commander he continued to direct his troops in the cleanup of the remaining deatheaters. "I worry about Harry and his friends. The risks he took to get us this information was greater than they will ever know and if we waste this one chance to stop the Voldemort and his death eaters, what hope do we have?" The pain and worry that crossed the face of James Bond was obvious.
"Not easy is it? To watch another risk themselves while you sit back here at headquarters all safe and sound." M said quietly. "Perhaps you are learning what it was like for us when you were off on some mission to save the world. Now the time has come for you to pass the torch to another. But I think you have chosen well. And the boy could have no better mentor than you James."
"I hope so, M, I really hope so!" James replied and together they turned back to the others.
"A TRAP! A TRAP! What do you mean it was a trap?" Voldemort bellowed at the cowering Death eaters. "FOOLS, I am surrounded by fools!"
"My lord it was Potter,he was…" the deatheater began but was stopped as the Crucious curse hit him.
"Potter! POTTER!" Voldemort bellowed. "I will take care of Potter!" The deatheater's screams continued for a long time until he stilled and remained quiet. Whether he had merely lost conscience or was dead, no one cared. If he was fool enough to use the name of the-boy-who-lived in front of the dark lord, his fate was sealed.
"All of you get out! GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!" Voldemort yelled.
The death eaters fled before the wrath of their Lord. "Not you Lucius!" Voldemort snapped.
Lucius Malfoy felt a chill down his back at the prospect of being alone with the Dark Lord while he was in such a rage.
"It would seem that Draco's caution was warranted after all. He has good instincts! I will place more weight on his reports and all those loyal to me at Hogwarts will be under his control. Tell your son he is responsible for punishing those fools at Hogwarts who led us into this disaster. The Malfoys are beginning to prove themselves to be most valuable servants. If this continues you and your son will have positions second to none, save your Lord."
"Yes my Lord. My son will be honored by your praise, Lord." Lucius groveled. He was pleased by the praise that Draco's report had brought to him and with his own designs weaved into the death eaters' attacks he helped the Lord plan, he was most happy with the turn of events.
"Lucius, you will begin preparation of our attack on Hogwarts itself. Draco will be responsible for disabling the protective wards around the castle. We will strike into the heart of the resistance to us and sweep aside all those who oppose us. With Hogwarts under my control the ministry will fall into line and we will have won! Failure is not an option."