Title: Code of the Griffin
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or....... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: From a war ravaged future, someone is sent back in time to change the course of the war.
The glow was eerie, with the pail red of the overhead combat lights, the light green tint of the monitors and the washed out orange of the visor display. Combined with the constant rumble of the engines and the random swaying as the Command APC sped across the vast, broken expanse of the battlefield, it almost felt like home to the compact armoured figure sitting in the command station.
"Grand Marshall, report coming in from Echo Sector." One of the technicians said from the monitoring station.
"Patch it through to my display." The armoured figure ordered, tuning out the nervous, rhythmic tapping of the foot of one of the bodyguards.
A crackle in the armour's speakers and the helmet's display changing to a split screen indicated the connection to Echo Sector. One side of the display showed the face of a trooper, their face darkened by dirt and trickles of blood, while the other showed an overhead view of the sector, with blue markers indicating friendly forces and red indicating enemy forces.
"Third army, Echo Sector, go for Grand Marshall Potter." The tech said.
"Potter here." The armoured figure said, voice distorted by the helmet's com system.
"Grand Marshall. Master Sergeant Wilks. The Third has suffered massive casualties, all senior offices KIA or incapacitated. In danger of being overrun. Require immediate assistance. Requesting Orbital Bombardment. Over."
"Request denied on Orbital. All ships currently out of range of your sector, current orbits have the next window in fifty minutes. Am re-routing Sixth Army into your position. ETA Thirty-Five minutes." The Grand Marshall ordered.
"Understood." The Sergeant replied, her face now set to an even more grim expression.
"Grand Marshall, We have reports from the 88th Artillery regiment. They are almost in range. They are moving into position now. Nine minutes to fire for effect. Six if they have accurate co-ordinates." A second technician reported.
"You catch that Wilks?" Potter asked.
"Rodger. Tell them to bring it down on my beacon. Dip, Dip, Dee, Dip." Wilks said.
A moment of silence filled the command APC. Everyone knew that Wilks was sacrificing herself.
"Good luck, Sergeant." The Grand Marshall said.
Wilks nodded before turning from the camera. "Sergeant West. Take command. Set up the Bombada Cannons on the left flank. And get me two Volunteers."
"Patching 88th through to third now."
The video link image went to static before the tactical map filled the display. The troops of Third Army reducing to a single icon and the icon of Sixth Army began moving to support Third.
"Bring Fourth up to cover Second's assault on Gamma Sector. Inform First they have to cover another thirty five miles of their front. Have the Luna shift orbit to cover Echo Sector." The Grand Marshall ordered.
"Mobile command to the Luna Lovegood, Come in. Over."
The low hum of the activity in the command vehicle surrounded the Grand Marshall, interspersed with orders being issued and the occasional deep thumbing of the turret guns firing
"Found Him!" one technician said cutting through the activity of the command team, bringing silence. "Coordinates displaying."
"Is this confirmed?" Potter barked.
"Affirmative. We have eyes on target. Slytherin Snipers identified the target but have no clear shot."
Potter smirked under the helmet. Slytherins, always devious, but now finally honourable.
"I want coms with the Slytherin who has eyes on." Potter ordered, then heard a click on the headset "Report."
"Corporal William Malfoy. Confirmed target from briefing Intel. Sending confirmation imaging." The Sniper said.
An image came on several of the monitors of the Dark Lord. The image was a long shot, and the image showed lots of obstructions but the face was clear through a window.
"Window shot is not an option." William continued. "Deflection is not a problem but it's armoured and warded. Anti-armour rounds don't have the magic to breach the wards and the Wardbusters can't get through the armour."
"Status on the location."
"It's a Fortress. Limited entries, expected high number of targets inside." Malfoy concluded.
"Gather in what Gryffindor and Slytherin forces are available. Converge them and us on the target. Transfer overall Strategic command to Ravenclaw elements. Move us in people."
Just as Slytherin units were the elite of the scouts and snipers in the Order of the Griffin, the Gryffindor units comprised the most elite of the combat cores. The Ravenclaw corpse were the strategic and intelligence experts. Hufflepuff were the heart of the Order's Logistics and Supply corpse. The Four Houses at last acting in harmony towards a single goal.
"Malfoy. Keep eyes on target as long as possible. Convergence of forces expected in twenty minutes. Report immediately if there is any major changes or if you lose eyes on."
"Rodger."
'Maybe this will finally finish it.' Grand Marshall Potter thought wearily. 'May this be the last Dark Lord.'
The command APC came to a halt behind a row of small hills a few miles from the fortress. The rear ramp lowered and the Grand Marshall exited, followed by five bodyguards, all in combat armour similar to the Grand Marshall's, but in simple red with a yellow trimming, instead of the dark mahogany red and muted, burnished gold of their leader.
The Grand Marshall was casually holding a sleek and powerful assault rifle, while an equally deadly pistol holstered at one hip and an ancient broadsword, with a long list of might deeds, including the slaying of a powerful dark snake in an underground cavern, sheathed at the other hip.
A few other APC's had arrived and were parked nearby, disgorging their armoured Gryffindors, who wore armour similar to the Grand Marshall and the bodyguards (who were drawn from the Gryffindor units) over the simpler armoured vests and helmets of the Army units.
"Grand Marshall." A voice called from the edge of the marshalling area.
Five figures in black armour, much lighter than the Gryffindor armour, but also much quieter, approached, the lead figure had removed the ski mask style hood to reveal platinum blonde hair and vibrant green eyes.
"Malfoy." Potter nodded with respect.
"I lost eyes on two minutes ago." Malfoy began with the most important item. "All exits are covered by teams and scans indicate no evidence of secret escape routs. Two teams managed to infiltrate the fortress seven minutes ago. They are scouting the way."
"Well done, Corporal. I want the teams to begin infiltrating as the exits get covered by Gryffindor units."
"Yes, Sir."
"Dismissed."
William Malfoy donned his ski mask style headgear and his team activated their stealth fields, and seemed to vanish. The stealth fields did not actually make you invisible, they just emitted a combination of a magical 'don't notice me' ward and a subtle blurring of light that made people's eyes just slide past the wearer.
As the unseen Slytherins departed, more and more APC's were arriving and preparing for the assault to come.
The massive blast resulted from the 'wall breaker' High Explosive rounds of three Battle Tanks firing from almost point blank range, blasting the massive main portal doors off their hinges and flying into the main entrance hall of the fortress. Within seconds the doors were followed by fast moving APC's whose cannon mounts sprayed the area in suppressing fire, wether there was an enemy there or not. The APC's screeched to a holt at the far end of entry hall, unable to go further and having done their job of crossing the distance to the fortress as quickly as possible.
The Gryffindors emerged and began fanning out into the fortress. A few came under gun fire or spells, but their armour was able to stand up to most of the fire and either absorb or deflect most of the spells. Still, despite their armour, Gryffindors still fell to enemy fire. One of the Grand Marshall's bodyguard died when an explosive round found a chink between the breastplate unit and helmet. Her head simply vanished. But for every Gryffindor that fell, so did many of the Dark Lord's followers.
While the Gryffindors swept through the lower levels of the fortress, the Slytherins were stealthily stalking the upper levels, taking out whatever small forces they came across that they could without drawing too much attention.
William Malfoy and his four teammates were moving along one of the upper corridors, when they heard voices. When they reached the door they saw the Dark Lord and a number of his followers.
"Malfoy to Grand Marshall. Dark Lord located. Sixth Level, South West Corridor. Sending coordinates."
As soon as he received a confirmation beep, Malfoy switched off his com set. After a quick glance at his teammates, and their silent ascent, they went in. Five minutes later, Malfoy was the only Slytherin left alive in the room, and he was bleeding badly as he was held kneeling in front of the Dark Lord. Twenty of the Dark Lord's followers had been killed in the attack before William's team had been killed.
"You are a Malfoy. Why do you fight me? Your family was once one of our most trusted servants." The Dark Lord asked.
"The biggest mistake in my family's history. I would rather die than serve you." William declared.
"So be it." The Dark Lord replied.
The sword penetrated William's lighter armour and pierced his heart, killing him instantly. As William hit the floor, the door burst open to reveal the Grand Marshall and the four remaining bodyguards.
The Grand Marshall stood over the body of the latest Dark Lord, his armoured but now headless corpse still gripping both a wand and a sword. Blood spattered Potter's compact but powerful armour and the armour was chipped and pitted from bullets, spells and close combat blades. Blood also dripped from the point of the sword held casually in the right gauntleted fist. Bodies, weapons and expended shell casings littered the floor. The last of the Grand Marshall's bodyguards pulled himself out of the room calling for a medic from the approaching Gryffindors, a blood trail stretching out behind him. For a moment Potter was alone.
"Another Dark Lord down. Congratulations." Came a voice from nowhere, before a mildly handsome man in a business suit appeared.
"Is it done?" Potter asked, head cocked slightly to the side but not really looking at the new man.
"Except for the mop up, yes." The man replied. "Voldermort's line is finished."
"Why so long? Why not when it happened?"
"Because you had to finish it. If you fail, it reverts to this."
The Marshall turned and approached the man, clearly angry, the armoured hand tightening its grip on the sword and the red glowing optical sensors boring into the man.
"All the worlds, all the death. All a backup plan?"
"You knew what was required when we made the deal." The man pointed out.
"But ten thousand years?!?" The Marshall reached up and removed the helmet.
The dark brown hair reached the shoulder guards and the hazel eyes bored into the Angel guised as a Man.
"Look, Mione." The now nervous Angel said.
"Only one person is allowed to call me Mione, and he died ten thousand years ago. Now keep your promise, Seraphim, on the Creator will have to find another messenger. Send me back to save Harry."
"Fine."
A wave of energy enveloped Hermione, and the Grand Marshall of the Order of the Griffin disappeared.
TBC