Wow people, I am surprised anyone is still interested in this story after wow, three years. It has been such a long time, and honestly, my life has changed so much from what it was when I first started writing. Many of those changes for the better. This story is one of the few that I believe I can rescue and continue writing despite the years that have passed. So here we go. The long-awaited chapter 4.

The air tasted stale, and wasn't that a horrifying thought, since the hybrid and his "rescuers "were currently outside. The landscape was littered with large dips and towering hills, the very ground still appearing as if it was covered with water. Harry felt tears, real this time, start to build up. His throat and nose tingling, as if readying themselves for him to break down and cry. The earth, his one true companion, she was dying. Harry softly brushed his mind against what was left of hers, a choking throb building in his throat when he realized that she was even weaker than just a few hours before.

Still though, he knew now was not the time, later, he would break down and truly mourn the loss of everything. The loss of all that truly mattered. Later the man would take the time to truly absorb everything that had happened, and the brutal reality of what will happen soon in the future. For now, he had to survive these mundane.

Harry stumbled slightly, tripping over his long hair, and his, well, own feet. A hundred years and becoming a new species not even able to destroy the clumsiness of his youth. Harry chuckled, I wonder what Malfoy would say? Harry smirked, nearly hearing the snide tone of the Slytherin in his mind, what's wrong pothead? I'm sure even a dunderheaded Griffindor like yourself can walk. Harry shook his head as he straightened himself out, a smile playing on his lips as he remembered easier times, times when all he had to worry about was beating his irritating rival.

"….." Harry blinked, looking up, that captain -Stanels his mind whispered- was talking. "...Hey, are you ok?"

Harry shrugged, looking down as if terrified, "I…. no. Everything is…so…so weird." Allowing the briefest hint of his devastation to enter his voice, Harry trembled, "What am I going to do?"

Silence followed, the only sound the crunching of boots against salt incrusted desert. To the side, he could see the two wizards, muzzled and colored with some sort of red glowing metal. They were glaring at him, disgusted. He winked at them, feeling a surge of pranking spirit (God but George and Fred and everyone is gone…) when they started to struggle in their bonds, or at least, the bigger man did, the minister too cowed to do much of anything.

"Well," Harry snapped back to attention, looking up at the captain, "I reckon if your story checks out, that I could find you a job. We are always looking for volunteers in the army."

The hybrid blinked, not sure whether he should be relieved that his ploy seemed to be working out, or angry that this man dared to think he would join up with the very people responsible for destroying his earth…!

Deep breaths, the immortal shuddered, before tearing up, "That…. that is such a relief! I just…" Harry looked away, "I don't even have any idea how to survive in this world."

"Well you are about to learn." The captain growled, his demeaner starting to change. Confused, harry looked around before gulping, they were here. The building was nearly invisible, the walls painted in such a way that it just looked like another natural formation on the landscape. It was at least three stories tall, and weapons could be seen everywhere, as if these people thought they would be attacked at any moment. And maybe they could be, harry briefly remembered the many post-apocalyptic movies his cousin used to watch; disease and war and blood rampant on a wasted earth, humans killing themselves to survive. There earth was wasted, so the hybrid wouldn't be surprised if everything else wasn't true as well.

A group of mundane soldiers appeared from a hidden doorway, each one hardened and at attention, a weapon clasped tightly and ready. Behind them, men poured out and started to shackle the minister and his goon, readying the two wizards to be brought inside the compound. Stanels was barking orders, voice gruff as his hand clasped down upon Harry's shoulder, fingers tightening. Roughly Harry was led towards the building, a growled "Leave it," keeping him from being shackled as well. Harry felt relieved, realizing that despite the harsh treatment, this captain at least trusted him enough that he was not being treated like a prisoner.

The inside of the compound was mayhem. Men rushed back and forth, yells echoed through the corridor. The entire place was a dull metallic gray, and lights seemed to buzz in their sockets above. Each person was clad in a generic army uniform, clothes neat and boots shining. The hand on Harry's shoulder relaxed slightly, and Stanels easily and naturally navigated himself and his charge through the chaos.

The echoing chaos from before was silenced when the entered a square box, a lift, and the ting started to hum to life. "Lift 4 to level 3," Harry blinked as the words seemed to hang in the air. The metal elevator pinged, and the thing started to move upwards, growling mechanically the whole time.

Harry shuffled, honestly a bit uncomfortable with standing still in this thing. He wanted the blue sky and green grass…but both things were gone. The earth was gone, nothing would ever bring it-

Harry shook his head, not willing to let himself turn down that path. Now was still not the time.

"Kid," Harry looked up, surprised that the captain would break this silence. Honestly, Harry got the feeling that the man was not usually this vocal outside of his job requirements. "Just…You are going to be fine, just tell the board the truth and you should be free." The older (In appearance) man tightened his grip reassuringly.

Harry nodded, feeling a wave of…not relief, but something at least ressembling positivity.

When the elevator dinged gain, and the doors started to open and Harry steeled himself for anything. The oppressive knowledge that muggles must have advanced themselves beyond imagining was at the for front of his mind. Who knows what type of futuristic technology lied behind these doors?

When the final clang of the doors reveled nothing but a more mechanical looking technology based room, harry was just a bit bummed. OK, maybe slightly more bummed. Where were the shiny sleek surfaces and interactive live holograms? Or the robots that talked in silly voices? Harry huffed, all the sci-fi movies he spied from his cupboard were lies. The reality was simply harsh and cold.

He was nudged out of the lift, and the immortal shuffled hesitantly into the room, eyes taking in the many computers and large screen section off into four parts. Static ran through the room before all fours screens started to make a whirling noise, images of four rather imposing individuals taking up a single screen each started to fade into view. The far-left screen was occupied by a rather mean looking black man, his face stern and grizzled, a bit like that one mean monkey from that Disney movie…harry vaguely recalled a boy raised by apes, and this one cranky leader ape. This man seemed to be perpetually angered and vigilant. Next to him was a hard-faced woman, young and sharp. Her bright red hair was tamed expertly into a bun. To her side was another man, this one resembling an ape more in physique instead of manner. He was huge, with bulging muscles and scars covering his face and neck. The final member of what harry could only assume was the "board," whatever that meant, was a severe older woman of Indian decent. She had beautiful long black hair tightly woven into a braid, and her skin was a lovely dark color, disturbed only by the many lines crossing her face; scars and wrinkles both.

Harry gulped, these people reminded him of mad-eye, he was most certainly doomed.

Tbc

Whew, I have been working on this for many months. I am working on a major upheaval of all of my planned scenes, so fingers crossed.