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A/N All right! Here's another chapter. It felt like the old days in how easily the words of this chapter flowed out onto my keyboard and screen. Maybe that means I'm finally over my writer's block. Let us hope anyway.
Chapter 20: The Chosen Ones
Around the rocks of Stonehedge, a barely walking one year old Victoire Weasley toddled after young Teddy Lupin, the two toddlers blissfully unaware of the tension amongst the adults with them.
"Things are not looking good," said Kingsley Shacklebolt. "My office is being bombarded by owls demanding better protection or more information on the investigation on the missing students. Aurors and Hit Wizards are overworked. Diagon Alley is practically deserted these days and with Gringotts still closed, the economy is suffering. There's a deathly silence at the Ministry that is really nerve wrecking."
"The situation is similar at Hogwarts," said McGonagall. "The classes haven't started yet and the new first years haven't even been sorted; they're living in a temporary dorm. Parents are concerned, wondering if they should be pulling students out of the school but even after the last war there are still some who insist that Hogwarts is the safest place in our world. But then, who knows how well Hogwarts's defenses would work against the power of these 'abnomalies'?"
"That's exactly my point!" exclaimed Kingsley. "Death Eaters and Dark Lords we can deal with. These 'abnomalies' however, they're nothing like anything we've encountered before!"
Meanwhile, Neville was with Hagrid. He looked around and saw that Harry was standing on one of the stone pillars looking out over the horizon. "What's he looking for?" asked Neville.
"He wouldna' tell me," said Hagrid. "I fer one am startin' to get worried. I'm 'fraid that he mighta lost 'is mind wi' Hermione and Ginny kidnapped an' all."
"No, he's stronger than that," said Neville. "But there's something suspicious about all of this. I feel like he's hiding something."
While Fleur Delacour-Weasley watched over Teddy and Victoire, her husband Bill Weasley and brother-in-law Charlie Weasley were sitting with their brother Ron. "So Ron," said Bill, "You know what this meeting is about?"
"Yup," said Ron. Bill and Charlie waited for Ron to elaborate but were only met with silence.
"You going to explain it to us?" asked Charlie.
Ron grinned and said, "And miss the looks on your faces when we show you? Sorry but you're going to have to wait."
Standing up on the stone pillar, Harry surveyed the witches and wizards whom had showed up. Close to sixty people were there: old veterans of the war and past members, new members who were itching to get back at the "abnomalies", a full company of Aurors accompanying Kingsley, and a number of Hogwarts professors both recognizable and unfamiliar. Still, Harry sadly couldn't help but remember those who were not there nor would they ever be: Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black, Alastar "Mad-Eye" Moody, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Fred Weasley, even Severus Snape. Harry prayed to God that nothing would happen to the others that were missing: Hermione, Luna, and the rest of the Weasleys. If anything were to happen to Hermione... he didn't know what he would do.
Harry looked out over the horizon again and saw an entire convoy of recognizable trucks and cars headed their way. He leapt off the pillar and said, "OK everyone, I'm calling this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix into session. Please take your seats."
Stonehedge magically morphed into an amphitheater, not too different from the Wizengamot courtrooms. The Order members took their seats amidst the theater (Fleur wrestling an antsy Ted and Victoire into their booster seats) while Harry stood in the field in the center of the amphitheater. "Now, I'm certain that everyone here is aware that this meeting was called to discuss our strategy about this new enemy we're facing," he said. "To start off with, I am pleased to announce that I have met with a group of allies who will fight with us during the upcoming battles."
The Order members started murmuring amongst each other. It was true that they needed the help but they had no idea who could possibly help them against these "abnomalies".
"Here they come now," said Harry. The convoy of trucks and cars entered the amphitheater led by a red Peterbilt 379 semi-truck. The amphitheater magically expanded to accommodate the automobiles as they parked in a row, the Peterbilt in the center. "Everybody, I present to you our new allies," said Harry.
"Cars and trucks?" said Neville. "Muggle cars and trucks? You're saying these muggle machines are going to help us?" He and Hagrid shared a look: perhaps Harry had lost his mind after all.
Harry grinned and said, "That's your cue."
The Peterbilt semi-truck suddenly stood up. Before the shocked eyes of the members of the Order of the Phoenix the Peterbilt semi-truck transformed into a 35 foot tall robot as the other automobiles shuffled to the side to allow space for the robot's massive feet.
Harry gleefully pranced out in front of the robot. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Order, allow me to introduce all of you to my friend," he said, "Optimus Prime."
The wizards and witches stared at the robot with expressions of shock and disbelief. "I am pleased to finally meet the famed Order of the Phoenix," said Prime. The Order for its part was speechless.
One by one, the other cars and trucks started transforming as well. Harry introduced them as they changed into their humanoid forms: "Jazz... Ironhide... Rodimus... Bumblebee... Prowl... Ultra Magnus... Wheeljack... Springer." He looked up and saw an F-22 Raptor fly over the amphitheater. "Oh, and one more," he said as the F-22 transformed into a robot and landed right next to Prime, "Jetfire".
The robots all stood around Optimus as Harry came forth before them. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Order of the Phoenix," he said, "I present to you the Autobots!"
The awkward pause was finally broken when Kingsley's aide, Toppham said, "B-but, aren't they 'abnomalies' as well?"
Harry frowned. "Same species yes but different faction," he said. "It would be unfair to lump them all as our enemies. That's like a muggle getting attacked by Death Eaters whereupon he decides that all wizards are evil, regardless of allegiance."
When faced with that analogy, the Order members could see Harry's point.
"Hey, Harry and I are going to vouch for them, OK," said Ron. "We've already been through a lot with these blokes and believe me when I say that they know what we're facing."
"I will vouch for them as well," said a voice from Harry's pocket. Harry pulled out a Chocolate Frog card and magically expanded it into a full sized portrait of Albus Dumbledore, to the surprise of the Order. "I am already well acquainted with the Autobots I will assure all of you upon my very word that they are our friends and allies," said Dumbledore.
That finally got the Order listening. The word of Albus Dumbledore, even as a portrait, held much weight. Still, there was still quite a bit of tension amongst the wizards.
"I understand all of your concerns. If I were in your places, I would most likely face the same doubts," said Prime. "We are the Autobots from the planet Cybertron. Our common enemy is the Decepticon faction. They seek several artifacts of magical origin in an attempt to turn the tide of our war to their favor and have thus involved you. For that I apologize gravely. Not too long ago, we have had the pleasure of getting ourselves acquainted with Harry Potter and several of his friends. They have been of indispensible help to us and..." Prime stopped his speech when he noticed that Harry had wandered away. "Excuse me but I have a quick matter to attend to. Prowl: take charge."
"What?" exclaimed Prowl as Prime wandered away. "Er... uh yeah... um... hello everybody... um... we are gathered here today... er... that is..."
"Oh move aside, Prowl," said Jazz, brushing Prowl away. "If you can't do it with style don't do it all." Jazz faced the assembled Order and held up his hands in a pair of 'aloha' signs. "Yo, what up jee?" he said. His casual attitude almost immediately caused the Order members to relax and some of them even chuckled. "Now let's get down to it as I lay out the situation to all of you chums."
* * *
Harry sighed as he made his way over to a hill nearby the amphitheater. He plopped down on his back and gazed at the stars shining high above.
"They look up to you," said Optimus's voice. He turned his head to see the Autobot leader make his way toward him.
"It's highly misplaced," Harry replied dryly. Optimus sat down next to him, taking up much of the hill.
"I doubt that," said Optimus. "No matter what the situation was, you were the one who defeated Voldemort. They have good reason to look up to you."
"I guess," said Harry non-committed.
"You're worried about Hermione," said Optimus. "I can relate. When Elita One was once captured by Shockwave, I recklessly charged straight in to save her. In the end, she was the one who ended up coming to my rescue, at risk of her own life."
"Elita One?"
"She's an old... friend of mine back on Cybertron."
Harry could tell that there was more to it than that but decided to let it slide. Instead he said, "You know they call me the 'Chosen One'. That's one title that's accurate but not in the glamorous way people often think it is. Do you know how I became the 'Chosen One'?" He pointed at his scar and said, "I was chosen by Voldemort himself when he decided that I, a half-blood like him, was the one prophesized to defeat him; he killed my parents and unwittingly stuck one of his horcruxes into my head." He sighed and said, "And the horcrux wasn't all that connected us. Our wand cores both came from the same phoenix: Fawkes. We're both orphans and half-bloods raised by muggles. During my sixth year, Albus showed me Voldemort's life through his pensieve: it struck me that the life of one Tom Marvolo Riddle was like a twisted parody of the life of one Harry James Potter. We even resemble each other a little. How can you relate to something like that?"
"A lot actually," said Optimus. "There are many parallels between myself and Megatron as well." At Harry's disbelieving look Optimus continued, "There is much Megatron and I have in common. We both have the same convictions, we both share the same determination, we both have the strength to carry through much hardship. We even both came from rather lowly backgrounds: him an Energon miner turned gladiator, myself a data archivist who worked part time on the docks. The only real difference between us is our vastly conflicting ideologies."
"Ideologies?"
"Megatron believes that it is the destiny for the Cybertronians to rule over all other forms of life. He vehemently believes that Cybertronians were meant to be the rulers of a vast empire with Cybertron as a mobile warworld and capitol, which will end the chaos of much of the universe wrought by Unicron. 'Peace through Tyranny' he calls it. He believes that that is Primus's will, or at least that's how he justifies it."
Harry sat up and looked toward the Autobot leader. "And what do you believe?" he asked.
"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings!" declared Optimus Prime. "For me that has been my one uncompromising belief. No matter what, I cannot go against it."
Harry looked up at Optimus Prime as if looking at him in a new light. Prime turned toward Harry and said, "They call you the 'Chosen One' you said."
"Well, yeah," answered Harry.
"Let me tell you something. When we first introduced ourselves to you and we gave you our designations, we told them in approximate translations of our Cybertronian names: most of them in English but some in other languages."
"O... K," said Harry, not sure where Prime was going with this.
"The designation 'Optimus Prime' is Latin for 'Chosen One'." At Harry's stunned look Optimus chuckled. "Of course, in my case the one who chose me was Primus." He placed his hand over his chest and continued, "Within my chest there is an object called the 'Matrix of Leadership'. It is a gateway to the Allspark of Primus where the Sparks of our race first emerge and where they eventually return. Cybertron may be Primus's physical body, his consciousness the operating system of the super computer Vector Sigma. His very essence however, is contained within a sphere about the size of a scooter in my chest."
"Talk about a lot of pressure," said Harry.
"You have no idea," replied Optimus.
The two "Chosen Ones" lied down on the hill, Prime's large body covering a rather significant part of it, and looked up at the stars. "Where's Cybertron?" asked Harry.
"It's around there," said Optimus pointing at the sky. "You can barely make it over..." He stopped when he spotted something over the horizon.
"What is it?" asked Harry, sitting up. He soon spotted what Optimus had seen: three jets flying toward them. One was an F-22 Raptor, one was an F-117A Nighthawk, and the last was a jet of a distinctly alien design Harry didn't recognize. "Are those..."
"Yes," said Prime as he stood back up. "Let's go back to the amphitheater. There's going to be some trouble."
A/N Wow. It's been a while since I've really written a chapter I'm proud of and flowed out rather smoothly. Hopefully, this means my long bout with writer's block is over. If not, well I'll still try to remain on schedule. Whichever way, we're heading into the climatic sections people. Lots and lots of intense action to come!