Chapter 4
As they left the room Samantha turned to Harry “I cannot believe you counter-offered the queen of the British commonwealth.”
“Neither can I” Harry admitted quietly chewing on his lip “My family may mean something to her and Britain, but I have served my nation once giving the full measure of devotion as it were. While she is my queen, she does not own me.”
Samantha smiled and was about to respond when a balding middle-aged man came in with two younger men one blond and the other brown-haired arguing however whatever they were arguing over died when all three caught a look at Samantha in her dress blues “Excuse us, Ma’am, I hope we did not interrupt.”
“No interruptions gentlemen we were just leaving could you by chance point us to the oval office my superiors and father are meeting with President,” Samantha asked
“Josh, could you escort the good captain and her guest to the oval office.” The older man asked seeing that Josh was still slowly looking up from Samantha’s legs “Joshua!” he barked
Josh looked up “Yes, I can do that,” he said leading them out of the room “I am Joshua Lyman, I am sorry for that little thing you just witnessed. It was unprofessional of me to stare and give you the once over.”
“I am Harry Potter and this is my wife, Samantha,” Harry said eyeing the man “While it may be unprofessional. I can forgive you … you do look like someone who is married … to their job. What is it you do here Mr. Lyman.”
For a moment Josh was mortified ‘Married to my job’ he thought then he heard Donna’s voice in the back of his mind ‘Well you are’ “I suppose I am married to my job, I am the deputy chief of staff you had lunch with the president and queen Elizabeth so you must have met my Boss. Leo McGarry.”
When Harry looked confused Samantha stepped in “He tries to keep things from going off the rails.”
“That is about the size of it, “Josh said leading them to a desk with an older woman who was typing something up “Mrs. Landingham this is Captain Potter and her husband Harry Potter. The President, her father, and her superiors are expecting them.”
Mrs. Landingham gave Josh an appraising look before turning to Samantha. “Captain Potter if you would not mind, I would like a moment alone with your husband. Please go on in. Thank you Josh you can go back to your office now. I have on good authority Donna is looking for you.”
Josh nodded sheepishly giving one last look at Samantha and leaving the room. Mrs. Landingham touched a button on Her phone “Captain Potter is here.”
--
20 minutes earlier the Oval Office
Jed led Jack into his office. Taking a seat in a chair he motioned for Jack to sit. “I am sorry Jack, sorry for falling out of touch and sorrier than you can ever know about the loss of your son.” The president began with no preamble “Sara…”
“Communication is a two-way street, Jed.” Jack admitted his thoughts of his son “You were governor of New Hampshire. I was and still am in the special operations branch. Sara… we separated and it is all my fault. After Charlie died… well, it was rough I thought about eating a bullet more than once. Then General West tapped me for the first foray through the gate. You now know how that turned out.”
Josiah Bartlett looked at his longtime friend “I am glad you found your way through. I think that Sara Might be inclined to listen to you now.” Seeing a small smile play across Jack's face “You already are.”
“We might have had a couple of dates after she signed an NDA,” Jack said quietly “We are working on reconciliation. One of the things we have talked about is adopting and with the whole off-world thing eventually we will run into a child who needs help.”
“Well, then I will not interfere…” whatever the president was about to say the income stopped him “I have the first lady on line one!”
“Thank You, Mrs. Landingham.” The President stated before turning to his body man “Charlie could you get us some refreshments? If you happen to see T’ealc, Dr. Jackson, and George Hammond send them up as well”
“Yes, Mr. President,” Charlie said smiling as he left the office
“Charlie one other thing, I sent someone to pick up your sister from school. You are both having dinner with us tonight.”
“Abigail, I have you on Speaker an old friend is visiting and would like to say hello.” The president smiled waiting for his wife’s curiosity to get the better of her. He was not disappointed
“Jed, you do know I am about to go into a meeting with the head of Health and Human Services”
“Hey, Abby it's Jack.”
“Jack, I only know one Jack he is a notorious flirt. Why My eldest had a thing for him” Abby teased “Thankfully she outgrew that.”
“Elizabeth had a thing for me…. Seriously?”
Abby could not take it anymore and burst out laughing “She thought you were the best-looking man she had ever seen but you were both too old and way too immature for her.”
Jack just gaped and before he could respond “Honey Jack and his team will be our guests for dinner tonight “the president said for everyone to hear “How long do you think your meeting will take.”
“As luck would have it the head of HHS just called my assistant and canceled, we are on our way back now.” Abigail said over the phone “It will be good to see you, Jack, it has been far too long “
“It has been and I am sorry for that,” Jack admitted
“Jack, I know you are military and you go where you ordered to,” Abigail said warmly “We should be there in 45 minutes. You and Jed behave.” The phone call ended and the men spent the next ten minutes until the phone Intercom beeped “Captain Potter and her Husband are here.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Landingham, Please send Samantha in,” Jed said cutting off the intercom. Samantha quirked an eye then looked at Harry who shrugged his shoulder
“Well, I suppose I can but I must say I am very curious I hope it is something Harry won’t mind sharing “
“I had not thought of that, “Harry said thinking before motioning Samantha into the office “How can I help you, Ma’am?”
“Well, you can give your old great aunt a hug!” she said with a smile but then paused seeing Harry work his through it “You probably have questions …” when the taller young man closed the distance sweeping the elderly woman a tight hug which she gladly returned she felt more than heard Harry mumble something.
“What was that, Harry?” she asked Gently
“Potter or Evans?”
“Margaret Evans, was my elder sister, Lily and Petunia are my nieces.” She saw the questioning look in Harry’s eyes “As you probably guessed Your mother was not muggleborn but descended from squibs. I have magic just not enough to power a wand, and I am completely useless at brewing I do have quite the green thumb though.”
“Why has Aunt Petunia never…” Harry tapered off seeing the sad look on the ladies.
“You have to understand that until Lily went to Hogwarts she and Petunia were very close. Petunia was the doting older sister.” Delores Drew in a breath and released “Lily thrived, she was erudite, vivacious, and above all very beautiful all things that came easy for her. Everything that Petunia in her mind was not. Just before you and Dudley were Born, your grandparents Margaret and Cecil were killed all the resentment erupted to the surface.”
She paused a faraway look in her eyes “You have to understand both your mother and Petunia were within weeks of giving birth between the stress of their parent’s death and the pregnancy hormones Petunia lost it and attacked your mother verbally. It was the very last time they spoke.”
“How do you know this?” Harry asked
“I was there.” The elderly lady spoke sadly “I was the executor of their will. Petunia thought she should have gotten more. Your grand Parents left Lily their home. Petunia was enraged she got so worked up she went into labor.”
“I can’t see Vernon letting something like that slide” Harry mused seeing his great-aunt stiffen “What did he do?”
“In the course of getting Petunia to their car, he laid hands on your mother” His great aunt whispered “which in turn caused an altercation between your father and Vernon. It was not a good day for anyone.”
“That is putting it mildly Auntie…” Harry said not realizing the effect it might have had on her “I am sorry that was presumptuous of me.”
“Not at all nephew. Now that you know you still have family I trust since you will be stateside you will visit from time to time.” She said with a smile “I have some other family things I have to pass on at some point I would have passed them to my sons but sadly they died in conflicts overseas. We can talk more at Thanksgiving. Assuming you and Samantha can make it back east or I can come out west. “
“I am fairly certain We can work it out,” Harry said with a smile. Hugging his great aunt. They chatted in hushed tones for another five minutes
“I have monopolized enough of your time, Harry.” Delores said putting her headset back on “Go on in they are expecting you. Drop me a line when and Samantha get settled.”
“I will Aunt Delores” Harry promised then turning to the door the elderly lady watch Harry square his shoulders and she was taken back in time watching her brother-in-law do the same thing which brought a smile to her face Harry not noticing passed out of the room.
Sam Walked into the Oval Office to Jack and the President Bantering back and forth when a pause in the conversation gave her the opening she needed “Mr. President if I may be so bold why did your Assistant need to speak with Harry.”
That sobered the president up he looked like he was searching for the words to say when he found them, he exhaled “Mr. Potter is related to Mrs. Landingham she is his great aunt on his mothers’ matriarchal side.” The President paused “I am fully aware of Mr. Potter's life all of it and if it would not have caused an international incident, I would have sent in the 87th airborne to help him.”
This gave Samantha pause as while she and Harry had talked about some of his life they had not talked about much after the third year. She stiffened and raised her head and the president interrupted her before she could speak “It is for him to tell you Samantha, Can I call you Samantha?”
Looking at her father he nodded “Yes Sir that will be fine. I do have some other questions of a more political nature.”
“Go ahead and ask them but keep in mind I may not be able to answer them” the president responded crisply. “Go on then ask!”
“Why Are you and her majesty Pushing my husband into Officer Candidate School sir.” She asked through gritted teeth “Do you have any idea of what you are asking of him? You Say you are aware of what his life was like then you must know that he has seen and done things that even some of our most battle-hardened soldiers would balk at. I have barely touched the surface. He needs time to come to grips with everything before we set him on the path to being an officer.”
Jack picked up on something in Sam’s demeanor and her voice “How Bad?”
“Close to 5 alarm fire in the middle of F5 tornado,” Samantha said quietly “He needs to speak to someone about his experiences, he needs to grieve, I have no doubt he will be an asset to the SGC But please Talk with her majesty and delay his OCS courses.” As she spoke her magic began to build crackling around her
Admiral Fitzwallace looked like he was going to speak up to chastise Captain Potter for her gross insubordination only to be stalled by the president’s hand
Josiah Bartlet was no stranger to angry women again choosing his words carefully “Our thoughts were eventually he would be the commanding officer of the British contingent. His commission is a filed commission granted due to his actions vis a vis the events leading up and during the Battle of Hogwarts and his efforts during his gauntlet.” He looked uncomfortable “Has he spoken of either event?”
“No, we have not gotten that far we are up to the events end of his third year” she admitted I mean I saw his life but he is putting everything in context when he explains.”
“There is no good way to explain this so I am going to show you the timeline of events of his gauntlet” The president winced and took the remote and fast-forwarded to the part where Harry engaged the Kraken fast-forwarded further into the until it queued up the moment the Kraken struck harry destroying his broom and breaking his body “Captain Potter as you can see at this moment your Husband was dead for the better part of 15 hours.”
Samantha was horrified looking at everyone in disbelief before breaking out in tears
“I know this is hard Captain Potter I am going to fast forward to the next salient part” he then fast-forwarded to the moments before Harry’s miraculous recovery white wisps of a sort started circling his body, they could all see beams of soft white light completely healing the young man and then Harry’s eyes opened “Whatever those were they brought your husband back to life. Watch what happens next”
Harry walked into the Oval Office and was surprised and dismayed he could see Samantha shaking the tears running down her face she did not even notice Harry had entered the room until he wrapped his arms around her, she turned and buried her head against his neck and sobbed uncontrollably.
“Turn it off please!” he asked quietly “It’s Okay Love I am here and I will explain everything when we are alone.”
“I am afraid you need to explain it to me,” the president said rewinding the tape to the wisps that Harry knew to be ancients. “What are those?”
“They are all that remains of race that built the stargate system.” Harry decided the half-truth would survive. “They were guardians and watchers when the trident of Neptune was broken the Kraken was given its head and yes it killed me. While I was dead, I learned that it was a remnant left and while they could not destroy it themselves due to the rules their kind live by, they could temporarily give me the power to act in their stead “
Jack’s eyes narrowed he had been around Harry enough to know he still held the power. Harry catching the man’s gaze gave an imperceptible shake of the head Once they did what they did to me they ascended with the rest of their people.
“They also told me that there was a planet that has a stargate where an alliance of races used to meet” he paused hoping the ancients if they were watching would not try to stop this “The Alliance was of Four races, The builders of the Gates, The Nox, The Asgard, and the Furling. It was inferred to me that we should follow in their footsteps and find the member races of the old alliance they have much to teach us” Harry paused holding the still-shaking Samantha “Now, can someone tell me why they thought it was a good idea to make my wife Cry?”
“She requested us one that in hindsight I should have honored rather than questioning,” The president said humbly “We are going to delay your entry into OCS. It has been Pointed out to me… that you need time to heal, to acclimate to your new life. We will bench that for a year I know Elizabeth wants you to be in command of the British contingent it can wait a year she will understand.” Pausing he picked up the phone “Mrs. Landingham could you have Charlie find General Hammond and the Rest of Colonel O’Neil’s team? Thank you!”
Admiral Fitzwallace approached the couple and turned to the president “Would it be okay if I took Captain Potter and Mr. Potter across the Hall and had a quiet word with them.” Seeing the appraising look the president and Sam’s Father gave him “Not about OCS the fact of the matter is he does need some training if he is going to serve on a frontline unit like SG1. If it is any comfort General Hammond and SG1 can join us I promise they will be able still to Join you for Dinner Sir.”
When the president nodded the admiral turned to the married couple “Would you Walk with me, Colonel O’Neill, I would like you and the rest of your team to join us”
The old admiral led them to a smaller conference room he sat down and motioned the others to sit as they were joined by General Hammond and the rest of SG1 “Captain Potter while you were Insubordinate to the commander and chief of our armed forces. You make a very good point Mr. Potter needs to see someone. This was one of the reasons the joint chiefs and the president decided to shutter operations on the Stargate until we could get the required personnel. That has been taken care of. When you return to Cheyanne Mountain Captain Potter you are to ensure Mr. Potter reports to the CMO.”
“I was going to do that anyway admiral” Harry admitted, which caused the admiral to raise an eyebrow “The CMO is my godmother and trust me the only person she will be more rigorous in her checks and orders will be Colonel O’Neil.
The Admiral made a note “Mr. Potter that leads into a second problem and the one that bugs me the most. You will be serving on a frontline Military Unit with your wife who outranks you. That is a problem.”
“No, it is not” a feminine voice Interrupted the admiral causing everyone to turn seeing the Secretary of Magic holding a sealed envelope. “Her Majesty, through her department of mysteries drew these orders up they were just delivered, Admiral. Mr. Potter if you would do the honors.”
Harry took the envelope looking at it like it was a howler opening it he read the note attached handing it to the Admiral he looked glum the admiral smiled and then started chuckling “It would seem her majesty has granted a brevet promotion to captain in the SAS which will be confirmed when his OCS is completed. However, that does not change the fact that Mr. Potter has no military training and is at best a solo tier one operator.”
“That may be the case admiral” General Hammond interrupted “Given that SG1 has a civilian archeologist on the team I am sure we can ensure Captain Black is trained properly.”
“George, I don’t doubt that for a minute. I just really wanted to get a feel for Captain Black. See where I can help in his training.” the conversation stopped. Admiral Percival Fitzwallace looked at everyone “I have Stepped in favor of General Carter leading the Joint Chiefs. I recognize that there is a larger threat and my expertise can be of use. I am not the only one either, Colonel Scott McCoy and Major General Nicholas Alexander from Delta, have come out of retirement to work with us as well.”
Jack whistled and everyone but the generals looked at him “Harry would have just been born, Carter and Jackson were just kids. “Scott and Alexander were on the team that rescued the hostage in Beirut in 1980. They are going to work us into the ground.”
“Jack that is only half true.” General Hammond said smiling “They and you will have nothing to do until Janet clears Captain Black for duty. During that time, we are going to be working with Both Daniel and Young Harry through their boot camp. While they also evaluate all our current off-world teams. While I will retain overall Command with the help of Teal’c and the others mentioned we hope to tailor our training.”
“All of this. Does Not change that Captain Potter is essentially correct” Fitzwallace stated seriously “I was in the situation room watching Mr. Potter. If it were up to me, I would give him the symbols of rank he has earned them. But I am an old soldier and I hope he will take everything we are going to make available. I need to get home and talk with my wife since I am moving bases we will have to move as well I should be on base in a week or two I will see you then.” The admiral left the room leaving the SGC team and Harry with much to think on.
A young woman knocked on the door “Colonel O’Neill my dad says we are going to the residence and has asked for you and your team to join us.”
Jack looked at the young woman “Zoey? I have not seen you since you were really little. If you would not mind leading us to the residence, we would love to have Dinner with you.”
The rest of the night was far more relaxed Harry was able to sit down with his wife and great-aunt and connect all in all it was a good night.
Elsewhere in Washington
Harry Maybourne had been listening to Kinsey and the other leaders of the NID hash out hair-brained scheme after hare-brained scheme to get the SGC under their express control. More particularly Harry Potter in a lab where they thought he belonged. Finally, he had enough “I am done with this and with you. You are all courting death if you make a move against Harry or Samantha Carter. As he moved from the room Kinsey countered
“If you leave this room Maybourne you are a dead man,” the senator said Maybourne saw the guards tense he gave an imperceptible shake of the head and continued out of the room. Whatever was said after he left the room there was weapons fire in the room moments later
The two guards came walking out of the room “They Tried to give a Kill order on you sir!”
“I know Stanton Get the word out, go to ground I have to talk with the president, Jack, and General Hammond.” Harry dismissed the guards “Maybe they will let me have a team and maybe he could see the other side of the gate. Opening his phone, he dialed a number and left a message. A half hour later the building was engulfed in flame. In the coming days, it would come out that Senator Kinsey was dealing with Terrorists under the table. Either way, the NID had collapsed.