Guardian Author: Blueowl Classification: General/Humor Rating: PG-13 *Guardian* Summary: AU. SG-1/HP. Harry is taken that night by an Ascended Ancient and becomes a Guardian, a task that shall shape not only his protectees, but the universe. Disclaimer: I obviously don't own the idea of Harry Potter or any of the money making forms of it, and that sadly goes the same with Stargate SG-1. Author's note: I am not going to follow the storyline of SG-1 or Harry Potter, for I, quite frankly, don't have time or the desire to spend my time there, instead, I wish to make a good story. I will of course take things from both canons and use them at my discretion to hopefully make a captivating story. This story is a result of my muse relentlessly attacking me. I honestly don't know how far I will go with this; I suppose it will depend on how many people want me to continue. =============================================================================== *Prologue: Manchu Sabin Norard* Jovon was an Ascended Ancient, and had, as always, been watching over the Tau'ri, even if it had to be behind the backs of the other Ascended. He had always been curious about the Tau'ri, and had felt it was their, or at least his, duty to at least keep a partial eye out for them. He was doing a simple sweep of Earth to check on their progress, when something disturbing happened. He felt an unbelievable surge of power, but not just power, -Ancient- power. He was down on the planet in an instant and found the last thing he expected. A baby. He was just sitting there, gazing up at him in front of a pile of blackened and burned robes in an obliterated house. Looking in his eyes, Jovon instantly knew what had happened, though hard to believe, and knew what had to be done. Lifting the child with his slightly glowing hands, he held him close, and vanished... leaving behind the smoking ruins of the child's home and the two forms of the boy's parents... Nothing could be done for them now; they had permanently departed from this plane, and were meant to stay that way. - - - -Several years later- Jovon could hardly believe how much the boy had changed from the day he had found him, and how little the boy seemed to comprehend the importance and impressive quality that surrounded his achievements. Granted, time passed differently here than any place else he knew of on this plane, but that did not diminish the fact the boy was only physically four. He had been silently watching for a small number of years now and had spoken with him a few times after leaving him with the Wielders. The Wielders were an ancient society, similar to monks, but practiced a form of abilities similar to that of the boy's. They wore light leather and cloth, and though being grounded in nature, had knowledge about advanced technology. They were a secretive society, and only a hand full of individuals off the world knew of their existence, and most of those were Wielders who had left to help find others on other worlds to become Wielders themselves. Wielders trained to be able to help the universe, but originally, before the Ancients left or Ascended, they were sworn to help them. It was, and technically still is, their duty to assist the Ancients in every way possible, which was the main reason why they accepted to help train the boy. When they first met the young child, he was just starting to walk and talk. They took a liking to him the first time they saw him, for they could sense his potential. With their training, the child could now do a number of things that even Jovon himself would never have imagined possible for the young one. Jovon and even the Wielders were surprised when they discovered the child had an ability thought only to be possessed by Wielders. This ability was called, `Time Warp'. It enabled the person to form a time bubble around them, and manipulate time to their desire. The person in the bubble doesn't feel the time difference, it feels normal to them; however, to the outside world, it can appear that they are moving very fast. This warp can even be used to slow and even stop projectiles entering the bubble, so much so that the Wielder can catch or throw them off no matter what their previous speed. Velocity is, after all, distance over time, adjust the time, and one can change the velocity accordingly. After speaking with the Wielders, they determined the reason why the boy could do this was because he was taken to the planet at such a young age, and being in the same environment as them brought about the development of the gift. Jovon smiled down at the boy, who he strangely still had yet to name. He and the Wielders simply called him, `Child', `Young One', or `Little One', which served its purposes fine. The boy's time with the Wielders, though only physically three years, was really nearly three hundred years spiritually, due to how time acted differently on the planet than to outside space; though, he still had the mind of a child, just a seriously advanced one. Time on the planet was in a state completely different from most, if not all, other worlds. The only reason Jovon knew how much physical time had passed was because he left periodically to other worlds, as well as planes. This was why the planet was the perfect place for training. It allowed for experience and knowledge to be gained, while leaving the physical body untouched since time, in the original sense of the word, wasn't there to affect it. It still allowed the individuals there to age at the same pace as outside space, where as Spiritual Time (as the Wielders called it) flew by. Jovon was now with the boy, and they had just left the Wielders only moments before. The time had come for the boy to move on. There were other things he had to learn, other things he had to do. And so, they were now on a long forgotten planet, a planet of Ancient origin. Jovon led them into an overgrown open temple in the lush prairie, four large moons in the sky in plain sight of the sun. Taking a calming breath, Jovon stepped aside to let the child face the smooth marble-like wall. In the center, at the boy's eye level, was a circular shape sticking out of the wall. It looked like a small window, surrounded by a thick frame. "What is it, Jovon?" he asked. "An archive of our people. I want you to have it; it will serve you more than it could ever me, but first, I think we have something more pressing." The four and a half year-old looked up expectantly, his innocence not having been tainted by the three centuries of spiritual training, but if anything, more defined. The boy's jet black hair was gently tousled by the wind, and his green eyes seemed to gleam in the sunlight peeking through the gaps in the ceiling and walls. He was in sleek light leather, like the Wielders, and a vest of tightly embroidered crystal-like metal. He had leather shoes that gave him maximum grip on any surface and comfortable in any environment. His time with the Wielders had given him a lot, and Jovon knew the Wielders' efforts in aiding this child would benefit countless others. Thanks to the Wielders, he could teleport (a mode of transportation the Wielders called, `Noitara', and the boy called `poofing' -- since that's what it sounded like), go invisible, make himself silent, erect shields, use telekinesis, transmute (which had surprised the monks immensely. Most of them still had to focus a great deal to make it possible, but the boy made it look easy), and conjure several forms of energy (such as lightning, fire, and light). Jovon wondered silently what else this boy, a mere child from a world considered to be primitive by most standards, would be able to do. "Child, I have things to tell you that you may not understand, but hear me." The boy nodded, wondering what this was about. He had known Jovon for as long as he could remember, and had trained with the Wielders for just as long. He understood what Jovon was, and knew Jovon had taken him to the Wielders and now to this planet, he just didn't know why. "You know you are not a Wielder, but are of a different world; however, there is more to it than that. You know I took you from your world, but you don't know why, and though you've asked me a few times, I was unable to answer you until now. "I found you when you were one, and I can only assume what had happened moments before, but here is what I know. A dark individual, I will not call him a man, attempted to kill you after, I am sorry to say, he had killed your parents. However, he was unable to succeed. Now this next part is going to be a little hard to believe, even for you. "You are an Ascended Ancient." "What?! But, but I have a body, I'm not like you," the boy began, referring to how Jovon's body had a glowing quality and wasn't exactly solid. "Wait, I'm not finished. Here is what I think happened. When this individual tried to kill you with a, I can only guess, powerful energy blast, it forced your soul and mind from your body. In that moment, you ascended, but soon after, might as well be at the same time, your spiritual being retaliated, forcing yourself back into your body, and a majority of the energy blast back at him. Because of the speed of which it all happened, you retained the Ascended abilities, as well as activated your Ancient ones." "Did I kill him?" he asked. "I don't know, but when I arrived, all that was left was burned black robes. He could be dead, or he could have been forced from his body like you, and is still in that form on this plane because there was no body he could go back to." The boy took a moment to think. He had always known he was an Ancient, the Wielders and Jovon had told him so the moment he could understand. It was where his healing ability and something called `Mind Force' (which allowed him to see a person's intentions, and could influence their way of thought) came from, as well as the other things the Wielders had taught him. He had been taught about the Ancients, Jovon being one, and their legacy; a legacy, that, now it seemed, was going to continue with him. But why had this `being' tried to kill him? And why couldn't his parents save themselves as he had? "Little one, the past is the past, do not dwell on it." The boy nodded, accepting the truth before looking around. "Why are we here?" he asked, motioning around them. "For you to hear a proposition. You have a choice." "A choice about what?" "About what you want to do from here." He went forward to the circular object on the wall, the Ancient Archive. "What are my choices?" "You can leave this here, untouched, and let me take you to another planet where you can grow and learn, becoming a great leader of that planet, never using the majority of your abilities. You can stay here, and guard the Archive, but never use it yourself, until someone worthy to receive it comes, which will be an awfully long time. You can leave the Archive, Ascend to what is my plane, and be with your parents. Or you can take the Archive yourself and become a Guardian." "A Guardian?" "If you choose to take the Archive you will have gained the permission and responsibility to use this knowledge well. Of course, it is by your standards how you use it, but you will use it to fulfill one duty: the protection of a planet. Guardians were once prevalent, and nearly every planet had one, but now only a handful still exist, and from that handful, only one is still defending and assisting an inhabited world. The others are protecting deserted planets, simply guarding the ruins and technologies left behind." "If I ascend, I will see my parents?" the boy asked, rerunning all of his options again in his head. "Yes, but then you will have to answer this: Why did you not stay on the Ascended Plane before? Why did you push yourself back into your body? Why did you go through all that time training just to Ascend soon after? What are you meant to be?" The young one looked down; trying to reconcile all that he had just been told. What should he do? What would his parents want him to do? He shut his eyes tight, trying to remember his parents, until a fuzzy memory surfaced... "-Who do you think he will be like, Lily?" a man's voice asked.- "-He'll probably like you, he already looks like you," Lily answered.- "-But he has your eyes."- "-Well, whoever he is like, I just want him to be happy, and use the most of what he has to help those he loves, just like us..."- He looked up, finding how quiet it had suddenly become. Did he have anyone he loved? Sure, he had the Wielders and Jovon, but did they need his help? And if he became a Guardian, how would that help them? Or was he missing what his mother had meant? "Have you decided?" Jovon asked gently. "This world that I would protect if I were to become a Guardian... what planet would it be?" "I don't know, you choose the planet." "How?" "After you take the Archive, you stay here until someone comes through the Gate on this planet. When they come, you will have to decide if you want to follow them to guard their world, or let them leave without any knowledge of you. If you let them leave without you, you will wait for another." "And while I'm waiting?" "You will be taking what you've learned from the Archive and thinking about how you would use it to protect your future planet." "What about you? Where would you go?" "I would stay here until you were used to being here. Then I would go to the Ascended Plane. I have honestly disregarded my duties there somewhat, not that it's a problem, they understand why. "Well, whatever you choose, know that whatever you decide, I will back you." The boy met his eyes, deciding on his choice. "I want to become a Guardian." Jovon smiled and stepped beside him, placing a hand on his small shoulder. "Once you take the Archive, it will no longer be here," he said, pointing to the wall. "It will be in you. This is the largest Archive there is, you could say it is the parent of all the other Archives in the surrounding galaxies. It will be a lot to digest; it is for even adult Ancients. Afterwards though," Jovon smiled. "What?" "You will learn your name. The Archive will choose one for you." "A name? Like what you have?" "Yes, Lyulfe Jovon Olin." The boy grinned. He would get a name, a name all his own. Names were sacred, and only respected Wielders who had earned them obtained one, and as for Ancients, they were given one at the same time they received their first task. He turned, and faced the wall, Jovon gently beckoning him forward. "You are sure?" Jovon asked, now just a few feet from the device. "Yes. I will use the most of what I have to protect, to help," he stated. Jovon then stepped back and let the child he had saved take the last few steps forward, the circle activating upon detecting the boy's presence. The archive reached out and took hold, the boy's hands instinctively reaching up to grip the thing now encasing his face and head, and then he let it come. In a series of intense light and power, he absorbed it all, letting it wash over his mind to be taken in, and then... it was done. Jovon was immediately there and eased him to the stone floor. "Little one?" he asked as he found the bright green eyes looking up at him. "Manchu Sabin Norard. That is my name." Disclaimer: I obviously don't own the idea of Harry Potter or any of the money making forms of it, and that sadly goes the same with Stargate SG-1. A/N: From the response, that I was blown away by I might add :D, I am posting this today since I just finished it. The following updates will probably take longer, due to classes and homework, just sos you all know, but I will try to update as quickly as I can. THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS :D :D :D. *Questions concerning*: -Wielders and Guardians:- They are my own inventions. If there are beings similar to them in later SG-1 episodes, I do not know of those since I haven't watched much of the later seasons. -The condition of the Wizarding World:- I will describe this in detail and explain as I go along, probably after a few more parts, but here are some straight facts -- The Wizarding World doesn't know what really happened, just that the Potter's were killed and their house was destroyed, leaving behind the Dark Lord's burned robes. They don't know what happened to Harry, only that because of him Voldemort vanished. Some believe Harry's magic overloaded and obliterated both him and Voldemort, while others believe he was taken by someone with unknown intentions soon after it happened. =============================================================================== *Part 1: The Tau'ri* Sabin had been alone for over a month now on the planet. He had spent his time exploring the planet, practicing his abilities, and organizing the ancient knowledge now in his mind. Jovon had stayed with him for over a month before leaving him to `needed solitude', but before he left, he provided Sabin with more invaluable information. He told him about other races in the galaxy, and some of the others in the galaxies near. He told them about the power hungry Goa'uld, and the rebelling Tok'ra who were related to the Goa'uld but their polar opposite. He told them all about the Great Races and the Ancient's Allies: the Asgard, the Furlings, and the Nox. Jovon also cautioned him about how the inhabitants of the world he chose might receive him. He warned they might believe him to be a demon, or an evil force attempting to take over. He told him to take it slow, and to let them grow into acceptance before revealing his intentions, in case they become careless or attempted to become manipulative. He also gave him a list of rules and guidelines all Guardians had to follow. "As a Guardian, you can do whatever you deem necessary to protect your planet. For instance, you can accompany and personally protect an individual you feel vital in the safety of the planet. You are also free to roam the planet, if you feel that that would help: spreading out your assistance, instead of focusing in one area. You can even go off world, if you feel your actions there would benefit the welfare of your planet. What you cannot do is set the inhabitants of your planet against each other for any reason; however, you can settle disputes that already exist that if gone unchecked might endanger the survival of the inhabitants. You also can't give or reveal technology that is too advanced for inhabitants, they must be ready. "A Guardian protects all of the inhabitants of the world who are innocent, important to survival, or not conflicting with the overall safety of the planet. This includes people and animals," Jovon said. "Oh yes, nearly forgot. You will probably not be able to speak the language of the inhabitants of your planet at first, for you only know how to speak Ancient. You will of course understand them because of the Archive, but you will need to learn to -speak- their language. This is because the makers of the Archive decided it better to equip you with understanding all languages, and then the ones you need to speak you would learn, and learn faster. This saved a great deal on data space; I am sure you understand." Jovon continued by warning him that just because he was a Guardian, it didn't mean he couldn't get tired or be hurt or forced to ascend (meaning killed). Sabin promised he would remember that, and not take any unwarranted risks. Jovon nodded with reluctant acceptance. Sabin was, after all, like a son to Jovon, whether or not Jovon would ever admit or Sabin would ever recognize that. Sabin took all of Jovon's words to heart, and Jovon was thankful. Though Sabin was very wise now, and had great knowledge of technologies long past and potentially lost, he was still quite innocent. Jovon secretly hoped his Guardianship would be sometime from now, so that Sabin could adapt accordingly. Only after Jovon was certain he had told Sabin all that he could, and that Sabin was ready to fulfill his duties as a Guardian when the time came, (even though he hoped that time would be a while from now) did he leave. He told Sabin that he would check in from time to time, but from now on, Sabin was on his own and was considered of age in all rights. So this was where he was now: sitting atop the ruins of one of his ancestor's greatest monuments, a testament to all that they had achieved and had become. Far off in the distance, he could see the great circle, the Gate, probably his people's greatest achievement and legacy. He smiled down at the world around him, marveling at its beauty and construction as he decided to have some fun and practice a few of his powers. Balancing on the high pillar which had once held a marvelously carved beam, Sabin stood tall, and focused. Jovon had suggested practicing and pushing his powers while alone on the planet. Clapping his hands together in one heavy movement, he forced his power out over and above him. It created a dome shield around the ruins and temple, bluish gold light shimmering throughout. Pleased, Sabin separated his hands, raising his palms and forming a sphere of energy between them before thrusting his hands forward into the empty valley hundreds of yards beyond the ruins. He was pretending to hit an advancing malicious force, intent on harming imaginary people in the ruins he was `protecting'. The energy hit the ground with a resounding BOOM, the charge discharging across the ground and extending out, leaving the grass unharmed. This charge was special. Instead of destroying everything within its range, it acted on Sabin's intent, which could, for example, be to take out all who wanted to harm those Sabin was guarding, while leaving innocents among the enemy to be untouched. It was an effective tool he had learned to wield from the Wielders. He was about to try for making a wave of energy sweep the area when something got his attention. The ring, which had been dormant for far too long, had suddenly activated. Placing his hands together in a prayer-like motion, he took in the shields and quieted the energy around him before making himself invisible and soundless. With a quick look at the ruins and then a look towards the ring that was now over half lit, he transported himself several yards from the Ring. And so he waited, curious to see who would come from the Gate as a `whoosh' echoed forth, and the blue horizon appeared within the circle. It was a few moments before something came from the Gate, and immediately, Sabin knew it was lifeless, despite its ability to move. -What is this?- he asked himself, silently and cautiously moving forward to get a better look. It was powered by some sort of energy, like lightning, Sabin gathered, and as he watched this machine progress forward, he wondered who had sent it. It was clear they had sent it to explore, maybe to see if there was anything dangerous before they came themselves? Sabin jumped in excitement and eagerly followed the metal thing on wheels. Maybe he would meet the people of the world he would soon protect, and maybe be that much closer in doing what he was sure his parents would want him to do. He followed the contraption all the way to the ruins, and stared in curiosity as it seemed to look around as some of the gizmos on it started moving around, as if testing for something in the air. It was about sundown when the robot turned and went back to the Gate, Sabin was so tempted to touch it, but dared not, unsure if it would sense him or not. He couldn't help but jump when the Gate activated again, and the robot started sending some weird energy back through the Gate. Sabin paused, suddenly recalling this kind of technology from the archives. Frequencies, they were using frequencies to send messages back and forth! Ingenious! After a few minutes of that, the machine powered down, and the Gate closed. Sabin, accepting he would see no more action, `poofed' himself back to the ruins to sleep on one of the surviving beams, so he would be alerted if the Gate was activated. - - - Jack O'Neill and his team were ready, being briefed the previous morning about the world they would soon be exploring. The M.A.L.P., or Mobile Analytic Laboratory Probe, had returned interesting information which had Daniel, the archeologist, bouncing on his heels, eager to look at what Jack called `old scratches on walls'. Sam was equally intrigued as Jack held back rolling his eyes, thinking of how both her and Daniel would be getting all hyper soon about rocks and carvings on walls. -Hopefully this world will have something more interesting than that-, Jack thought as they began making their way up the ramp. - - - It had been several days since the machine had come through, and Sabin was beginning to wonder if its owners would ever follow when the lights on the ring came to life once again. Sabin poofed there immediately as blue filled the ring once more. He held his breath as he watched four people step out and onto the marble platform. The first one out surveyed the area quickly, and Sabin instantly knew he was the leader -- he just had that aura about him. The other three quickly followed suit, making sure there was no trouble around them. Sabin stayed low, an equal distance from the machine and the explorers. He looked to the woman in the group who had taken out some kind of device as the Gate shut behind them. "This way sir," she said. Sabin followed, knowing to keep his distance from the clearly capable leader and tall black companion who somehow seemed different from the others. -Come to think of it,- Sabin thought, -the leader seems different from the others too. There is something more to him than just being a leader...- Sabin put aside his thoughts as they came upon the ruins, the man with the glasses bolting forward with surprising enthusiasm. "Daniel, you better be watching yourself, we don't know how sound this place is," the leader with a cap said. "Indeed," said the black man with a golden seal on his forehead, looking around the worn and weathered ruin. Sabin watched in amusement as the woman he learned was called Sam, Samantha, Carter, and Captain, began examining the now dead Archive. She then started making theories, and Sabin was surprised at how close she was to the truth. "This thing seems to have been some kind of storage device, sir," she said. "Like a battery?" the leader asked. "Possibly sir." Sabin, by this time, had also gathered that the leader was called, Sir, O'Neill, Jack, and Colonel. And that the man he had first heard called `Daniel' was also known as Daniel Jackson. -These people have a lot of names,- Sabin noted. -Maybe it depends on who is speaking to them?- The only person who seemed to not have a lot of names was the large black man, Teal'c. Sabin had long ago figured out who, or rather what, this man was. He was a Jaffa, or at least used to be. Taking what Jovon had told him, he was sure no normal Jaffa would ally themselves with people like this, and would certainly not dress like them. Maybe he was part of the rebel group who called themselves the Tok'ra? Or maybe he was a lone individual who decided to rebel on his own, and join these people who have the letter `at' on their sleeves. `Save your judgment for people until after you see their actions,' Jovon had once told him. Sabin kept this in mind. "Jack, this is amazing," Daniel said, scribbling things into his notebook. "I'm sure it is, Daniel," Jack said, walking around to the side of the ruin. "Hmm." He looked around, shifting his gun up slightly with his hands. "Something wrong, sir?" Carter asked, seeing her commander slightly uneasy. "No, nothing to worry about Captain," he said, casually scanning his eyes across the ruins, and passing over Sabin who was now crouching atop a fallen beam. Sabin continued to watch them, and couldn't help but creep up to get a better look at what they were eating once they had made camp just outside the ruins. -Ew, that looks nasty,- he thought. Jack seemed to be thinking along the same lines as he sighed and ate the MRE anyways. Sabin watched them with increasing fascination the following days, and on the third, Jack reminded them that they would be heading back the next morning. -They're leaving already?!- Sabin gasped, horrified. -But I need more time to decide!- he silently pleaded, but knowing there was nothing he could do about it. That night, morning fast approaching, Sabin stayed up and watched the sleeping forms and one who was up for `watch duty'. They seemed to care for one another, and with a gentle sweep with his Mind Force, he knew they were seekers of peace, however armed and ready for battle they appeared to be. He felt himself drawn to them, but to one in particular: Jack. He didn't know why, but he liked him, despite only knowing him for a few days. He had a gentle sense about him, and yet a depth to him that told Sabin he had seen many things that taught him the value and delicateness of life. As the sun began to rise, Sabin made his choice. He would go with them, and if their world wasn't right for him, then he could always leave. He knew this world's address, as well as countless others now, and with his Ancient abilities, activating the Gate would be no problem. "Carter, Daniel, we're heading out," Jack said, picking up his pack and gathering up their things, Teal'c helping. "Yes, sir," Carter said, following suit. They headed towards the Gate, Sabin following them. While they started dialing to their world, Sabin turned and looked towards the ruins. He would miss this place, he had learned a lot here, and had been given his name. "Whoa, what is that?" Jack asked, turning around towards Sabin. A feeling of sadness, mixed with resolve and purpose saturated the area. "Sudden change in barometric pressure?" Daniel suggested. "I don't think so," Sam said. Realizing they sensed his presence because of his sudden risen emotions, he eased back, calming himself. "That was odd," Jack commented, looking across the valley, expecting to find the cause, but finding nothing. "Indeed," Teal'c said, raising an eyebrow at the area. "Reading anything on that gizmo of yours, Carter?" Jack asked. "No, and whatever it was, it didn't detect it," she said, looking at her electrical sensor. "Well campers, let's go home," Jack said, shrugging off whatever it was like the others. A research team would be coming here later to get a better look at the writings anyways, and SG-1 would put a note in the report about the odd `barometric'-like change. The Gate activated and after receiving, what Sabin could only assume was, the okay from the other side, they went through. Sabin took the plunge, unconsciously taking a breath before he entered, this being the first time he had ever gone through the Gate. He went through, stepping onto a metal ramp, and looked around to find himself in some kind of armored cavern. He could feel the air littered with weaving energies, and nearly jumped when the Gate literally closed behind him. Several pieces of metal slid around, covering the Gate's opening protectively. -Do these people need my protection?- he wondered, but then concluded that they must if they had taken it upon themselves to put up such a precaution. He silently followed Jack, feeling that keeping close to him would be the best idea for the moment. "Welcome back SG-1. We'll debrief in an hour," a large bald man said beyond the glass in the balcony above them. Sabin continued looking around, following Jack to a room where he unloaded his things. Deciding he could catch up with him later by poofing to his location, Sabin went back to the Gateroom to investigate things. These people were rather primitive, but advanced in how they used the things available to them with the small amount of knowledge they had. Up in the control room, he was careful not to bump into anyone as he looked at the many screens. -The Tau'ri! This is Terra! This is one of the planets the Ancients settled!- Sabin was now so excited that he lost track of time as he continued to examine everything he saw. It was a few hours later that he realized he missed the briefing and hurried to silently poof himself to Jack. -Poof- "Sounds like a good idea, Captain," Jack said, putting on his jacket. "Alright, have a good time, Colonel," Carter said. Jack gave a two finger salute and walked away, Sabin mutely jogging to catch up. "Weekend and relaxation, here I come," Jack said to himself as he stepped into the elevator and went to the surface, oblivious to Sabin, his silent and invisible companion. *Questions concerning*: -Universe Focus:- I plan to have the universes balanced. At first it will probably seem unbalanced, but after a few more parts it will level out (as well as mix together, since the line between the universes will probably fade as time goes on).- -Time line:- I am bending the time lines of both universes to my will, but here's my manipulated dates since I know some of you have to have numbers :P.- -SG-1 is in the middle of the first season (just know I'm not going to follow the episodes, just take and shape what I want from them :P)- -Sabin/Harry is a few months away from his fifth birthday, so it is mid to end of April right now. I don't know the exact year, but since I have AI (seen below), it is probably at least 2000. Hopefully no one will hate me for bending the years so much... :P But for all intents and purposes, the exact year doesn't really matter in this story. -Wizarding World/Dumbledore detecting Sabin-: I have reasons for what happens with this (you'll see soon), just keep in mind of how deep the SGC is, and the fact that weird things happen around SG-1 all the time. It of course goes deeper than this, so just have faith :P. -M.A.L.P.:- I fought with myself about this, but in the end I took the liberty to allow the MALP to have simple `AI' (Artificial Intelligence) since there is such a thing today, and it is being tested/used by certain Militaries now. I reasoned that the Stargate Program would possess and utilize the most advanced technologies available. Hope that explains my reasoning behind it. =============================================================================== *Part 2: Spirit* Sabin cautiously poofed into the passenger seat of Jack's truck. He watched curiously as Jack controlled the vehicle around turns and mountain curves, and was intrigued when he saw countless other types of vehicles on the road. From the Archive, he knew how Earth was originally, when the Ancients ruled it, and was amazed at how much had changed. He took in everything around him, and before he knew it, they were stopping in front of a house. Sabin poofed himself out of the truck and followed Jack up the driveway, and nearly bumped into him when he stopped. "Huh," Jack sighed, looking behind him, feeling as if someone was following him, but found no one. "Weird." He continued into the house and Sabin had to hurry to prevent the door from closing on him. Sabin stopped in the living room, looking around to find several strange objects in the room. There was an odd electronic box with a screen on one side of the room, a shelf full of little containers holding stored data it seemed against the wall, a short table with thin books on it in the center, and a couch, facing the odd screen. He looked on the walls, finding one covered in items resting on a long shelf. He continued further in, finding Jack in the kitchen, getting something from another electronic box. And this box, unlike the one in the living room, was clearly used for storing food, and keeping them cold. Sabin promised himself to learn the name of it, as well as the other curious items about. Sabin continued to watch, and was astonished when Jack activated the screen with a small device in his hand and started watching this `show' with strange colored and seemingly flat yellow people. He quickly learned this was called `The Simpsons' and that Jack liked them a lot. So Sabin stayed with Jack for the rest of the weekend, learning as much as he could about the Tau'ri from the `TV', and even learned about stamp collecting when Jack had taken down his collection to put in another stamp he had gotten some time ago. Everything continued going well, until Jack stopped suddenly in the hall. Sabin was afraid he had forgotten to make himself silent as, suddenly, Jack whipped around. "GAH! This is insane! There-Is-Nothing-There-Jack. Stop freaking yourself out!" he nearly shouted. He gave himself a shake and turned back around to continue down the hall. -He knows I'm here... How? What should I do?- Over the past several days, Sabin had gotten to know Jack better. He knew he wasn't rash and was a sensible person, (when he wanted to be) and that, maybe, he was the best person to make contact with first. Gathering up his courage, Sabin took a leap of faith, hoping he had learned enough of the language of this world so the man could understand him. "How do you know I'm here?" he asked, keeping himself invisible, but allowing his silence to be broken. Jack stifled a gasp, freezing just feet from his bedroom door. Jack turned uneasily towards the small, unsure, and clearly young voice. He found nothing in the hall, but knew something was there; he could practically feel their eyes resting on him, waiting for him to answer. "I feel you," he answered, trying desperately to see whoever or whatever had just spoken to him. "Oh." "Um, who are you? Why are you here, in my house? And how did you get in here?" Jack asked, keeping his guard up. "I followed you here." "From..." "Um, the Ring?" Sabin asked, not quite sure what answer the man wanted. Jack's eyes grew wide in surprise. -It must have been on the last planet we went to... and it left with...- -IT CAME THROUGH THE GATE WITH US AND WE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW!- -Explains the odd barometric thingamabob feeling though...- -Alright, think Jack! Best course of action... go back to the SGC, he's already been there before anyways if it follows, and if need be, we might be able to force it back to its planet.- -`Kay. Just play along. Gather intel.- "Why can't I see you?" Jack asked. "I'm invisible." "Well, that much is obvious," Jack replied, slightly sarcastically. "Where did you come from exactly?" "Originally? I don't know. I was never told; it wasn't important. But recently, I have come from Sodaba." "And where is that?" "Far away from here." "Right." -How much does this `spirit' know? Does it understand how far it really is from... uh... Sodaba?- Jack wondered. They were quiet for a little bit. "Well, little... spirit, I need to go," Jack said, still trying to cope with the fact he was talking to someone he couldn't see. "Ok." Sabin decided to be quiet for a little bit, he didn't want to freak Jack out more than he already had. He wished he had thought of doing something better than simply going out and talking to him, but it was too late now. Hopefully it would all work out. Jack continued to look over his shoulder, silently noting how it felt when the `little spirit' stopped behind him. Jack got in the truck, wondering if the little guy would follow the truck when he suddenly got his answer. "I like this thing, it's nice. Where did you get it?" the voice asked him, no doubt in the front seat beside him and referring to the truck. "Uh, thanks... I got it from a dealership. I got a pretty good deal," he said, deciding it best to just answer as he started the truck. They were about halfway there when Jack spoke again. "How long have you been with me? It's been several days, right?" Jack asked, glancing at the empty chair. -Goodness, there isn't even an indention! There, you have finally lost it, Jack!- he told himself. "Yeah, I was curious. This world is really cool." Jack kept on glancing over to the seat, tempted to try and feel if anyone was sitting there. After an internal battle, he decided against it. He didn't know what this entity's intentions were, better not anger it. -What am I going to do in the mountain?- he asked himself. -I can't ignore this `spirit' when it talks to me, but to immediately go in and inform command that I'm hearing a voice might upset it. It took all weekend until finally making itself known to me...- -Alright. I'll just talk to it when it asks me things, and wait until the others ask me who I'm talking to, that way it won't look like I'm taking the offensive.- "So what else do you do, uh... mister? Besides explore?" the spirit asked. "You can call me Jack. And I do a lot of things. Um... I protect my country and this world." "Like from the Goa'uld?" Jack nearly swerved off the road upon hearing that. "Did I say something wrong?" the child-like voice asked, actually sounding concerned. "No. No, you just took me by surprise. Didn't expect you to know about them..." -What am I dealing with? It doesn't seem hostile. How does it know about the Goa'uld? And it somehow knows a planet like Earth needs protection from them...- They pulled into the parking lot and Jack got out of his truck, locked it, and made his way into the mountain. Jack greeted those he passed swiftly, and quickly made his way down inside the mountain. "Good morning, sir," someone greeted. "Morning," he answered, still feeling the little spirit following him. "If you're going to be with me, walk beside me. I don't really like being followed by, uh, people I can't see," Jack whispered, just loud enough for the spirit to hear. "Sorry, didn't know if I should," he said (Jack settled on `he' instead of `it' now), moving beside him, mindful of the people walking past. "So, any reason why you're here?" he asked, heading towards the Rec Room. Daniel would be there, working on his brief about the oh-so-fascinating markings on the walls from the previous world. "Lots of reasons. But my first one is to learn," the spirit said. They entered the nearly empty room, Daniel working on the far end of the table, several old books scattered around in front of him. "Learning is important, especially while in a new world," Jack replied to the spirit. Daniel paused and glanced up. "Hi Jack, good weekend?" he asked. "It was good." Daniel nodded before turning back to his work. Jack sat down, taking out one of his yet-to-be-completed crosswords. "What's that? A game?" the voice asked, Jack could swear the little guy was excited. "Yeah, it's a crossword." "You cross words together?" he asked. "Sort of. You read the hints and try to figure out the word that will fit." "Oh. Sort of tricky, huh?" Jack smiled at that, suddenly finding himself beginning to like the invisible fellow, while at the same time wondering why Daniel wasn't asking him who he was talking to. Jack glanced at Daniel and only caught a small look of confusion from the young man before he went back to translating. -He can't be *that* thick,- Jack thought. -Come on Daniel! Help me out here!- Thirty minutes had passed, and Jack was close to giving up on Daniel figuring it out. "Can you read? What should go here?" Jack asked, pointing with his pencil eraser. He (mostly) and the spirit had filled the crossword halfway and was working on 34 down: Senator and Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. "Hmm, `asshole' doesn't fit, and neither does `moron'. And though `stupid' fits, I know there are no words with three i's in a row. What do you think?" he asked, halfway thinking out loud and partly talking to the spirit, ignoring Daniel completely now. "Jack, who are you talking to?" Daniel asked, pushing up his glasses and looking utterly confused. "What took you so long to ask?" Jack asked, looking and sounding relieved. "Well, cuz all I heard you saying before was, `*Pss-sstah-sssst*'." At that, Jack's eyes widened to a degree Daniel had never seen before, but before Daniel could ask what was wrong, Jack exploded. "DANIEL!!! I did not say that! And I can't believe you just said that! I haven't heard such language since... wait, that's classified. Well never mind that, I would have never thought I would ever hear such filth come from your face!" Daniel stared in disbelief as Jack waved his hands about spectacularly during his rant just before he went still, narrowed his eyes and asked, "Daniel, have you no shame?" They were quiet for a while, and Jack hoped Daniel hadn't just done something stupid and insulted the spirit with his language. A few more moments passed before Daniel was able to break the silence, Jack shaking his head in disapproval. "Uh, Jack, are you alright?" He had never seen Jack act like that so suddenly before. "You're asking -me- that? -I- should be asking -you-." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "If I had said what you just did, I'd already be in the bathroom sucking on a bar of soap!" "Oooookay..." Daniel said, utterly at a loss as Jack continued to stare at him. Jack shook his head, as suddenly, it was as if something had caught his attention. He turned to his left. "I dare not repeat what Daniel said, and I'm not sure I should tell you what it means," he said quietly, talking to no one it seemed. "Oh, alright..." Daniel stared as he listened to Jack quietly talk to no one, but what made him gape even more was the dirty explanation he was giving to an invisible someone. "Yes, it was very bad." Jack paused before talking again. "Right, those words weren't nice... I'm glad to hear that." But worry for his friend began to grow exponentially as Jack went back to hissing like he had been before this strange conversation between them started. Daniel was contemplating what he should do when he heard Sam come in, Jack still hissing to himself, facing away from the door. "Is something leaking in here?" she asked, mildly concerned at the hissing sound, not seeing that it was Jack until she continued forward toward the sound. "Uh... Colonel, are you alright?" Carter asked. Jack looked up at her, as if she had just interrupted a conversation he was having with someone. "Honestly? I've been walking around, hearing a voice no one else can hear, and then Danny-boy here, I've just learned, needs a factory of soap for his potty mouth. So I suppose I am alright, it's just been an interesting day." "A voice, Jack?" Daniel asked. "Yes, it took you that long to figure it out? I've been talking to him for nearly an hour now in here. I was beginning to fear you were deaf." "Is that what you're been doing when you're going, `*Hssstah-sst*'?" "DANIEL, SHUT YOUR MOUTH BEFORE YOU HURT YOURSELF!" Sam jumped at the force which Jack had just shouted; Daniel just let his jaw drop. "And I have been saying no such things, are you sure -you- haven't been hearing voices too?" Jack asked, just as Teal'c came in. Jack looked up as Teal'c gathered he had just entered an on going development of some kind. "Jack, I think you need to go to the infirmary and see Dr. Fraiser," Daniel said gently. Jack heaved a heavy sigh, knowing he could only avoid that place for so long as he got up, putting the crossword away. "Are you not well, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. "Oh, I'm just peachy," he said, before turning to his left, away from the others, as if to answer someone's question. "No, I'm not fruity." - - - Sabin silently followed Jack, careful not to bump into Teal'c who was slightly behind Jack. "Jack, where are you going?" Sabin asked. "Infirmary," he answered. The others looked at him. "What? The spirit asked where I was going," Jack told them defensively. "Why are you going?" Sabin asked. Jack sighed. "Well, spirit, because no one else can hear you, they think something could be wrong with me," Jack answered. "But nothing's wrong with you!" Sabin answered, moving beside him, not understanding why these people would think that. "Well, they aren't going to believe that unless they have proof." "Proof?" "Yeah, to show I'm not imagining you," Jack said. "Oh," he said, thinking. He wasn't sure if he should let all these people know he was there-there yet, after all, he wasn't sure if this was the planet he would protect yet, and he certainly wasn't ready to tell them why he was there. And not only that, when or if he did tell them, how would they react? If they were reacting this way to one of their own, how would they react to someone not their own? Still in thought, Sabin followed them into a large white and grey room. "This room seems naked," Sabin blurted out, coming out of his thoughts. Jack laughed, receiving confused and concerned looks from the others as Dr. Fraiser came out to meet them. "So, what seems to be the problem?" Dr. Fraiser asked. Daniel and Sam started telling her what had been going on while Jack wandered to a bed. "What's that?" Sabin asked, barely paying attention to what the others were talking about. "What's what?" Jack asked. "The metal bowl-like thing." "Oh, that's a barf bowl." "Barf bowl?" "Well, I don't know the technical name, but if someone gets sick, they use that." Jack looked up to find everyone staring at him. "`Barf bowl', Jack?" Daniel asked. Jack shrugged. "The spirit asked what it was, I told him," he answered. "This is what we're talking about," Daniel stated, turning to Dr. Fraiser. "It's called a bed pan, sir," Carter informed him as Fraiser started examining Jack. "What's she doing?" Sabin asked. "Examining me. You know, do you have a name, cuz calling you spirit..." "My name is Sabin," he answered as Fraiser aimed her penlight in Jack's eye after giving him an odd look, having heard the first two words as a short series of hisses, and the last part in English. "Must you always try to blind me?" Jack grumbled to Fraiser. "You don't like light?" Sabin asked, intrigued. "No, just penlights being shined in my eyes," Jack replied, a little irritably, just as Fraiser moved to shine the light in his other eye. "Oh, okay," Sabin answered, deciding he could help Jack out. It was sort of his fault he was under the assault of the penlight, after all. -POP- "AHH!" Fraiser shouted, dropping the broken penlight. "Cool!" Jack said, inwardly celebrating, for the most part. "Jack, what did you do?!" Daniel shouted. "-Me-? It wasn't me, it was Sabin," he said, throwing his thumb over his shoulder towards where Sabin's voice was coming from. BANG! A tray holding a collection of objects crashed to the floor behind him, next to the bed. "Jack, don't make any sudden movements, you might make something else happen!" Daniel ordered. "But it wasn't me!" he shouted, before turning around, his face full of concern, "Sabin?" he asked. "I'm fine; you just took me by surprise. Used some of my energy by accident," he answered, not telling him that he had really physically bumped into the tray because Jack had almost touched him. A moment later, General Hammond entered. "Best stay back sir," Daniel said, going to the General to stop him several yards from Jack. "Oh, for cryin' out loud! It's not me! It's Sabin!" "Sabin?" the General asked. "Apparently, sir, the Colonel is hearing and talking to a spirit entity," Carter answered. "Sabin," Jack clarified. Hammond continued looking at Jack. "How long have you been talking to him?" "About the time I left my house to come here. I was sort of hoping it was nothing -- no offense Sabin -- and that if it wasn't, someone... -Daniel-... would notice." "Why not just tell us?" Fraiser asked. Jack was trying to figure out how to answer that without possibly upsetting Sabin, while at the same time not getting himself in trouble, but was saved at having to decide when the alarms went off. UNSCHEDULED WORLD ACTIVATION... "I'll be ready for any injured sir," Fraiser promised. Jack went to leave, but with a stern look from the General he eased back down, looking like a kid who had just had their allowance taken away. The General then left -- Sam, Daniel and Teal'c behind him -- leaving Jack with the doctor. Sabin poofed into the Gateroom instantly, the red lights filling around the room as the alarms continued ringing. A dozen armed soldiers stormed in, guns drawn, all being aimed at the gate. "It's SG-12. They're under fire sir," Sabin heard a man tell the General the moment he entered the control room above him. "Open the Iris," he ordered. *Questions concerning*: -Sabin?:- This name just seemed to fit. I found somewhere that it means `Ancient', but all I can find now is that it means someone from Sabine (an ancient Italian tribe). -Parselmouth:- Well, it should be clear by now that the language Jack and Sabin are using is Parseltongue. I will explain later why Jack knows it, but the reason will have to wait until a few more parts... Don't worry, I have an explanation. (To those who know my other stories, you all know I usually explain why I do certain things, and if I make a mistake, I repair it and make it work. Should work the same way here. :) Thanks for trusting me).- =============================================================================== *Part 3: Believe Me Now?* Sabin allowed the power within him to freely flow as the Gate's iris opened. He could feel the tension in the air as the soldiers behind him leveled their weapons (luckily being short did have its high points) as he lowered his stance a little more. And then they came. Two men, clothed in uniforms Jack and the others wore when they had visited Sodaba, charged down the ramp before rolling forward and taking positions at the bottom, turning their weapons around. "Serpent Guard!" one of them shouted in warning as he bent down on one knee as two more of his companions shot out of the Gate, closely followed by four foes... The Serpent Guard opened fire even before their bodies were fully out of the event horizon, shooting forth orbs of deadly energy at the soldiers, just as Sabin released a thunderous CLAP!!! Several half sphere-like shields formed in front of all of the Stargate Personnel, absorbing the blasts that would have otherwise hit them, quickly followed by a blinding white and blue light that roared forth from the center of the Gateroom -- the iris now closed. Everyone had to look away, but if one had been able to look in spite of the light, they would have seen a young small form in the center, lifting his hand while closing it into a fist. A ground shaking BOOM was released, and the four serpent guards were flung back with so much force, their metal armor bent upon impacting the iris, but Sabin wasn't through yet. Bringing his hand down, he bent his left arm, palm up, against his chest -- his right hand mirroring the position except it was palm down so his palms were flat against each other. Then, pressing them together, he released a wave, focusing on his enemy. Using his abilities in transmutation, he let his powers reduce the metals on his enemy to its simplest forms, letting their weapons, armor, and gear crumble. Metal dust fell to the floor and ramp around their slumped forms, the Stargate Personnel at a loss for words. Sabin called back his power, diminishing and banishing the blinding light around him, and letting himself maintain his invisibility. - - - Sam, Daniel, Hammond, all the soldiers, and even Teal'c, let their faces tell how they felt: completely dumbstruck, in awe, in shock, amazed, and utterly confused. "Uh..." Daniel began, but unable to put together a coherent thought as the soldiers hesitantly stood, waiting for orders since they now had no clue what to do. "I don't think that could have been Jack," Sam got out. "Indeed. I think it would be imperative we go to him now," Teal'c said, his eyes still staring down into the Gateroom where four serpent guards were unconscious and now being secured. "Good idea," Hammond said. - - - Sabin poofed into the infirmary before the others had time to leave the control room and happily made his way to Jack. "Sabin, you there?" Jack asked while Janet Fraiser got a few beds ready for any injured. "Yeah." "What happened?" "Four snake-headed people followed the team into the Gateroom." "WHAT?!" "Don't worry, I took care of them," Sabin said simply. "They're unconscious." "Remind me never to get you angry at me." Sabin giggled, seeing that Jack was mostly joking... mostly. "What did you do?" he asked, oblivious to the fact Fraiser was looking at him worriedly. "Um..." Sabin looked around the room. "Can I use this?" he asked, picking up a scalpel. Jack gasped, as did Fraiser, seeing the sharp bladed tool lift up into thin air. "I want to show you what I did. Don't be afraid, I would never hurt someone who feels their duty is to protect innocents," Sabin said, seeing their reactions, though only Jack could hear him. "Uh, alright, Sabin. I trust you," he said, a little surprised that he actually did, but what was most surprising and a little disconcerting was that he wasn't worried why. Sabin smiled, for he knew how Jack felt about trust before he looked to the metal object in his hand. Sabin focused, vaguely aware of Fraiser cautiously approaching with a ready to use clipboard. With a rush of power into his hand, the scalpel disintegrated, the metal fragments falling onto the floor and the side of Jack's bed. "Wow! That was -so- cool!" "Yeah, and it's even cooler when I do that with all the metal on four Goa'uld servants." "I'll bet," Jack agreed with a laugh, picking a few of the grains of metal up between his finger and thumb. "Wha -- what just happened?" Fraiser asked, lowering her dangerous clipboard of death. "Sabin showed me what he did against the Serpent Guard, or at least I'm pretty sure it was the Serpent Guard; they're the only ones with snakes for heads," Jack said. A moment later, the others entered the room, finding a bewildered Fraiser and a hyper and excited Jack. Jack turned and saw their expressions, which were about the same as earlier in the control room after Sabin had taken care of the Serpent Guards. "Ha! Do you believe me now?" Jack asked, smirking. "Is he here?" Daniel asked, shock being overridden by curiosity. "As a matter of fact, he is," Jack said, motioning to the space in front of him. "Can you see him?" Hammond asked. "No, he's invisible." "They aren't going to use that penlight on me, are they?" Sabin asked, knowing they probably wouldn't, since they couldn't see him, but if Jack didn't like it, he probably wouldn't either. Jack laughed. "No, I think you're safe from the doc's light." Jack looked back to the others who were staring at him. He shrugged. "I assume Sabin, right? can hear us?" Hammond asked. "Yup," Sabin answered. Jack nodded. "Why can only you hear him?" Sam asked. "Sabin?" Jack asked. "You can hear me because I let you, but you shouldn't be understanding me, yet you are." "Why shouldn't I understand you?" "I'm still learning to speak English. I can understand all languages, but to actually speak them... I have to learn how." "Interesting," Jack said, before remembering the others couldn't hear Sabin's answer. He relayed the message. "Hmm..." Daniel said, raising a hand up to his mouth. "What?" Jack asked. "That would explain why you were... whatever you were doing earlier," he said absently. "What was he doing?" Hammond asked. "He was sort of... hissing," Daniel said, trying to be gentle about it. "Oi, Daniel, I was not!" Jack said, getting annoyed. "Yes, you were." "Was not." "Were to." "Was not." "Were to. In the rec room, you were going, `*shhsstah-sss*'." "DANIEL!!! What is wrong with you?!" Jack shouted as Sabin gasped, apparently understanding that sample of foul language. "For cryin' out loud! Are you trying to insult our guest?!" "O'Neill, we heard no such language that would cause you to react this way. What did you hear?" Teal'c asked. "Good question," Hammond agreed. "You mean... you guys didn't hear...?" Poor Jack was now completely confused. "We did not, unless a collection of `shh'-like sounds offend you," Teal'c said. "Sabin, please forgive me if I offended you earlier, I did not mean to, but what language do you speak?" Daniel asked gently, hoping he would receive an answer, and that he didn't just damage a relationship with this being. "I speak one language I thought, but maybe I secretly speak another, since there is no way Jack can understand my first," Sabin said, which Jack repeated to them, since they did not hear his answer. "What's your first language?" Sam asked. "I don't think I should share that at the moment," Sabin answered shyly. "Sabin, could you let them hear you now, since they know you're here?" Jack asked. "If you want," he added. "Repeating what you say is a little tedious, and maybe hearing you, we can figure out the language you are speaking to me with." Jack waited patiently, practically feeling the spirit think. (A/N: *bold* is in `*hissing*' language.) "Okay," Sabin said out loud, letting those in the room hear him. "Hello Sabin, it's nice to hear your voice," Hammond said, keeping in mind that Sabin's voice sounded like a child's. The others nodded in agreement. "Thanks," Sabin answered, glad for the words he had picked up the last few days. "Um, Sabin, not that we're not grateful to you taking care of the Serpent Guard, but how did you do that?" Daniel asked. Sabin turned to Jack, purposely not speaking English, but the language he had been that wasn't Ancient. "*Jack, how much can I trust these people? I trust you, so I ask you: how far does your trust go with those in the room?*" Sabin asked. "*I would trust them with my life, and the welfare of this planet,*" Jack answered without a moment's hesitation. The others looked at him curiously and seeing the fierce look of loyalty etched on his face made them wonder even more of what had been said. "I have powers," Sabin answered, a little timidly. "Powers?" Daniel asked, wanting to know more, Sam and the others as well. "Abilities to aid in my... task, *as well as in my own endeavors*," Sabin answered. Seeing the looks on their faces, he knew he had slipped into the other language. "Sorry, it is hard." "Quite alright, Sabin. It will take practice," Daniel said. "I know how it feels trying to learn a new language." "You do?" he asked. "Yup, Danny boy here speaks over twenty languages," Jack supplied. "-Sweet-," Sabin nearly whistled, recalling Jack using that word in that way a few times over the weekend. Jack smiled. "So why are you here?" Sam asked, she and the others gathering around the bed Jack was sitting on, while assuming Sabin was sitting on the bed beside that one since that was where his voice was coming from. "I was planet searching," he answered. "`Was'?" Daniel asked. "Yeah, I found one." "Ours?" Jack asked. "Why were you searching?" "I am a *Guardian*, a new one. They pick a planet to protect, and I've picked this one." "Ooo, nice," Jack replied, quite pleased, and privately hoping he would personally get to see future poundings of at least a few dozen snake heads. "I'm sorry, you're a what?" Hammond asked. "A *Guardian*." They were still confused. "A Guardian, General," Jack replied, realizing Sabin had slipped back into the other language. "Oh, sorry. A Guar-dian, Guardian," Sabin repeated. "So does that mean you're a spirit?" Daniel asked, slightly amused and very intrigued by Sabin. "Uh, not exactly..." Sabin sounded a little confused and not sure to them so Fraiser gently prodded. "Well, do you have a physical body or one that's made of energy?" she asked, for the first time entering the conversation. Sabin looked at Jack who, feeling his eyes upon him, stared back into the space where Sabin was, sensing what Sabin wanted. Jack held out his hand. "I let you see me," Sabin said, putting his small hand into Jack's. Jack couldn't help but gasp. Between the shear power he felt ripple across his skin to finding the wielder of such power was no less than a five year old human looking boy. The others were silent, only seeing Jack's hand grasp onto an invisible and, no doubt, smaller one. Jack's eyes glided across the young form, memorizing every detail. The ancient clothes mystified him, it almost reminded him of the wood elves in Lord of the Rings, but that crystal vest... there was nothing he could really compare that to. He then looked up at the boy's face to see pure innocence, and yet, immeasurable wisdom. He paused at the boy's eyes, finding them to be deep emerald green that seemed to sparkle with energy. After pausing, he continued up, already amused with the boy's unruly black hair before stopping on a curious scar. Unconsciously, with his other hand, he brushed some of the boy's hair away to see the scar more clearly. Sabin just stood there, letting him. "*You are mortal?*" Jack asked, not sure he wished the others to know this yet. "*Yes*." "*I will keep this for now. They have enough to think about already anyways*." "Colonel, what are you two talking about? And do you see him?" Hammond asked, raising an eyebrow. "Sorry sir, just a simple question, and yes, I can see him," he said, standing up, still holding Sabin's hand. "Permission to give our guest a tour, and maybe some cultural emersion," he asked. "I assume he's going to be staying here with us?" Jack looked to Sabin for confirmation. Sabin nodded happily. "And I'm sure he wouldn't mind Daniel and the others tagging along. Should help with his English. It's the least we can do after he took care of those snake heads," Jack continued. Hammond pondered about it for a few seconds before nodding, agreeing that it was their best option. After all, this `Guardian' had just helped protect some of his men, hadn't hurt any of his people, had taken out a hostile force, and seemed to be telling them the truth about himself. He also seemed to be willing to build further trust with them by revealing himself to Jack, and had even allowed them to hear him when they had asked him. Hammond decided to return the trust, for this being could be a great ally, and seemed to want to help. Why not give him the chance? "Good idea. Permission granted, Colonel, but he is not to leave your side. Is that understood... Sabin?" Hammond asked. "Yes sir!" Sabin replied, giving a salute he had seen people give to higher ranking officers outside. Jack smiled. "Come on, after a tour, I'll show you the amazing world of Lord of the Rings. You remind me of a few people on there..." "They're not those yellow people, are they?" "Yellow?" Jack asked; then it clicked. "Oh. No, those were the Simpsons, but you'd like them too, that show's considered to be a classic," he said, walking out with him, ignoring the rolling eyes of his team. *Question Concerning:* -Sabin's innocence-: I don't think I've made Sabin exactly naïve, but he is still only a 4 (almost 5) year old, even with the knowledge gained by the Wielders and the Ancient Database. There is a difference between having knowledge and having experience. Sure, he knows a great deal about technology and such, but seeing it being used and in action is new to him, so being curious or fascinated about things makes sense. And with him tagging along with SG-1, he would have done that with anyone who stepped from the Gate, and one must remember that he did read their intentions and personality with a quick skim over with his `mind force' after observing them for three days, so his actions there weren't random or unjustified. With that said, I hope you all understand my reasonings and enjoy what I have in store for Sabin, SG-1, and the rest of our favorite people from HP and Stargate. Without further ado... enjoy... =============================================================================== *Part 4: Greetings from the NID* Senator Robert Kinsey had gotten some disturbing news, there was a `spirit entity' making itself at home in Cheyenne Mountain, and more specifically, within the SGC. This entity had displayed an impressive amount of power it seemed, and had sided itself with none other than Jack O'Neill. This had to be stopped, and stopped now. The idiots, Kinsey believed, could already be compromised, and for all they knew, could be in a foothold situation, and even if they weren't, they had befriended an alien entity. Oh, the NID would put a stop to this... ASAP... - - - Sabin had gotten familiar with the base, and though he had yet to reveal himself visibly to anyone other than Jack, the others didn't seem to mind. Hearing his cute little voice and watching him do cool little tricks made up for not being able to see him. Jack had happily introduced him to Earth culture, the others along for the ride. They watched Lord of the Rings, Tom and Jerry, Bugs Bunny, and everyone's favorite: Star Wars -- this being the favorite because of what happened soon after watching all six movies in the cleared out rec room of the Base... "Did you like this epic series, Sabin?" Teal'c asked, turning the lights on as Sam turned off the projector and DVD player. "I liked the Ewoks!" Sabin said excitedly, before closing his eyes and squeezing his hands into fists as tightly as he could, concentrating. "Sabin, what are yo--" Jack began to ask, only to stop short. A quick flash of brown light burst forward, leaving behind an Ewok... right where Sabin had been standing... It only took Jack a split second to realize what Sabin had done. "WHOA!!! COOL!" he shouted, staring at Sabin the Ewok, while the others stared in confusion, only having seen a brown flash. Jack, realizing they couldn't see Sabin, waved his hands at the little fuzzy guy excitedly. "He's-he's an EWOK!" Sabin couldn't help but giggle at Jack while the others tried to hold back amused looks. "He looks exactly like that first Ewok Princess Leia met!" Jack continued. "I am sure he does, O'Neill," Teal'c said calmly. "He does, he's fluffy too!" Jack continued. "Sir, not that it isn't cool, but perhaps we should quiet down -- Airmen down the hall are having a meeting now," Sam said. "Ah, of course, I'll try not to disturb them," Jack said, just as a green flash momentarily overtook the room. "Do or do not... there is no try," Sabin stated in a perfect imitation of... Yoda... The others didn't have to see Sabin to burst out laughing; the sound of Sabin's voice and the look on Jack's face told them Sabin had just transformed himself into a perfect replica of Yoda. Even Teal'c was amused, though not as obvious as Daniel who was banging his hand on the table throughout his laughter, or Sam who was having trouble staying up right and was now needing to lean against the table to keep from sinking to the floor in uncontrollable giggles. Jack was laughing so hard he was close to hyperventilating. "What is going on in here?" a voice asked, entering the room, confused to find SG-1 (save Teal'c) laughing so hard their eyes were tearing up. It was Hammond, closely followed by Dr. Fraiser, both having come to see what Sabin had thought of the movie, since now the whole mountain knew of their guest, and that SG-1 was giving him a crash course in some `vital Earth culture' in the rec room. "Yo-da," Jack choked out between laughs, which only caused Daniel and Sam to laugh harder. "Yoda?" Fraiser asked, even more confused. "Young Sabin quoted Yoda, and according to Jack, has made himself look just like him. His voice was also surprisingly similar," Teal'c said, actually smiling and barely keeping his voice steady. "I see," Fraiser said, beginning to understand. "No, you don't," Jack began, taking a few breaths and calming a little. "He turned himself into an Ewok, and then the little guy gave the greatest imitation of Yoda I've ever seen!" Jack said, them all now mostly under control. "Size matters not, ... Look at me. Judge me by size, do you? Hmm?" Sabin asked, once again doing the best impersonation he could muster (he just couldn't help it, seeing them laugh was great). Well, that just did it again, Fraiser and Hammond now understanding completely as they joined the laughter. "Sabin -- you're hilarious," Sam got out. - - - Sabin now could speak almost fluent English. He still had trouble knowing how to say certain words, but with Jack to provide a translation, Sabin was learning quickly. It had been less than a week since Sabin had left Sodaba, and he and Jack were nearly inseparable. They were now well known to those in the cafeteria, since Sabin always snuck back there to get the best two pieces of pie for himself and Jack. Jack, in turn, helped him discover chocolate as well as ice cream, and Sabin exclaimed it was the best stuff he had ever tasted. Dr. Fraiser was curious, as were the others, as to why Sabin ate, but Sabin explained that just because he was a Guardian, didn't mean he didn't like food. Those on the base knew of his presence now, but were still getting used to seeing food disappear in mid-air (being eaten by Sabin), and seeing Jack talk to invisible Sabin and hearing Sabin's little voice answer; but they were adapting nicely. They all enjoyed what Sabin brought to the base, and were torn between awe and amusement when it came to the innocent Guardian. It was now the end of the week when Hammond called a private meeting, Jack telling Sabin that the General wanted to talk to them alone (meaning without Sabin). Sabin understood, and knew that though Jack trusted him, it was understandable that Hammond's superiors might need a little more time before they did too. He hoped this action of good faith would help that. He promised Jack to stay in his room until Jack came to get him. Hammond and the members of SG-1 entered the briefing room. "Sabin is in my room, he promised not to eavesdrop. So, what's this about General?" Jack asked, taking a seat. "There is no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it. Senator Kinsley and the NID will be coming soon. They have expressed concerns to the President that we might be under the influence of `a malicious alien entity'. Despite my efforts to tell the President otherwise, they have obtained permission to `scope things out' and determine if the `spirit entity' is a threat or not." Jack grew angry, but managed to stop himself from leaving to retrieve his sniper rifle from his room, wishing nothing else but to stake out on a hidden ledge and wait for the moronic asshole to show his ugly face... "So what can we do?" Sam asked, understanding Jack's furious expression. She was actually surprised he hadn't moved to start planning the demise of a certain senator, though, he could be doing the planning in his head right now... "I think the best way to do this is to just show them Sabin. I am sure we have all realized by now he is a child; though extremely powerful, he is still just a child. He has done nothing to us in all the days he has been here, and has only wanted and has helped protect us." "Which is why the NID will want to try to get him," Jack said dangerously. "We don't know that they will try that, O'Neill," Daniel said reasonably. "Oh, they'll try, believe me. Wherever Kinsey is concerned, they'll do something stupid. How that man ever got elected..." "Colonel..." Hammond said, though not exactly reprimandingly. "Yes sir." "Alright, so, we'll try it this way first, and if they try anything, we protect Sabin," Hammond said. "General, does he really need protection? I mean, he handled the Serpent Guard just fine --" Daniel began, just to be cutoff by Jack's lifted hand. "I believe I need to reveal this now. I told Sabin I would keep it for the time being, but because of this, I think he'll understand," Jack said, all eyes curiously on him. "Sabin is mortal, flesh and blood. Like he had said, he's not exactly a spirit," Jack said. "How do you know this?" Teal'c asked. "The day he let me see him, I found a scar on his forehead; I asked him if he was mortal," Jack answered. "Ah, so that was what you had asked," Sam said, understanding. "Yes," Jack answered. Daniel was in deep thought, now trying to figure out what Sabin was if he wasn't a spirit. How could he do all those things? It was like magic, yet so much more. Were all Guardians mortal? And exactly what was a Guardian, how did one become one, and why was Sabin one -- a mere child? Daniel paused, surprised with himself that he had yet to ask Sabin this. They had simply accepted Sabin being a Guardian and his duty to help them protect Earth, they hadn't even thought about getting details from him. -Well, after this mess with the NID is over, I'll ask him,- Daniel promised himself. - - - -A Few Hours Later- Jack and Sabin were on their way to the meet Jerk-Face and N.I.Dorks to `discuss the situation'. Jack silently snarled as they entered the hall and saw them coming towards them. The NID entourage included about a half a dozen `drones' (as Jack had dubbed them) and Senator Robert Kinsey. Jack had told Sabin everything he could about the NID and Senator Kinsey before leaving his room. Sabin told him that if they were as bad as Jack said, he wouldn't like them. Jack smirked and replied, "then you'll hate them, cuz I was being merciful in describing them." "Colonel O'Neill," Kinsey `greeted'. "Good afternoon, Senator," Jack answered, Sabin silently and invisibly standing beside Jack. "Is the... entity here?" Kinsey asked. "Yes, he is the Guardian of this planet, so of course he is," Jack answered. "Well, since you and your organization insist on having to `check things out', let's go to the Briefing Room -- after all, that is where we agreed to do this," Jack said, motioning with his arm towards the briefing room. They entered the large room, the other members of SG-1 already at the table on the side with the General, who was at the head. The NID drones took their places around the room, as if Kinsey needed protection from the `evil presence'. Jack took the last available seat which was sadly near the NID, Sam on his other side. "Well, General Hammond," Kinsey started pompously, "Where is this... Sobin?" "He's Say-bin," Jack corrected. "Oh my apologies... Sabin," Kinsey said, not being sorry at all. "Where is he?" "I'm here," Sabin greeted innocently, standing right in front of the large window that overlooked the Stargate. The NID `guards' turned towards his voice, at the ready, no doubt ready to pull their concealed weapons. They all looked, but were unable to see Sabin, save Jack. "Show yourself!" Kinsey ordered. "Do you not believe I am here?" Sabin asked, perplexed and inwardly angered by the order. -Who does he think he is?- Sabin asked. "We are here to make sure this planet is not under threat by you or any other entities." "Oh, so you help protect Terra?" Sabin asked, unable to help but be a little curious. "Terra?" Kinsey asked. "It is what my people call Earth. She is special," Sabin said proudly. Kinsey narrowed his eyes. "Why are you here?" "To protect Earth and those who reside on her," Sabin answered. Kinsey paused, deciding to try a different approach. "You know... Guardian. You are Earth's Guardian, right?" he asked, speaking down to Sabin, which Jack was annoyed by immediately (and it wasn't missed by Sabin either). When Jack spoke to him, he spoke at his level, not down to him like this man. This man acted as if he was better than Sabin, and that Sabin was unable to understand him or something. "I am," Sabin answered. "And you really want to protect Earth?" "Of course, that is why I am here. I have promised to protect her. I never go back on my word," Sabin said. -What does this guy want?- Sabin asked. -Jack was right, this guy is a moron.- "Then come with us. With your... abilities that I have heard about, you and I could harness it, and with my organization's technology, we could protect this planet together. We could protect her and, as you said, those who reside on her like no one else could." Jack and the others held their breath. Jack holding his breath because it looked as if Sabin was thinking about the offer; and the others because they could see Jack's worried expression. Sabin stared at Kinsey, gently brushing the man's mind with his Mind Force. Sabin frowned (Jack inwardly relaxed and cheered). "You are a powerful and respected man," Sabin stated, shocking the General and the members of SG-1 who couldn't see his face. "Yes, I am. Together we could do a lot of great things to help this world," Kinsey answered, thinking the `dumb spirit' had fallen for it. -Yeah, I'm sure...- Sabin thought, having gained sarcasm from Jack. "You are also prideful, selfish, arrogant, manipulative, and cruel. You seek power and control, and will do everything and anything to gain it. You lie, you steal, and I doubt you would think twice before taking part in a murder -- I wouldn't be surprised if you have already." *-"Why you!"-* Kinsey shouted, standing up, which caused Jack to stand as well, being on the side near the window. "I am staying here. You are a threat, leave now," Sabin warned. "No, -you- are leaving!" Kinsey shouted, giving a secret signal to his men. Two NID members drew their weapons, aiming them at Jack. The rest of SG-1 were up in a flash, but were forced to gather on one side of the room as the rest of the NID pulled their weapons. "Kinsey, you are out of line!" Hammond shouted, causing two airmen to appear in the doorway, but they couldn't do anything but aim their own guns. Any action would only result in a bloody shootout, and currently being outnumbered certainly didn't help matters. Kinsey ignored them and the General. Jack stayed where he was, the drone behind him pressing the cold metal end of his gun against the back of his neck. "Sobin, give me your word that you will leave this place, and I will let this man live." Jack barely shook his head, meeting Sabin's eyes. "Sobin, answer me!" "Why? You can't even call me by my name," he said, revealing he was still at the same position in front of the window. Those not aiming their guns at Jack aimed them at invisible Sabin. Jack swallowed as Sabin raised his right hand towards him and, having made himself silent to all but Jack, spoke, "don't throw up," before quickly making a fist. Jack felt an indescribably pressure overtake him for a moment, and was forced to close his eyes. -POOF!- Jack reappeared with the others, right beside Hammond, as Kinsey snapped. "Fire!" Jack stared in disbelief as Sabin simply stood there, not even raising a shield. What happened next made the others gasp, and Kinsey scared. The bullets slowed, as if moving through a large sphere of jelly instead of air, and then it looked as if a hand simply batted them away, making them fall harmlessly to the floor. Sabin's form fuzzed, letting those who couldn't see him normally see how small he really was, but only for an instant before... All of the guns aimed at either him or any of his friends crumbled, Jack the only one able to see Sabin's rage, but not the only one who could feel it. The whole room pulsed with Sabin's outrage as his voice echoed around them, Jack unable to comprehend how the kid was doing it, since his mouth was moving normally. "You and those with intentions like you are not welcome here. They are forbidden on these grounds. Try to enter here again, and I will be forced to act accordingly, for you are a threat to this world. I banish you," Sabin stated, taking a step forward, his foot landing with an awesome force just as he slammed his palms together right in front of his chest. *---P-O-O-F---* Sabin's power overtook the room, and the others were momentarily overwhelmed by the shearing power. In that moment, over a dozen people vanished from all over the base, all of them having ties to the NID and similar unfriendly organizations. A moment later, they appeared right outside the gates in the forest, hidden by those ignorant to the SGC. Sabin continued to focus, ensuring he completed what he intended. Light flooded the floors of the SGC, the base personnel halting in shock wherever they were as Sabin sealed the base from enemies, for from that day on, anyone attempting to enter the base from the outside world with cruel intentions would find themselves unable. There was a rushing sound that resounded forth, only to calm soon after, the light dimming and vanishing as well. It was done. "Sabin?" Sam asked, feeling the power diminish. Still a little angry, the adrenaline still flowing, Sabin turned to her, even though he was still invisible to her. "Yes?" he asked. "What did you just do?" She was almost afraid to hear his answer. "I poofed, or rather teleported, them off the base. Don't worry; they're in the forest near the main gate. No one saw," he said as Jack went to him with a broad smile. "I think I should inform the President," Hammond said warily, not looking forward to having to explain this. "Well, I think this calls for ice cream," Jack said, at the moment not bothered at all with the possible repercussions of this. "Indeed," Teal'c said, causing Jack and the others to stare at him in surprise for a moment. "I did not like them either," Teal'c explained. Sabin smiled. "Ice cream with chocolate?" he asked as he and Jack started towards the door. "Of course," Jack said as they entered the hallway, the Airmen about still confused about what had just transpired. Jack gave them an `it's okay now' smile. They relaxed. Sabin walked beside him, the others taking up the rear. Jack turned towards the cafeteria, but suddenly stopped as he felt a small hand grab hold of the side of his cargo pants. He looked down to his side just as Sabin stumbled, his legs giving out from under him. "Sabin!" Jack shouted, quickly bending down to break Sabin's fall. He caught his small frame, noticing a soft shimmer of light pass over the boy's frame, and by the gasps of everyone around them, Jack realized Sabin's invisibility had fallen. Jack scooped him up, resting Sabin's head against his shoulder. "Tir'd," Sabin slurred, before giving a slight moan. "It's okay buddy, I'm here. Fraiser will help," he said. " 'O p'nlite?" "No penlight. I promise," Jack said, the others protectively forming an escort around them. "Hmm." Soon after, panic like no other passed through Jack as Sabin went completely limp, this alone giving Jack permission to run the rest of the way to the infirmary, the others close behind. *Part 5: Legion of American Wizards* Jack burst through the doors, not caring that they slammed against the walls. "Colonel, what's going on, there was a lig--" Dr. Fraiser started, moving towards them before stopping at the sight before her. Sam, Daniel, Teal'c, and the General were right behind Jack, and in Jack's arms, was a child. She didn't even have to ask who the boy was, she knew it was Sabin. Jack continued forward, lowering him onto the nearest bed. "What happened?" she asked, immediately going into doctor mode. "We're not sure, but he poofed the NID out of the base, and according to him, people like them will no longer be able to enter," Jack said quickly, positioning Sabin comfortably on the bed as Fraiser moved to the other side, pulling out her new trusty, unbroken penlight. Jack grabbed her hand that was holding it before she could even turn it on. "No penlights, I promised," Jack stated, leaving no room for argument. Fraiser held in a huff as she put it away and took Sabin's pulse, her eyes momentarily pausing on the curiously shaped scar on his forehead. - - - -Meanwhile... At the Legion of American Wizards...- "Master Mark, I just got an interesting report," a young man said, entering the office of the Senior Head of the Legion. "Oh? What have you got, Gene?" he asked, looking up from his cherry wood desk. "Here, I think you should just read it..." the tall dark man said, handing him a file. Master Mark put on his reading glasses and skimmed, before widening his eyes and looking back up. "But this is impossible, even with the President informing us of this `Stargate Program', nothing the muggles have should have been able to form this, never mind the fourteen apparition-like shifts. If they could, we would have been informed of the development of such `technology', since it is in the treaty agreement." "I know, sir." "Alright, I'm going to speak with the President about this, and tell him you and perhaps Aage are going to go and investigate. I am sure he'll agree after we tell him the `magic' implications of this." "Yes sir." Gene left, two other people quickly entering. "Master Mark, the Embassy detected the anomaly as well, several of the Leaders are now wanting to speak with you, one of them is demanding to," one of them said, a little annoyed with everything going on, while the other man stayed silent and stood at attention. "Let me guess, chocolate man is demanding an audience," Mark said, shaking his head. "Who is being civil?" he asked. The Wizarding World was made up of four Magic Nations. The Ministry of Magic, covering all of Europe and part of Russia; The Eastern Warlock Empire, which covered China, Japan, Mongolia, part of Russia, and the area of India; The Central Realm of Sorcerers, which was over all of Africa; and finally, The Legion of American Wizards, which umbrella-ed two separate regions: The North (Canada and the US) and The South (Central America and South America). When being spoken of separately, they were addressed as The Northern Legion of American Wizards, and The Southern Legion of American Wizards. "The EWE (Eastern Warlock Empire), closely followed by the CRS (Central Realm of Sorcerers)," he answered. "Liao is especially curious, but is staying professional," he added, talking about the Emperor of the Warlock Empire. "Well then, tell -them- I will talk to them soon, but to keep everything hush-hush, and that we are currently handling the situation fine right now, but will give them any information we find as soon as possible. To the MoM (Ministry of Magic), let fudgeman glower for a little bit; how that man got to be minister... Anyways, tell them we should have some information some time after tomorrow. We are sending two experts soon, but since this situation is intertwined with the US Military, certain diplomatic procedures must be followed," Mark answered. "Very well, sir. Um, how long should we let the MoM wonder?" "Two hours." The man left, leaving the second man behind. "Ah, good, I'm glad I don't have to call you now. What do you have for me, Smith?" he asked as the serious man came forward. "I took the liberty to begin a work up of all the personnel working within Cheyenne Mountain. May help in the investigation," he stated. "Knew there was a reason I hired you, always on top of things," Mark said happily. "Always sir," he said simply. "When should this work up be done?" "Sometime tomorrow sir, possibly before dinner." "Very good, should help us with the investigation." "My thoughts exactly." The man paused, lifting up another file that he had just gotten from the Magical Detection Department. It was a more in depth file of the magical signatures they had read from Cheyenne Mountain, and also included a three and a half year old report... "Is there something else Smith?" Mark asked. "Yes sir... I think you should see this for yourself," Smith stated. "I'm getting that a lot lately..." he mumbled, putting his glasses back on. He paused, startled after comparing the pages, before lowering the file slightly and looking over his lenses. "Is this accurate?" he asked. "Yes sir, just checked it three times. It's accurate." "But this is identical to..." "Yes sir, the magical signature from the Potter Incident..." - - - "How is he?" Daniel asked Jack, coming in with some coffee, it being the next day. Jack had not left Sabin's side. "Same. Janet said it was like he put himself in a kind of stasis. His vitals are stable, but really low," Jack said, sadly glancing at the boy whose recent actions were causing chaos in the Pentagon and the White House. The leaders there were currently running around, trying to figure out why certain individuals had been cast out of the SGC, why others couldn't enter, and how this was possible. There was also something more going on, since Hammond had yet to be seen that day, having gotten a call just an hour ago from the President. Jack just hoped Sabin would wake up soon. Janet had examined him, and they were now even more perplexed with him than before. He was human. Of course, Sabin was more than just a simple human, his MRI had told them that much, but the fact still remained: he was human, or at least as far as Janet could tell. Jack could hardly believe it. How could a human child be able to do the things Sabin could, and why? Did someone do something to him so he could do these things, and why had they made him a Guardian? Who raised him? How long had he been on Sodaba? Where was he from originally? Jack continued pondering these things, unable to do anything else save for watching the young boy breathe on the bed beside him -- the innocent guardian of the world... - - - Sabin looked up, quickly realizing he was in a dream, for he had been to this place before. "Sabin." He turned around, finding Jovon calmly standing behind him. "Jovon," Sabin greeted, happy to see him. "A warranted risk I see you took," Jovon said with a soft smile. "Yes, and I even warned them first," Sabin said. Jovon nodded approvingly. "Yes, and you did the right thing, but I'm not here to talk about that." "Why are you here then?" "You need to explore Terra for a time, take who you wish with you. I suggest looking at castles and to go quickly. Curious individuals are about, who should not learn of you yet. Have fun." With that, Jovon disappeared, not elaborating further or giving Sabin a chance to ask anything as Sabin felt himself pulling out of his dream. - - - Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c were in and out of the infirmary, letting the Colonel be with Sabin in silence. It was just before lunch when Janet noted some change. "His pulse rate is improving, I believe he is simply sleeping now," she told the concerned Colonel. It was an hour later, right when Jack was about to doze off, when Sabin stirred. At that, Jack was wide awake, hoping Sabin would finally wake up, which he did. "Hey kiddo, how you doing?" Jack asked as Sabin opened his eyes and looked at him. "Much better," he answered as Daniel, Sam, Fraiser, and Teal'c came over. "That's good," Jack said. "Yeah, you gave us a pretty big scare," Daniel said, coming forward. Sabin sat up, suddenly realizing he wasn't invisible anymore. "Your invisibility fell right before I picked you up," Jack said, seeing that Sabin had realized the others could see him. "Oh." Sabin looked at them all, and not seeing any hostility or rejection, he breathed a sigh of relief and stayed visible. He didn't really know why he had been afraid they would hate him after they could see him, but he supposed it was because he didn't know what to expect, after all, these people were `adults'... how would they feel knowing without a doubt that the Guardian of their world was a child, and that that child had limits? How could he properly protect people who believed he couldn't provide that protection? Sabin wasn't stupid, he remembered Jovon's warnings about how his world's inhabitants might receive him, and quite honestly, it made him uneasy to say the least, especially after meeting the NID. "Sabin? Is there something wrong?" Sam asked, worry showing on her face and leaking into her voice. "No, I just..." Sabin fidgeted before looking to Jack. "What is it buddy?" Jack asked. "You just didn't know how we'd react to seeing you?" Daniel provided helpfully. Sabin nodded. "We have to admit, seeing you was a little shocking, as well as some things we discovered soon after your collapse, but that doesn't change what we saw before that Sabin. You protected this base and the people here from forces both from and off this world. We won't forget that," Fraiser said. "Indeed Guardian Sabin, you have shown that though you have limits, you surpass those who would wish us harm. We are in your debt," Teal'c said with a small grateful nod. Sabin returned it with an honored smile before looking solemn again, the others could guess why. "Sabin, nothing major is going to change now that we know," Fraiser said softly. "What will change?" Sabin asked, looking up, understanding that something had to change now that they knew, but wanting to know -what-. Fraiser looked to Jack for assistance. "Being human isn't going to make us treat you any differently Sabin, for you are still you. If anything, this helps things," Jack said, suddenly thoughtful. "How?" Sabin asked. "A lot of ways, for one thing, if you wear yourself out again, we will know how to help you better. Also, we can now go out, as long as you keep your abilities hidden from the public of course." "Out? But I can already do that." "Well yeah, but now we can all go together, have some fun, go to the park, the movies, ooo and fishing... I have a lake at my cabin." "Hmm, I suppose I can be visible..." Sabin said, thinking. There was a small pause, all of them collecting their thoughts, before Sam spoke up. "Um, Sabin, if you don't mind me asking, what did you do after you made the NID leave?" "I put up what the Wielders call `a Zone'. When I make an area a Zone, I outline requirements for people to meet, or not to meet, to be able to enter it. After forcing... Kinsey, right?" he asked, looking to Jack again. "Yup, and unlike him, you can remember names," he answered proudly. Sabin smiled. "Well, after I got rid of him and the people here like him, I made the whole base a Zone, using Kinsey's um... intent, I suppose, as a --" "A template," Sam whispered. Sabin nodded. "Amazing," she continued, quite intrigued. "But I suppose I underestimated the size of this base, it took a lot of my energy..." Sabin trailed off. Fraiser nodded, understanding. "We figured with the amount of things you did, your body had to rest," Fraiser said. "I can only imagine the amount of energy it takes to teleport over a dozen unwilling and scattered individuals out of a mountain, followed by Zoning a huge base," Daniel said. "Sabin, you mentioned `Wielders'. Who are they?" Jack asked. "They're the ones who helped teach me, but I can't say much more than that. They taught me a lot of abilities, and helped me control the ones I have that they don't," Sabin answered. "Who else taught you?" Daniel asked. "Jovon, he's the one who found and took me from my world. A dark being had killed my family and tried to kill me, but I guess it backfired... Well, anyways, Jovon got there soon after and took me with him." "So Jovon made you become a Guardian?" Janet asked, not liking the possibility of someone making a child take on such a responsibility. "He gave me a choice, I chose to become a Guardian," Sabin replied. "Who is Jovon? I mean, is he like you?" Daniel asked. "Not exactly... we are of the same people, but he is a spirit," Sabin answered, knowing they weren't ready to hear about the Ancients or the Ascended. "So is being a Guardian a step you have to take to become more like him?" Daniel asked, really getting curious now. Was being a Guardian a rite of passage to become a spirit entity? "No. That was one of my choices though, to become like him... but I decided not to. My place is here -- to protect," he answered. SG-1 and Janet were captivated by his conviction. Why would one so young feel this strongly? What had he been taught? Who was this `dark being' that had prompted this Jovon to take him? "Well, we're glad you chose to become a Guardian, Sabin. We couldn't imagine life here now without you," Fraiser said. Sabin smiled, but let it diminish as he remembered what Jovon had told him in his dream. He would need to leave them, at least for a little while, to explore Terra. Sure, he could take them with him, but would they want to? And what had Jovon meant by `curious individuals'? Torn from his thoughts, they all turned as General Hammond entered. "Sabin," Hammond said, relieved and happy. "Good to see you awake, son." "Thanks, General." Hammond smiled, but then turned his attention to Jack. "Colonel." "General, how did the chat with the President go?" Jack asked. "That is what I've come to talk to you about. Apparently he is sending `experts' here to look at what Sabin did, because according to all the guards at the entrances, a few people are finding it hard... well, impossible to enter. Some of them walk up to the entrance only to calmly turn around and leave, it's odd. While others get angry and try to forcibly enter, only to be pushed back." "Then whatever Sabin did worked. Those with hostile intentions are forbidden to enter; he set up the ultimate security system," Jack said merrily, ruffling up Sabin's black hair even more. Sabin beamed. "Well, due to these `experts', which I just find the circumstances surrounding them a little off, I think it would be wise for SG-1 and you, Sabin, to take some well earned leave." Sabin could hardly believe his ears. This was perfect! "Alright General, where do you think we should go?" Jack asked. "Castles!" Sabin exclaimed excitedly, then seeing their amused faces, fell silent. "Hmm, I think I could call in a favor. Have a buddy in Scotland who owes me big for doing a few things for him while he was in the service. He's retired now, and I'm sure he'll be happy to show us around some of the castles near his place," Jack said. "Alright Colonel, you can leave when you all are ready," he said. "And better make it soon, I'm not exactly sure when the `experts' will arrive." "Yes sir," Jack answered, already helping Sabin out of bed. - - - Jack and the others were already in an airplane headed to Scotland by the time Hammond finished his paperwork. He was grateful for the retired Lieutenant Colonel Jack had called on for the favor. They would now be safe from whatever these `experts' might bring, and with them gone, Hammond could handle the aftermath of the past week. Hammond eased back in his chair, thinking about Sabin and everything that came with him. Jack had obviously taken a liking to him, and Hammond smiled in thinking back to Jack keeping vigil by the boy's bed. Jack was so good with kids, no matter what their previous upbringing or `condition'. -Yes... there isn't a doubt that Sabin has been integrated into SG-1's odd little family,- Hammond mused. He was about to start pondering on what they would do next, smiling at the fact that Sabin would want to help take care of the Goa'uld with them, when he got the call the visitors were about to arrive. Hammond got up and went up to meet them at the gate -- would prove interesting if these `experts' couldn't enter... Hammond tried hard not to laugh at the thought, but then sobered up upon realizing that would be yet another thing he would have to explain to the President. The guards at the gate greeted him as he came forward, the guests in sight, being escorted by two SGC soldiers. He went out to meet them, a little beyond the base's `zoned' entrance. "General Hammond, I presume?" the tall dark man asked, politely extending a hand. Hammond took it, secretly taking a good look at the gentleman and the much older one beside him. They seemed to be dressed rather oddly, though not overly so, just different. The pair seemed to like layers and their clothes were gently toned in color. The tall dark man was well-built and his prominent cheekbones only helped in his domineering appearance, though his eyes were laced with gentleness. The older man beside him was quite honestly ancient; Hammond was sure the man was older than his father, and quite possibly his grandfather. "Yes I am, welcome to Cheyenne Mountain," he said, before taking the frail and wrinkled hand of the other man. "I am Gene McPherson, and this is my mentor and now coworker, Aage Manoach." "Nice to meet you both, shall we?" Hammond said, turning and leading them to the entrance, crossing over into the Zoned area. The two men paused at the entrance and Hammond turned to them curiously. "Gentlemen?" he asked. "Hmm, interesting... -very- interesting," the older man said mysteriously, looking to Gene, intrigued. Hammond stood there patiently. Aage turned back to Hammond with a smile. "I look forward to discussing this in private," he said. Hammond hid his confusion well as he led them into the mountain and down into the depths of the SGC, comforted only by the fact they had passed through the Zone. At least their intent was not hostile. Hammond caught Aage and Gene glancing at each other with eager looks and, dare he say, excited looks as they went down in the elevator? They finally made it into his office, none of them having said anything during the trip. At the door to his office he told the airmen to leave, so now it was only him and the two men. "Well, you know why we are here. We were requested to examine, I believe the President said, the new `Security System'. As you also know, we have the highest security clearance there is and you are obligated to tell us everything. Don't worry, I assure you we will keep what we find, the President will not even know all the details of what we find, for quite frankly, we are not under the jurisdiction of the United States Military." "Who are you under?" Hammond asked, suspicious and curious. Why had the President requested these men who weren't even under his command? "I have been given the President's confidence to let you in on this secret, but you must swear not to tell anyone else, not even your second in command, unless we tell you otherwise," Gene said. "Alright, you have my word I will keep this between us," Hammond agreed, wanting to get to the bottom of this as Aage took a step forward. "Do you believe in magic, General?" Aage asked with a smirk. *Questions Concerning:* -Harry attending Hogwarts-: At this point, no, he won't attend Hogwarts. I might have him drop by occasionally later or something, but I have something else planned for his `education'... heehee. =============================================================================== *Part 6: Mike McGonagall* Sabin couldn't believe they were in an -airplane-: an old kind of technology trusting the combination of air currents, drag, and lift to keep it in the sky. Sabin was thrilled. He had learned about them with the Wielders, as well as in the archive of course, but never in his life had he thought he would actually be -in- one. These things were practically antiques from his point of view, after all. He looked out the window for the hundredth time, not even noticing Jack's amused expression. "So... first time in an airplane?" Jack asked with a smirk. Sabin nodded, looking at the water below them once more. "I should take you up in a fighter jet some time then. If you like this, you'll love a ride in an F-16." Sam and Teal'c were sitting behind Jack, and Daniel was in the chair across the aisle from Jack. "Ooo, you have peanuts?" Jack asked suddenly, seeing the stewardess walk down the aisle. "Of course sir, here you are," she said, handing him the bag. Jack opened the bag with glee, quickly sitting back to share with a curious Sabin. The rest of the flight continued like that. Sabin got restless towards the end but settled into a nap. Jack watched over him, as did the others. Sabin was visible to everyone now, but had transfigured his clothes to match Jack's, which was a pair of dark tan cargo pants and a t-shirt with vest with some more pockets. Sam thought it was adorable; Jack tried not to look too pleased. "He is much like you O'Neill," Teal'c said quietly, leaning forward to look at Sabin who was sleeping comfortably, curled up in the seat with Jack's blanket and his own. Jack nodded mutely as Daniel leaned over the aisle to see the sleeping Guardian. Sabin barely ever slept, not really needing much thanks to his time with the Wielders, but like food, he needed at least some rest. The past week he had slept on Jack's couch (when he had yet to show himself), on a cot in Jack's room, then in a small storage room that had been cleared out for him the following day (which was conveniently across from Jack's room), and then most recently, in the infirmary after the NID's visit. "Still a little hard to believe," Daniel whispered. "What?" Jack asked. "That such a normal looking kid would have this much power," he replied. "Yeah... but he's no normal kid," Jack stated. "Anyone who can put Kinsey in his place is anything but ordinary, he's extraordinary." Daniel grinned. "Yeah," Daniel agreed as Sabin shifted in his sleep. - - - Hammond took a deep calming breath. -Who would have thought someone could tell me something that would surprise me this much after everything I do here?- Hammond thought, digesting everything he had just been told. There were Witches and Wizards living among them! They had their own government within the States: The Legion of American Wizards. And according to these two men, so did many other regions in the world, including Europe, theirs being called the Ministry of Magic. He was getting too old for this... And to top it all off, these two men were wizards themselves and were telling him that his base now had a powerful magical Ward protecting it. He didn't bother to tell them he already knew this and knew it by another name: Zoned. His heart was still going a mile a minute after Gene had turned his desk into a lion and back again. "So, General, I know this is a lot to take in, but realizing this was truly of magical origin, though no kind of magic we really know of, we decided that since this is your base, you deserve to know why we are really here, and not for some silly reason of being `experts' asked to come by the President," Gene said. "Well," Hammond said, collecting himself. "I appreciate that. Is there anything I could help you two with? Like give you a tour?" "That would be helpful; though, could you answer a few questions first?" Gene asked. "I'll answer if I can," he said, not ready to promise anything. He believed these guys, and the fact they had entered the Zone told him they weren't malicious, but he didn't want to take any chances, especially when it came to Sabin. "Do you know where the Ward originated from? Knowing the point of origin could help us identify this type of Ward, as well as the strength and kind of magic used," Aage said. "Of course, right this way," he said, deciding this would be alright to share and taking them to the briefing room. "My my, this is impressive. The magic has bonded to the material itself; usually it just coats it, but this... this goes much deeper," Aage said, slowly kneeling down and putting his hand on the floor... right where Sabin had stomped his foot. Hammond forced his eyes not to widen or show surprise. He had not told them where the -exact- origin had been. "Gene, if you would," Aage said, happy the General had the decency to tell his airmen to give them some space and to wait outside. Wouldn't want to have to explain why they had a `wand'. Gene came forward, kneeling down as well, before pulling out his wand and waving it over the two foot square where Sabin had been. Hammond slowly approached as a holographic page it seemed appeared before the two Wizards. "Hmm..." the old man hummed after a heavy blink. "I didn't know this level was possible..." Gene whispered. "Nor did I," Aage admitted, to the surprise of Gene and bewilderment of Hammond. "What is it?" Hammond asked, wanting desperately to know what was going on. "Who did this?" Aage asked, looking up at him. "We must find them." "How do you know it wasn't an object? What makes you so sure that it wasn't an alien form of technology?" Hammond asked. "Because any object with this much power would explode," Gene stated simply. "I'm not sure if I can tell you this to be honest. I know you two are good men, but this is more than about me trusting you. I'd have to know that -he- trusts you." "So you know who did this?" Aage asked. "If you must know, yes, I do," Hammond admitted. "Then I envy you, for you have met someone I had thought for a long time was a myth. You've met the Guardian," Aage said, standing up. Hammond's silence spoke volumes. - - - "Sabin... Sabin, we're here," Jack said, gently waking him. Sabin woke up, realizing the airplane had landed. "We're in Scotland?" he asked, taking Jack's hand and walking down the aisle to the exit. "Close, my friend is going to pick us up and drive us to his place. Tomorrow he'll take us to visit some castles," he answered. They entered the airport's cargo retrieving area, Teal'c and Sam taking care of the luggage before they all headed out to see if Jack's friend was waiting in the front. "Jack?" a thin stern looking man asked, coming forward from their left. Jack stepped closer to Sabin's side in case he was nervous at meeting his imposing and sometimes intimidating friend. "Mike! It's good to see you, how is everything?" Jack asked, taking the man's hand and pulling him into a half hug. "Good, good. It's like I'm always on vacation," he said as the others stepped up and stood behind Jack and Sabin. He looked at them all, a little amused by Jack's company, his eyes coming to rest on Sabin who slowly looked up and met his eyes. "And who is this?" he asked, kneeling down on one knee. "This is Sabin," Jack said, putting a hand on Sabin's head. "Hello Sabin," he said, holding out his hand for him to take. Sabin brushed Mike's mind, and upon seeing he was much like Jack, smiled and took the man's hand which quickly swallowed his own. - - -Mike- Mike inwardly gasped as he felt something brush his mind. The touch was soft and gentle, like a blanket brushing over him. The control of it was amazing, and even for him, a magic-locked person, he knew the user of such ability had astonishing power; but what really surprised him was when he realized this user was the young child before him who, after having touched his mind, happily raised his hand for him to shake. "Not shy, are we?" Mike noted, taking hold of the small hand and shaking it. "No sir," Sabin answered, stepping back beside Jack. -This child used a form of Legilimency I have never felt before... How is this possible? Who is this child? And why is he with Jack?- he wondered, but then smiled in approval, coming to a most logical conclusion. -Jack must be teaching this prodigy... knew the old prankster was a wizard!- "Oh. Sabin, this is Mike McGonagall. He served with me a few years back," Jack introduced, nearly forgetting to do so. "So you protect too?" Sabin asked. "I try to," Mike said simply. Mike's parents had moved to America before he was born, and so he was an American; however, soon after he retired, he moved with his wife back to the roots of his family. Jack knew this, and also knew his much older cousin, by the name of Minerva McGonagall, worked at a respectable `boarding' school, but other than that, he didn't know much else about his family in Scotland. "Well, how `bout we head to my place now?" he asked, turning and leading him to his car in the parking lot. - - - -SGC -- Hammond's Office- "Well, General, thank you for your time, and if you see the Guardian again, please tell him of our visit. We would very much like to meet with him at his earliest convenience," Gene said with a bow. "Of course, Mr. McPherson. Where do I tell him to meet you if he wishes to?" "I am sure he will be able to find us, and if not, you can contact the President -- he has a way to contact us at anytime," he answered. That had been a few hours ago, and now Hammond was alone in his office, contemplating everything he had been told. Sabin was powerful; the looks on the men's faces told him that much, which, to Hammond, made sense -- Sabin was Earth's Guardian after all. So the Wizards... they knew of Guardians, or at least that Earth used to have one, and that now there was a new one. They had told them how they had already suspected that the Ward had been made by a Guardian, the reason being linked with a reading they had collected years earlier. Apparently, there had been this dark wizard, a Dark Lord, by the name of Voldemort. Hammond paused, remembering how they rolled their eyes and commented how too many wizards were too afraid to even call the `creature' by his name and called him `You-Know-Who' or `The-One-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named', but then they sobered up and said he was an evil wizard, and had a right to be feared... Aage had even sighed at the thought, adding how Voldemort had killed a great number of people in Europe, Wizarding Folk and Non-Magics, also known as muggles, alike. Hammond had then asked them if Voldemort was still around, and now still couldn't believe how intense their expressions had become, even compared to their expressions while talking about the mass murder carried out by Voldemort and his followers, known as Death Eaters. "It was over three years ago when Voldemort attacked a family with the name of Potter. He killed the mister and misses, but it seems that when he went after their son, Harry, Voldemort was destroyed; however, the Potter boy was never found. Not a trace. Whereas Voldemort's clothing and wand had been found." "Why are you telling me this?" Hammond asked, not exactly understanding how this was connected to Guardians, thinking that a simple `Yes, Voldemort is still around,' or `No, he died,' would have sufficed. "We can detect magic signatures. Every magical being leaves one; it's kind of like a finger print, only better. Well, the signature that had been recorded at the Potter's is identical to the one we recorded from here when the Ward was made," Gene answered. "What does that mean?" Hammond asked. "It means one of two things... the Guardian who had rid the world of Voldemort is back, or another Guardian has come..." Aage said, his voice trailing with emotion. "But I thought you said the signature was identical? How could there be a second Guardian with the same magic signature? And why did the child disappear?" Hammond asked. "We don't know how Guardians work to be honest, and the mystery behind the disappearance of young Potter has not been explained either, and probably never will be. Perhaps the Guardian was saddened by the death of one so young and took his body... we got a third killing curse signature before the huge magical signature came which we believe to be the Guardian's," Gene said. "Still doesn't exactly explain why you think there could be a new Guardian," Hammond remarked. "Where did the old one go?" Gene and Aage didn't say anymore on the subject, which annoyed Hammond a little, though, he didn't tell them much either. Gene and Aage accepted this with grace, and to Hammond it seemed to please them, making them trust him even more--that he would stand up for this Guardian and keep two potentially powerful wizards in the dark, so to speak. -Wizards are odd folks,- Hammond decided before giving a soft laugh. -SG-1 would fit right in...- At that thought, he wondered how he would tell Sabin, that and the fact he had sworn not to tell anyone else. And that was another thing too, how had they known about Guardians? And how did they know a Guardian had made that Ward or Zoned Area? Were they like Guardians? No... not after their discussion. Wizards and Guardians, though both having abilities that could be classified as `magic', were very different. The other thing Hammond couldn't get over was seeing their -wands-. -Wands!- Like in storybooks and fairytales -- heck, should he expect a broom next? - - - They got out of the cab and stopped at a stone cabin in a grand area of rolling hills. Following Mike, they went up the pebbled path to his front door, Teal'c and Daniel having gotten their suitcases. "We'll be leaving to the castles early tomorrow, so we'll be eating a good dinner tonight, as well as getting a good night's rest," Mike said, opening the door to them and welcoming them into his house. Sabin, still having Jack's hand, looked around in the calm, peaceful, and clean home. It was a large, one story cabin with a shape of a short L: the right side being the kitchen, the front room being the living room, and the back area having the master bedroom and two guestrooms. What the members of SG-1 quickly noticed was the lack of technology in the home. No TV, no stereo, and no refrigerator or microwave. There was a radio in the corner though, and there were gas lamps on the walls and a few hanging from the ceiling. Sabin found it amazing, and was quickly drawn to the radio, for it gave off an odd kind of feeling to him, as they went into the living room. "What's this?" Sabin asked, pointing. "That's a radio," Jack answered. "It's different from the one you have," Sabin replied, referring to the one that is at his house. "Well, it's because this one's older, an antique," Jack answered, for it did look similar to a radio from the 40's. "Oh," Sabin said as Mike departed to the kitchen. "So, what do you all want? I have barbeque sandwiches and..." Mike continued listing the food he had available before Jack decided what they would have for dinner. Dinner went well, and they were all impressed with Mike's cooking abilities. Now full and content, they went into the living room to chat and relax. Mike didn't bring up his thoughts on Jack teaching Sabin, not sure if Jack's friends knew about the Wizarding World, so he decided to wait and see if Jack would bring up the subject on his own later. Mike looked to Sabin who seemed really excited and a little hyper, though he kept a good hold on his jitteriness considering he was approaching five years old. "Excited about seeing castles tomorrow, Sabin?" he asked. "Yes sir," he said, nodding. "Just Mc or Mike, you're making me sound old," Mike said with a smile. Sabin nodded. "So what are the castles we're going to be seeing?" Sam asked. "Ruins mostly, most people who visit find them enjoyable, I'm sure you all will as well. Then I'll take you to an old fashioned village, if Jack consents... It is rather an odd village." "Is it a kind of tourist attraction?" Daniel asked. "You could say that," Mike said simply, before going on to talk about the history of some of the surrounding castles and why some they were now in ruin since they, Daniel especially, were eager to hear about what he knew on the subject. - - - -Legion of American Wizards- "I have the finished reports here, sir," Smith said, handing Mark the folder. "There has been an interesting find. Fourth page," he stated. Mark opened the folder and read. "Colonel Jonathon `Jack' O'Neill... Air Force..." he continued down the page. "Air Force Academy, `Academic Excellence Achieved in Military Sciences and Engineering'... Special Ops..." He paused, turning the page and coming to Jack's early years, moving even before High School. "He was accepted to attend Worlam Academy but declined? He's an untrained Wizard?" he asked, shocked. "Yes, sir." "His mother wrote back, declining... she was non-magic. His magic-locked father passed... hmm, right before the acceptance letter was sent..." Mark looked up to Smith, taking off his glasses. "Don't tell me his not going was due to confused paperwork and sad circumstances." "I'm afraid it was, sir." "Things are never simple. Colonel Jack O'Neill, Second Commander of a top secret base, is a wizard, and he doesn't even know it. All because his magic-locked father passed and his mother either didn't know of the magical world and thought the letter was a joke, or didn't want her son, all the family she had left, to leave at an understandably hard time in both of their lives." Mark looked sad, giving a slight sigh. "We could have helped them. There had to have been some questions they had about his family or something." "The O'Neill's stem from a few families in Ireland, but the last four generations have been here," Smith said. "It is possible, sir, that O'Neill's father didn't even know of his magic background. I have a work up of his family and a number of them were magic-locked," he continued. "What do you want to do, sir?" "Finish this investigation first, then go from there. If O'Neill's family has gone not knowing for this long, a little while longer won't hurt. We should wait for things to calm down, and maybe meet the Guardian before we do anything, since it seems he chose O'Neill to be his first contact. Wouldn't want to do anything that might be against his plans, whatever they may be." "Yes sir." - - - -Dumbledore's Office, the next day- Dumbledore plopped a lemon drop in his mouth, trying to enjoy the calm moment. The last two of days had been busy and he wanted to curse the Ministry for being stupid. Hadn't they learned by now not to try and bully information out of the Americans? Fudge apparently hadn't... He was still rambling about how the Legion had ignored him and refused to reply back for two whole hours. If Dumbledore wasn't wanting to know what had happened in America so much, he would have laughed. He nearly did anyways. He shook his head, looking up to Fawkes's stand to see the little fledgling's barely feathered head sticking out of the mound of ash. With a smile at seeing his adorable familiar, he went back to thinking. What had that enormous magical surge been about? Who or what had caused it? Why had it happened? What had it done? Maybe he should call in a favor from one of his American friends... At that thought, his fireplace glared green, just as a sealed letter shot out and flew towards him, only to slow, hover, and fall right in front of him on his desk. Bewildered, but knowing the letter had to be from a friend because it had gone through the ward he had on the fireplace, he picked it up. "Well, thanks for saving me a favor, Aage..." Dumbledore whispered with a smile, breaking the seal. - - - It was the next day, and Mike was eager to get to know Jack's friends better and to catch up with Jack since the previous night had been rather simple and only given brief introductions of each other. "Sabin, ready to go?" Jack asked loudly, putting some snacks into his backpack while Sabin was in the other room. Mike smiled as he watched Sabin come bolting from the guest bedroom and stop in front of Jack. "Yup, ready," Sabin answered happily as Jack suddenly began searching for something in his bag as if he had lost something. "Where is... Oh yeah. Could you go get my camera? It's on the dresser in the room," Jack said, recalling where it was. Sabin nodded and went running back to get what Jack had forgotten, remembering not to poof since Mike wasn't allowed to know. "So Jack," Mike began while Sabin was out of the room. "How long has Sabin been with you?" "Um, just over a week now I suppose, why?" Jack asked. Jack had been vague in explaining why Sabin was with him and even why they had decided to take this time for a `vacation'. All that Jack had made clear to Mike was that they needed some time away from a few individuals in the States, he didn't elaborate further, but Mike had a feeling it involved the boy who was dressed a lot like Jack. "I'm just curious, and I understand if you can't answer, but you know who you're talking to so, why is he with you?" Sam and Daniel took that instant to leave the room to `make sure they hadn't forgotten anything' and Teal'c took that moment to examine the bookshelf near the hall a good distance away from them. "Jack, are you or the kid in trouble?" Mike asked seriously with a little concern. "Not exactly, it's just that we need to be away for a while." "Is someone after him?" Mike asked, just before Sabin came back into the room. "Something like that," Jack said simply, taking the camera Sabin had brought to him. Mike looked at Sabin, trying to put the pieces together. Who would want to come after him and why? He was no doubt magical, and Jack seemed to have taken him under his wing. Had he done something magical and there were people in the American Government looking for him because of that? If that was the case, why didn't Jack go to the Legion and ask for help? What did Jack and this child have to hide? Sabin looked up to Mike, feeling his gaze on him. Mike felt the brush on his mind and soon after, Sabin frowned. "Is there something wrong Mc?" he asked. -Can I lie to this child? Should I even try?- he asked himself. "I just worry about certain things, that's all. Everything's okay," he said, trying to ease the concern that had suddenly risen on the boy's face. "No one can hurt us, and those after me are just curious. They will get their answers soon, just not now," Sabin stated certainly. Mike looked up to Jack, but he wasn't talking, his eyes were on Sabin, his expression unreadable. "Well, we're set," Daniel said, Sam right with him, reentering the room. "And I'm ready for some castles!" At that, Sabin turned to him and bounced on his heels, all previous concerns gone and replaced by excitement. "Then let's go," Mike said, deciding it best to save the rest of the serious conversation for later. - - - Hogwarts McGonagall was curious, and slightly concerned. Albus was acting... not exactly oddly (no more than usual anyways), but there was definitely something up. The day had started off with Fawks' burning day, which was to be expected, the poor dear's feathers were wilting and looked as if they were suffering from split-ends. All day, Albus had been distracted, which was understandable, with the Ministry in an uproar, trying to get the Americans to share what had happened, and the odd rumors going about that a -whole- *-Muggle-* base now had a seriously powerful ward placed on it... It was enough to raise fears and suspicions that some kind of dark magic may be involved. McGonagall watched for any signs from Albus to see if there was any cause for alarm, but he seemed calm and collected, especially in front of the students who had final exams coming in a few weeks, but a few times that day, she could have sworn something had made it through that serene facade. -Well, time to ask him about it,- she decided. McGonagall entered the office late in the afternoon, smiling at the cute fluffy, and nearly helpless, Fawkes in the pile of ash next to the Headmaster's desk. "Minerva?" he asked, looking up from a letter. "Albus, what's going on? Is everything alright?" she asked, the door already having shut behind her. "Are the rumors true?" "Surprisingly, yes. The Ward was erected three days ago, late in the afternoon, their time. It is like no ward my friend has ever seen, which is saying something; he is older than me. Well, the ward seems to read a person's intentions and has different effects on people. For some, it simply guides them away, as if there's a powerful notice-me-not charm on it, while other times it simply won't let an individual enter, as if there's an invisible wall preventing entrance. "I got a letter from my friend in the States; it has shed some light on the situation, but has also risen a few bewildering questions," he said simply with a heavy sigh. "Like what?" McGonagall asked. "Do you know the legend of those throughout history who protect the planet as a whole?" he asked. "You mean, like the Guardians?" "I mean exactly the Guardians." "But they're just a legend, right? I mean, the last supposed known Guardian was Merlin himself, and even that is just speculation, if we say Guardians -are- real." "My friend believes they are and that the Guardian has returned," he stated. "Returned?" "The magical signature made at the base in the States is identical to the one that was left behind at the Potters..." McGonagall gasped, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. "My friend believes the Guardian took Harry Potter's body, grieved that he was unable to stop Voldemort in time." "But that's not what you think," McGonagall got out, able to read the intense face of her friend. "No." "What do you think then?" "I have no doubt a Guardian was involved, even about the part of taking Harry, but I don't believe the Guardian stopped Voldemort." "Then Harry's alive?" "I can't be sure, but I don't have much reason to think otherwise now." "What are we going to do? What can we do?" "Try to contact this Guardian and make sure Harry is safe. We may even be able to try to convince the Guardian to return Harry. He belongs in this world, after all." "And if he refuses?" she asked. "Then at least we will know where Harry is, and he will know about us." *Part 7: Oops* Daniel was looking and feeling green as they traveled down the bumpy dirt road in the horse-drawn carriage. Jack leaned forward to look around Teal'c to peer at poor Daniel. "Daniel, I told you not to order that stuff, it looked questionable," Jack remarked. Daniel was feeling too sick to even attempt a retort. How was he supposed to know that food would give him food poisoning? They had gone to and toured two castles and one property with a few ruins. It was now approaching dinner time and Daniel's stomach was rebelling against what they, or rather what he, had had for lunch. Sabin and Jack were as energetic as ever, Sam was getting a little tired now as was Mike, though they would not admit it; and Teal'c was as neutral as ever, complete with a black beanie hat that covered the golden seal, though he was looking forward to relaxing in something that wasn't moving and rattling around like some ship without inertial dampeners on it. Sabin looked over at Daniel with a sad frown. He couldn't fix Daniel's tummy ache; it took too much energy to cure internal things, and he wasn't sure exactly what the treatment of food poisoning entailed. Should he try to transfigure whatever was causing the ache? Or was the `poison' too deep in his system now? Should he try to give Daniel some energy to help his body heal itself? Would Daniel's body be able to use his energy? Sabin sighed. "What's wrong Sabin?" Sam asked. Sabin looked over at Mike, who obviously didn't know about his powers so Sabin couldn't tell them his thoughts about wanting to try and heal Daniel. "Daniel's tummy ache," he said. "It's alright Sabin, when we get to the village, Daniel can take some medicine, he'll be as good as new," Jack said. They continued towards the village, and before they knew it, they had stopped. "We're here. Hogsmeade, an old village, as you can see," Mike said, opening the door of the carriage and hopping out, quickly paying the driver. They stepped out, taking in the old buildings and the oddly dressed people. "You got that right," Jack muttered as they all got out. Mike smirked. "Wow! What is that?!" Sabin asked, pointing between some buildings, across a large lake, and to a grand fortress beyond. "That is Hogwarts," Mike said. The others cast their eyes to it as well, but only Jack seemed impressed, the others looked confused; Daniel didn't care, he was trying not to throw up. "Are these people partial to hogs?" Teal'c asked with a raised eyebrow. "I don't feel so good," Daniel mumbled. Sam took his arm. "Is there a place we can rest?" Sam asked, while Sabin and Jack were staring at the grand structure on the other side of the lake. "Sure," Mike said, pausing when he noticed that Sabin had tugged on Jack's sleeve. "Can we tour that castle next?" Sabin asked with puppy-dog eyes. Jack looked at Mike, then at Daniel. "Tell you what, we'll go get a hotel, while you two go on that tour. I can see the rest of us are ready for a break, and I am sure if we want Sabin to actually be able to sleep, he's going to need to use up some more of that boundless energy," Mike said. Jack smiled as Sabin happily began bouncing on his heels. "Good idea; we'll be back later. They'll probably have something over there to eat for tourists," Jack said, taking Sabin's hand. "Alright, we'll be at the Three Broomsticks," Mike said. "You're serious? The Three Broomsticks?" Jack asked. "Hey, I'm just telling you what the locals call the place. I call it the `clean inn' myself," Mike said. "What would be the alternative?" Sam asked. "The Hog's Head." "Okay... Three Broomsticks it is then," Jack said. "It's across from Honeydukes, I'll show you, it's on the way to the station anyways," Mike said. So off they went, the members of SG-1 silently agreeing this was the strangest village they had ever been in. What towns would do to get tourists... "Here it is," Mike said. "Okay, cool," Jack said. "You will be back before dusk then, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. "We'll try, depends how big that castle is," Jack said, already walking with Sabin towards the station. "Alright, and remember not to let the ghosts frighten you, Jack," Mike warned with a smile. Jack rolled his eyes. "Frighten me? No... but I will try not to frighten them," Jack teased. Jack and Sabin turned around, missing the stifled laugh and entertained smile from the man. - - - Before Jack and Sabin knew it, they were on their own, walking to the station to get yet another carriage. Looking around and making sure no one was near, Jack paused and looked to Sabin before looking across the lake. They were now taking cover by the Hogsmeade Station, and no one was around. "Something wrong Jack?" Sabin asked. Yes, something was wrong. Another second riding in one of those merciless butt-breaking carriages and Jack would never be able to sit again! "Um, do you think you could um... I don't know..." he made fluttering hand gestures. "Poof us?" Sabin smiled, taking a firm grasp of his hand as he looked at the castle in the distance, and focused on taking them to a secluded spot near the impressive fortress. -POOF- - - - What Jack first noticed was the fact they had not landed outdoors, and what another odd thing he noticed was an abnormal energized feeling in the air. It sort of reminded him of Sabin's power when he had Zoned the base, and yet it was different somehow. He looked down, Sabin looking almost as confused as he felt. "Uh... I take it this is not where you intended to take us?" Jack asked. "No." "What happened?" Sabin glanced around, getting his bearings. "This place is Zoned... it has overlapping zones, some are very old, and some aren't activated," he answered, taking in the old stone and ancient power around them. "When I poofed us here, I met some resistance while entering the grounds, so I sort of found a gap in the Zones, and widened it. I had thought we would end up near the northernmost wall... but I guess I underestimated the shifting energies in the Zones. It must have guided us here. I don't think I should poof again, the Zones are too unpredictable." "`Zoned'? But that would mean... wouldn't that mean this place was under a Guardian?" "Yeah, I think so, but some of the Zones are different, I don't think a Guardian made all of the Zones here. There's also something else to this place, there's energy everywhere; can you feel it?" "Yes, I think I can. It's like an odd charge sort of, huh?" Sabin nodded. "Well, since we're here, let's take a look around, maybe we can find someone to give us a tour. Perhaps part of the reason it feels this way is because it's old." Jack and Sabin were intrigued, the time being 6:10 pm. Going down yet another hall, Jack stopped, quickly forcing Sabin gently against a wall for a small amount of cover. They could hear agitated voices coming from around the corner. "-Peeves...-" a dark menacing voice growled. "Sabin, invisible now," Jack whispered, feeling an ominous presence overtake the air. Jack saw the clear shimmer pass over Sabin's skin, telling him he was invisible to all but him as they then heard a terrified gasp. "Your bloodiness, Mr. Baron, sir... w-what can old Peeves do for you?" Jack braved a peek around the corner and froze at what he saw: Two figures, -see-through- figures, *floating* in the middle of the hall. One looked terrified, while the other looked murderous. "Do you know how many methods of torture I know?" the Baron asked dangerously. "Like myself, you are dead, but trust me, that does not matter when it comes to what I can do to you." "This isn't normal..." Jack barely whispered, before taking cover once more and kneeling closer to Sabin. "We need to get out of here, come on." Sabin nodded, not liking what he had heard, nor enjoying the putrid sense of death that had suddenly come near. As quickly and as silently as they could, they dashed the other way, putting as much distance as they could from Peeves and the Baron fellow. They slowed after a while, suddenly realizing they were now even more lost. "If that was part of the tour, I'd hate to think what isn't..." Jack got out, quickly catching his breath and looking around, finding that this hall was a little different than the others. "Man, you would think a place this big would have an occasional map hung up." Sabin didn't comment, his eyes were on a stone gargoyle against the wall a few feet away from them. "Odd place to have a statue," Jack noted, following Sabin who had started going towards it. "WHOA!" Jack exclaimed as the gargoyle suddenly moved aside, revealing a staircase. "That's... interesting. Did we step on a stone or something? You think there's booby-traps? You know, like on Indiana Jones?" "I don't know, but I don't think so," Sabin said, cautiously looking up the stairs, in case a boulder did suddenly come rolling down. "Let's check it out, might give us a bird's eye view of this place," Jack said. At that, they both made their way up the stairs and found themselves facing a partly open door. Jack whistled, slowly entering the impressive office. As they continued in, the door closed behind them. "This place is creepy," Jack decided as Sabin went forward, his eyes resting on a stand beside the grand desk. "Wow, look at these gizmos! Sam would be thrilled to get her hands on this stuff," he said, looking at the objects on the shelves, not noticing the slight movements within the pictures above. He heard some shuffling behind him and turned to find Sabin standing on the desk, his hands touching the edge of a pan-like object with a golden perch above it. "What did you find?" he asked, slowly approaching. "I think it's a baby birdie," Sabin answered, extending a careful finger out to gently pet the nearly bald chick's head that only had a few short red feathers sticking up on the top. "It might be one of the special creatures I learned about." "Looks like the little guy likes you," Jack said with a smile as the chick chirped happily. - - - -The Great Hall -- Dinner- Albus Dumbledore and all of the other Professors were having a nice dinner at the head table, enjoying the sight of all of their students before them, laughing and talking during the meal. It was a nice break for the Professors, the last days being rooted in rumors and curious students trying to figure out what was going on. McGonagall was beside Dumbledore, savoring the hour of normalcy as she turned to ask Dumbledore something. "Albus, do you --" she froze when he suddenly stiffened, and his face visibly paled. "Albus?" "Take over things here, Minerva," he stated, before suddenly standing as discreetly as he could and walking briskly to Snape. "Someone has entered my office," Albus whispered in his ear, causing Snape's eyes to widen and his neutral mask to falter slightly. With that, Dumbledore and Snape left the hall, only being noticed by the most observant students, the others too engrossed in their meals or discussions. - - - "Headmaster, how could this happen?" Snape asked as they hurried to his office. "I don't know, but I was alerted when they stepped into my office." "How could they get past the gargoyle? A password is needed, and what about your door? it locks automatically unless you say otherwise." Dumbledore didn't answer, but instead gave a plan of action. "Floo into the office, I'll take the entrance," he said. With a nod of his head, Snape turned the corner and headed to the closest fireplace. - - - -Dumbledore's Office- Sabin scooped the chick up in his near five year old hand, taking some ash as well. With a smile, he let the chick gently peck his nose with a happy chirp. With a giggle, Sabin protectively placed him against his chest, softly petting his lightly feathered head with his other hand. After enjoying the closeness of the young bird, Sabin was about to place him back in the pile of ash, when suddenly, a roar came from the fireplace, green flames erupting forth. If it hadn't been for Jack, Sabin would have teetered off the desk -- Guardians can occasionally be taken by surprise, they are still mortal. "What the--?" Jack gasped, keeping Sabin stable as a furious looking man robed in all black stepped out of the green flames while pulling out a short wooden rod from nowhere it seemed. Jack's defense mechanism kicked in: the never failing sarcasm. "Nice twig, going to poke me?" After saying that, several things happened, nearly at the same time... The door to the office that had closed behind them earlier, shot open. Another man, this one much older, dashed in, just as the dark robed man exclaimed, "-Stupify-!" Red light burst forth. "Holy Crap!" Jack shouted, only able to begin to move his body to protect Sabin, as a shield appeared just in time to deflect the red energy bolt. It ricocheted off to the side, slamming into a shelf with countless sparkling items. CRASH! The angry man looked even more enraged and the older man looked shocked. "Time to--" *-POOF-* - - - -Snape- -How could someone have gotten into Albus' office?- Snape asked himself as he entered a room with a fireplace. -Well, however they did it, they're going to have to explain themselves.- He grabbed a handful of floo powder and, in a clear angry voice, boomed, "Headmaster's Office!" He stepped out of the flames and into the office, immediately finding the intruder. He quickly took in the sight, pausing only for a moment when he saw Fawkes floating in mid-air beside a middle-aged man. The man looked surprised, but only for a moment before his eyes shifted into those who were used to taking control. "Nice twig, going to poke me?" That caused Snape to become furious. The nerve of this man! Barely noticing the door flinging open and Dumbledore entering, he shouted out the first spell from his mind. "-Stupify-!" "Holy Crap!" the man shouted back, just as a shield like no other materialized into being and reflected the curse away. CRASH! "Time to --" *-POOF-* - - - -The Great Hall- "-- go!" Jack's voice echoed forth, drowning out the chitter-chatter of the grand room and causing those within to cease all conversation and movement. Jack fell silent as well as he quickly realized Sabin had poofed them into the middle of a very large room with more strange people who were now all staring at him and the floating baby bird, (Sabin being invisible to them). They were all in robes, the majority of them being seated at four long tables, two on either side of them, but the front table was where Jack's main concerns lay. Those sitting there were more robed adults, all of them as stunned as he was, but after a few seconds, an extremely stern looking woman moved to stand up. "OOPS!" Sabin shouted, everyone within the whole Great Hall hearing his voice as he squeezed Jack's hand and protectively pressed the bird closer to himself before... -- POOF -- - - - -Dumbledore's Office- Snape and Dumbledore stood there in shock for a long moment. Someone had just gotten into Dumbledore's office, took his Phoenix, and APPARATED away. Shaking themselves, but still unsure what the next course of action should be, they looked at each other. Snape was about to say something when something large and white suddenly appeared in the center of the room. "Albus! -- -Intruder-! Possibly two, just -apparated- and -disapparated- in the Great Hall -- Young Fawkes was seen floating beside a middle aged man before a young voice shouted `Oops' and the man, along with Fawkes, disappeared. I am containing the panic of the students and have called for the ghosts. I have initiated lockdown." "Come," Dumbledore said, turning and running out, Snape close behind. - - - -A Room in the Three Broomsticks- "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let me get this straight. There is a magical world hidden among our own? And you think Jack is one of them? Think that he has kept it hidden from us all this time?" Sam asked. "Well, you tell me. You did just see magic downstairs in the pub, and even I know by experience that Jack has a knack for attracting weird things, and has the best luck, if you can call it that, of anyone else I know." "You got that right," Daniel muttered, hoping the stuff Mike had given him would work as he cautiously put it in his mouth and swallowed. It worked immediately, and he was soon engrossed in what Mike was saying, definitely willing to hear this out, after all, his stomach ache had vanished! It had only taken five minutes after Jack and Sabin had left for the members of SG-1 to realize something was really off in this little old village. More than just being a village in the middle of nowhere and having strangely dressed people, and Mike learned real quick, just by their stunned faces, that they were clueless to what this place was. Well, the damage was done, and after Mike had hurried them into a room they had just rented out, he was busy trying to explain everything. They had been talking for a full straight thirty minutes, only just beginning to cover wizarding society and the things within it, when... *-POOF-* Everyone in the room froze as Jack and a floating baby bird suddenly materialized into thin air right in front of them. Jack was breathing hard as they all heard a sigh of relief come from around the baby bird as something else shimmered into view. Sabin. Mike was frozen in place, staring at them in shock as the others stared as well. "Uh-oh..." Sabin whispered, realizing he had just unintentionally blown their cover. Jack's gaze went to Mike as well, seeing that the man was opening and closing his mouth, attempting to speak. After a few attempts, he was able to produce words. "Um..." His eyes scanning them, as if making sure it wasn't an illusion or even a hallucination of some kind or something while SG-1 stayed silent, trying to figure out a believable excuse. "How did yo--?" Mike began, cutting himself short as he focused on the baby bird being protectively held by Sabin. "GOOD GRIEF!!! Don't tell me you -kidnapped- Albus' familiar!" he suddenly shouted, putting on hand on the side of his head as the other went to steady him by grabbing hold of the side table beside him. "You talking about the barely feathered chick?" Jack asked, a little happy Mike was no longer focusing on how they had gotten there, and also curious about what had caused Mike to shift so suddenly. "Jack, this is a Phoenix, and one who has just recently had a Burning Day, -AND- is bonded to possibly the world's most powerful wizard of today!" Jack raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry... What?" Jack asked, now utterly confused. Mike stared at him as slowly, he realized something. "You don't know..." he whispered. "Don't know what? That there are weirdoes out there with twig-rod-thingies that can shoot out red bolts to try and make you stupid... What was it? Stupify or something?... And that apparently there are giants and dwarves, and several other twig wielding people in robes?" Jack ranted. Mike couldn't help it, he started laughing. "What?! Would someone please tell me what is wrong with this place?! Have I gone insane?" Jack paused, seeing that Daniel and Sam were now holding in giggles. "Oh, for cryin' out loud." Mike finally got a hold of himself and took a calming breath. "I think both you and Sabin should sit down for this," he stated, before repeating what he had told Sam and the others, and, for the time being, ignoring the fact they had spontaneously appeared with Albus' familiar. - - - -Hogwarts- "We have searched the entire castle, Headmaster," Snape said, several of the professors gathering closely. "They are no longer here." Dumbledore sighed, troubled and if he was honest with himself, confused and scared. Who was this man who had appeared? What powers did he have that allowed him to levitate Fawkes, create a shield, and apparate within and out of Hogwarts? Why had he taken Fawkes? Was he this Guardian? Why had he come here? Was he looking for something? Did he need Fawkes for something? Would he see Fawkes again? "Albus?" McGonagall asked, a little concerned. Dumbledore refocused. "The students will stay the rest of the night in the Great Hall; it would be pointless to send them to their dorms now." The Professors nodded, leaving Dumbledore in his office, alone with the empty perch beside his desk. - - - -A Room in the Three Broomsticks- They talked for several hours, well, Mike did most of the talking for the first half, but the rest it was pretty level. Mike told them about the Wizarding World (both in Europe and around the world), Hogwarts, the fact he was `Magic-Locked' (also known as a Squib), and answered everything they asked. "So you think I'm a wizard?" Jack asked. "Oh come on Jack, haven't you wondered how you've survived half the things you've gone through when you shouldn't have? Or what about all those weird things I remember happening around you when I served with you? No one has -that- good of a `sixth sense', and also, what about your gun?" Mike asked, rambling on, waving his hands about, his voice fluctuating in volume and pitch; Sabin giggled. "My gun?" Jack asked. "I remember several times during some shootouts that you never reloaded, but kept on firing, while the rest of us had to reload a half a dozen times," Mike said, narrowing his eyes and keeping his voice level, hoping Jack would see how this was linked to his magic. Jack stayed silent, thinking. Had he been using magic all this time without recognizing it? Sure, he sometimes wondered about this odd things, but decided it was better not to questions such things that help save your life, as well as your companions' lives. "You see?" Mike asked, Daniel, Sam, and Teal'c staring at Jack in wonder. After a few moments of silence, Sam broke the silence. "So what now?" Sam asked. Mike focused on Sabin, who had made himself comfortable on the far end of the bed, already under the covers, Fawkes resting safely in his small hands on his lap, before looking to Jack. "Well, Jack has a choice to make. He can either stay as he is, or teach himself some magic. I don't know how well that will go, since he's gone so long without really using it, which has forced it to turn inward," Mike said. "Inward?" Daniel asked. "Yeah. I think it is safe to say that is why Jack has the luck he has, and why occasionally it acts out, surfacing as odd happenings that can easily be overlooked -- hence the auto-reloading gun." "Well now, I think you owe me a few explanations," Mike stated suddenly. "I'd like to know how you two appeared in here, -and- with Dumbledore's familiar, who, if I am correct, is being missed right now." Sabin looked down, softly petting the little bird who chirped and snuggled more into his warmth. "We didn't mean to take him, we just couldn't stay, and I didn't have time to put him back," Sabin said sadly. "It's alright, we'll just poof on over there tomorrow and give the little poof ball back," Jack said, sliding over to him and ignoring the Phoenix's ruffled response at being called a poof ball. "`Poof'?" Mike asked. "Sabin is... unique," Jack began. "Well, I assumed as much when he used a form of Legilimency on me I've never felt before," Mike said. "It's sort of like mindreading," Mike continued, seeing the confused looks of SG-1. "Mindreading?" Sam asked, looking at Sabin very curiously. "I don't really read your mind. Just your feelings and intentions. It's actually why I followed you," Sabin explained. "So it's been -you-," Jack said, shaking his head. "Ever so often I've felt like someone is looking at me, only it feels like they are -really- close." "Like this?" Sabin asked, brushing Jack's mind. Jack gasped, "Yes! Exactly like that!" he said, pointing. "That is -so- cool. Can you teach me?" he asked excitedly, his eyes containing a glint no one could miss. "Oh boy," Sam mumbled. "Indeed," Teal'c quietly agreed. "I can try," Sabin said. "Great!" Jack replied happily. "So what else can you do Sabin? How did you end up with Jack?" Mike asked. "Ah!" Jack interrupted, lifting a hand. "All in due time, all of this is classified, but since I know you've shared some classified information, we will return the favor; however, the rest of it will have to ask for clearance." "Of course," Mike obliged. "So, what can you tell me?" Jack told him about some of Sabin's abilities, how he's not from around here, or from the States, and that he would be staying with him from now on. He didn't tell him about the Stargate program, since he would have to get clearance from Hammond, and that it wasn't vital for Mike to know just yet. "Sabin, you must be very powerful to do the things you can do. Where did you learn this? Who taught you? If you can't tell me, just say so," Mike said. "I was taught by Jovon. He took me to a safe place and taught me. I can't say where though. Not even Jack knows," Sabin said, Fawkes now asleep in the palm of his right hand, his own eyes beginning to droop. "I think it's time for bed," Daniel said at last. "I agree, we should get some sleep before tomorrow," Jack said. "What shall we be doing tomorrow O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. "Well, I'm sure Sabin would have done it tonight if he had more energy, but tomorrow me and Sabin will poof to Hogwarts, and return the chick to this Albus person," Jack answered, before turning to Mike. "Is he really the most powerful wizard on earth?" he asked. "Many people think so, they say he was the only one Voldemort ever feared," Mike answered with a shrug. "Voldemort?" Sam asked. "Oh, wow. Sorry, forgot you don't know. Well, about three and a half years ago, there was this dark wizard. He was killing non-magics and muggleborns and anyone else who stood in his way. He had many followers, many of whom are still being rounded up today." "Where is he now? Is he still around?" Daniel asked. "No, he vanished on Halloween night. It's now called `the Potter Incident'." "What happened?" Sam asked. "No one really knows. The Potters were a young couple with a one year old son, Harry. Well, Voldemort apparently went into their house. The couple were found dead in the obliterated house, along with the charred remains of Voldemort's robes and his wand." "And their son?" Jack asked, his heart tightening up upon wondering what had been the child's fate. "He was never found. Some say the boy's magic overloaded and unintentionally killed the Dark Lord and himself when Voldemort cast the killing curse. Others say the boy's magic protected him while it reflected the curse back, but that someone came soon after and took him. No one knows," Mike said, his voice sad and filled with grief. "My cousin, Minerva, who is a professor at Hogwarts as I had told you, was close to the Potters, as was Albus. Albus, as Minerva has told me, hasn't given up hope, and still is on the look out for the boy. He even goes to check out orphanages occasionally, hoping he'll get lucky," Mike continued. "What do you think?" Daniel asked. "I think if the boy is still out there, whoever has him took him to keep him safe. If one of Voldemort's followers had taken him, they would have bragged. What would be the point in taking him and not telling? They would have wanted to extinguish the hope that still exists surrounding the Potter boy. And as for the absurd idea that he was taken by some dark follower to raise him into who knows what, some things cannot be destroyed, and believe me, what was or is in that boy had made Voldemort so afraid of him to the point of personally trying to kill him... No dark lord would risk raising such a child with whatever that was." "So do you think he is still out there?" Sam asked. "I don't know, but I'm definitely not going to take it out of the realm of possibility." Jack nodded in agreement, looking over at Sabin, who was now sleeping, unable to stop himself from thinking about the curious similarities between Sabin and the Potter child. He shook himself out of his thoughts, not catching Mike's eyes resting on Sabin in unsure wonder. "Well, I suppose tomorrow me and Sabin will poof into Hogwarts. Hopefully Sabin now has a better grasp on how to get through the zones," Jack said, Mike having been told what had happened the last time. "Hmm. Jack, I think I may have a better idea," Mike said, thinking with a smile. "Oh?" "Well, I could just contact my cousin." *Question Concerning:* -Sabin/Harry's appearance-: He has black messy hair, but not too long that it gets in his eyes. He is 3' 4" and still has a decent amount of baby fat, and of course has brilliant green eyes :P. =============================================================================== *Part 8: The Headmaster* McGonagall sighed as she poured herself some tea. -Poor Albus...- she thought. She had never seen him so distraught and withdrawn. -Why had this man taken Fawkes? Would he return?- She was trying to decide what she should do to help, but knew she couldn't really do much. They had searched the entire school of course. The students were understandably utterly confused and curious, as well as concerned. And it was no wonder, when she thought about it, it was probably the first time they had ever seen Dumbledore without the twinkle in his eyes and noticeably down... She shook her head, trying to understand everything they had learned so far, no matter how small an amount. The intruder had someone with him, that was for certain, especially after talking with the portraits in the Headmaster's office. "He seemed to be talking to someone we couldn't see," Professor Dippit, the former Headmaster, said. "Yes, he mentioned someone named Sam, and that she would be `thrilled to get her hands on this stuff'," the portrait beside Dippit said. "Then he went over to Fawkes, and it was like an invisible hand scooped him up. The man then started talking to someone, presumably to the person who had picked Fawkes up," another portrait said. "Then a voice answered." "Were they threatening?" Dumbledore asked. "Did they say anything to explain why they were here? How did Fawkes respond?" "No-no, not threatening, and if I know Fawkes, he seemed perfectly content in the hands of that invisible being." Dumbledore breathed a sigh of relief, though he was still troubled. The portraits repeated everything they could remember, which was everything, even the sarcastic comment made by the man to Snape. McGonagall reclined back, thankful for the weekend. She didn't know if she could have gone through all of the classes with all of the students wanting to know what was going on. She had been about to put in another cube of sugar in her tea when the flames of her fireplace suddenly flared. "Minerva?" a familiar voice called. "Mike?" she asked, turning to the fireplace, wondering why her cousin was fire-calling her now. Was everything alright? "Hi Minerva! How are you? Glad I caught you. Do you have a moment?" he asked. "Yes, a moment... Is everything alright Mike?" she asked. "Um... I know this is rather sudden and all, but I was wondering if I could bring some good friends up to Hogwarts. I think everyone could benefit." "Mike, not that it's not nice to see you, but I don't think this is an appropriate time... The Headma --" "Oh, he will want to meet these people, of that I can assure you," Mike interrupted. "Mike, what is this about? Rarely are you this... flamboyant." "It's the company." "I see," she muttered. Mike then turned his head, as if looking back into his room. "Jack! I'm getting to that! And no, there's only room for one in the fireplace, so back up." He turned his face back to Minerva. "Sorry about that, my friend is very curious about the Floo Network." "He's a Muggle?" Minerva asked, a little concerned and curious about the possibility of Mike exposing the Wizarding World to a muggle. "Of course not, but his friends are. Hope that's not a problem." "No, but... how much do they know? There is the secrecy of --" "Yes-yes Minerva, I served in the Military, I understand the importance of secrecy and classified information," he said, no doubt waving that concern off on the other side of the flames. "They know everything, I told them, which couldn't be helped, believe me. Anyway, would you grace us with a tour and an introduction to Albus? I would just walk them up myself, but I'm sure you understand how much of a stir that would cause. Your students would have a field day with creating rumors and the like." "Some things have been happening lately, and I'm not sure Albus would appreciate having this stacked on top of everything else..." Mike sighed, looking sorrowful. "He didn't mean to take Fawkes you know. But when Snape, no doubt, came bursting in and decided to curse first and ask questions later..." Mike trailed off, doing a good job of not showing the triumph he was feeling at the sight of a flabbergasted Minerva. "Well, now that you understand the reason behind this request of invite, may we step through?" Mike asked, now unable to hide a smirk. Minerva shook herself. "How-how many are joining you?" she asked. "Myself, Jack, and his four friends, oh, and Fawkes," he answered. "Very well, but let me alert Albus first," she stated. "He must be told of all visitors coming." "Of course. We'll be through in 30 minutes then." Minerva nodded her consent, already moving forward to fire-call Albus. - - - "So, what'd she say?" Jack asked as Mike got up, dusting the ash from his clothes. "We can go through, but to wait thirty minutes. They have a responsibility to make sure their students are safe after all," Mike answered. "So you're giving them time to make some precautions?" Jack asked. "With you one can never be too careful," Mike stated offhandedly. "I resent that," Jack replied, feigning hurt. "So we are going to return Fawkes?" Sabin asked, raising Fawkes up a little, showing the now fuzzy chick. "Yup, we are going to give the little fellow back. Wouldn't want the world's most powerful wizard angry at us, right?" Jack said. Fawkes chirped, as if saying, `you've got that right'. Teal'c silently raised an eyebrow. "So magic is openly used there, just like here?" Sam asked. "Yes, it is a magic school after all," Mike answered, Sabin looking thoughtful. "What are we going to say about Sabin?" Daniel asked suddenly. "We'll say I've adopted him, `unofficially' for right now if they pursue it. From there, we'll have to wing it. It will depend on how much we feel we can trust him. So just follow my lead," Jack said, receiving a consenting nod from Sabin. "You are probably going to have to tell Dumbledore more than what you've told me you know. Unlike me, he can't just let mysteries go unsolved, though, if he knew you as well as I do, he'd know that sometimes it's better left alone," Mike said. Sam and Daniel gave each other significant looks. "So Dumbledore is the Headmaster to this... School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was it?" Daniel asked after a moment, getting a little hyper as if he's about to go on an archeological dig. "Yes. And his full name, if you're curious, is Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. He's the Headmaster of Hogwarts, and has a long list of other titles too numerous to mention right now," Mike answered. "That's understandable, that's a mouthful as it is," Jack commented. "So we are all going, right?" Sam asked. "Yes, unless you wish to stay here of course," Mike said. "No. I was just curious, the condition of the castle..." she continued, trying to figure out the best way to put it. "Ah, no need to worry, that is just an illusion. It looks like it's falling down, deserted ruins to keep non-magics away," Mike answered, knowing what she was worried about. "Really? Wow. How do they do that?" Sam asked. "-Magic-," Jack supplied. "Brilliant. His answer to everything mysterious used to be magnets... now it will be magic," Daniel moaned. "No, not always. Some things are caused my magical magnets, and not just one or the other," Jack retorted. Daniel rolled his eyes. "Alright, almost time," Mike stated, ignoring the mediocre fight. "I'll go in first, and just do what I do. It's not hard. Jack, you're going to have to take Sabin with you while you do it; I don't think it would be wise for him to do it himself, the Floo network is designed for older children and adults." "Jack would fall under the category of older children," Daniel whispered to the side. "I heard that," Jack informed him. "How old do I have to be until I can go myself?" Sabin asked curiously. "I'd say at least ten," Mike said. "Oh. Physically, or..." Sabin continued. "Sabin, how old -are- you?" Jack asked, wondering how they had failed to ask that question way earlier. "That sort of depends. I've had about three centuries of spiritual training, but physically... I'm almost five," Sabin said, looking as if he was doing some minor calculating in his head. They looked at him for a moment, blinking. Jack shook his head. "We'll talk about this later," he stated. "Okay," Sabin agreed with a shrug, before looking down to Fawkes and petting his head, which was now fully covered with soft red fluffy feathers. "Alright," Mike said slowly, deciding it best to just overlook that last interesting statement from Sabin as he took a hand full of powder from the bucket beside the fireplace. Thankfully, Mike was friends with the innkeeper and he had allowed them the use of their back fireplace in private. "Do exactly what I'm about to do, and follow me," Mike ordered, before throwing the powder down and shouting, "Hogwarts, McGonagall's Office!" He disappeared in a burst of green flames. - - - -Moments after Mike's Fire-call- "Albus?" McGonagall asked, her face forming in the flames. "Yes?" Dumbledore asked, looking up from his hands. He was no doubt moping; something Minerva rarely ever caught him doing. "I... I think you will want to come over here," McGonagall stated. "My cousin just fire-called." He stood up, curious by Minerva's tone. What was this about? "Your cousin? Michael from America?" he asked. "Yes, Mike. He said five people will be joining him, and that Fawkes is with them..." At that, Dumbledore went forward with impressive speed. "I'll be right there," he stated, already having a handful of floo powder. - - - -Minerva's Office- Mike entered the office with grace, closely followed by Daniel (who was furtively trying to cough the soot out of his lungs as he stepped to the side), Sam (who nearly stumbled, barely catching herself), Teal'c (who walked out as if it was a simple doorway, calmly brushing the ash from his sleeve as he stepped beside Daniel) and finally, Jack and Sabin. Jack immediately looked behind him, quite pleased he had succeeded in using this obscure method of transportation, before joining Sabin in looking to the room and those within with curiosity. Jack was immediately on his guard, subconsciously holding Sabin closer to himself as he peered around the room. Mike went forward, embracing a stern looking woman, who melted at his touch ever so slightly, before facing the ancient looking man who reminded Jack of Merlin. Daniel and Teal'c were slightly in front of Jack and Sabin, Teal'c no doubt playing a kind of bodyguard, his symbiote alerting him that these strangers had unknown powers. Sabin was calm and collected, allowing himself to briefly skim the overall intentions in the room. Finding nothing malicious, he decided to wait on in depth mind brushing; besides, with Daniel, Teal'c, and Jack between him and the strangers (Sam being beside him and Jack), it would be a little hard to get a good reading. "Well, this is Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of this school. And this is Professor Minerva McGonagall, she teaches Transfiguration here, and is also the Deputy Headmistress," Mike quickly introduced, before turning to introduce his friends to Dumbledore and Minerva. "Albus, Minerva," Mike said, motioning with his hands to the group in front of the fireplace. "This is Teal'c. Doesn't say much, but Jack trusts him, so I will too." Teal'c tilted his head down slightly in greeting, still having the black beanie on his head. Dumbledore and Minerva gave kind nods back, not knowing how else to greet the large black man. "This is Dr. Daniel Jackson; a linguist from what he tells me, and after touring the castles yesterday, a real enthusiast of history and archeology," Mike continued, motioning to Daniel. Daniel stepped forward, offering a hand to Albus, who was to the left of Mike and Minerva, and then to Minerva who was in the middle. "Hello sir," he said, Albus and Minerva hearing his accent was like Mike's. -Americans?- they wondered. "Hello Dr. Jackson," Albus said, giving Daniel a stronger handshake than what Daniel had expected from such an old man. "Nice to meet you Dr. Jackson," Minerva in turn greeted. "This is Captain Samantha Carter. Jack tells me she should be counted as one of Earth's greatest resources," Mike continued, ignoring the surprised/embarrassed/honored look on her face before she shook Dumbledore's hand and then Minerva's. "And of course, this is Jack. Colonel Jack O'Neill -- O'Neill with two L's, the other one supposedly has no sense of humor. And this is Sabin, his protege." Teal'c stepped over slightly to allow Jack to move forward with Sabin, who had again made sure his clothes matched Jack's exactly. With his right hand (his left arm holding Sabin) Jack took hold of Albus'. "Hello again, sir. Sorry we left so abruptly the last time, but with bolts of red light flying at us, we felt it was time to leave," Jack said with a smile, clearly holding no hard feelings towards the man before him. "Quite understandable," Albus stated, before allowing his eyes to fall on Sabin, whose hand was cupped against his side, a red fuzzy head with a beak sticking out between his thumb and pointer finger. Dumbledore's theories on everything were slowly forming, but he didn't have anything concrete. Yet. "Hi," Sabin said, rather shyly, before holding Fawkes up, the little bird, ash and all, somehow balanced in the palm of his hand. "Here's your Phoenix. He likes grapes but not raisins. He chirps in his sleep too. Sorry I took him." Sabin continued to gaze at Dumbledore's face, as if trying to read something. Dumbledore then gently reached out with both hands and took Fawkes from Sabin's small hand, his eyes seeming to twinkle with blue static. To say Albus was relieved would be an absurd understatement, but Sabin quickly saw more, deciding to use some of his Mind Force. They needed to know how much they could trust him after all. "No apology needed my boy. I understand why you left so quickly, and Fawkes seems to have had a wonderful time with you. Thank you for taking care of hi --" Albus for the first time met Sabin's deep green eyes, and for a few seconds could barely breathe as unsure realization as well as verification hit a moment before he became aware of something he had never felt before. Sabin tilted his head, confused as he brushed the old man's mind with his own. There was something shielding it. It wasn't that big of a deal, because if Sabin really wanted to go in he could, since his method didn't involve -breaking- through barriers, but instead was more of blending into and past them; but Sabin also understood good manners, and going through people's barriers that they had put up wasn't polite, in fact, it was rather rude and was a violation of the most despicable kind. Before backing out though, he could feel a hint of curiosity and surprise leaking through the barrier, and so, he decided to `knock', hoping for permission to enter. He was about to give up and back out after a long moment had past, when the shield suddenly faded. Sabin was pleasantly surprised and happily went forward. At first it was rather serene and peaceful, a little like Joron's mind, but continuing in, he was suddenly immersed in emotion and had to pull back before it overwhelmed him. He felt solid goodness and an immeasurable desire to conquer over evil from the man, but then the feelings shifted, being directed towards... -him-? There was grief, regret, and guilt, and as he continued staring into the intense blue of the man's eyes, he found more. Linked with these feelings were images, and they were easy to see. Flashes of a destroyed building, perhaps a home, though now it was hard to tell. A funeral with two caskets, a large white headstone before him as he saw Albus lift a photograph with moving people, but before he could tell who they were, he felt something else. In the forefront of his mind, he was alerted to a presence stepping into the edge, patiently waiting for access, just as he had done. The Headmaster. No one had ever brushed his mind before, save Jovon and a few of the Wielders. There was someone here who could do some of what he could do! Sabin was elated, happy to welcome the old man into his mind after making sure the ancient knowledge and information concerning his training from the Wielders and other such things were deeply buried. Soon after that, he felt the Headmaster slowly enter. The feeling from the Headmaster was different to say the least, so Sabin waited, in case he needed to force him to exit. It wasn't as fluid as his own Mind Force, but done in a comfortable enough manner that he decided not to push Dumbledore out, but instead allowed him access to some of the recent things he had done with SG-1, careful in hiding the things that had to be kept secret. He also allowed his feelings of the previous day to `float' around, delighted to share a few things with the Headmaster since he was doing the same. He then went back to Dumbledore's mind, quickly detecting feelings that took a moment to place. Thankfulness, recognition, worry, and concern, again, all directed towards him, Sabin. This was obviously confusing for Sabin. Did this man know him, or at least think he did? Deciding it was time to go, Sabin pulled out while he slowly and gently, but with no uncertain terms, guided the Headmaster out of his own mind. Everyone was staring at either Sabin or Dumbledore, wondering what the heck had just happened. Dumbledore had a look of slight confusion and surprise, but it was very obviously joined with relief and hopefulness as Fawkes gave a quiet `Chirp'. "Albus?" Minerva asked, not quite sure how to interpret what they had just seen. - - - -Albus' Point of View after meeting Sabin's eyes- "Thank you for taking care of hi --" Dumbledore froze, immediately recognizing the bright green eyes of the child facing him, but before he could fully react to that, he felt something that was no doubt a kind of Legilimency, though not a kind he had ever come across before. It was non-intrusive, soft, and gentle, and had it not been the barriers he always had up, he might not have noticed the unwelcome (though not malicious) presence. Surprised, he instinctively solidified his defenses, expecting an attack of some kind, but none came, which made him cautiously curious as he felt whoever was in his head pause, before giving a soft `knock', obviously asking for entry. He was taken aback. -They are asking permission to come in?- he asked in wonder. -Who is this? Perhaps this is Jack O'Neill, but why would he be doing this? Could it be anyone else? But eye contact is no doubt needed for -- - He internally started, astonished by who he realized was waiting at the boundary of his mind -- the child being held by the Colonel. -I'll let him enter and see what he does,- Dumbledore decided. Lowering the shield, though ready to raise it in an instant, he waited to see what his visitor would do as he began thinking on what to do next, wanting to find a way to verify that this child was who he thought he was. -Little Harry...- he thought to himself, feeling Sabin cheerfully enter. Dumbledore tried to contain his emotions, but the further Sabin went in, the harder it became. He was about to have to push Sabin out, especially when he felt the boy falter in his mind, but stopped himself when he felt the child wisely back away from the area. He was relieved when he felt him ease back a little more and slowly begin to `look' around, both still staring into each other's eyes, nearly equal in their brilliance. Taking a risk, Dumbledore decided to request access to the boy's mind, since the boy seemed to just be `skimming' his own emotions. Upon entering, Albus was surprised to discover no obvious walls or barriers as he slowly approached, before stopping where he would have placed a wall in his own mind, waiting for a visible sign of permission to continue. And then one came. If he could have, he would have jumped when he felt a feeling of joy and excitement rush against him before surrounding him, as if beckoning him in. He went in, partly feeling as if he was a child entering a grown up's office with breakables all over the place. As carefully as he could, this was a child's mind after all, he looked around, hunting for the thing that would tell him this was Harry as he saw glimpses of Sabin's past, which had no doubt been screened. It was clear Sabin had taken things and hidden them, while putting things he felt comfortable sharing out in the open. He saw a glimpse of the boy with Jack and the others eating a meal together somewhere, and then saw their tour that they had had the previous day, and even felt the concern he had had towards Daniel's stomach ache as he suddenly found what he was looking for. -You shall not be lost again, Harry,- Dumbledore vowed as he sensed the essence which told him, without a doubt, whose mind he was in. He was once again thankful to James and Lily for allowing him a glimpse into their son before their deaths, in case anything were to happen (which it regrettably did). Because they had given permission for that, Albus had a way of knowing Harry was Harry, or, in this case, that a mysterious boy was the now found Potter child. Detecting the boy's signature and coming to the discovery that this was indeed Harry James Potter, Albus couldn't help but become filled with thankfulness, worry, and concern. Where had he been? Who had taken him? And why? Had he been with Jack all this time? What about the Guardian? Was Jack secretly this Guardian and was raising Harry, or rather Sabin? Before he could think about anything else, he felt the boy exit his mind before suddenly feeling a gentle, but clearly guiding, force lead him out. -The control Harry has is remarkable,- Dumbledore said to himself, leaving the boy's mind. -The Guardian has done a good job in this. I wonder what else he has taught him.- Blinking, he realized everyone in the room was staring at either himself or Sabin, wondering what the heck had just happened. He vaguely heard Fawkes' quiet `Chirp' as Minerva took hold of his forearm. "Albus?" Minerva asked, not quite sure how to interpret what they had just seen. - - "He brushed your mind, didn't he?" Jack asked knowingly. "That he did," Dumbledore admitted proudly, joy leaking though his voice. Minerva stared at her friend's face, knowing Dumbledore had just found something very important, she only wished she knew what it was. Sabin continued looking at Albus, before finally asking what was on his mind. "How do you recognize me? I don't remember ever having met you," Sabin stated. "Ah, but Sabin, you have met me, when you were very young," he admitted, glancing at Jack, looking for a reaction. All he got was a tilt of the head and smidgen of a raised eyebrow. "I don't think that's possible," Sabin said simply. "Why not? Were you not told where you come from?" Dumbledore asked, concerned. -Please, don't let the boy have been brainwashed...- Albus prayed. "Well yes, but I don't know if I should tell you," Sabin replied, not understanding what had caused the sudden troubled feeling ebbing from the Headmaster. "Sabin, go ahead and tell him; just what he's asking," Jack prodded, his gut telling him to. "Jovon took me to a safe place after a dark being killed my family and tried to kill me," Sabin answered, trusting Jack. "Jovon?" Dumbledore asked, his heart racing. Had Jovon been the previous Guardian? Had he just turned his responsibilities over to this Jack O'Neill? "He helped teach me before I came here," Sabin replied, not elaborating further. "If I may ask, how did you end up with Colonel O'Neill and his friends?" "I think that's enough questions now," Jack interrupted, not wanting to have to deal with the repercussions of exposing the Stargate program just yet. Dumbledore did a good job of not looking disappointed, not wanting to upset the new Guardian -- he might prevent Harry from ever returning. "So when do you think Sabin met you?" Jack asked, seeing Dumbledore deep in thought. Dumbledore looked at Jack, as if deciding something. "Let's discuss this in my office, I think we have a lot to talk about," he said after a moment. "Fawkes, I believe, wants to be back in his pile of ash." Jack shrugged, privately glad the old man suggested it, Sabin was beginning to get a little heavy. "This way," Dumbledore said, leading them out of Minerva's office. *Part 9: The Potions Master* They made their way down the corridors, Sabin now walking beside Jack, the Headmaster on Jack's other side, tenderly holding Fawkes against his robes in his warm wrinkled hand. Minerva was walking next to Sam and Mike, who were all behind Sabin, Jack and Albus. Teal'c and Daniel took up the rear. Sabin looked across Jack to look at Fawkes, happy he was able to return him and that Albus wasn't mad at him for taking him in the first place. "Would you like to carry him, Sabin?" Albus asked, offering the alert and pleased chick while stopping in the hall, expecting Jack to either take Fawkes to hand to Sabin, or for Sabin to go over and get him himself. Well, neither of those things happened; instead, Sabin smiled broadly, extended his free hand out (the other was holding Jack's left hand), and curled his fingers slightly towards himself. Fawkes, who was sitting expectantly on Dumbledore's outstretched hand, promptly leapt off, flapping his pathetic, but adorable, little wings as hard as he could. Minerva gasped, spotting this from between Jack and Dumbledore and expecting to see the helpless fledgling plummet onto the cold stone floor. Thankfully, that didn't happen; instead, Fawkes stretched out his little wings and glided in front of Jack towards Sabin's open hand. Albus stared in shock and wonder. -The Guardian taught him wandless magic?- he wondered, looking to Jack who seemed unfazed by Sabin levitating Fawkes by him. Unknown to Dumbledore, Jack and the other members of SG-1 had seen Sabin move things like this all the time, particularly when bringing a pie to Jack in the cafeteria. "He reminds me of a fighter jet, wouldn't surprise me if I saw him dive bomb," Jack stated, quite amused, which only gave Sabin an idea. Looking at Fawkes, who gave Sabin a sly impish nod of `have at it', Sabin smiled mischievously. "Like this?" Sabin asked, at first slowly moving his hand before him, before suddenly shooting the carefree familiar of Albus Dumbledore to `fly' loop-de-loops before them all. "Chirp-Chirp!" Fawkes happily cried, before going higher and turning towards them. "INCOMING!!!" Jack couldn't help but playfully shout, pretty sure what Sabin was going to do next. Fawkes then tucked his little fluffy stubs against his fuzzy sides and dived towards them, releasing what Dumbledore and the others could only describe as Phoenix laughter, though it also reminded Jack of a hyper thrill of a young eagle. Jack and the others (save for Sabin and Teal'c) moved to duck as the red downy missile swooped down. Dumbledore (who had gotten over having a near heart-attack) was now laughing, knowing that if Fawkes was enjoying himself, there was no danger. Minerva, however, had her hand over her heart, still quite concerned as she took cover. Sam and Daniel were openly laughing, playing along with the `Fawkes's a missile; DUCK!' game. Mike was beside himself, having crouched down with the others, tears in his eyes as he laughed at the pure randomness of it all, as well as seeing Jack's playful side first hand again. Fawkes circled around, Sabin and the others barely noticing the audience growing at all the entrances to the hall as Fawkes completed another dive, grazing Albus's hat. Fawkes gave another loud chirp, warning he was coming a third time, as Sabin brought him about, leading him towards his hands, which were now both free. At the end of the hall Jack and the others had been heading down, the students watching were now also giggling; however, their carefree mood suddenly ceased. The group of students split as a dark robed man made his way through, all of them worried about what he might do. Catching Fawkes without a moment to spare, Sabin protectively brought Fawkes to himself, not quite sure what to make of this robed man who had tried to blast them during their first visit. "Ah, Severus, glad we ran into you," Albus said calmly, now standing up straight since the dive bombing fledging was no longer in the skies. Severus continued forward, clearly itching to pull out his wand, his eyes firmly set on Jack. Dumbledore saw this and immediately decided to act before something irreversible happened. "Severus, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill, a friend of Minerva's cousin, Michael. Colonel, this is Professor Severus Snape, our Potions Master," Albus smoothly introduced, very conscious of the fact they were being watched by over half the school population and a good majority of his staff now. Snape continued his untrusting gaze on Jack as he moved before him in an obvious confronting manner, stopping two yards away and narrowing his eyes. They locked eyes, but before any of them could do anything else, Sabin instantly stepped between them. He raised his right hand back, telling Jack to not do anything while alerting Snape to his presence. He looked up to the Potions Master, staring unblinkingly into his dark eyes that seemed to be colder than space. Sabin knew what Snape had been about to do. He had sensed the obscure mind force about to meet Jack's, and he didn't like it. There was unnecessary aggression behind it. With a silent Fawkes still in his grasp, Sabin decided to get a better idea of the dark man in front of him before he decided on what physical action to take... Reaching into the Professor's mind, he found formidable barriers, but feeling he was justified to assess the mind of a possible threat, he eased himself through the defensive walls, causing Snape to bring his hands up to his head in shock and confusion, though not in pain, as he was unable to break eye contact. Peering in, his purpose only needing him to be within for an instant, Sabin gathered everything he wanted to know about the man before pulling out. He really didn't like being in a mind of someone who didn't want him there, but this had been necessary. Now fully aware of the shocked silence around him and the alarmed, heavily breathing Potions Master, who was still clutching his head in disturbed surprise, Sabin took a step forward, further distancing himself from the others, and causing more surprise to emit from the Potions Master. Ignoring the stunned reactions of the other professors and the whispering students, Sabin voiced his findings, further shocking those around him as his voice echoed softly throughout the hall, all of them wondering how all this came to be in such a short amount of time. "You are full of darkness, but are not evil. You are malicious, but not heartless. You know love and honor, and feel a strong duty to protect them both. And I am glad you no longer serve Hatred," Sabin said, his eyes glancing at Snape's arm before meeting his dark eyes again. "But you must banish this guilt. Know you can only do so much and that sometimes it is not enough, but also know you are still needed. Your purpose goes beyond just fighting evil, it is raising the next generation in a way that evil will not get the chance to rise again." Sabin broke eye contact, backing up until he felt Jack's hands come to rest on his shoulders, everyone unbelievably silent. Fawkes broke the silence with a gentle thrill, for which they were all grateful, but everyone remained frozen. Lowering his hands, Snape peered down at the young boy before him. A million thoughts were going through his head, but they were all chaotic and running rampant. He would have to think on this, especially about the piercing green eyes that immediately reminded him of Lily's... He turned his head and found Albus looking at him, somehow both in concern and pride. He then looked back to the child while avoiding all other eye contact. "I never thought I'd hear such advice from one so young," Snape stated, thankful for his gift to appear calm in situations he was not. "Age is relative," Sabin replied simply. That earned Sabin a smirk from the darkly clothed Potions Master who now had his breathing under control. "I suppose it is," Snape admitted, his eyes focusing hard on the three foot, four inch tall child, trying to decide what to make of him. This was no normal child, of that he was certain. By now, the professors who were with the students at the ends of the hall began shuffling the students away, reminding them they had tests coming up soon, and that they needed to be ready for them. With some sighs and moans, the students retreated, but not without getting one last glance at the child who appeared to have dismayed their ice cold Professor. The professors, unlike their departing students, edged forward, curious to know who these guests were, and why the man they had seen appear in the Great Hall was among them. They kept their distance though, still trying to comprehend what they had just seen. Why had they seen, they assumed, Fawkes, flying around when he should be unable? What had happened to Snape? Why had this child stepped between him and this stranger? And what were they supposed to do now? Dumbledore took that moment to step beside Jack and Sabin. "Severus, this is Sabin, Colonel Jack O'Neill's protege, as Michael had introduced him to me," he said, Teal'c and the others stepping up as well. Albus quickly introduced them all, Severus merely giving each a nod of his head in acknowledgement, the other Professors coming around as well. The professors eyed each of SG-1, but ultimately came to either staring at Sabin or Jack. "I see," Snape stated as Jack glanced at the people who had gathered near. Dumbledore then introduced the professors to Sabin and SG-1. "This is Professor Filius Flitwick, Head of Ravenclaw; he also teaches Charms. This is Madam Poppy Pomfrey, our school nurse. Professor Pomona Sprout; she teaches Herbology and is Head of Hufflepuff. Madam Rolanda Hooch, our flight instructor and Quidditch referee. And here is Professor Hubert Morts, our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Dumbledore finished, Sabin and the others nodding and politely greeting each. "Well, now that Fawkes is no longer in the air and introductions have been made, we will see you all at dinner, if Michael and his companions desire to; but for now, we have things to discuss in my office," Dumbledore told his staff, more or less excusing them as he looked to Jack and Michael, as if for permission. "Sounds good to me, sure should beat what we had yesterday, right Daniel?" Jack asked. Daniel seemed to shade into a light pigment of green at the mention of yesterday's food incident. "Don't remind me," he muttered. "Dinner here it is then," Dumbledore declared happily, the other professors turning to leave, save McGonagall. Snape was about to leave as well, so he could think, taking one last gaze at Sabin, but Dumbledore spoke before he could. "Severus, I believe you should accompany us. There are things you should hear as well," he stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Very well, Headmaster," he stated. "You're not going to try and stupefy me or anything, are you?" Jack asked as they began walking, Snape about to walk alongside Minerva. They all stopped. Again. Daniel tried not to roll his eyes while Sam gave an internal, `Oh brother'. Teal'c seemed impassive, where as Sabin seemed intrigued. "Unless you give me reason to, like kidnapping the Headmaster's phoenix for instance," Snape replied flatly, though not with excessive malice, which surprised both McGonagall's and pleased Dumbledore. "That was an accident, and you didn't give us much choice," Jack returned. "I could say the same is true for myself. You didn't give me much choice when you broke into the Headmaster's office and removed his phoenix from his place." "Alright, then it's settled. No more twig --" "Wand," Mike corrected. "-- Wand waving, and no more phoenix-napping. Okay?" "Agreed," Snape stated, before they stared each other down, as if measuring each other up and searching for deceptions. After a few more seconds of that, Jack held out his hand for Snape to take, which he did. "Well, now that we all know you two aren't going to try to kill each other, if I remember correctly, the Headmaster has something to discuss with us," Mike said. "Yes, thank you Michael," Dumbledore said. They then went off to Dumbledore's office, Jack trusting Teal'c to keep an eye on the Snape behind him, just in case. - - - After going down a few more corridors, Jack and Sabin found themselves in a familiar place. "Jack, Jack! Look, the statue!" Sabin said excitedly, running ahead with Jack close behind, the others wondering what the excitement was all about. The others were a few paces behind as Sabin and Jack stopped before the gargoyle. "Kind of scary looking, huh?" Sabin remarked as Jack touched it with his hand, wondering why it wasn't moving aside like last time. "Yeah, sort of," Jack admitted, pondering how old the stone under his hand was -- Dumbledore now behind them, about to say the password... when it suddenly moved aside. "Ooh, nice," Jack stated, oblivious to the shocked stares of those behind him, only conscious to Sabin's grin beside him. Jack and Sabin stepped aside, to politely allow Albus to lead them up. "I take it that is how you entered my office last time?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling. "Pretty much," Jack answered as Dumbledore led them up. They all entered, the room magically adjusting to provide the needed space, but now they needed more seats. Albus pulled out his wand to remedy this once he was behind his desk, but the moment he did, several things happened. "THERE HE IS, ALBUS! THE MAN WHO --" "*Chirp!*" Fawkes interrupted loudly, cutting the shouting portraits off. Sabin and the others shot their attention towards the voices, looking up to find over a dozen pair of eyes on them. Sabin pet Fawkes on the head, staring at the 2-dimensional people above them. "Wow," Jack breathed, "picture people. Sweet." The portraits seemed to ignore his comment as they looked to Dumbledore. "Albus, what is going on?" Dippet asked. "A great deal," he stated mysteriously, his eyes setting on Sabin. Sabin turned and met his gaze, no one doing or saying anything for a long moment. "Everyone in this room, I would like an oath of secrecy," Dumbledore said simply. "Anything and everything I say from this point must not be repeated. Is that understood?" They all looked at him, wondering what had caused this shift, but none of them argued, but nodded in agreement. He then waved his wand and chairs appeared. "That's a nice trick," Jack got out, poking one of the chairs before taking a seat, since he saw that Mike had sat down. Sam followed suit, but vowed to read up on these people and magic to learn the science behind it all. Daniel made a similar promise, while Teal'c wondered why he had gotten stuck with the pick fluffy bunny patterned chair before sitting down as well. Snape, Minerva, Mike, and Teal'c were seated on the left side, Snape closest to the desk. Sabin, Jack, Daniel and Sam were to the right, Sabin sitting on Jack's lap and across from Snape. Teal'c and Sam were next to each other, and directly in front of Dumbledore. Now that they were all settled, everyone feeling the serious nature of the upcoming conversation, they looked to Dumbledore, who was seated behind the large desk. "Lemon Drops anyone?" Dumbledore asked, sliding a bowl towards them. "We'll take one," Jack said, picking two up after seeing the old man plop one in his mouth. He handed the second one to Sabin who took it happily. "Mmm," Jack said. "This is good, but you should try Everlasting Gobstoppers." "Gobstoppers?" Albus asked curiously. "Yeah, they last for a long while and they change colors too," Jack answered. "Hm, I'll have to look for a package of those," Dumbledore said with interest, before becoming serious once again. He glanced at the portraits, and then refocused on Sabin. He leaned forward, putting his hands on the desk. "Sabin, what is your name?" Dumbledore asked. Sabin and the others looked at him as if he had lost his mind, Snape was even wondering what had possessed him to ask that question. "Manchu Sabin Norard," Sabin answered. "When were you given that name? Do you remember?" he asked, watching curiously as Sabin seemed to bask in a memory before answering. "Yes, I remember. It was a few months ago," he answered, now wanting to know what the Headmaster was getting at. Albus paused at Sabin's odd answer, but decided to press on. "Did you have a name before that? Like the one you are given after you were born?" "No, I went by `Child' or `Little One'," he answered honestly, seeing no harm in doing so. "Sabin, what would you say if I told you I know the name you were given after your birth?" "I would say you are either lying, crazy, or telling the truth." Snape hid a smile (enjoying the comment directed at the man people normally never spoke so frankly to), while Jack gave a slight chuckle, which was joined with Mike's, Sam's, Daniel's, and Dumbledore's. Minerva smiled, deciding the boy was definitely adorable. "Well, I don't know if I can say I'm not crazy, but I can say with solid conviction that I am not lying, but am telling the truth." Jack and the others looked at each other, not knowing what to think, as Sabin leaned back, reading from the old man that he -was- telling the truth. "I know the name you were given at birth; I knew your parents, and had sworn to them that if anything had happened to them, I would keep you safe," he continued. "What were their names?" Sabin asked, honestly not really caring about his own. The name he had been given by the archive was his real name now. "Lily and James Potter," Dumbledore answered. Mike, Minerva, and Snape all gasped. Jack and the others didn't know what to think. Sure, Mike had told them about the `Potter Incident' the night before, could this man be right? Sam especially was going over what they knew in her head, trying to determine if this was possible. It was. "Albus, are you, are you... -sure-?" Minerva asked, hand over her heart, leaning forward, her eyes already tearing up as she gazed at Sabin, now clearly seeing the similarities between him and his parents. Snape just stared at Sabin, not knowing what to think as he kept on his cold stern face on, though his eyes betrayed him. Lily's son was alive? His actions in the war had not resulted in the loss of -everything- that Lily held dear? Something of Lily -still- existed, and had not been lost... This child... no matter the relation to James, was Lily's... Oh, he had been such a fool! He continued to stare at Sabin, who looked like a miniature James but had Lily's eyes, and Snape couldn't help but run the boy's previous words again in his mind. How had he done what he had? Legilimency?! For a child his age? At first, Snape had been trying to make himself think up a way this `Sabin' could be a disguise, but now... This child had spoken words that had actually shaken him to the core, and before it had only been Lily who could say such things to him and have him actually listen. "Lily..." Sabin whispered, the memory that had been instrumental in him choosing to become a Guardian surfacing... -"Who do you think he will be like, Lily?" a man's voice asked.- -"He'll probably like you, he already looks like you," Lily answered.- -"But he has your eyes."- -"Well, whoever he is like, I just want him to be happy, and use the most of what he has to help those he loves, just like us..."- "Sabin?" Jack asked, his arms wrapping around Sabin comfortingly, feeling the confused sense of loss from him. Sabin looked up to Dumbledore before doing several things in quick succession. He raised Fawkes from his lap, levitating Fawkes and gently setting him in his bed of ash, and then sat up straight in Jack's lap, most of the others frozen after seeing his blatant wandless abilities again. "I need to think," Sabin spoke, his voice quiet, before... --POOF-- "SABIN!" Jack shouted, jumping up, already turning to run out and look for him, but Teal'c stopped him before he made it to the door. Taking hold of his arm, Teal'c spoke. "Let him be, O'Neill. He will return; the young Guardian has a great amount to think about." Jack sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging. He slowly turned back to Dumbledore, finding him open-mouthed, wide-eyed, and utterly thunderstruck. - - - -Gryffindor Common Room- Charlie was a first year, and was twelve years old. He had just joined his brother, Bill, who was a third year, in the common room. The common room was fairly empty now, since most of the Gryffindors were outside or at the library, wanting to do more than just sit around. Like everyone who had been shooed away from the hall, Charlie was very curious about what had gone on, and rumors were already spreading. One even said that the black haired boy was Snape's long lost son. Charlie shook his head at that one. "Charlie, so what did you see?" Bill asked him, sitting down on the couch beside him. "Dumbledore and a few strangers laughing their bums off while a small red fluffy thing dive bombed them," Charlie answered. Bill laughed. "Yeah, me too. You know, they're saying that was Fawkes." "Fawkes? The Headmaster's Familiar?" Charlie asked, wondering how a fledgling could fly. "Yup. Did you see that man Snape seemed to want to murder?" "The one the kid ste --" --POOF-- "AHHHH!!!" Charlie and Bill both dived over the couch, while the others in the room (which included two second year girls and a fifth year boy) screamed and ran. Seconds passed, and silence had come over all who were still present, meaning only the Weasley brothers. Charlie peeked around the couch, closely followed by Bill. What, or rather who, they found surprised them. -It's that little kid...- Charlie thought. Sabin was sitting on the floor, hugging his knees, against the comfy chair in front of the fireplace, deep in thought. Charlie and Bill looked at each other before coming to a silent understanding and giving each other a curt nod. They slowly approached the boy, who seemed to have the power to apparate and disapparate at will. Kneeling on either side of him, they quickly gathered he was troubled. "Hey kid, what's up?" Bill asked gently. Sabin looked up with his eyes, quickly feeling for intentions. Finding them honorable, he secretly put up a silencing zone around them, in case someone came in the room later. "I just learned some things..." he answered, knowing these two could be trusted. "About what?" Charlie asked, the younger of the two. "About my family," he said quietly, looking down in thought. Bill and Charlie shared a significant `no way...' look. -Was that `lost son' rumor actually true?- Charlie cleared his throat. "Like... who your father is?" he asked, hesitantly. Sabin's head shot up, clearly surprised. "How did you know?" he asked. Bill and Charlie could only blink for a long pregnant moment, both screaming in their minds: -He's Snape's son?!?- "Well," Bill began, his voice cracking, "I can understand why this is such a shock for you, but it could be worse. You could have never learned the truth." "Yeah, I guess you're right, I could have never learned about that part of myself," Sabin admitted, trying to understand what all of this could mean for him later. He was the Guardian of his own homeworld. "Oh, I'm Charlie Weasley, and this is Bill, my older brother," Charlie said, remembering they had forgotten to introduce themselves. "I'm Sabin." "That has a nice ring to it," Bill said, deciding this was a good way to cheer the kid up. -Sabin Snape-, he thought. "Yeah, your name works well with your father's," Charlie added supportively, following his brother's lead. "Really? Hmm... I suppose I could go by Sabin Potter, but I'm still keeping my other name," Sabin said with a smile. Bill and Charlie gaped. "P-p...what?" Bill asked. -He is the right age... and I've heard Mr. Potter had black hair, and his wife had green eyes...- Bill reasoned through stumbling thought. "What?" Sabin asked, suddenly feeling extreme awe and shock from them both. "Who... who're your parents? I might have, uh... jumped to conclusions earlier..." Bill said awkwardly. "Lily and James Potter," Sabin answered, wondering why they were acting like this now. Didn't they seem to know what was going on earlier? "Bloody hell..." Bill breathed, before Charlie broke into unrestrained laughter. -We've just met THE Harry Potter who seems to have just learned who he is! AND, he seems to be able to transport himself around at will!- -Dad and the others will never believe this...- *Part 10: Ripples* Nymphadora Tonks was now finished with her homework and was coming back from the library, walking to her common room so she could relax before heading to dinner; however, laughter caught her attention and she could not help but go to it. "Sabin, how are you doing that?" Charlie asked between chuckles. "Come on Charlie, he already told us how, do you have to ask again?" Bill teased, lifting up his wand that now had a floating orb of silvery energy floating inches from the tip. Sabin had just created it and had given it to Bill, saying his wand would be able to hold it. Sabin had told them he was a Guardian, and told them a little bit about his duties, but asked them not to tell, since he didn't want to worry about how people would respond to him until later. They agreed to keep it to themselves, though Sabin already knew they would. The Weasley brothers had then decided to give Sabin a little tour, but soon became occupied in orb making. "You could hold it in your hand, but I don't think you would be able to sustain it," Sabin advised, before turning to Charlie, who was holding out his wand expectantly. "Wow. This is so cool," Charlie said as Sabin concentrated and made another orb before floating it to the tip of Charlie's wand. "Look! Look at this, you can guide it with your wand," Bill exclaimed, waving his wand about and watching it weave about, even gliding off a few feet before being pulled back to the tip of his wand. "So we can touch them, right?" Charlie asked, his bluish orb shedding waves of light. "Yeah, but they'll fade if they don't have a source of magic to pull from," Sabin answered, making a third orb, this one red. "They feel tingly." "WHOA!" Tonks shouted, running to them. "Can I have one?" she asked excitedly, wiping out her own wand. "Sure, here," Sabin said, giving her the red orb he had just made. "HEY!" Bill shouted, jumping back as Charlie hit his shoulder with his blue orb. Charlie started laughing. "Well if that's how you want to play," Bill said, laughing as well as he brought his own orb up to duel. Bill and Charlie spread apart, throwing and catching each other's orbs as more students seemed to pour in from nowhere, the possibility of fun drawing them in. Before Sabin knew it, he was making an orb for everyone before they went off and joined one of the two forming teams; Bill and Charlie the team leaders. "This is awesome," Tonks said, joining Charlie's team, already throwing her red orb and catching a yellow one. The game continued, but it suddenly stopped upon the arrival of five students with snake badges. Sabin turned to them, already raising his hands to form orbs for them. "You wanna play?" he asked, inwardly wondering why the others had stopped playing, but upon speaking, the atmosphere shifted from uneasy silence to shock. "You-you're going to let -them- play?" a Ravenclaw boy asked, a white orb at the tip of his wand. "Yeah, why not?" Sabin asked. The Slytherins were now looking at Sabin with mild curiosity. "Well... they're -Slytherins-, everyone knows they... they're evil," he said, whispering at the end, not looking at the Slytherins in the eyes. Sabin couldn't help it, he got a little angry. "Who are you to decide what kind of people they are?" Sabin asked with some force behind his voice, reminding Charlie and Bill that he was the Guardian, and revealing to the others that he was no normal child (if the making orb thing from his hands had not indicated that enough). "Everyone decides for themselves whether or not to be nice or mean, good or evil. Don't judge by the exterior, you'll lose a lot of possible friends by doing that," Sabin continued, his voice echoing throughout the hall, similar to the way it had while he had spoken to the NID, though not with that much anger or power. All of the students, several prefects included, stared at Sabin at that statement and the power he had spoken it with, many looking thoughtful, Slytherin and non-Slytherin alike. "So, you're going to let us play?" a second year Slytherin asked, utterly surprised after shaking the shock of having seen a near five-year-old cause those all around, even the seventh years, to listen. "Yeah," Sabin said with a smile, all previous annoyance gone, while raising a hand with a forming orb. "Green or Silver for your first orb?" he asked, seeing the dominant colors on the crest. "Um, could I have blue? I'm partial to that color," she said shyly. "Sure," Sabin said, giving the orb a blue surge before placing it near the tip of the held out wand. "So... first orb?" she asked, deciding it would be dumb for her to ask how Sabin was making them wandlessly since the others didn't seem to be questioning it. "Well, when you play, you'll be throwing it to the other side, so the orbs will be passed from wand to wand. The point of the game is to get as many orbs on the other side, and to not get hit by them, but to catch them and fling them back while trying to hit the other team," Sabin explained, more students joining them. "Oh, so it's like Dodgeball?" a Hufflepuff asked, joining the crowd of students. "Dodgeball?" a Slytherin asked. "Oh, it's a muggle game I used to play at my school. Only when you're hit with the ball, you're out, until someone from your team catches a ball and calls your name," they explained. "Oh, alright then, are we going to play it that way?" the Slytherin asked, many around surprised he hadn't mocked it being like a muggle game. "Sure, we can have that part of the hall be for the people out," Charlie said, pointing to an area by a suit of armor that was serving as their separator marker. "Alright," the tall Slytherin boy said, pulling out his wand and pointing it at Sabin. "Green please," he stated. Sabin grinned and plopped a green orb at the tip, which then hovered a few inches from it, ready for action. Before the students knew it, they had formed two solid teams, both having members from every house. The broad hallway was now filled with over a hundred students, brightly colored orbs flying to and from both sides (students going in and out from the newly dubbed `jail' near the suit of armor), and fun taunting declarations being led by the Weasleys. Sabin had Zoned a narrow path on the right side of the hall so people who wanted to get through could without being hit, and also for newcomers to join the other team so the numbers would stay balanced. It was a fun war game, the orbs bouncing off of people's heads occasionally, making them out, while others caught other orbs on the tips of their wands to quickly throw them back, thrusting their wands out to force the tingling orb back to the opposing team, while calling out a team member's name to get them out of jail. Soon everyone forgot about houses, members from all of them working together to beat the other team. Before long, both Gryffindors and Slytherins were warning each other about incoming orbs, even deflecting orbs from their fellow team members, no matter their house. Sabin was now making new orbs to keep the supply up, since a few of the orbs were fading and going out, having bounced off the floor, walls, or ceiling too many times, when he suddenly heard a `SQUEEE!' and someone charging down the hall. "I -adore- this game!" a short man shouted, pulling out his wand and muttering a charm. -Professor Flitwick?- Sabin thought, not sure he had his name right as the short hyper professor formed a yellow orb, one just like Sabin's. "May I join you all?" he asked, several of the students giggling while trying hard not to get too sidetracked at seeing one of their professors all twitterpated about playing a game. They might get hit and forced out until someone from their team catches an orb on their wand and calls their name. "Of course professor," Bill shouted, waving him over to his team while dodging a purple orb. Soon after Flitwick joined, Professor Sprout came as well, unable to pass up the chance of pinging Flitwick in the head with an energy orb and feel free to laugh without feeling guilty. And then Professor Hubert Morts, the Defense teacher, came, though he joined Sabin in making orbs. "You think we can make orbs with a timer to explode into several orbs?" he asked. Sabin grinned, knowing what the man was wanting. "Twenty seconds once we throw them to the teams, four orbs in one," he said, closing his hands over a rainbow colored orb and opening his hands to produce two. He gave one orb to Morts to toss in. "Special orbs! Beware!" Morts shouted, him and Sabin each throwing an orb, one to either team. "-Incoming-!!!" Bill shouted, reflecting the rainbow colored orb onto the other side. BOOM! Several orbs suddenly shot out of the two orbs (eight total), flying every which way and causing over a dozen people to be out, including Flitwick. Most everyone was laughing, too tired now to gather up the orbs fading on the floor. They had been playing for nearly an hour now and were getting a little hungry -- surprised that time had passed so quickly. "Alright, I think we all should be heading to the Great Hall now," one of the prefects said. "Ah yes, this was very fun, but it's almost time for dinner," Flitwick agreed, joining Morts beside Sabin. "Come my boy, I think your friends and the professors are done with their meeting now and will be in the Great Hall waiting for us. Glad your guardian allowed you to join the students; I can see he has taught you a great deal. Wandless orb making, and from one so young, spectacular!" Flitwick squeaked. Sabin decided not to contradict him. He would probably know soon enough anyways. - - - Jack had gone into some explanation of everything, but left the Stargate program out of it, ingeniously being vague about what they did at Cheyenne Mountain and in telling Dumbledore, Snape, Mike, and Minerva how they came across Sabin. It had taken a few minutes to convince them that Sabin was the Guardian. The three wizards and one witch, though they already knew it was the truth, were finding it really hard to accept. "So he just decided to follow you?" Mike asked. "Yup, though at first he was invisible, and only let me hear him, the little monster," Jack said with a smile. "We had a routine task of collecting a survey of a location, and unknown to us, he was there." "So this... Jovon, left Sabin in this `area' to wait for someone he chose to go with?" Minerva asked, appalled. Jack shrugged, not knowing how to answer that question. "Who is Jovon?" Snape asked. "Sabin hasn't been really forthcoming in much information about him, just that he, and a people he calls `the Wielders', taught him a great of what he knows," Daniel said. "How did Sabin become the Guardian?" Minerva asked. "He's so young, how could anyone place such a responsibility on a boy?" "Sabin made the decision. Though he is young, he is wise beyond his years, and has abilities to aid in his Guardian tasks," Teal'c said simply. "He put up the ward at your base," Dumbledore stated. "I had believed he had, but that he had some help." "`Ward?'" Daniel asked. "Oh! You mean Zone. That's what Sabin calls them." "Sabin said there were a lot of Zones here, which is why he finds it a little difficult to poof," Jack added. "`Poof'?" Minerva asked. "You know, teleport?" Jack clarified. "He told me he bends the zones here, and that some of them are very old. He even said there are some here that aren't activated, why is that? Do you control them Professor?" Jack asked. "Yes, I have to activate them, and will do so if the castle comes under attack," Dumbledore stated. "And you're not a student, call me Albus." "Alright, first name basis all around then," Jack consented, speaking for his team before continuing the previous discussion. "Defense is always good. The zone/ward Sabin placed on the base is very nice. The NID can no longer come in. I find it quite entertaining; though the General had to deal with explaining the circumstances to the President... I don't envy him. "Oh, and if you meet anyone a part of the NID..." Jack continued before looking at Snape. "I give you my explicit permission to curse them to oblivion. Please, wand waving extremely desired here. They tried to get Sabin, and they are really an annoying bunch of people." "If I encounter any NID members, you have my word that I will take care of them," Snape vowed. Dumbledore decided to imagine he didn't hear that pledge. "So has Sabin decided to stay with you all?" Minerva asked. "Yes, and adoption was mentioned, though I'm not sure if he --" Jack began, Daniel cutting him off. "Oh, come on, Jack. He practically adopted you already, adopted all of us actually, and you didn't see the look on his face when you suggested telling these people that you had adopted him before you looked down and saw him nod. I think this is a brilliant idea, we should have thought about doing this sooner," Daniel said. "I agree with Daniel Jackson. Guardian Sabin will agree to this wholeheartedly," Teal'c put in; again reminding people he was not a mute. "Alright, I'll talk to him before dinner then," Jack agreed. "Well, now what about him being Harry Potter? I mean, I don't know much about the Wizarding World, but from what Mike explained to us... this, this is a pretty big deal," Sam said. "You're right in that assessment Sam, which brings us to the question. Should we tell the world Harry Potter is alive and well, and if we do, how much of the truth do we reveal?" Dumbledore said. "I think we should leave out him being the Guardian," Daniel stated. "I agree," Mike, Snape, Jack, and Dumbledore said at once, followed up by "Indeed," from Teal'c and "Well, that's obvious," from Minerva. "Well, if the Colonel is going to adopt him anyways, we should simply say he is staying with him and being taught by him, since I'm sure the whole school already assumes he has gifts in magic after his display earlier," Snape suggested, glancing at the now sleeping fledgling. "That could work," Sam agreed. "Say a friend of the Colonel's, who wishes to remain nameless for safety reasons, brought Sabin to him some time ago, not knowing who he was. But because of the sensitive nature of the circumstances, the Colonel kept him secret from most people. It leaves some mystery there so people can fill in the blank with what makes sense to them, saves us from having to come up with things to back up later. Then, just recently, we came to the truth, and decided that people should know that Harry Potter has been found." "Sounds like a plan," Jack agreed. - - - Taking Morts' hand, Sabin went with them to the Great Hall, quickly finding the staff table with SG-1 and most of the other professors already there, though Jack and Albus weren't seated yet, but standing by the side door, waiting. "Sabin!" Jack shouted, motioning him to join him and Albus. Sabin released Morts' hand and ran up, curious about what this was about. Placing his hand on his shoulder, Jack guided Sabin out after Dumbledore, and into an empty side room. Sabin noticed Dumbledore raise some silencing zones and other protections, so he followed suit and raised his own as well. Dumbledore smiled approvingly before growing serious. "Sabin," he began, kneeling down on one knee before him. "I have spoken with Jack and the others, you know, about your parents." Sabin nodded. "But I've also learned something else about you, Sabin, so I need to ask you something." "That I'm Earth's Guardian?" Sabin asked, though he already knew the answer. "Yes," he sighed. "But what I have to ask you isn't about that. The news that you are alive and well is important..." "You want to know if it's alright to tell people who I am," Sabin stated simply. Dumbledore nodded. "I don't think it would be wise to let people know you are the new Guardian, though. Most people think Guardians are myths, and bringing out the fact that a Guardian has come would not be taken well by the Ministry. I'm sure the other magical nations will be happy to hear it though; just take it slow, just as you have been. Reintroducing the world to the idea of there being a Guardian might cause some people to act irrationally." "I understand, I've actually already encountered that," Sabin said. "Stupid NID," Jack mumbled. Dumbledore decided not to wonder about what the NID did exactly, but continued. "I will announce that Harry Potter is alive and well after you all have left. We wouldn't want the Ministry to try and get involved sooner than they will try already," he said. "Good idea," Jack agreed. "Jack has also agreed to formally adopt you, if that is alright. I believe it will make things easier for all of you later," Dumbledore said, earning a broad smile from the boy. "So what will my full name be?" Sabin asked, looking to Jack. "Well, I'll have Hammond help us out in this, with Albus's help of course, but I was thinking something that has all of your names in it. Like: Harry Manchu Sabin Norard Potter," Jack said, thrilled that Sabin had accepted the idea of adoption. "But if you adopt me, where's your name?" Sabin asked. "Hmm, how about: Harry Manchu James Sabin Norard Potter O'Neill?" Dumbledore suggested, pausing slightly after James and Potter. "That way you have both of your names, and have Jack's, -and- keep Sabin as your middle name. That's what you want right?" "That's a -long- name," Sabin stated. "Well, so is mine," Dumbledore pointed out. "Why don't you go by Wulfric?" Sabin asked suddenly. Dumbledore chuckled. "Well, the way I grew up, my first name is my main name, not my middle." "Oh. Well, I think you look more like an Albus anyways," Sabin said with a shrug. "Why thank you, I seem to think so too," Albus admitted. "Hmm, Harry Manchu James Sabin Norard Potter O'Neill," Sabin muttered. "A long name, but I think I like it." "Sounds dignified somehow," Jack mused. "You'll have more time to think about it," Dumbledore said. "Well, let's go eat dinner now, before they start wondering where we are." They reentered the Great Hall, both Sabin and Dumbledore releasing their wards and zones from the room before sitting down at the head table. From left to right (from the student's point of view) sat Snape, Teal'c, Sam, Daniel, Jack, Sabin, Mike, Minerva, Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey, Sprout, Morts, Flitwick, Hagrid, Sinistra, Trelawney (a woman who made Jack and Sabin think of a mosquito), and Madam Pince. Sabin looked over the table and down to the four house tables, many of the students waving at him, happy they had been a part of the game that would no doubt go down in Hogwarts' history. Sabin was enjoying himself so much, he barely paid any mind to Dumbledore's introduction to him and SG-1 (though he didn't introduce them that way of course, but by the way Mike had introduced them earlier). He was vaguely aware of Snape giving him a soft calculating gaze before going neutral, and as for Mike and Minerva, they seemed to be giving off a mixture of worry, acceptance, and awe as Dumbledore continued. "Colonel Jack O'Neill and his friends, including his protege, Sabin, who, as I have just recently heard, had ingeniously prompted a fun game of Dodgeorb in one of the halls," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling more than what was thought possible/healthy, "will be with us for dinner, and may come back to visit from time to time." All eyes shot to Sabin, who appeared to shyly shrink in his chair and shift into a light reddish shade, before saying a soft, `hi'. "Well, now let us eat, I am sure you are all hungry now, and I believe Sabin, Colonel O'Neill and his companions need to be leaving soon after dinner. As Jack told me, they `have a flight to catch'. Let's eat." And with that, he clapped and food appeared. "I think I'm beginning to like magic more and more," Jack said to himself, quickly dishing out some food for Sabin and himself. Throughout dinner, Sabin was aware of the countless pairs of eyes on him, and the conversation shifting around that was focused on him and Jack. He caught a few statements that Jack has a portkey and turned him invisible while they pulled a prank on Albus and that Jack and Albus are cousins. Sabin giggled. "Something funny, Sabin?" Daniel asked. "Yeah. Rumors," Sabin said with a nod. "Ah yes, rumors. I hear them too," Jack said, before scooping a pile of chocolate pudding onto his plate. Dinner settled down after a while though, probably since people were beginning to get full and were running out of rumor ideas. Jack poured his third cup of pumpkin juice and was about to drink it when someone from across the table gasped loudly, and then shrieked at him. "Young sir!!!" Trelawney exclaimed, eyes wide while pointing a quavering finger at him. "`Young?'" Daniel asked, leaning forward to see who the screaming banshee was. "Oh great... here we go..." Mike and Minerva both moaned. "Uh... yeah?" Jack asked. Trelawney gasped again, putting her delicate hand, with far too many bracelets dangling around the wrist, to her forehead. "I see deep pain and suffering in your future..." she warned, before gasping again and moving her finger towards Sabin. "This boy! He will be the source of it all! He will be the death of you! You must depart from him, before it is too late!" she said, her voice going all high pitched. "Whoa. Now miss, I don't know who the heck you think you are, but yo --" "Ohhhh... many trials I see for you. Oh! My inner eye cries for you! Woe to you and your companions." "Look lady, I've had many bad trials before Sabin, and I'm sure I'll have more with or without Sabin, so you just close that inner eye of yours an--" Jack said before being cut off by her again, the other professors either too shocked to intervene or deciding such attempts were futile. "My inner eye sees much, these are certainties if you keep this boy near. -You will suffer and die if you stay on this path-. I know these things for a fac--" Well, Sabin had had *enough*. He had mind brushed her, and he knew she knew for a fact that these -weren't- certainties, but merely possibilities if even that, and that the only reason she was saying these things was to get attention and to stir things up. She was saying this crap because she enjoyed messing with people! Sabin raised himself up from his chair, deciding right then and there it was time to end this kind of idiotic display. Permanently. WHAM! He slammed his hand down on the table, probably harder than he had intended (okay, exactly as hard as he had intended), causing an actual ripple to wave across the table before the wood went back to its original form again and the plates and glasses settled. Trelawney shut her trap as the whole hall gasped. Sabin leaned forward slightly before hopping off his chair, quickly going under the table to pop out on the other side, and firmly walked forward (in front of the whole captivated Great Hall) to stop right across from her, Dumbledore himself at a loss of what to say or do to ease the situation. What can one say to cool down an angry Guardian? Standing straight and looking her dead in the eyes, Sabin squared his shoulders and went off -- the best an angry almost five year old Guardian could. "Why do you say these things when you know they are only possibilities of the future and not certainties?! What do you think gives you the right to say these things that could affect someone's life to such a degree that even you cannot see (not that that is much) its resulting magnitude? "You might see the future, you might even believe you see mine, but what you are failing to realize is that we make our own decisions and there is a difference between you giving genuine guidance and you giving false advice just because you feel like it. "I know a great deal about life and death, and hanging death out there to frighten people is actually worse than not warning them about genuine dangers, because you make them see death and life in a way that is -not- true. "Life is to be lived and revered, and Death is to be respected, not feared! And though the concept of death is understandably difficult for some people and scary to those who even can comprehend a part of it, you are missing the big picture. "You treat death as an end, the conclusion of all paths in life, but what you fail to see is that it is not the end." Sabin paused, not even noticing the ripples in the stone around his feet he was creating upon his every word. He exhaled, Trelawney completely dumbfounded in her chair, staring at him at if she had never seen a human child before. Sabin shook his head, as if disgusted by something. "Stop believing you are above everyone who does not have your abilities, and stop feeling sorry for yourself because you think people don't understand you. How can they when you distance yourself so much and shun them and predict their deaths? You need to stop hiding behind your predictions and actually live." The Hall was utterly silent; everyone unable to believe that, yet again, Sabin had rendered one of their Professors speechless. Jack slowly got up and made his way to Sabin, briefly seeing the disturbance in the stones before Sabin re-centered his energy. "We shall be in your office, Albus," Jack informed him, turning to Sabin who had raised his hands to be picked up. "I would apologize for the disturbance, but I don't feel it is warranted." "Very well, Jack," Dumbledore said with a nod as Jack picked Sabin up and... --Poof-- *Part 11: Departure* "Sabin?" Jack asked, setting him down on one of the chairs and kneeling down in front of him. Sabin gave a heavy sigh as he looked at Jack. "I don't like when people do things like that," Sabin said, referring to what Trelawney did. "Well, I'm sure she'll think twice before doing that now," Jack said with a smile. Sabin giggled. "Yeah." "So when I start learning magic, could you teach me to do that ripple the table thing? I would have a lot of fun during briefings..." "I'll try, then we could make crashing ripples!" Sabin said excitedly. "Oh, I could just see Hammond's face..." After a comfortable silence, both imagining the fun they could have with magic, the door opened and in stepped Dumbledore, Mike, Minerva and the rest of SG-1. Dumbledore stopped beside Sabin, the others gathering around. "Sabin, I've been waiting a long time for someone to put that woman in her place. I'm very glad I was there to witness it," Minerva said proudly and approvingly. Dumbledore didn't look as thrilled, but didn't say anything about it. "Well, I believe we need to take our leave. The General has yet to contact us, and I'm afraid, due to everything, we haven't had the time to check in ourselves," Jack said. "I will send the needed documents for Sabin's adoption as soon as I can," Dumbledore said. "Great. Is there anything else?" Jack asked. "Albus, what about his vault?" Mike asked. "Oh yes. If he desires to purchase anything in the States, the International Wizarding Bank will take care of all of it, especially with the account as large as Sabin's," Dumbledore said, remembering. "Vault?" Daniel asked. "The Potter family is an old respected family. I'm certain Sabin will not need to worry about money any time soon," Mike said. "Ooo, nice," Jack said. "Will you be taking a flight back to the States?" Minerva asked. "Uh, ye--" "Actually Jack, might I suggest you all Floo?" Mike suggested. "We all can floo back to the inn to get our things, and then, using some special Floo, floo to my and my wife's vacation house in Denver. And after she comes back from her sister's tomorrow, she will be arriving there; and I'm sure I could convince her to fix her famous apple pie." "You are a devious man, tempting me with pie..." Jack said. "You can Floo across the ocean?" Sam asked, only barely beginning to accept it being possible over land. "Yes, though the floo one must use is blue and is a little more expensive. It's called Transoceanic Floo Powder," Mike said. "I think flooing -- `flooing'? -- well, I think that's a good idea. We should do that," Daniel said. "I agree," Teal'c agreed. "We could also stop by the Rocky Cove to get some magic supplies, like a wand for you, Jack," Mike suggested. Daniel nearly chocked on himself. "A wand?" he asked. "How else do you expect him to learn magic?" Mike asked. "Don't worry, Daniel. I'll be there with him," Sabin said. For some reason that wasn't very comforting, especially when Jack smiled even more upon hearing that. "Well, then I suppose this is good bye," Jack said after a moment. "You are free to visit any time you wish," Dumbledore said, putting a hand on Sabin's shoulder. But before anyone could say anything further, someone knocked on the door to the office. "Ah, Hubert, come on in," Dumbledore said, turning towards the door with his hand still on Sabin. "Oh, sorry if I'm intruding, but apparently the Ministry has heard about our guests and are on their way. Also, I wanted to say good bye and tell you Severus sends his farewells, since I assume you are all leaving soon, correct?" Morts asked. "Yes, we were just about to, actually," Daniel said. "Oh. Well," Morts said, going to them. "It was very nice to meet you all. And you," he said, kneeling down in front of Sabin and extending his hand for Sabin to shake, "I will be happy to help you with another round of Dodgeorb anytime." Sabin smiled, taking his hand, Dumbledore's hand still on his shoulder. "-Whoa!-" Sabin shouted with a jump. Jack acted immediately, yanking Sabin to himself and away from Dumbledore and Morts, not knowing what was going on, but not liking the shock filled yell from Sabin. Sabin, now being held by Jack, turned and looked at Dumbledore and Morts. "What's wrong?" Jack asked, quickly noticing that Sabin was breathing a little heavily. Quickly calming himself, Sabin squirmed a little, letting Jack know he wanted down. "There's a curse on the both of you," Sabin stated. Mike looked shocked, SG-1 looked confused and worried, but the others just sighed. "We know," Morts replied, deciding this was yet another thing about the boy to ask Dumbledore about later. "Lord Voldemort placed the curse, or rather jinx. The Defense Against the Dark Arts position has been cursed to only allow a professor to teach one year. In one way or another, the Defense professor is unable to continue teaching after the first year," Dumbledore explained. "That's horrible," Sam said. "Surely you could counter it," Daniel said. "Alas, I've looked deeply into it, and I have been unable to find a solution," Dumbledore said. "It's because it has two parts," Sabin said. "It is rooted to you, and the moment you hire someone for the position, it is then linked to them as well. Hmm..." Sabin thought for a long moment, the others wondering what was passing through his little mind. "Professor, do you still wish to teach here?" Sabin asked Morts. "Yes, of course, but the cur--" he began, before Sabin cut him off. "Both of you, stand on either side of me and put a hand on one of my shoulders," he stated. "I can't remove the curse, but I can lessen it. Once I do this, the time will be extended to a total of three years, though there are things you can do to extend it further than that. I'll tell you once I do this," Sabin said as Dumbledore and Morts each placed an uneasy hand on his shoulder; Dumbledore to his right, Morts to his left. Morts looked questioningly towards Dumbledore, as if asking: `Is this kid serious?' "Ready?" Sabin asked. Everyone nodded. "Might want to close your eyes," Sabin advised, before... CRACK! Slamming his hands together, Sabin surged his power out and then collapsed it soon after, tearing at the curse covering the two men on either side of him. In his minds eye, he examined the curse, finding the dark, sickly green essence that made up the conditions and powers of the curse. Reaching out with his energy, he touched it, easing his power into it to counteract its potency. In less than a second it was finished, and the only thing telling him what he had done was the lighter presence of the curse coming from the Headmaster and Morts, and a slight lightheaded feeling making him sway a tad. Thanks to Dumbledore's steady hand, he balanced himself soon after and forced the lightheadedness away. He looked up to those around him to find their faces slightly concerned. "You okay?" Jack asked. "Yeah. I expected it to be a little difficult, sorry I didn't warn you," Sabin answered. After a few moments of everyone shaking out the disbelief, Dumbledore looked at Sabin. "You said there were things we could do to extend the time limit?" he prompted. "Yeah, you could hire a second professor and have both of them teach. It would double the remaining time Morts has, giving you four years (since he has spent one of the three years already), before you have to fill the spot again. "The second professor will have to be more than just an assistant. Morts and this person will have to switch off from time to time as being the `head' instructor and assistant. Shouldn't be a problem though, just keep that in mind," Sabin advised. Dumbledore looked like he wanted to firmly whack his palm very hard on the center of his forehead. Why hadn't he thought of that? "There is also something you could do to lift the curse, since you can't get to the caster..." Sabin continued, though a little hesitantly. It wasn't missed by any in the room. "What?" Dumbledore asked. "You could give up your position as Headmaster for a whole year, let someone else hire the new instructor, after these next four years have passed that is, and then return. You'd have to have no contact with the substitute-Headmaster or the new instructor for that year, because you might `pass on' the curse to them. You would also have to have no input in the hiring of the new instructor, because if you did, the curse is designed to classify that as hiring, even if it's just a minor involvement." "Well, Tom certainly covered his bases," Dumbledore muttered. "Tom?" Daniel asked. "Tom Marvolo Riddle is Voldemort's real name. I am sorry to say that he was once a student of mine. He was very gifted, even became Head Boy... But he was overcome by greed and the desire for power. He never understood the value in things like love and friendship..." Dumbledore said regretfully. "Riddle has made his own choices, and in the end he will answer for them," Sabin stated, feeling the guilt rising in Dumbledore. "It rests solely on him, not on you or anyone else." "Sabin, how do you speak such wisdom that makes even an old man, such as myself, pause?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling. Sabin glanced at Morts before looking back at Dumbledore. He knew Morts could be trusted, if not, then he would not have adjusted the curse like he had. "Comes with being the Guardian," he answered with a shrug. "Well, I think we will take our leave," Mike said suddenly, Morts now dumbfounded and confused. "Guardian?" Morts asked Minerva. "Later," she said as Sabin and the others went to the fireplace. "Good luck with dealing with the Ministry, Albus," Mike said, before taking a handful of floo powder. "Oh, I'm looking forward to it actually. Should be fun to inform them Harry Potter is now living in the States," he answered with a smirk. "Should help relations, don't you think?" Jack and the others laughed. "Bye Fawkes!" Sabin shouted, the others saying their farewells as well. "Chirp!" Fawkes replied back, his feathers now coming in nicely as he peeked over the rim of his ash bowl to wave one of his little wings at Sabin. And at that, Jack picked Sabin up, and followed Mike and the others back to the inn at Hogsmeade to then travel to Denver. - - - -SGC- What was going on? They hadn't checked in for over 48 hours! And to top it off, he seemed to be unable to contact them. It was as if they were in a location that didn't have service, but how could that be? They had cellphones with seriously advanced service for crying out loud! -Well, I will just have to trust that they know what they are doing and that they are ok, wherever they are,- he reasoned, just as the phone rang. "Hi, General!" Jack's voice echoed out of the phone. "Colonel, where are you?" he asked, hearing... giggles?... in the background. "Hey! No fair! No Guardian powers!" Daniel shouted, throwing something. More giggles. "We're in Denver now, at Mike's vacation house," Jack answered, sounding as if he had to dodge something. "Denver? When did you arrive? Why did you leave Scotland? Was there trouble?" Hammond asked, just as he heard a loud crash from Jack's end. "Uh-oh..." Sam muttered. "I can fix it!" Sabin shouted. CLAP! "Daniel, put that down before you break something else!" Jack shouted. "Teal'c! -- sorry General, pillow fight. Whoa! Hey, I'm talking on the phone here!" "Sabin did it!" Daniel shouted, most likely pointing to the innocent looking Guardian. "Huh?" Sabin asked. "What on earth is going on in here?" a feminine voice suddenly asked with the sound of a door opening. "Oh boy," Sam muttered. "Colonel, why don't we continue this conversation at a later time, you sound like you have a lot on your mind right now," Hammond stated, fighting amusement as well as confusion. "Thank you, sir. We'll be at the base to brief you on everything tomorrow morning." Before he heard Jack hang up, he heard him turn and exclaim, "Maggie, good to see you again!" He did not envy O'Neill... - - - -Vacation House- Sabin and the others froze, Teal'c covertly putting one of the cushions behind his back as Sam mindlessly pattered hers back on the couch, trying to make it look natural. "Jack, I haven't seen you in a while!" she said, for the moment ignoring all others in the room. "Mike said he was having some friends over, but didn't go further than that," she said, now casting her eyes on the others, finding the one who looked most guilty: Daniel. Mike had gone to pick up the pizza (after starting the pillow fight) and had been leaving right when Maggie's sister dropped her off in the driveway. "Uh, hi," Daniel said with a little wave and a slight cough. "I'm Dr. Daniel Jackson," he introduced. "You must be Mrs. McGonagall." "I am, but friends of Mike call me Maggie," she said simply, casting her eyes about the slightly disheveled room, no doubt scrutinizing every detail. "So..." Jack interrupted, having put the phone away. "Um, let me introduce everyone. This is Captain Samantha Carter. This is... Teal'c," he said, gesturing to Teal'c. "And this is Sabin." "Ah, and what is one so innocent and young doing with this group of troublemakers?" she said, her expressionless gaze focusing down on Sabin. "Troublemakers?" Sabin asked, quickly brushing her mind, a little unnerved by her tone and expression, or more like lack of. He had few experiences with anyone like this. Sure, some of the wielders showed few emotions, if at all, but never had he seen a person ask a question like hers while visibly giving nothing away. After using his mind force, he was amazed and slightly relieved by what he found, but at the same instant, was also saddened. He found the same odd power that was in Mike, showing her to be a magic-locked person, but quickly found more revealing things. He could tell her past was dark, much like Jack's, and like Jack, found determination and resolve; however, because of her past, she kept herself at a distance, while at the same time trying not to. It was rather confusing. Unlike Jack, who had accepted the less than happy times in his life and found a way to live in spite of them, she was having trouble. She wanted so badly to have what most others did in friendships, but due to whatever things that had happened in her life, she couldn't. He noted that she tended to judge others quickly, taking in first impressions and holding what she found as who the person really was, though Sabin also found that she tried hard against doing that now; but, like the other things he found in regard to her, she was having difficulty in doing this. He also found, this probably being the only thing keeping her from falling into whatever darkness she was fighting against, her love and devotion to her husband, and the acceptance and tenderness she felt from him towards her. Sabin wondered if Mike knew of his wife's internal struggles, and decided he must, due to the solid connection between the two he detected. Sabin hoped she would continue to fight, and would, like he knew Jack must have, defeat the monsters in her past. Jack, who by now knew the look Sabin got when mind brushing, decided he best do something, before something unexplainable happened. "Uh, Maggie, sorry about the mess, we'll clean it up. I suppose my team forgot themselv--" "It's no trouble Jack, I know no harm or damage was intended, and I can see nothing was broken," she interrupted, feeling bad that she, yet again, made it appear as if she was angry. Sam and Daniel glanced at the vase Sabin had just repaired sitting perfectly on the side table and quickly decided to thank Sabin later with sprinkled covered ice cream... "Well, Mike should be back shortly, let me get the table set," she said, leaving the room and allowing SG-1 to quickly clean up, putting all of the cushions back and straightening up the furniture, thankful the awkwardness had lifted. - - Dinner came and went a lot smoother than what SG-1, Mike, or Maggie had initially thought. Sabin didn't have any expectations for the encounter, so treated it like any other meal. Maggie softened up a little bit, and was inwardly curious as to why Teal'c kept that black beanie on. It wasn't even cold. Ignoring that mystery, she promised to bake some pies for them the next day, after all, she knew how much Jack, the man who had saved her husband's life in the service, loved her pie. They all went to bed after dinner, Mike saying, after Jack and the others had done whatever they needed to do at the base, he would take them to the Rocky Cove to help them check out the Wizarding World, and for Jack to get his wand. None of them could wait. Jack, Daniel, and Sabin shared one room, while Sam and Teal'c slept in the Living Room. Sam was on the couch, and Teal'c went in front of the fireplace, going into Kel'no'reem. Mike and Maggie of course got the Master Bedroom. It was late, and everyone in the house was asleep, well, save for Teal'c who was currently in that trance-like state... and Sabin. It hadn't happened in a long time, but he had known this thing would not fully go away, Jovon had told him that, though in time it would probably diminish a little more. It was a reoccurring dream -- nightmare actually, and he couldn't help but wake at least slightly disturbed. Sabin would hear a scream and see a cruel man laugh as he turned his eyes onto him, then a green light would bash into him, and an overwhelming feeling of the need to survive and fight would come... Soon after that, he would wake up. Jovon had of course told him what it sadly most likely was, and after everything he had learned, Sabin now knew Jovon had been right. But it didn't take the nightmares away completely or make them any less scary when they happened, though the knowledge of what was behind them gave him an odd sense of peace. Sometimes, wondering can be more painful than knowing the truth. Silently, Sabin got off his little cot Mike had put up for him and left the room, Jack and Daniel both sleeping like babies. He made his way down the hall, which was lined with several doors and led to the Living Room and the Kitchen. Continuing, he quietly entered the Living Room. In the room, he found Sam sleeping on the couch as fire in the fireplace softly flickered beyond the form of a cross-legged Teal'c. The pulsing flames were calming, and so different from the green light in his dream. Stopping a few feet diagonally behind Teal'c, he watched the flames and focused on pushing the feelings left by the dream away. Teal'c, facing the fire and away from Sabin, snapped his eyes open, feeling another presence in the room. "Guardian Sabin, could you not sleep?" he asked, just softly enough not to wake up Sam. "It was just a dream. I can never go back to sleep after that one..." Sabin admitted softly, fire light shifting across his face. Teal'c turned and faced him, though he stayed seated on the wood floor. "A reoccurring dream, young Guardian?" he asked. Sabin nodded, before casting his eyes away, trying hard not to see the cruel face in his mind; it was bad enough seeing it in his dreams... "Yeah, but I haven't had it in a while... I suppose everything we have learned caused it to surface again," he said, exhaling a shaky breath, actually causing the fire to quaver, and the darkness within the room to shift around him. It did not go missed by Teal'c, and it was clear to him this dream had troubled his young friend a great deal. Sam rolled over in her sleep. Well, this had to be dealt with; he knew he had to help somehow, so he fell back to his instincts -- asking himself what would he do with his own son. "It is a bad dream?" Teal'c asked. Sabin nodded. "Do you wish to tell me about it?" Teal'c asked, beckoning Sabin to sit beside him. Sabin didn't answer, unable to decide what he wanted his answer to be, but joined Teal'c in front of the fire and sat cross-legged. "Very well," Teal'c said respectfully, understanding Sabin didn't wish to tell him, at least not at this time. They sat in silence for a few more minutes, the shadows still dancing due to a mixture of the light from the flames and Sabin's troubled aura. "How often do they come?" Teal'c asked. "Not often, at least not anymore." "When was the last time you had it?" "Over half a year ago," Sabin answered. "I sometimes have troubling dreams," Teal'c stated after a long moment. "You do?" Sabin asked, reminding Teal'c that the Guardian, to speak with such uncertainty, was still a child. "I have a family, a wife and son. My son is several years older than you, and I worry about them." Sabin stayed quiet, listening intently to the man who barely ever spoke as he scooted closer to him. "Sometimes this worry comes to me very strongly, even when I am in kel'no'reem. I wonder what they are doing, if they are alright, even, in some of my darker thoughts,... if they are still alive. Being scared, as I am sure you know, Guardian Sabin, does not make you weak, but stronger -- showing us why we choose to do the things we do and gives us reason to continue doing what we are." The shadows slowed their troubled movements and finally stilled as Sam woke up. "We apologize for waking you Captain Carter," Teal'c said, though he didn't turn around. "It's okay. Um... is everything alright?" she asked, noticing Sabin sitting right beside Teal'c, being dwarfed by the large Jaffa. "It is," Teal'c stated, clearly not about to elaborate further. "Oh, alright. Night, Teal'c, Sabin." "Good night, Captain Carter." "Night," Sabin whispered, watching the dancing flames with Teal'c until morning came. *Part 12: Rocky Cove* -Next Day, SGC- The morning was extremely busy. From Jack explaining all the things that had happened to the General, to the General briefing them on the Legion of American Wizards and their interests in Sabin -- it was a nonstop information rush. "Well, this is a lot of information to digest. You said you all will be going with Mr. McGonagall to this... Rocky Cove, to get magic supplies?" "Yes sir," Jack answered. "Are you sure you want to take this on, Jack?" Hammond asked. "Definitely sir, and with Sabin here to help, all I have to do is memorize spells and learn how to force my magic into my wand I'll get. And as Mike has explained to me, I've been putting my magic in my firearms for a while now -- auto-reloading and all. Besides, I'm not about to pass up the opportunity to use another tool against the Goa'uld." "Alright Colonel. Tomorrow I will contact the President and ask for him to contact Mr. McPherson and Mr. Monoach, the two gentlemen who checked out Sabin's `ward', and tell them the Guardian is willing to meet with them. Right, Sabin?" Hammond asked, looking to Sabin who was between Jack and Teal'c (Sam and Daniel across from them). "Yup. Have them come up with a time and place for us to meet sometime this week, sir," Sabin said. "Will do. Alright, anything else?" "Ah, the adoption, General," Daniel reminded. "Already have the needed documents right here," he said, patting a file beside him. "All we need now are the papers Mr. Dumbledore promised," he continued. Moments after he said that, a column of flames burst right above the table, materializing a great red bird. The bird came to rest on the surface of the table gently, an envelope held in his beak. "Fawkes!" Sabin shouted as everyone else breathed, "-Wow-," their hearts slowly settling back down. "The little guy grew up fast, didn't he?" Jack asked, as Fawkes went forward to give Sabin the envelope. After Sabin had taken it, Fawkes gave him a departing nod and then vanished in another flash of flames. "The next time that fellow comes around, I've got to have marshmallows ready..." Jack muttered. "Marshmallows?" Sabin asked, opening the envelope. "Yeah, you jab them onto a stick and cook them over a fire. I bet magic phoenix fire would make them taste ten times better than they already do." "A theory you must try to prove during Fawkes' next visit," Teal's suggested. Sabin giggled, picturing the big Jaffa eating a flaming marshmallow on a stick as he opened the envelope. Skimming down the page, he found a letter addressed to himself. *Guardian Sabin,* -Enclosed are all the needed documents for your adoption. I have also- -taken the liberty of including a list of all the properties and belongings- -that have been passed down to you. I am also in possession of an- -invisibility cloak that belonged to your father. I shall keep it for you- -until you wish to have it or tell me to deposit it into your family vault- -(which due to Wizarding Law you cannot open until you have turned 17, but- -once you are adopted by Jack, he can open it for you).- -The Ministry has been notified of Harry Potter's existence and the fact- -he is residing in the States. Your visit resulted in some interesting (as- -well as entertaining) confusion. The Ministry, due to hearing about Fawkes'- -side adventure with you all, as well as the stories roaming around- -surrounding your visit, does not know what to believe and are doing decent- -imitations of headless fowl, despite my attempts to give them the account we- -discussed (and then they continue to wonder why I turn down the Minister- -position every time they offer it to me...). A sample of this `unfortunate'- -display of bewilderment is behind the adoption papers in today's copy of the- -_Daily Prophet_ (I am sure Jack especially will enjoy reading one article in- -particular).- -Thought you would also like to know that Professor Flitwick has been- -caught several times, absentmindedly, conjuring orbs, and that Professor- -Morts is still trying to figure out how to make `an exploding rainbow orb',- -as he calls it. He also asked me to thank you again for what you have done,- -as do I, the help you have provided is immeasurable.- -If you or your guardian/companions desire to visit Hogwarts again, you- -are welcome to anytime.- -Deep, resounding gratitude towards you and your friends,- *-Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore-* Sabin passed the letter to Jack, while flipping through the documents to get the wizard newspaper before giving the rest over to the General. "The _Daily Prophet_?" Daniel asked, seeing the newspaper in Sabin's hands before he handed it to Jack. The front page was a photo of Albus Dumbledore, giving an announcement from the head table. "Uh... the pictures are moving..." Sam stated, everyone staring at them. "That's a little disturbing," Daniel said. "I think it's cool, weird, but cool," Jack said as he starting reading. *HARRY POTTER, ALIVE!!!* -Nearly four long years after the night now referred to as `the Potter- -Incident', the Potter child has been found! (see pg 17 for _The Potter- -Incident_).- -Yesterday, after the Minister and an escort of Aurors went to Hogwarts- -(having been alerted possible dangerous intruders were there), Albus- -Dumbledore gave an unexpected announcement. "Young Harry Potter, the child- -we thought had been lost to us forever, survived the killing curse cast by- -He-who-must-not-be-named (note that Albus Dumbledore stated -his- name) that- -fateful night, and, I have just learned, has been in hiding since then with- -his caretakers -- who have just recently come aware of his true identity.- -Though they did not feel it was safe to reveal everything surrounding Young- -Potter, they did tell me he was brought to them by a good friend who- -requested them to keep him safe. They are doing this task well, and I feel- -relieved in knowing Young Potter is with them," Albus Dumbledore said. He- -continued by explaining Harry Potter's guardian is extremely protective,- -something the other inhabitants of Hogwarts testify to as well. They also- -told this reporter some other intriguing information.- -"Potter's guardian is teaching him wandless magic, and he already has- -astounding control over it. Started a game of dodgeorb, he did," a Slytherin- -Prefect said. "It was very impressive."- -"Little Harry is adorable, but at the same time, he has this power about- -him. It's no wonder You-Know-Who went after him. And his guardian, wow,- -he's definitely doing a good job, teaching him things already," a fourth year- -Ravenclaw said.- -"His guardian is -very- powerful. Took Fawkes (the Headmaster's Phoenix- -familiar) away for a day even," a third year Gryffindor said. "But he of- -course returned Fawkes to the Headmaster today."- -Dumbledore assures us that the alleged kidnapping of Fawkes was a huge- -misunderstanding and there are no hard feelings, in fact, he stated with a- -chuckle, "Fawkes hasn't had that much fun in a long time. From the- -impression he gave me, he would like to be `kidnapped' by young Potter and- -his guardian more often." (This `kidnapping' was what prompted the visit- -from the Minister and Aurors; for details see pg. 12.)- -For the protection of young Potter and others, his guardian's name is not- -being publicly released, and the Headmaster has stated that certain- -precautions have been taken to ensure this (the Ministry backing this- -statement). All that he has told us is that Harry Potter and his guardian- -had left moments before the Minister had arrived, and that young Potter would- -be staying in the States with them for some time. "However, this does not- -mean he will not come back. I have made it clear to them both that Hogwart's- -doors are always opened to them," Dumbledore said. "I am confident we have- -only just begun to see the potential in Mr. Potter."- -Now that it is known Young Potter survived the dreadful killing curse and- -somehow, with powers unknown, defeated He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, what can we- -expect from this child, who is living far away, being raised by a wizard- -whose magic, many at Hogwarts say, is equal to and may even surpass Albus- -Dumbledore's? Who is this mysterious man who has taken The-Boy-Who-Lived to- -raise? (see pg. 7 _Wandless Mage_? to read what experts are suggesting).- The article continued, and then branched off to several other articles which tried to give an account of Young Potter and his caretakers' visit to Hogwarts, including what the Ministry thought about it all, and the reactions of those (mostly) willing to share. "Well, that's interesting. At least we don't need to worry about everyone knowing your name," Daniel said, reading over Jack's shoulder before they flipped a few pages. Stopping on a group photo, Hogwarts students happily waving (a few of their wands out and some orbs about), they found another article below. *Dodgeorb with Harry Potter* Quickly looking through the article, they found a few quotes. -"Little Harry goes by Sabin, and is a very young wizard protege. He was- -making colored orbs with his bare hands! He gave me a yellow one," a second- -year Hufflepuff said.- -"I don't know how, but he prompted a game we all played. I won't be- -surprised if it becomes as popular as Quidditch," a sixth year Gryffindor- -said.- -"Professor Flitwich, I've heard, has requested to host an official- -Dodgeorb Tournament here at Hogwarts," a Ravenclaw Prefect said.- They then moved on to the next article. *Wandless Mage?* "Oh, wow," Daniel said, quickly reading through it with the others. "I think this is what Albus was talking about," Jack said with a smirk. -Interviewing Magic Branch Expert, Bramile Schwesti, he shares his- -insights on the guardian of The-Boy-Who-Lived, taking the information that- -has been gathered and coming to the most likely conclusions.- -"It is my expert opinion that Young Potter's guardian is a Wandless Mage,- -due to the fact those interviewed by the Ministry stated they never saw the- -man's wand. Also, by the demonstrations of Young Potter, it is clear he has- -been receiving some instruction from somewhere -- his guardian. "Though- -Wandless Mages are known more in legend than in real life, they -are- real,- -as well as immensely powerful. I think it is safe to say young Potter would- -not be safer with anyone else," he said.- -When asked what the Ministry should do about all of this, mainly on- -ensuring Young Potter is being looked after and such, he answered:- -"From what I have been told about the situation, Potter is being looked- -after, being told of his legacy, and being trained in his natural gifts (and- -by the looks of things, this is very good. I can only imagine what his- -accidental magic would be like if he was not being taught control). As for- -what I think the Ministry should do... keep contact with Potter's guardian,- -perhaps speak with the Legion of American Wizards and work together to ensure- -Potter's welfare. He is, after all, still a British citizen, though probably- -now has American citizenship, he should know his roots (which his guardian- -seems to be providing, he brought him to Hogwarts, after all)."- -When asked about the interaction between the guardian and Albus- -Dumbledore, he answered quite seriously: "Anyone who can kidnap that man's- -familiar, and then be on first name basis with him the next day, having- -returned Fawkes or not, is either an extremely talented man, or a life long- -friend of Dumbledore and able to get away with such things. Whichever the- -case, Potter's guardian should be respected, since, for whatever reason, the- -Chief Warlock of Wizengamot does."- The article continued, rambling on about possible reasons Dumbledore allowed Potter and his caretakers to leave, and other things they really had no way of figuring, and whose guesses just got further and further from the truth. "Nice, they think I'm some kind of super-mage," Jack said in disbelief. "I'm still trying to get over the moving pictures," Daniel muttered. They skimmed over the rest of the contents, moving past the newspaper. They then quickly went through the back and property documents that told what had been left to Sabin (Jack and the others unable but to notice how rich Sabin was), before Hammond gathered up the papers. "Well, everything seems to be in order. Have you decided on a legal name?" Hammond asked, glancing at the _Daily Prophet_ which had been folded back to the page with the waving Hogwarts students, some with orbs at the tips of their wands. "Yeah, Harry Manchu James Sabin Norard Potter O'Neill," Sabin answered, again, pausing slightly after James and Potter. "Alright then. I shall contact some friends of mine and make sure things go as they should. By the end of the week, Gaurdian Sabin, your legal guardian will be Jack," Hammond said, clearly enjoying the irony. "I will also have someone check on these properties, if you wish." "Sure, that'll work," Sabin answered. So, now having made sure everything as it should be, Hammond bid them farewell on their journey to Rocky Cove, internally dreading what they would bring back, particularly Jack's wand. -Oh, what have I just unknowingly done? Jack with magic... I must be mad,- Hammond thought as he watched them happily leave. - - - -Downtown Denver- Mike led the way through the crowded streets, the others close behind in their `normal' civilian attire, Teal'c having a ball cap to cover his seal. Due to how crowded the streets were, Jack had Sabin on his shoulders, the two of them, as always, wearing matching clothes. Mike was beside himself when he saw Sabin transfigure his clothes to match Jack's before they left the house (Jack putting on a light blue Hawaiian buttoned shirt over a dark blue t-shirt), and was certain calling Sabin a protege was putting his abilities lightly. "Just through here," he said, Daniel and Sam right behind Jack and Sabin, Teal'c taking up the rear. Maggie had decided to stay home, fixing her famous pie no doubt. Jack was looking forward to it. They crossed a side parking lot of some apartments, going around the old cars with a few dents here and there. The skyscrapers went high in the sky, making the area feel a lot more cramped than it was. Finally, they made it to the far side of the lot that edged a fairly clean dead end alleyway. It was possible that the kids from the apartments played there, especially seeing a soccer ball in the corner and the walls covered in chalk. "Through here," Mike said, giving a quick look around to make sure no muggles/non-magics were being snoopy. There were none, city folk were pretty good at minding their own business. "I assume there's some mag--" Daniel began, just to be cut off as Mike laid his hand on the chalk covered brick wall beside three metal trashcans. This caused the trashcans to literally melt into the wall, forming an arched metal door. "Unlike the entrance into Diagon Alley, which is the street of wizard shops in London, here in America the entrances are usually less dark," Mike said, referring to the welcoming, though odd, atmosphere of the alley pinned between two middleclass apartments. Mike turned back to the door and, pushing it open, said, "Welcome to the Rocky Cove." "Wow," they all said, save Teal'c, whose eyes just widened a little bit. They entered; too shocked to try and reason how it was possible. "I'm glad it's a school day, trying to enter with non-magic kids nearby is a little difficult. Luckily we didn't have that problem today," Mike said as they paused and looked around. The Rocky Cove was a huge city square. There was a grand fountain in the middle, and all around were shops, forming a perfect circle. This allowed them to see all of the shops at once, and it was a little overwhelming (having over a dozen shops surrounding them, two alleys on the east and west sides, possibly leading to Wizarding streets). The fountain was marble, and had young magical creatures of every kind carved as if they were playing together in the water. There was a wizard boy with a house elf on his back, laughing as a young goblin was posed to splash them. There was a young witch with two pixies, petting a baby unicorn. A dragon and a young centaur were playing with a few other children, all of them in a frozen scene of play. The square, or rather circle, had countless people going to and from the shops. Some were carrying bags, others, magical animals. There were even a few non-humans about, which completely fascinated Sam and Daniel. The shops were no doubt old, and the signs hung above the doors, open windows allowing passersby to peer inside. "Alright, where to first?" Mike asked. "Uh... bank? We need money," Daniel suggested. "Alright. Though they do accept cash, I suppose using wizarding money would be best," Mike said, already leading them to a tall marble building to their right. The engraved sign said *Grinbolts*, the _International Wizarding Bank_. "Um, Mike, not to be rude or anything, but... what are these... people?" Jack asked approaching the bank, Sabin looking around excitedly, his eyes wide with something more than just amazement. -Furlings...- "They're goblins," Mike answered. "The Nation of Goblins here is vastly different from the one in Europe. Though they still have connections between them, when `the new world' was discovered, they came here to try to start a new life, and did. Wizards who came here had similar ideas to them, wanting to get away from the prejudices that had been formed in `the old world', also, the Native Americans had their own magics, and it was easy to incorporate everything together. Every culture had something to gain, though admittedly, they did all lose something to gain it. I'll show you the bookstore later, I'm sure Daniel especially will want to get a few history books." Upon entering the bank, which was sleek and simple, though no less stunning, they went to the front desk, Jack lowering Sabin and taking his hand. "Welcome to Grinbolts, how may I help you?" a grainy looking goblin asked. "This young man has a vault in London with Gringotts and would like to form a joint vault here. This man would like to get a vault, perhaps jointed with his non-magic account, and convert some of his non-magic money into wizarding," Mike explained. "Of course, right that way," he said, motioning them to another goblin across the walkway. "Hitgrii will assist you with both accounts." Going to Hitgrii, Jack and Sabin politely greeted him, the goblin's eyes resting for a moment on each of them, giving the others no attention at all. "Names please," Hitgrii asked simply. This goblin seemed a little bored. "Jonathon O'Neill, but I prefer `Jack'. And this will soon be my um... adopted son. Harry Manchu James Sabin Norard Potter O'Neill will be his full name once the papers are filed, which should be by the end of the week," he answered, Mike and the others standing off to the side. "Hmm, I see," Hitgrii said, his previous simple curtness disappearing as he peered down at Sabin. Sabin innocently smiled back, the look in his eyes willingly betraying something to the goblin. "Well, Mr. Potter-O'Neill, I assume you have yet to visit Gringotts; not that that is a problem, we will set up the jointed vault. How much do you wish to pull once it is completed?" he asked. "How much are books?" Sabin asked. "A decent one, around 200 pages, leather bound, run anywhere from 2 to 10 galleons," he answered. "Hmm. 300 galleons then," Sabin answered. "That should cover getting a nice amount of books and a few other things, don't you think?" "Certainly, 300 should cover you for two rounds in all of the shops," he answered with a smile. "So, before you leave, stop by that checkout, Jegtrim will provide the money sack for you with the requested galleons," Hitgrii said before turning to Jack. "Uh, I need a joint account with my non-magic bank," Jack asked. "Of course sir, do you desire for the pulled funds to be translated over to wizarding?" he asked. "Yes," Jack said. "Very well sir. How much do you wish to be pulled for your outing today?" he asked, the whole time typing things into some kind of magical screen to his left. "Do you know how much I have?" "I am bringing it up now... ah! Here it is, the branched account has been set up and you currently have 9345.3 galleons in your Grinbolts/non-magic vault." "I will pull 300 as well then. Do you know how much a wand normally goes for?" he asked. "Hm, depends on the store and what the core and wood used are. I would suggest -Arokee Wands-, due to the quality, but if you would rather go to a wand shop run by the sane, go to -Kuehn Wands-. They may not be the best, but they still produce a decent product." "Alright, thanks..." Jack said, wondering what could be wrong with the person(s) who ran -Arokee-. The accounts and vaults now in order, they got their magic money sacks and went out. Walking to the shop next door, they found it to be -A Change of Hobbit-, a bookstore. "This is amazing," Daniel said, looking more like a kid in a candy shop than an adult in a bookstore. "Easy Daniel," Jack said as an employee approached them. "I'm Katherine Grey, owner of this shop. Can I help you find anything? Are you looking for anything in particular?" she asked. "Um, history?" Daniel asked, barely containing himself. "Ah, row 2b, and the cultural focus is listed above in alphabetical order," she said, pointing behind him. "Thanks," he said, immediately going off. "Defensive and Offensive spells from beginner to master," Jack said. "Row 5a. I definitely recommend -Battle Spells-, covers everything from harmless, but helpful, curses, to serious hexs, both defensive and offensive. Ah, and -Mighty Shields-; that's an impressive work -- not a single useless spell in that book," she said, before looking down to Sabin. "And you young sir?" "Do you have any really old books?" he asked. "Hmm, we deal more with present day works, if you're wanting antique books, go to -Anasazi Books-," she said with a smile. "We do have books on dragons, Quidditch, magical creatures, and even interactive coloring books though, if you like any of those things," she continued, wondering why a five year old would want old books, but then figured it may be due to his `father' beside him. "No thanks," he said with a wave, going with Jack to row 5a. Sam, Teal'c and Mike wandered the store, not really knowing what they wanted, though Teal'c got pulled to books like: -Goblins, the Warriors-; -The Might of the Goblin Nation-; and -Legends in War and Peace-. Sam found herself in the Charms section, grabbing: -Charms, Behind the Magic-; -The Art of Charms-; and -Charms and Beyond-. She also stumbled upon Transfiguration and (quickly her favorite) Potions, getting: -Transfigurations -- from Needles to Wangdoodles-; -The Art of Transfiguration-; -The Art of Potions- (she settled on just getting the whole `The Art' set, which totaled eight books); -Potions and Their Ingredients of All Sorts-; and -Master Potions-. Mike was content to just watch the others, seeing adults act like kids in a theme park can do that. Jack, after getting plenty of spell books, wandered to the more advanced area, finding titles like: -Defense of the Mind-, -Know thy Enemy-, and -Beyond the Physical-. He was about to add them to his collection he was about to buy, but Sabin stopped him. "I'll teach you a better way," he whispered, guiding Jack's hand away with his own. "The Headmaster and Snape know this type, and though it is good and useful, it is not as effective as the way I will teach you." Jack grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief and eagerness as Sabin casually brushed his mind as a brief sample/reminder of what he would learn. "I look forward to it," Jack replied as they headed back to the front, Sabin taking hold of the side loop on Jack's cargo pants since Jack's hands were full of books (a rare scene indeed). "Alright, all done," Jack said, setting his stack of books on the counter. "Guys, pile them up here, I trust you all got good bo--Daniel, Sam, what are you doing?" Jack asked when he saw them coming. Sam was at least smart and had grabbed a basket and had arranged them accordingly; Daniel, though, was about to dump his leaning tower of knowledge. "What's it look like? Gathering for research," Daniel said, Teal'c quickly going to him and calmly relieving over half the stack. "Okay... bring your mini-library on over," Jack surrendered. Smiling like Christmas had come early, Daniel brought his books over, soon followed by Teal'c and Sam. Sam put the basket full of books down, glancing at what Jack had gotten, which included: -Master Dueling for Dummies-, -Battle Spells-, -Mighty Shields-, -Wards of Lords-, and -Create Your Own Spells!- "All of these please," Jack told Katherine. "Yes sir, total is 173 galleons and 12 sickles," she answered quite happily. With the help of Mike, they figured out the money and paid for the books and set off to the next shop (Katherine shrinking their books and putting them in a nicely crafted box -- Mike told them they would un-shrink when they took them out later). They passed -3 Wands Inn-, and decided against going into -Owls R Us-, as well as -Fur and Feathers- due to Daniel's allergies. The others didn't mind, especially after a customer from -Fur and Feathers- came running out with a crazed bat-thing after him that was quickly caught by, who Jack assumed to be, the owner of the place. Finally, they came upon -Arokee Wands-. Jack and Sabin went forward, the others slowing a little as they made their way up to the door. "Uh, Jack, are we sure we want to get a wand here? Remember what that goblin, Hitgrii, said?" Daniel asked. "But he did say these wards are the best. So what if the owner is less than sane. We can deal with that, right Sabin?" Jack asked. "No crazier than some people I know," Sabin said with a grin. "Rig--hey!" With a giggle and happily allowing Jack to ruffle up his already messed up hair, Sabin led them into the shop, the others following behind. "AH! Customers!" a voice shouted somewhere from above, before a body -leapt- from the balcony over them and landed directly in front of Jack and Sabin with a thud. They stared; Jack wondering if he should take back his previous words and have them turn back now. A young man, lower twenties, stood before them. He was 6'2", had dirty blond hair cut in a crew-cut, and had light, husky-blue eyes. He reminded Jack and Mike of an old young comrade in the service. "Uh, hi," Daniel greeted, since the others seemed at a loss for words. "Pax Thanatos, at your service. Come for a wand, have you?" he asked, resting his fists on his hips for a moment. "Yeah. I need a wand," Jack said, holding out his hand, deciding it best to just dive in and ignore any oddities. Usually worked off-world, why not here? Pax took Jack's hand enthusiastically. "Well, which is your wand hand, and who are the rest of you people? I like to know who is in my shop, you understand," he said, looking at the others. "I'm right-handed, and this is Sam, Mike, Teal'c, and Daniel. I'm Jack, and this is Sabin," Jack quickly introduced, figuring first names were safe to share. "Ah..." he said, smiling approvingly at them all, before looking down to little Sabin. "Sabin is it? Heard about aliens yet? Just sos you know, they're real. It's important you know that," Pax stated simply, before turning, going to a shelf, and pulling out a chart. Daniel and the others gave each other pointed looks, while Mike looked down and shook his head, muttering, "good grief..." "Alright, what kind of core are you thinking? We of course have the conventional cores of Europe: Phoenix Feather, Dragon Heartstring, and Unicorn Hair; but we also have American cores, obviously," he said, handing Jack an old dingy chart covered with weird designs and shapes. -What am I supposed to do with this?- Jack wondered. -Wait a minute...- Looking closer, he was shocked by what he found. -This is a map of the Gate-Network! What the heck?!- "I've been trying to decode it all, but alien technology is not my thing. Ships going faster than the speed of light... knowledge beyond our magics and technologies combined... all very hard to decipher," he admitted with a sigh. "So! What core? You look like an American core kind of guy. Do you need me to list them with descriptions?" he asked, suddenly jumping subjects, ignoring the gaping expressions from Sam and Daniel as Jack and Sabin just stared at him, while Teal'c and Mike had raised eyebrows. "Descriptions please," Jack managed, his hands tightening over the chart, Sam and Daniel looking at it from behind him. "Holy Hannah..." Sam breathed as Pax went into a monologue. "American Wand Cores... Albino Buffalo Fur, Jackalope Antler, and Sasquatch Hair. Albino Buffalo cores usually are best with healing spells and charms, normally being used by those with kind and gentle natures. Jackalope Antler cores are best for variations of power conjurations, such as curses and shields; they tend to prefer those of great internal strength. Sasquatch Hair varies, but often is best with transfigurations and defensive spells, mainly used by those of impressive intellect. "Have you decided, or would you rather try some out to see which is best?" he asked, pausing expectantly. "Um, what do you suggest?" Jack asked. "Jackalope," Sabin answered for Pax, looking up to Jack. "I knew I liked you the moment you stepped in, little man," Pax said happily, quickly beckoning Jack forward to one of the countless shelves, neatly stacked narrow boxes covering every inch. "Wood?" Pax asked. "There are dozens to choose from. Hmm... I suppose we could try them all if we have to," he said with a shrug, pulling out a red box. "Here you are," he said, trading the box for the chart he had handed Jack earlier. "Didn't have much luck, eh?" he asked with a sigh. "Me neither. I'm hoping one day I will meet someone with answers. I already know there are many different races, even an ancient alliance. Oh what I wouldn't give to meet just one from that group..." "Why?" Sabin asked, to the horror of Mike, who didn't think it was wise to encourage the deranged man. "Just swish the wand around," he advised Jack before kneeling down to Sabin's level, completely calm about the possibility of Jack causing havoc with a wrong wand. "To understand, to grow, to learn. Our history is intertwined with these races, just as our present and future is," he answered. BANG! "Oops," Jack said, lowering his wand and staring at the desk lamp he had just obliterated. "You have a lot of power, but that's not your wand," he said, getting back up and giving him another after waving his own wand and cleaning up the mess, just to snatch Jack's back again. "This wand isn't right for you either," he stated, before handing him another and doing it again. "Not that one either." Jack was understandably confused, the others just able to watch the odd scene. "That wand is not for you either," Pax stated, taking it and grabbing yet another after putting that one back. Jack obediently took hold of what seemed to be the hundredth wand, wondering if any of the wands would work, but the moment his hand completely wrapped around the wood, a feeling like no other enveloped his hand and surged both to and from his center. "Whoa!" Jack shouted as gold and silver came spewing out of the tip of his wand, a rush of wind swarming in around him. "Ah-HA!" Pax declared. "That's your wand," he stated proudly. "Uh... right," Jack said, blinking, staring at it before glancing at -Loco- Pax, he decided to refer to him as. Sabin bounced happily. The wand had a faint green tint to it, and its handle had five rings of two other woods spaced evenly on it. "Lignum Vitae, handle banded with two rings of Snakewood and three Holly. Jackalope Antler Core. 8 inches. Pretty heavy duty. The length is a tad startling, considering the amount of power in such a short little thing and having seen some of the power you possess -- not that that's bad, just bizarre. I would have thought you would have gotten one of 13 inches at least; but no matter, you found your wand, and one with a very strong alliance between the four materials used. I dare say they are just as impressive as the Ancient Alliance of the Four Great Races." "You are right," Sabin stated. "About the wand or the races?" Pax asked indifferently. "Both," Sabin answered honestly. Pax froze before slowly turning to face Sabin, the sound of Sabin's young voice having an unexpected and unexplainable certainty behind it. "Why do I believe you?" he asked, as if he had just been told the world was round after a lifetime of believing it flat. "Because I am telling the truth." "Sabin..." Sam, Jack, and Daniel all cautiously said, though they trailed off, wondering what this great alliance was. Pax stared down at him, as if trying to look beyond the surface. "Who are you?" Pax asked. "Sabin," he answered simply. "No, what are you?" he asked. "You are more than a mere human." "There is nothing `mere' about humans," Sabin stated. "But you are partly right. Though I am human, I am more." "More?" he asked, though it was barely a question, looking at Sabin with eyes that seemed to analyze every bit of him. He gasped, immediately taking a reverent step backwards as he respectfully bowed his head slightly while placing his fist solemnly over his heart. "Guardian, I never expected in my life I would meet you. My research had led me to the assumption Terra's last known Guardian passed over a thousand years ago, and there would be no more." "Well, I am Sabin, Terra's new Guardian. And your chart is a map, but I cannot reveal more than that." "Why not?" Pax asked in awe. Sabin smiled knowingly as he answered, "Because there is more at stake than just our world. Secrets must be kept, for the majority of those I protect are not ready to safely know the truth. Keep this in mind when you speak, and remember not everyone is ready to hear." Mike was confused and looked to Daniel and Sam for possible answers, but they looked just as lost. Pax understood the message behind Sabin's words, repeating his previous sign of respect. "Guardian Sabin, I shall keep what I have learned today to myself," Pax said, before looking at Jack. "How much do I owe you?" Jack asked, sliding his thumb up and down the fine wood work of the wand's handle. "For a companion of the Guardian, nothing. Just promise you will use that against anyone wishing harm to us, alien and native. I think it is safe to assume you know more than me in regard to those kinds of things," Pax said, looking to the others as well. "Alright, Pax," Jack said. "Do you need a wand holster?" Pax asked, quickly going to a rack in the corner and picking up a black leather one. "Ooo, nice," Jack said as Pax happily handed it to him. "Might I also suggest you getting a back up wand? Since you are here, and there may be times your primary wand is beyond your reach, having a back up one is common -- at least among American Wizards," Pax continued, clearly bubbling with pure joy at knowing he was helping friends of the Guardian. "Uh... alright. As long as you allow me to pay for that one at least." "Sir, that is not necessary. Your presence alone is enough payment," he said, nearly pleading. "Guardian Sabin has deemed you and your companions worthy, and he has graced me in allowing me to know of his title, as well as giving me an answer in regard to that page I now know is a map." He clearly was not going to lose this argument. "Jack, just agree with the guy," Daniel finally said. And so, ten minutes later, Jack had found himself a secondary wand, though not as good as his first, it would suffice in an emergency -- Jackalope Antler core, Snakewood, handle banded with three rings of Holly. He also gained two black wand holsters, as well as a protective wax that could be applied to the wands periodically to fight wear. Upon leaving, Pax bowed to Sabin with a smile. Sabin respectfully returned the bow, but was a little unsure on how to respond exactly, so he settled on leaving with a final wave before taking Jack's hand and going to -Anasazi Books-. Sabin got a few books on some legends, but wouldn't explain why he had decided to get them, simply saying, `I'm just curious'. Daniel got a few more history and antique books, including some on myths, before they went onto -Honest Rudolfinicin's Apothecary.- Sam went into a near frenzy trying to get some of everything, until the shop owner, Rudolfinicin, came to her and said he would be happy to gather a jar of everything for her. The total cost came to 307 galleons, 15 sickles, and 2 knuts. Rudolf (his nickname) packaged it all in a complementary suitcase, all the jars shrunken and ready for use with a touch of a finger on the lid. She was already planning on what to do with all of the ingredients at the SGC (after she got Hammond permission, of course...). They then went to -Lord Gandy's Robes-, where Sabin and Jack bought them all some Wizarding attire, in case they all ever needed to make an appearance at some sort of wizard gathering. Teal'c had to wait patiently to be fitted properly, since his rather broad shoulders called for extra material. Jack, having been fitted with his before everyone else, walked up and down the side area for waiting customers, which currently only included the six of them. "Jack, what, may I ask, are you doing?" Mike asked, sitting down, his robe folded and in his lap. "Practicing," he said, turning and walking the other way, causing his robes to billow impressively behind him. "Ha! I did it," he said proudly. "Did what sir?" Sam asked, currently being measured at one of the four stations, Sabin beside her being measured as well. "He's doing what that Snape fellow does," Daniel answered, shaking his head. "What? Cape billowing?" she asked with an amused smile. "What? It's cool," Jack said defensively, turning again to walk back once more, robes billowing evenly behind him. "Indeed," Teal'c said, watching the swish of Jack's robes. "All done, young sir," one of the old ladies said to Sabin, allowing him to go to the others with his robe still on. He joined Jack in billowing... The workers watching aww'ed at the sight, while Daniel stepped to the platform Sabin had left to take his turn. Walking side-by-side, robes tossing back and forth rhythmically behind them, Sabin smiled up at Jack. "Oh, I pity the Wizarding World..." Mike mumbled as he watched them. -Jack, a wizard... what have I done?- he wondered, but for the life of him, he couldn't get himself to feel truly bad about any of it. "All done sirs and madam," an older gentleman said. "The total is 24 galleons, 12 sickles, and 4 knuts." They paid him, and left. Having gotten everything they needed, (Sam, Daniel, and Mike somehow convincing Jack that they would go to the candy shop and joke shop the next time they came) they finally left Rocky Cove. "Okay," Mike began as they all got into his car after going across the parking lot. He wanted some answers, now that they were by themselves. "That whole thing with Pax..." he began, but paused, not knowing how to continue. "It is real, Mc," Sabin stated. Jack and the others sighed, knowing there was no getting out of it, but then, did they really want to continue keeping this from Mike? Jack, looking at Mike in the review mirror, straightened as he decided something. "Mike, how would you like a tour of Cheyenne Mountain?" *Part 13: The SGC* Mike went to the government provided car after leaving his vacation house, Maggie understandably curious as to why Jack had provided such official looking transportation for her husband to receive a tour of Cheyenne Mountain. Yesterday, after returning from Rocky Cove, Jack and his team had stayed for dinner, including for her pie, but then had left, promising Mike a tour of Cheyenne Mountain the next day. Mike seemed excited, but also hesitant. This had at first confused Maggie, but then, who wouldn't be a little nervous? It didn't take a genius to figure out there was more going on in that mountain than just `Deep Space Radar Telemetry'. Mike went to the black suburban, unsure who would be greeting him within. "Mr. McGonagall?" a man in dress blues asked, getting out and opening the door for him. "Yes," he said, "that's me." "I am Sergeant Klinger. Colonel O'Neill is waiting; please get in," he said, stepping aside. So Mike got in, wondering what he had gotten himself into. - - - -SGC- Jack and Sabin waited at the entrance for Mike, Sabin wearing a smaller version of Jack's uniform, cap and all. Jack was looking forward to giving the tour to Mike; it was sure to be entertaining. When they had gotten back from having dinner at Mike's place the previous night, SG-1 immediately dived into the books for a few hours before heading to bed. Sam already had plans for potions, and had started taking over a storage room for her potion making. Daniel was halfway through one of the history books, taking in everything he could. Even Jack had begun absorbing the books, and already had a number of spells memorized that he wanted to try. The Legion had contacted them, having decided on a time, requesting the General to tell the Guardian, and whoever would be accompanying him, to be ready at 2 pm in four days. Evidently, the Legion had their own transportation and would be using it in picking the Guardian up -- and at the base's helicopter pad, no less. It had also been decided that only Jack and Sabin would be going (the fact that Daniel and Sam, as well as Teal'c, wanted to spend more time in the books they had bought had nothing to do with it...). The Legion had also told the General that this day was a special day where the magical nations would gather, introduce their representatives, and partake in a friendly magical prowess display. It was a tradition carried out every ten years. They asked Hammond to tell the Guardian that if he would like reveal himself to the world, this would probably be the most opportune time. Hammond told them he would relay their message, and that the Guardian would decide after their meeting with him before that event in four days. Finally, Jack and Sabin saw the black suburban coming through the first checkpoint. Mike had arrived. - - - Mike was a little intimidated by everything, despite being a retired soldier and all. It was pretty clear this place included a top secret facility, and he knew he was about to find out what it was. He got out of the suburban, another airman opening the door for him from the outside. "This way, sir," a Corporal said, leading him to yet another checkpoint. Crossing the checkpoint, having shown the necessary ID to them, Mike followed the Airman to the entrance. "-Whoa...-" Mike breathed, now entering the mountain. He suddenly realized he had just passed through a ward of some kind -- an -extremely- strong ward. Was this Sabin's `Zone' Jack had mentioned earlier? "Something the matter, sir?" the Corporal asked. "Um, no. Just impressive facility," Mike replied. "That it is," the man agreed with a smile. "Mc!" Sabin called excitedly. "Hey, Sabin, Jack," he said, going to them. "Ready?" Jack asked him. Mike gave a tentative nod. "Alright, -onward-!" he said, after excusing the Corporal and Sergeant with a salute. Jack and Sabin leading the way, they went in and immediately went down, taking the elevator to unnerving depths. Mike could have sworn his ears had popped. "Okay, first thing -- papers!" Jack exclaimed, exiting the elevator with Sabin (receiving a few curious looks from airmen) and leading Mike to the briefing room and Hammond. "Papers?" Mike asked. "As in, `sign here and swear on your life, your wife, and house that you will never breathe a word of anything to another soul, living or otherwise'?" "Those exactly, only we have another paragraph that adds your dog and your lucky underwear," Jack replied. "Did Sabin have to sign those?" "No, because he's part of the secret. Besides, he's the Guardian, and Guardians have immunity with those sorts of things," Jack continued, waving one of his hands about, passing it off casually. "Ah, I see." Sabin giggled. They continued down the hall to the briefing room, many soldiers and fellow SGC workers moving about. They then turned into a room with a large table, a short stack of papers, and a general at the end. "General," Jack greeted, Sabin stopping next to him. "Colonel. And you must be Mr. McGonagall," Hammond said, going to him and holding out his hand. "Yes, sir," Mike said, shaking Hammond's offered hand. "Shall we?" Hammond asked. Mike nodded, and they all took their seats. "Captain Carter and the others are currently reading. They will meet you all in the Rec Room," Hammond said, before sliding over the file and a pen to Mike. "These are for you to sign. Before hand, you cannot see anymore than you already have." "I understand sir," he said, taking the pen and signing the dotted lines on the papers. He then closed the file and slid it back. "All set then," Hammond said with a smirk. "Enjoy the tour, Mr. McGonagall." "I'm sure I will, sir." And with that, the tour began. - - "And here, is the Rec Room," Jack said, opening up his arms and motioning everywhere. "Hey guys," Daniel said, glancing up from his book after finding a stopping place and bookmarking it. "What do you think so far, Mike?" "Very impressive, but Jack has yet to tell me what you guys do here exactly," Mike said, a little exasperated. "All in good time," Jack said, feigning apology, before looking to Sabin. "So, Sabin, think you could do that thing you did after we watched Star Wars in here?" he asked, hopefully. Sabin grinned, before concentrating and closing his hands into fists. A brown flash overtook the room for a moment, all but Jack never having seen the result before. "He really -does- look like an Ewok!" Daniel shouted. "Told you," Jack said, smiling. "H-how?" Mike asked, never failing to be surprised by Sabin's power. "I transfigure my clothes, and then the rest of me is an illusion," Sabin explained, before going back to normal with a white flash. "So, onto the cafeteria," Jack said, deciding it was best to explain everything over lunch before going to the gateroom (excluding the infirmary from the tour). - - - -Thirty Minutes Later...- It was pretty entertaining to watch Mike's eyes grow wider and wider throughout the whole time of telling him about the Stargate Program and what they did. "-- the Goa'uld. But not all things we come across are negative, which is why the program is still being funded, besides the fact we need to know how active our planet's enemies are. We've made a few friends so far with some inhabitants, now having some trading agreements, and alliances with others," Jack said. "But enough of that. I think it'll be best if we just show you." Mike was in a mild case of shock when Jack led the way to the Gateroom, a voice speaking over the com. "-Chevron 5, encoded-," the voice stated, the ring already turning. "This is SG-7, they primarily do the scientific stuff. Like looking at shiny things in rocks," Jack said, motioning to the SG team geared up and ready to go, the voice continuing the countdown. "And that," he said, pointing to the Gate, "is the Gate." "-Chevron seven, locked-." The blue water-like substance burst forth, making Mike jump. "Wow..." "Yeah, it's really purdy," Jack commented. Mike's shocks continued though when SG-7 went up, stepping into the blue horizon. All Mike could do was blink as the team disappeared into it. Sabin tried not to giggle upon seeing the man's reactions to everything. The Stargate then disengaged. "Well, what do you think?" Jack asked, turning to look at Mike's face. "We should probably take it slow, I think he's trying not to hyperventilate," Daniel added, glancing over at Mike beside him. Mike waved him off. "You expect me to be able to use words?" Mike managed. "No, not anymore. The expression on your face has told me all I wanted to know," Jack said. "Come on, Mike. Let's go take a look at some gizmos we've gotten from the gate. Now that you've seen this, might as well seen what has come from it." "Gizmos?" "Yeah, like zats. Hmm, firing range?" Jack asked, looking at Teal'c. "It has already been cleared for our use," Teal'c said. "Perfect," Jack said eagerly. "Let's go. Maybe I'll be able to try some of those spells I read about last night." "Oh boy," Sam muttered. "What was that Captain?" Jack asked. "Nothing sir." "This is unbelievable..." Mike said to himself as Jack and Sabin led the way to the firing range deep within the mountain (where else are they to practice with alien weapons?). "You say that now? After you've been told and shown the majority of everything?" Daniel asked. "I've just begun to get over the initial shock," Mike stated. "Indeed," Teal'c said, understandingly. The firing range was a large room capable of containing the blasts from the Goa'uld weapons, and had targets waiting to be hit over twenty yards away on the other side of the room. "What is -that-?" Mike asked, as Teal'c and Sam took two zats from the wall. "A zat'ni'katel," Teal'c answered. "A zat gun," Jack corrected. Jack then showed Mike how to hold it, and then, aiming at one of the targets that looked like a rough serpent guard, he fired. Blue lightning rippled across the frame. "Wow," Mike said. "Yeah. One shot knocks out. Two in a row kills, and three vaporizes," Jack said. Mike blinked. Jack saw he needed to show him, so he fire at another target, this time three times. Btz-Btz-Btz. It disappeared. "See? You want to try?" he asked, handing it to him. Mike hesitantly took hold. "You aim, press this... yeah, like that, and then just squeeze," Jack instructed as the others got out a few weapons to practice with and spread apart, Sabin staying by Jack's side, however. Btz. Mike fired the weapon, sideswiping the target, the others firing as well. "I have got to get one of these," Mike said, examining the weapon he had just fired. "How `bout you, Sabin? Want to try?" Jack asked, about to retrieve another zat. "No, I can't," Sabin stated. "Why?" he asked, the others pausing as well in their firing to look at the young Guardian, wondering why he couldn't use a zat. "When my power levels are nearly full, I would just break them if I fired one," Sabin said. "I suppose if I used some of my energy I could, but I don't know how much I would have to use." "Interesting," Sam said, putting her weapon down. "So, your powers conflict with Goa'uld technology? Or do they conflict with all energy weapons?" "All of them, but I don't really need them," Sabin answered with a shrug. Jack and the others looked very intrigued now. "Show us," Jack asked eagerly. "Okay." Jack and Mike got out of the way so that Sabin would have a lane to himself. Sabin went forward, bringing his hands up and slowly easing them down as he slid into a solid stance while exhaling and focusing on the far target in front of him. Bending his elbow, he brought his right hand back, palm up and the three first fingers held out straight, his thumb on his pinky. His left hand was out in front of him, his hand flat and palm slightly angled. Jack and the others just watched. Then, something quite unimaginable, especially from a child, they saw white light stream from his center down his right arm and to his hand. A few seconds later, crackling with power, he swept his right food forward and in front of his left as he threw out his golden glowing hand, the light the most intense at the tips of his three fingers. bbzzZZZZ*ZZZ!* A bolt of golden light shot from his fingers, his black untidy hair being brushed back with an invisible backlash of power. The bolt ripped through the air and slammed dead center into the figure, but it did not end there. It split; jumping to the two targets of either side of it, leaving charred remains. "Holy --" Daniel breathed. "Hannah," Sam finished. Sabin straightened up and turned to them, looking just as calm and innocent he had a moment before. "That was one of the first offensive things I learned. The Wielders felt I should know how to take down hostiles," Sabin explained simply. "Cool," Jack said with a whistle. "Well, I'll say that's taking them down..." Daniel said as one of the targets plopped over. "Indeed. Your powers certainly are formidable weapons, Guardian Sabin," Teal'c said. "Well, I think it's time for me to see what this can do," Jack said, pulling out his wand and getting into his own lane whose target wasn't obliterated by Sabin. "You're going to try a spell, Colonel?" Sam asked. "Yeah, I'm just running the curse in my head," Jack answered. "`Curse'?" Daniel asked. "Offensive Spell," Jack stated. "Is this an appropriate place to practice, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. "This is an offensive spell, used to shoot and take out an opponent. Where else, but the firing range, would be better to try it?" Jack asked. "Don't worry, I won't hit any of you." -I'll have plenty of time to do that later-, he added to himself, though Sabin gave him a side glance after the thought and fought off a giggle. "I think we should all back up, just to be safe," Mike said, having witnessed a great deal of magical accidents before, and having been told a few impressive ones by his cousin as well. The others agreed, getting several yards away, as Jack focused in remembering how to do the spell he had read about the night before. After a few seconds, the others watching eagerly, he thrust his wand forward, just as the book had said, and shouted, "-Reducto-!" It was obvious what he had done wrong the moment the curse began to roar out of his wand. He had put -way- too much power into it... Even before it was completely out of his wand, he was lifted off of his feet and whammed back by the shear force of it. "WHOA!" Jack shouted as his spell went forward and he went backwards. Jack stopped when he hit the back wall, but before the others heard the thud, the lights flickered and a resounding -boom- echoed around them. The target was no more. "Colonel!" Sam shouted, Daniel and the others calling out as well, finding his form in a heap against the wall. -poof- Sabin appeared by his side in an instant, took hold of his arm and... --POOF-- The others looked at each other. "Infirmary," Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c stated, before they dashed out, Mike close behind, Airmen looking about in confusion after the odd fluctuation in the lights that had occurred a few seconds before. - - - -Jack's Room- They appeared in Jack's room, Sabin having expertly poofed Jack onto his bed. Jack moaned, moving his left hand to the back of his head as he somehow managed to sit up. "I think I may have put a little too much power into that one. But the book said to put everything you have into it for the first time, since it's a hard spell to learn," Jack said. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop you. It was just too fast, and I wasn't close enough to you," Sabin said regrettably. "It's alright. It was my fault, trying something like that first..." he said, rubbing the back of his head. "Here, I can fix that," Sabin said, lifting his hand. Jack let him touch the forming bump, and when he did, he felt a rush of calming warmth and the dulling of pain. Sabin finished. "Wow," Jack said, finding the bump was gone. "Thanks. Do you think when I get a handle on the wand thing, I can do stuff like that?" "Without a doubt," Sabin said with a grin. "You won't have a problem with them, after you control the amount of power you put in," Sabin continued. Jack laughed. "Well, now that I know what it feels like, I don't think it will take me long to learn control," Jack said, realizing his wand was still in his hand. He put it away. "At first, when you poofed us, I thought we would end up in the infirmary," he said, slowly swinging his legs off the bed. "Why did you poof us to begin with?" Sabin climbed up and sat beside him. "The left over power in the room wasn't allowing me to properly assess your injuries, and I didn't want to go to the infirmary where Fraiser wouldn't let me," Sabin said. "Ah, makes sense. You know, the others are going to assume we went there," Jack said. "How long do you think until they figure out we aren't in the infirmary?" Sabin asked. "Not long," Jack said, smirking at the thought, but then sighed. "But I suppose we should go, wouldn't want Fraiser mad at us. She has needles." "And penlights," Sabin added as they got up and left for the infirmary, both of them ignoring the fact Sabin could just poof them there. - - - -Infirmary- Moments later, the others burst into the infirmary, not finding it as they had expected but calm and quiet. "Okay..." Daniel said, not seeing Jack or Sabin anywhere. "Is there a problem?" Dr. Fraiser asked, going to them. "They are not here," Teal'c stated. "Clearly," Mike stated, suddenly realizing Jack had failed to include this place in the tour. Mike wasn't surprised. "What is going on? Has someone been hurt? Is this about the base wide flicker of power?" "`Base wide'?" Daniel asked. "Yes. -Everything- flickered," Fraiser said. "Wow," Sam stated. "Okay, okay, but where's Jack and Sabin?" Mike asked. "It was assumed they would be here, right?" "Jack and Sabin?" Fraiser asked. "Were they hurt? What happened? And wait, who on earth are you?" "Mike McGonagall," Mike answered, before Sam broke in and quickly told her what happened. "Jack probably has a concussion. Did Sabin say where he was taking them?" she asked. "No, he just poofed," Daniel said. "Great," Fraiser said. "Where should we search first?" Sam asked. "He could be anywhere, he's the Guardian," Mike stated. The doors opened. "Colonel!" Fraiser nearly shouted, already armed with her penlight and going towards him. Jack and Sabin sighed. "He's alright now," Sabin said. "It wasn't as bad as it looked." "Or sounded, apparently," Daniel added. "Where did you two go?" Sam asked. "A safe place," Sabin replied evasively. Fraiser passed the penlight over Jack's eyes, and, finding nothing wrong, looked to Sabin. "Sabin, I understand you are the Guardian and all, but I'd really appreciate, if something like this happens again, that you would bring the injured person here, just to be safe," Fraiser said. "You have my word, if I need help to help them, I will get help," Sabin stated. Fraiser didn't look pleased, but knew that was all he was going to agree to. "Well, I see you've met our good Dr. Janet Fraiser," Jack said to Mike. "Yes, and you are right in everything you've told me about her," Mike said. "Oh really?" Fraiser asked, raising an eyebrow. "And what have you heard?" "Nothing but good things," Mike said. "Except that penlights are weapons of torture." "Well Mike, I think Maggie is expecting you for dinner," Jack interrupted. "Wait just a minute; penlights, weapons of torture?" she asked, not letting them off that easily. "Who told you that? As if I didn't know?" she asked, giving a glare to Jack. Jack gave a slight cough, not making eye contact. "I see," Fraiser stated as the General entered the infirmary. "General," Sam said. "At ease, Captain. Well, I see you all have already gathered for a briefing. I take it whatever you guys did within the firing range was the cause of the power fluctuation?" "Yes sir," Sam said. "It was my spell. I, er, put a little bit too much power in it, sir," Jack explained. "I gathered as much. You know you dented the reinforced, titanium wall, Colonel?" "Um, no I didn't sir." "We are going to need to find a safer place for you to learn spells, since I know you are going to stick with this until you get it either way, and, after seeing the dent, this can be a very valuable tool against the Goa'uld. Were those three charred dummy remains a result from the spell as well?" Hammond asked, not reacting at all the way Jack or the others would have thought. "That was Guardian Sabin, General Hammond," Teal'c answered. Hammond didn't seem surprised before turning to Mike. "Ah, and Mr. McGonagall, your wife called. She wanted me to remind you that dinner is still ready," he said. "And she expects you home soon." "Yes, thank you sir." "Colonel, tomorrow at 0800 we will come up with a plan to have you safely learn to use your wand. We can't have power fluctuations and damaged walls happening all the time," Hammond said. "Yes sir." After the rather confusing and rapid conversation, the General left and the others went up with Mike to escort him to the black suburban waiting to take him home. They knew how unwise it was to keep Maggie waiting. "Well, thanks for the tour, Jack," Mike said before entering the car. "Anytime you want to come by for a visit, just have them call me up to let you in," Jack said, Sabin waving beside him. "I will," Mike said. "Bye, Mc!" Sabin said, the others saying bye as well as the Corporal shut the door. After they watched Mike leave in the suburban, they reentered Cheyenne Mountain, Sabin already having come up with a plan for Jack to learn safely... - - - The days after Mike's visit, their problems in Jack learning magic without risk of damaging himself, the base, or others was greatly reduced thanks to Sabin's Zone he placed in one of the old large storage rooms. Sabin would have to be with Jack whenever he practiced, since the other half of the zone needed him to provide a constant supply of magic (such as the cushions behind Jack), but other than that, it was perfect. Daniel and Sam went into their studies as well. Sam delved into the art of potion making, while Daniel went deeply into the histories of the magical world. Even Teal'c studied, going into the Goblin Wars, taking in the tactics they used and even some of their fighting styles. The following three days were nearly non-stop learning for SG-1, and the rest of the SGC personnel knew to steer clear when SG-1 and Sabin came out to eat. Nearly everyone had a heart attack when Jack whipped out his wand and stated, quite firmly, "-Accio pies-!" Jack and the others got their pies, but this left the cafeteria having to order more, since the rest was all over the wall until Jack smiled and waved his wand at the wall, stating, "-Scourgify-!" "Ooo, very nice. Didn't know it would clean that well," Jack said. "Who would have thought that gray wall was supposed to be blue?" SG-1 and Sabin were so busy learning, they nearly forgot about the Legion meeting the next day, until Hammond reminded them. "Colonel, are you and Sabin ready for tomorrow?" Hammond asked. "Tomorrow?" Jack asked, but then he remembered. "Oh! Tomorrow -- Legion, Meeting, Guardian, got it. Yes, sir. We are." "Very good. They shall meet the two of you on the helicopter pad tomorrow at 1400 hours," Hammond said. "Yes sir," Jack said, Sabin nodding beside him. "Tomorrow, the Legion shall meet the Guardian, and from there we'll see if the other nations will too." "Yup," Sabin agreed. -This should be interesting...- Jack thought. #Ancient# -::Furlish::- =============================================================================== *Part 14: Enter, the Guardian* -The Northern Legion of American Wizards- It was utter insanity. Everyone about was moving at lightspeed, wanting everything to be perfect for when their visitor(s) arrived. The last known Guardian had been Merlin, so this was a big deal, and no one wanted to make a bad first impression with the new Guardian. Countless people were working diligently to get the Legion Establishment in ship shape -- the floors, walls, statues, and everything else sparkly and magically clean (and yes... lemony fresh). Even the Goblins were preparing, but not exactly for the same reason as the wizards. Representatives from the Eastern Warlock Empire (which covered China, Japan, Mongolia, part of Russia, India, and Southern Asia), the Central Realm of Sorcerers (Africa), and the Southern Legion of American Wizards (Central and South America) were all preparing for the day's events as well, taking their places in the huge entrance hall of the Main Legion Building. A representative from Australia was even there, (the magic society there technically being under the Ministry, but really held their own separate identity). Master Mark, the Senior Head of the Legion, tidied his desk as he pondered about the Ministry. They had notified the Ministry, requesting them to send some representatives to partake in the international gathering of the decade which would include a ceremony of sorts and friendly flaunting of magical prowess between magical nations -- all of this to `strengthen relations'. Like with the other nations, they excluded the detail that they were possibly going to do the ceremony and magic prowess in front of the Guardian (since the Guardian would decide after his meeting with the Legion). The Legion got a prompt response, informing them Albus Dumbledore and Augusta Longbottom had agreed to partake in this `mutual beneficial gathering', and that Augusta's grandson, Neville, would be joining them. So this was where Master Mark was now: House Elves working alongside him to ready his office for the meeting with the Guardian and those (if any) who accompanied him. He was nearly done when someone knocked on the door. "Come in," he called. Mr. Smith walked in. "Sir, McPherson and Monoach have just left," he said. "Ah, good, good. Make sure everything is ready for the Guardian's arrival." "Of course, sir," Smith said, already halfway out the door. Soon, the Guardian would be back. Oh, this day would definitely be one to remember. - - - Jack and Sabin changed into their robes, Jack having secured both of his wands in his holsters -- his primary wand on his inner forearm, and the other on his left calf. "Ready?" he asked Sabin. "Almost. Here," he said, taking hold of Jack's sleeve and concentrating. Jack watched as his black robes change to brilliant white with golden edges. His robes were nearly identical to Sabin's (which had changed as well), but Sabin's vest was like crystal, reminding Jack of what Sabin had worn the first time he had seen him. Jack's vest was handsome, layered cloth, making him feel like a respected Jedi or something. "Nice," Jack stated, receiving a smile from Sabin before they then went out and toward the helicopter pad at the surface. "Bye you guys," Daniel called from down the hall. "Bye!" Sabin said, waving, oblivious to the confused stares from Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c concerning their robes. Hadn't they bought black robes? "We'll be back as soon as the whole meeting thing and stuff is done," Jack said, continuing down the hall. "The General is already up there," Sam said. - - - -Helicopter Pad- "General, great to see you again," Gene McPherson said, hopping out of the magical helicopter (it was silent and had other useful magical properties). "Likewise," Hammond said, turning to Aage Monoach who stopped beside Gene. "The Guardian and the Colonel should be here soon," he began, before he saw Jack from the corner of his eye. "Ah! Jack, right on time," he said. "Yes, General. Sabin and I are ready to go," he said, stopping a few feet from the three men. Sabin had Jack's hand and was staring at the two wizards. "Sabin, this is Gene McPherson and Aage Monoach. They're the experts that looked at the Zone you put up," Hammond said. "Zone?" Gene nearly stuttered, turning and looking down to Sabin. Sabin nodded, releasing Jack's hand and moving forward, taking the liberty to mind brush them. They both started, but then smiled, giving him a slight nod of acknowledgement. "Guardian Sabin, it is an honor to meet you," Gene said, kneeling down to get to Sabin's eye level. Sabin smiled, approving of the man instantly. "Well, let us be on our way," Gene said, holding out his hand for Sabin to take. Sabin took it and allowed himself to be helped into the helicopter by the kind black wizard, Jack assisting slightly as a spotter. Jack then got in, giving a departing salute to the General, and took his spot across from Sabin and next to Aage. "So, you are Colonel Jack O'Neill?" Aage asked, though it was hardly a question. "Yes I am," Jack said, shaking the old man's hand as the helicopter lifted off. Aage smirked. "I can see why the Guardian chose to show himself to you first," he stated. "Alright, let me tell you what will be happening when we arrive," Gene said, speaking to Sabin and Jack. "You will have some time to look around the area before the meeting with the Senior Head of the Legion. He wants you to see how things are before being introduced to him. Then, after your meeting with him, there will be a welcoming ceremony in the Main Hall -- this assuming you decide to reveal yourself fully to the magical world. "The welcoming ceremony will include the introductions of the representatives from the magical nations and their magical prowess in a friendly competition of sorts. I can introduce you before or after this time." "How many nations will be there?" Jack asked. "Technically four, but really five because of Australia -- they are kind of under the Ministry, but not really. It's complicated," Gene answered. "Then there's also the nations of magical creatures, such as the Goblins, the Centaurs, and others, but most probably won't attend, they rarely do." "Ah. Ok, then," Jack said, not wanting to get into politics. They arrived at the Central Legion Building fairly quickly, landing in an area that was divided into sections: Apparating, Portkey, and Helicopter. "This way," Aage said, leading the way into the entrance hall. There were many witches and wizards about, as well as goblins and house elves. The ceiling was high and the hall was wide, archways leading to other rooms and halls. At the far end of this hall, the area opened up into the Main Hall, which was more like a huge flat auditorium of sorts. They would enter there when it was time for the welcoming ceremony. "Cool," Jack and Sabin said, looking at everything as they were led into the amazing establishment. A few people about looked their way, but other than that, paid them no mind, though the Goblins and other magical creatures bowed their heads slightly to Sabin as they passed. Continuing in, they met someone familiar. "Albus!" Sabin exclaimed, hurrying forward and past Aage and Gene, though he didn't run. He stopped in front of Dumbledore and smiled up at him, a woman and a young boy beside the old wizard. - - -Augusta's Point of View- "Albus!" a little voice shouted. -Who on earth is shouting out his name? Have they no manners?- Augusta privately huffed, turning to see who had called the great Albus Dumbledore. She found a brilliantly robed child smiling up at Dumbledore, while a similarly robed adult stopped close behind him, along with two esteemed wizards she had been formally introduced to earlier. She vaguely felt Neville step out from behind her. "Sabin!" Dumbledore replied, beaming brightly, his eyes twinkling madly. "How are you, my boy?" he asked before looking up to Jack. "Ah, got your robes I see, Jack." -Dumbledore knows this child and this man?- "Yup, and my wands," Jack said happily. -Well, he's a little juvenile, explains the rudeness of the child if my assumption is correct,- Augusta thought. "May I see your primary?" Dumbledore asked, quite curious to see the main wand of the Guardian's guardian (the secondary wand, he knew, would be a step down from the main one, so no point looking at it). -I wonder how they know Albus.- "Sure," Jack said, pulling out his primary wand from his sleeve and handing it to Dumbledore. He inspected it, allowing surprise to pass over his face. "This wand is very powerful. I am not familiar with this core though, what is it?" he asked. "Jackalope Antler. We went to the Rocky Cove a few days ago. We also got a lot of books. Daniel is already pouring over the ones he got," Jack said, casually looking at Dumbledore's companions. "Oh! My apologies. This is Augusta Longbottom. She is a long time friend and fellow Wizengamot member. And this is Neville, her grandson," Dumbledore introduced. "Madam," Jack greeted, offering his hand. Augusta took it politely, and it was clear to Jack politeness was the only reason for doing so. "I am Colonel Jack O'Neill," he said, saving Dumbledore from having to identify him. She released his hand. "And this is --" Jack began, indicating Sabin. "Sabin," Sabin inserted excitedly, lifting his hand for Augusta to take, moving in front of her and closer to Neville. "Sabin, my son," Jack finished with a smirk, pretty sure Sabin wanted to wait to reveal his Guardian status. -Wow, `son'... never thought I'd say that again,- Jack sighed to himself, torn between sadness and renewed pride. Sabin turned his head and gazed up at him with a look so full of emotion it was impossible to describe which it was. "Colonel, Young Master Sabin, we will retrieve you when it is time," Gene said, seeing they no longer needed an escort. "Thank you, Mr. McPherson, Mr. Monoach," Jack said, before the two men headed off. -`Master' Sabin?- Augusta asked herself. -Must be an American thing.- "Well Jack," Dumbledore said, "Augusta and I need to finish preparing for today's events." -Thank you, Albus-, Augusta mumbled to herself, not even wanting to try to understand why they had wasted time as it was. "Hi," Sabin interrupted, in a way only a young child can, going forward to Neville who had braved not hiding behind his Gran. "Wanna play with me?" he asked, to the delight of Dumbledore and to Augusta's horror. Neville looked up at Augusta expectantly, and obviously hopefully. -There is no way I'm going to let this rampaging child play with my grandson. Neville's fragile as it is. There's no telling what this boy may put in his head, disrespecting his elders and calling them by their first names!- "I think that's a brilliant idea," Dumbledore stated before Augusta could object. "That is, if Augusta approves," he added, though he looked over his half-mooned spectacles at her, making it quite clear to her what he thought she should do. -I swear, Albus, if you were anyone else, I'd hex you so hard your twinkling eyes would spin!- "You two will stay close, won't you? Just play over by those statues out of the way, right?" Jack asked, noticing the silent war between the older witch and wizard before him and seeing that there were some other wizarding children quietly playing by the impressive statues he had indicated. "They'll be fine," Jack said. "Sabin plays well." "I'm sure," Augusta said, her statement bordering on a retort. Jack ignored it. "I'll keep an eye on them while you and Albus finish whatever preparations you're doing," Jack said, already shuffling the boys forward to the statues near the wall, knowing that, for whatever reason, Sabin wanted to play with Neville. "Thanks, Mrs. Longbottom!" Sabin said happily, leading a hesitant but excited Neville to the Centaur statue, Jack trailing behind. "W --" Augusta began, moving forward after Jack, but Dumbledore stopped her. She wheeled around, a -tad- angry. "What on earth, Albus," she growled dangerously. "Let the boy play, Augusta. I dare say he's been very patient and obedient since we have arrived. Let him have some time with Sabin. Jack is watching them, and I trust him. They will be fine," Dumbledore stated, un-phased by the death glare he was receiving. This ended the discussion/argument. - - - "So you're a young wizard?" Jack asked, leaning against the side of the Centaur when they found a secluded spot in the grand hall by the towering centaur statue and even taller giant. Neville looked down, ashamed. "Whoa, it's fine if you're not. Nothing to be ashamed about. Some of my best friends are, what's it called, `non-magics'? Yeah, non-magics; and I wouldn't change the way they are for anything," Jack said, hoping that would cheer the boy up. He was sure if they returned him the way he looked now, he might not be walking out of here. That Augusta lady seemed worse than Apophis. "M-my Gran figures I'm a S-squib," Neville mumbled. "A Squib? Oh, magic-locked." Neville nodded. "Neville," Sabin said. "You're not magic-locked, you can do magic." "No, I can't." Sabin sighed, feeling the doubt, sadness, disappointment, and shame pouring off of Neville. Well, time to change that. "Neville, close your eyes and hold out your hands like a bowl," Sabin gently ordered. Neville didn't understand why, perhaps it was because Sabin had been the first person to ask if he wanted to play, but he obeyed, however hesitantly. Raising his hand before him and cupping it, Sabin brought forth a little orb. Jack was glad they had some cover from the statues, or else the whole Hall would notice. "Imagine you have a... hmm," Sabin looked to Jack for insight. "A snowball," Jack supplied, having a vague idea what Sabin was planning. "Yeah, a snowball in your hand. All you have to do is hold it and not let it fall, but keep your eyes closed," Sabin instructed. "'Kay," Neville said, feeling -something- fall onto his hands. It was hard to describe, but it felt sort of like a ball of electric feathers. He almost opened his eyes, but then remembered Sabin had told him not to. "Now, your snowball is melting, but you don't want it to. You need to stop it from melting. Imagine your snowball not melting, but getting bigger. Add snow," Sabin said, having placed his hands under Neville's to help guide Neville's magic a little. Everyone needs a little push to start. "Your snowball is melting..." Sabin whispered, as if he was a little concerned about the little thing. Neville gasped, concentrating for all he was worth, even if he didn't understand why. "It's stopped melting, keep concentrating!" Sabin said encouragingly. Scrunching up his face, Neville put everything he had into it, too focused to ask why. "You're doing it! You can open your eyes now, but slowly, and don't stop," Sabin said. Neville gasped, finding a softball sized sphere of light hovering above his cupped hands. "Told you you're a wizard," Sabin said with a smile, before looking up and beyond Jack. "Young Master Sabin, Colonel, we are ready," Gene said, Aage with him, coming to them. "I will watch Mr. Longbottom until his grandmother and Albus return," Aage said, glancing with minor surprise upon finding the glowing orb in Neville's hands, the little boy still staring at it through squinted eyes. "Alright," Sabin said, taking Jack's hand and going towards them. "Bye Neville, and keep concentrating!" he said with a wave. "B-bye!" Neville managed, the orb shrinking slightly until he snapped back to it, sticking his tongue out at the corner of his mouth in renewed deliberation. - - - Sabin and Jack followed Gene down the halls and past countless doors, until they finally made it to the one they were meant to enter. Gene knocked on the door and was beckoned in by a solid voice on the other side. He opened the door, went in, and then stepped aside, holding the door open for Sabin and Jack. There were a few other people in the room, all of them respectfully standing. "Master Mark, Honorable Heads, let me introduce you to the Guardian and his chosen companion, Colonel Jack O'Neill of the United States Air Force," Gene proudly said. "Guardian Sabin, Colonel, this is Head of Intelligence, Stan Smith," Gene said, motioning to the serious man to the right. "This is Head of Security, Kate LeFree." He motioned to a large woman with tightly braided hair beside Smith. "And this is Master Mark, the Senior Head of the Legion." Sabin went forward, briefly scanning for intentions/impressions. LeFree was cautiously suspicious, Smith was curious and surprised (though all of them were -- apparently learning the Guardian was so young was the reason), and Master Mark was excited. "Guardian, Colonel," Mark said, motioning to his large desk, that was much like Dumbledore's. Everyone sat down, Jack beside Sabin, and Sabin across from Master Mark. "Well Colonel, I see you have adjusted quite well. I had been under the impression you did not know of your magical heritage," Mark said. "I pick up things pretty fast and with Sabin, even faster," Jack said. "I can imagine," Mark said. "Well, Guardian Sabin, we would like to hear of anything you are setting out to do, or things we can help you with. Frankly, what you are wanting to do, so we can set and meet goals." "My concerns are currently not focused on anything in particular, for I am still searching for problems, though the Ministry of Magic and a few other groups have caught my attention. I will be watching those carefully. But for right now, I simply wish for the world to learn I am here, though I understand some will be hesitant in accepting Earth has a Guardian once again," Sabin said. "I apologize, I mean no offense but..." LeFree gently broke in, looking to Sabin after a glance at Master Mark. "You can't honestly think we can take you seriously... I mean, you're a -child-." "And you're not?" Sabin asked, his eyes going wide in surprise for a second before he continued. "We are all children in regard to something." Sabin turned his eyes onto Master Mark. "I did not come here to prove that I am the Guardian, but to announce my presence to the world. We will go to the welcoming ceremony and witness the magical prowess of the magical nations. I will be introduced before all of the other nations have been, if that would be agreeable," Sabin said. "Of course, Guardian Sabin," Mark said. Jack was thinking hard now, the same degree he usually reserved for Sam, while calling forth all of his Colonel collectiveness to stop himself from becoming jittery. They were about to go out and introduce themselves to the world! Well, magical world, but still. How wise was this? "Sabin, you sure about this?" Jack asked. "Yup. The people we should worry about already know about me. This is the right thing to do, people should know I am here," Sabin answered, remembering Jovon's warnings about revealing himself, but also knowing this was the time to do so. "Your full name will be known, is that what you want?" O'Neill asked. "There is a time and place for secrets, and this is not one of them. If I am to truly fulfill my duties as Guardian, at the very least, the leaders of the world must know I am here -- there are also some things going on only I currently know about, which I will share when the time is right. "I also know my full name will come out sooner or later anyways. I would rather have control in the way my name and history is discovered, than by it coming out as an accident that will be blown out of proportion and possibly hurt what we have and will do. "I understand a number of people will have questions and doubts about me," Sabin said, looking to the others, particularly LeFree. "But after today, a great many of those will be settled." He then looked to Master Mark and gave a gentle order. "Introduce the fact a Guardian has come; I will then reveal myself my own way." "Very well, Guardian. Is there anything you need in that?" Mark asked, intrigued now. "No, thanks though," Sabin answered, before looking over at Jack with a smile. "You're going to like this." "Well then, if there is nothing else, Gene will take you and Colonel O'Neill to your seats now, for the introduction ceremony is approaching." Sabin and Jack nodded, already getting up, Jack especially eager to see the other nations and their magical displays. - - - -Meanwhile, in the entrance hall...- "What is going on here?!" someone asked, charging forward. Augusta. Aage got out of the way, allowing her to see Neville, and Neville to see her. BANG! The orb exploded and light burst forth, gaining the attention of the entire hall. "Neville! You did magic!" she exclaimed, already having grabbed Neville up and now twirling him around in a hug -- Dumbledore behind them, his eyes twinkling more than usual. - - - -Main Hall- Gene led Jack and Sabin towards the main hall, countless witches and wizards already assembled in the chairs and benches around, ready for the coming ceremony/display. The Hall had impressive stands on either side, and the middle was a grand floor with circles and designs covering it. It was as wide as a tennis court and several yards longer, though that didn't really matter, it could magically enlarge if needed. The stands had seven long rows. Jack had been tempted to count the seats across, but decided not to bother. "Guardian Sabin, here are your seats," Gene said, going up the steps on the right side and pointing down the row of fancy seats which were directly above the representatives from the Central Realm of Sorcerers (over all of Africa) and the Eastern Warlock Empire (China, Japan, Mongolia, part of Russia, and the area of India). "We will begin shortly," he said as Master Mike came out of a door at the top of the stands across from them, going and sitting down near the top center. Jack and Sabin nodded, going to their seats as more and more people streamed in. Dumbledore, Augusta and Neville, were on the other side, between Gene and a goblin (the goblin beside Dumbledore). Sabin waved at Neville, who excitedly returned it. The gathering people were all so different, their unique cultures and traditions being made clear in the way they dressed, spoke, and even walked. Most paid Sabin and Jack no attention, assuming they were representatives from another nation or something similar, but the few who did were usually of the older generation. "So what are you going to do?" Jack whispered. "You'll see. Let's just say, after today, they will know the Guardian has come." "Why do I feel like I should have gotten a camera?" Jack asked. "Don't worry, there are plenty of people here who have that covered," Sabin answered, Jack suddenly noticing the wizard versions of press and reporters about. He grinned. Everyone settled pretty quickly, especially when Master Mark stood up and traced his wand in a large arc over him, causing some weird tone to echo over them. -Must be some kind of `Hey, we're about to start, so shut up' signal-, Jack thought. -I need one of those.- "Welcome honorable delegates, representatives, and guests. Today is an exceptional day, not only because of this special ceremony and international time of greeting and camaraderie, but because I have an announcement of significant importance, one that has not been given in over a thousand years... "For too many centuries, Earth has been without one. Their existence has long since turned to legend, their names and actions lost and forgotten, and yet, we enjoy their legacy, even to this day. Who and what am I talking about, you must be asking? Guardians, those who watch over Earth and those who reside on it. "Today, as surely as I stand before you now, Earth now has a Guardian..." Sabin stood up, and before any questioning whispers could be spoken... *-POOF-* All in the hall jumped in attention, an impressive, intimidating, and indescribable power sinking in around them as their eyes fell upon a lone small figure at the left edge of the hall's floor below them. Jack glanced beside him, no longer finding Sabin there, but then he already knew he would not be there. His eyes focused down on the small figure he knew was Sabin, and got ready for a show, rubbing his hands expectantly. A very young but surprisingly loud and authoritative voice echoed up to them, and at first no one could accept it's source, as the brightly robed child raised his face. "I am the Guardian of Earth," he stated, walking forward and allowing his power to freely flow. Each step caused ripples across the detailed floor, and his frame soon ebbed with an aura of power that flared slightly upon each syllable he spoke. Soon they could all feel the invisible essence radiating from him, and those on the bottom rows of the stands could almost swear they could see a shift in the light around him, but that didn't stop the hushed questions and statements of disbelief from above them. `This is a child, how could he be the Guardian?' `Is this some sort of trick?' `Well, if this is a hoax, it's pretty impressive.' `How would a child even become this?' "My name is Harry Manchu James.. Sabin Norard Potter.. O'Neill," Sabin answered, the gold of his robes now obviously glowing from power. At that, the whispers grew more sharp and rushed, though not in volume. It was more like soft static about the hall than actual voices. `-Potter-? -Sabin-?' `As in the child from the Potter Incident?' `Sabin from the Daily Prophet article? Harry Potter who visited Hogwarts?' "I am the child of Lily and James Potter, and know right now you have questions concerning all that I am. I go by Sabin, and yes, I did make a visit to Hogwarts, and yes, I am the child from the Potter Incident. "However, I did not come here to prove these things, but to simply announce my presence to you, and to provide you with the knowledge of who I am so you may ask for help when needed." Sabin had stopped in the center, no one now able to question the possibility of him being who he said he was, for they all could see the obvious display of power and feel the pulse of shear might surging from him, his green eyes dancing in pure energy. And he waited. And then, after a moment of stunned silence, several people stood up. "We, the Eastern Warlock Empire, welcome you, Guardian Sabin," Liao, the Emperor of the Warlock Empire said with a respectful bow. "We, the Ministry of Magic, welcome you, Guardian Sabin," Dumbledore said with a proud nod, a dumbfounded Augusta just managing to gather herself beside /him, Neville standing as well with wide eyes. "We, the Legion of American Wizards, North and South, welcome you, Guardian Sabin," Master Mark said. The other nations quickly followed, the fact Sabin was a child being overshadowed and overcome by the unexplainable power they all felt from him. "I embrace your welcome," Sabin said, the floor still rippling around him. They paused, expecting Sabin to either go back to his seat, or to say something, but then they realized that he was waiting for something. And then it came. The doors on the right side of the hall swung open, the Lord of the Goblin Nation leading. There were eight goblins behind the Lord, four on either side of him with heavy rods. They tapped the ground with them upon each step. Boom--boom--boom... Sabin held out his right hand as the nine brilliantly clothed goblins come forward, everyone in the hall silent. They stared in awe and confusion, for the Goblin Lord had never personally attended this ceremony and many of them have never even seen the leader before. ::Young Ancient Guardian, we welcome you:: the Goblin/Furling Lord said, stopping in front of the equally tall Guardian, speaking Furlish. #Thank you, Mighty One of the Furlings# Sabin said, speaking in Ancient. ::We wish to extend our hands in friendship:: he said, taking Sabin's little hand in his long fingered one. #I humbly receive it# Sabin said as the Lord then added ::And to reinstate the old alliance:: as his hand gave a deep bluish glow. #I gratefully accept# Sabin said, causing the blue light to extend outwards, until it flashed and disappeared. No one knew what had been said because no one else in the Hall could speak Ancient or Furlish, but they knew that, whatever had happened, they had just witnessed an historic moment. The only men, who believed they may recognize some of the language spoken by Sabin, were Nicholas Flamel, Albus Dumbledore, Aage Monoach, an elderly African man, and Emperor Liao. It was clear now, if it wasn't before, that this child was no ordinary one, and that it was very likely that he had spoken the truth. -He was the Guardian-. The Goblin Lord gave a bow and stepped back, and after receiving a bow from Sabin, the goblins turned and took the empty seats that were on the bottom front row. Jack could have sworn they weren't there earlier. Sabin looked up and smiled at Master Mark. "Shall we proceed, Guardian?" he asked, standing once again. "Let us proceed. I am eager to see the unique and great powers of the nations," Sabin said before poofing to his seat beside Jack, everyone having to take a moment to collect themselves after the series of complicated and earth-shaking events. Sabin relaxed his powers again as all eyes fell upon Mark. "Now then," he said quite happily, "let me introduce you to the Delegates of the Central Realm of Sorcerers (Africa). Chief Ajani Akinlan, Head Warrior of the Prairies; and Chisulo Daktari Diallo, Aider of the Northern Defenders." Two men, their hair braided magnificently, their dark black skin sparkling with golden dust, went down and stopped at the center of the floor, about where Sabin had been standing. Those in the Hall clapped in welcome and excitement; curious about what else they would see this day. "We shall demonstrate a magical dance, called the Sahara Winds. May it bring good fortunes on us all, and may it please you, Guardian Sabin," Ajani, the slightly taller man in orange and black robes, said. The men stepped back to back, knobby staffs held loosely in their right hands. They then thunked the ends of their staffs and began. They seemed to be more like leaves in the wind than people as their robes whirled about with them and their feet barely touched the ground. Their staffs began streaming lights about them as the Hall's lights dimmed. They then added their voices, chanting in deep tender songs. They perfectly mirrored each other's movements as they become more and more impressive, swinging their staffs about as the light from them began to become forms. Forms of antelope and wildebeests, forms of cheetahs and lions, encircling them faster and faster, until they merged above them into a whirling cyclone of colors. They stopped, going to one knee and slamming the bottoms of their staffs on the floor. The light exploded, showering all within with blessed dust. Both stands cheered, having fully enjoyed the men's display of physical conditioning and magical control. With humble bows, they returned to their seats, they themselves looking forward to seeing the other nations' demonstrations. Master Mark took the floor once again, the lights returning to their previous brightness. "Representatives of the Ministry of Magic," he said. "Albus Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards; and Augusta Longbottom, Head Madam of the respected Longbottom family." Dumbledore and Augusta made their way down as the group of witches and wizards applauded, Neville staying behind with Gene. What Jack and Sabin quickly noticed about Dumbledore was the fact he had left his outer robes in his seat, and was going down in dark wizard pants and lightly layered shirts under a handsome vest. His white beard and hair was as long as ever, however, and he had no hat. Jack and Sabin leaned forward, along with everyone else. Everyone could feel this was going to be quite impressive. "We hope you enjoy our Elemental and Layered Transfigurations as much as we enjoy casting them. Don't blink," Dumbledore said with a bow while sweeping his wand hand out beside him, immediately beginning. Augusta waved her wand about, standing at the edge of the floor, mere feet from the stands, while Dumbledore took the center, not wasting any time as fire appeared in his left hand, while his other hand, holding his wand, raised the floor as if it were water. It was indescribable. Horses came forth from the floor, Dumbledore making some brown, black, white, or a mixture of all, and as he did so, he placed the conjured flames on them, allowing them to gallop around him, as Augusta added a flare of her own. Flowers grew out of the floor, the kinds and colors ranging as much as they do in nature. And then, Dumbledore still in the center, called one of the horses to him, and as this flaming horse trotted by, Dumbledore held out a hand, instantaneously transfiguring reins and a saddle before grabbing hold and expertly swinging his leg over and getting on. The people in the stands wouldn't have believed if they hadn't seen it. This old man had leapt onto a flaming horse, and one that he had created! It was clear Dumbledore was really enjoying himself, riding around on the flaming animal whose flames didn't seem to bother him. He then waved his wand, the other horses joining him as they all, save the one he was riding, suddenly sunk into the floor. Augusta had dispelled the flowers, and was now focusing. Dumbledore turned about, coming to the edge of the Hall, and as he did so, a large angry looking monster rose out of the floor. People gasped and screamed, Jack and Sabin whistled, "Cool." The monster wasn't covered in flames, but was instead sparking with lightning. It was a cross between an Earth Elemental and a merciless thunder cloud. It was so real, for a moment some of the people forgot this was a show. Dumbledore whipped his wand, a rope of fire stretching forth. He struck the elemental, making it move backwards, before the Elemental retaliated, sending a bolt of lightning right at the man on the flaming horse. CRACK! The bolt made contact with Dumbledore's wand, the horse rearing up on his hind legs, sparks of blue bursting off the sides of the wand's tip before Dumbledore thrust it forward, back to the large creature and adding his own power to it. It whammed into the elemental in the chest, causing it to fracture and fall backwards. Dumbledore righted himself on the horse, before calling everything back into the floor, including his horse, it sinking down from under him and leaving himself to stand on his own two feet. Dumbledore lowered his wand, symbolizing he was done, and bowed as the hall burst into thunderous applause and cheers, the magical cameras flashing about. "I have got to learn to do that..." Jack vowed. Sabin giggled, picturing what the others would say if that monster showed up within the SGC. The ceremony continued, every display of magical prowess impressive and awe-inspiring (as well as future goals for one Colonel) but none had been as `cool' as Albus Dumbledore and Augusta's transfigurations, conjurations, and magical skill. The Eastern Warlock Empire called forth a spirit of a dragon, a Chinese Fireball to be more exact, and the Legion had a woman animagus who could metamorph while in her animal form. She had an assistant who `dueled' with her, herself transforming back and forth at will to combat him. It was nicely done, and had Jack swearing to himself to look into it later. He wondered if he could choose which animal to turn into... After all of the nations were introduced and showed their impressive magics, Master Mark welcomed them all to the after event buffet. Sabin personally met all of the representatives there, most of the greetings being simple nods. Emperor Liao personally greeted Sabin and Jack, which caused the emperor's bodyguards to become a little uneasy, but Sabin put their minds at ease by a brief mind brush. These bodyguards were familiar with the gesture, and took it as an invitation to skim Sabin's own intentions, since he had done the same to them. After that, they had no problem with him or Jack, which utterly astonished the surrounding people. The large, imposing samurai-like bodyguards (of the Emperor who was the leader of potentially the largest magical nation in the world) happily kneeled before the brightly robed child to greet him themselves after only a split second. It was rather remarkable to say the least. After eating heartily, they said their good byes, their last farewells to Dumbledore, Augusta, and Neville on the way out, having already given their parting nods to the Goblin's moments before. "Hi, Albus. I liked your horses," Sabin said. "Why thank you Sabin, glad you enjoyed them. If you ever want to see them, I'll be happy to transfigure them again. I'll even have one for you to ride," Dumbledore said, Augusta completely thunderstruck with what she had seen and was seeing. Neville no longer hid behind her, but was curiously staring at Sabin and Jack. "With fire?!" Sabin asked excitedly. "Of course," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling down to Sabin. Neville scuffed his feet and mumbled, though it sounded more like a squeak, trying to get Sabin's attention. "Yeah Neville?" Sabin asked, turning to him, completely at ease with everything. Though people were pausing slightly as they went past, wondering what the young Guardian was doing. "T-thanks for e-earlier, Guardian sir," he managed. "Your welcome, but friends don't need to be so formal," Sabin said, taking and shaking Neville's hand. "Oh, ok, S-sabin," Neville said with a grin. Sabin let go with a smile, but caused little orbs to trail off Neville's hand for a moment before letting them disappear. "Don't forget you can make them anytime you want. Magic was never out of reach for you, Neville, you just didn't know where to look," Sabin said, ignoring the fact Neville's Gran was trying not to faint. "I'll remember," Neville said in the oldest voice he could muster (which nearly reached a serious eight year old's) as he straightened up slightly. Jack knew if Sam was there, she would have been aww-ing like her life depended on it -- he was nearly doing it himself. Nearly. "Madam," Jack said to Augusta in farewell with a formal nod. She barely managed to return it in time. For the first time Dumbledore had ever known her, she was at a loss of what to say or do exactly. "Bye Albus, Neville," Jack and Sabin said. "Until we meet again," Dumbledore said, taking Jack's extended hand and giving him a departing squeeze. With waves of goodbye (Jack doing a short simple one, while Neville and Sabin waved freely), Jack and Sabin left, Dumbledore and many others watching as they were joined by Gene and Monoach to go to the awaiting helicopter. "Good luck, Guardian Sabin," Dumbledore whispered as the two defenders of earth disappeared from view. *Part 15: Ban Azka* The next few weeks went rather quickly, and though SG-1 had yet to go through the gate again, Hammond was not bothered by it at all. Dr. Fraiser was intrigued with everything Sam was brewing, especially with the potions that could be used for medical needs. Whenever Janet had free time, she could be found with Sam, listening to what Sam had found out in her readings. Cassandra, adopted by Janet, occasionally helped even, intrigued by the magic of simply mixing things, as well as Sabin, having heard the stories about him from her mom. The two women had already made jars of blood replenishing, burn healing, and countless other potions. They were all in the new cabinet placed in her infirmary, and with the occasional visit from Mike and the phone calls with Gene, they were confident what they had taken from their potion making would come in handy if anything happened. Sam had also started a list of possible vials of potions that should become a part of the SG team kits. Hammond had already decided he would give a go to the plan whenever Sam brought it to him. While Sam and Janet were focused over books and cauldrons, Daniel was reading everything he could. Jack had told him about what had happened between Sabin and the Goblins, and now he was even more curious about the intimidating beings. When they had asked Sabin what the whole thing with the Goblins had been about, he replied cryptically, "The Goblins are more than what they seem, and are old enough to know the Alteran language. The language I speak with Jovon and the Wielders." This only made Daniel read faster. Away from the obsessed book readers, Sabin and Jack, and occasionally with Teal'c watching, were working on a range of spells. It was obvious Jack was gifted in energy spells, such as curses and shields, but he also had a knack for transfigurations, which pleased him to no end. They used the room Sabin had transformed from a storage room into a safe spell practice room. Jack was surprised how well he was memorizing the spells and wand movements, though, it was sort of like any possible weapon to him -- using it came naturally. Unknown to him, as well as Sabin, Jack's spell knowledge would have given Moody a run for him money, but part of that was the training Jack had received, as well as experience he had gained, in his years as a black op. Knowing a spell is one thing, but knowing what way to best use it in a given situation was another thing entirely. Sabin had also begun teaching Jack the art of mind brushing and protection. It had taken several days before they saw any progress, which annoyed Jack to no end, but Sabin knew it would be like this. The first week, apart from memorizing spells and practicing them, had been entirely focused on developing Jack's Mind Force. Organizing was first. Sabin helped, stepping into his mind and demonstrating the best way to go about it, but understood that some of the organizing would have to be done by Jack alone, since Jack had said there were some things he didn't what Sabin to even briefly touch. The organizing was nothing like what was needed for occlumency. It didn't call for the pretty much reliving of memories, and could simply be gathered up in heaps. They were his own memories after all. He knew what had happened to him, there was no need for combing through each one. Sam and Daniel had been worried and confused at first when they approached the Spell Room (as they had dubbed it, though Daniel preferred calling `Jack's Boom and Crash Room'), hearing no sound from the other side of the door, and opened it to find Jack sitting cross-legged, his back to them, with Sabin standing behind him (closer to them) with his hands resting on the top of Jack's head. "Uh... what's goin' on?" Daniel asked. Neither of them answered or moved to acknowledge he and Sam had entered. After staring at them for a few minutes, having walked around to find Sabin and Jack with their eyes closed, an odd pressure around them, they decided to leave them be with whatever they were doing and ask what they had been doing later. It had been that day at dinner that Jack had finally been able to Mind Brush, much to the confusion of most everyone there. Sitting in the cafeteria, Jack, looking forward to call some pies to them for dessert, decided to try what he had learned so far on Sabin. "So Sabin, how is Jack doing?" Daniel asked, referring to Jack's `training'. "Great, he can already do a number of the more advanced thi --" Sabin immediately turned his eyes to Jack and shouted happily, "You did it!" "Did what?" Jack asked, pretending as if he didn't know before jumping a little. "Hey!" He stared back at Sabin, unseen forces now bouncing between them. To explain it simply, they were playfully `mind poking' each other. Sabin giggled, deciding to put some more power behind it as Jack did the same. The others watched on in utter confusion, especially when Jack nearly fell out of his seat, laughing. Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "Um, what are they doing?" Daniel asked Sam, Sabin and Jack still at it, though Jack had to grip the side of the table from falling onto the floor. "I have no idea." After a few more seconds of mind poking they stopped, everyone around wondering what had happened. "Jack is getting a handle on his Mind Force," Sabin stated. "Oh, well that's good..." Daniel said as Jack righted himself. - - - -Secret Location- Fudge, shaded in shadow and flickers of candlelight, waited. A few minutes later, the door opened to the place and in stepped three mysterious men. "Minister," they said, taking a seat across from him. "Yes?" he asked. "We have some information for you concerning this Sabin, and the man who holds him." After a pause, the Minister leaned forward. "I'm listening..." "We are part of a secret government agency known as the NID, but all you need to know is that we wish to help you remove young Potter from the clutches of Colonel Jack O'Neill..." - - - -SGC- "It's perfect," Jack stated. "It fits," Daniel said, a little surprised. "Of course it does, it was custom made. Hammond ordered it," Sam said. "It is not too heavy, Guardian Sabin?" Teal'c asked. "No, it's fine," Sabin said, examining his stargate uniform, complete with a bulletproof vest and a galore of pockets, the `at' symbol just below his shoulder. He even had a name tag all his own. Sabin was most pleased with this, it reading: *Sabin Potter-O'Neill.* "Ah, almost forgot. You need this," Jack said, handing him a smaller version of his cap. Sabin quickly put it on. Sabin's black hair fanned out slightly around the edges of the cap and in Sam's eyes, and everyone else's, he was utterly adorable. "Well, we go through the gate tomorrow to P4A-771, our first mission since meeting you," Jack reminded them, despite the fact they had all attended the briefing over it. The planet seemed to be a quiet one, and with the information the M.A.L.P. brought back, they were certain there were abandoned settlements or temples of some kind a few clicks to the north, east, and west directions from the gate. Sabin knew this planet had, after seeing the gate address, once been a mining planet as well as a small testing facility (hence the buildings they had detected in the nearby areas). Sabin was curious to learn how much had changed in comparison to the Ancient database. Could those mines still be in operation? Had another race taken it over? Were they friendly? Sabin knew it was possible for a people to hide from Earth's present technology and make a place appear vacant, so he could hardly wait to go see himself. Sabin bounced on his heels with excitement. He would continue his job as Guardian while being another member of SG-1. Joining SG-1 on a number of their missions would help him gauge how much danger Earth was from outside forces, and he also wanted to learn how his other allies were doing. Sure, he could simply walk through the stargate to their most likely locations, but he also knew SG-1 had to be ready, and they weren't, not yet anyways, but soon, most probably -- if Jack and the other's quick learning abilities were any indication. The Magical Nations had sent some messages, through Gene to Hammond to him, which simply outlined how their nations were doing and what they hoped to accomplish in the future. Some even included gifts, one of them being a wide band to wear on the wrist which could take direct hits from a blade or deflect bullets, all without the assistance from the wearer's magic, though he'd still have to move his arm to put the band in the line of attack. Sabin's magic could also do certain things with it, but Sabin decided to keep that to himself for now, while storing some power into it for emergencies. The band was from the CRS (Central Realm of Sorcerers -- Africa), and had a line of Ancient encircling the inside edge, stating: *To Protect, to Aid, to Cherish.* Sabin had smiled when he had received it, knowing at least one man from the CRS knew a little bit of his Ancient heritage. The other gifts had been mainly cultural foods, which they all enjoyed, particularly the Pumpkin Juice and Liquid Dragon Fire (Teal'c seemed to be the only one almost immune to it's effects, which were purple flames that would erupt out of one's ears... When Daniel drank it, he nearly caught his clothes on fire). Through the time of learning everything they could, they had made a few more visits to the Rocky Cove, visiting Pax a few times just to say hi. They had initially gone to re-supply potion ingredients and to get more books, but they also accidentally discovered brooms... Daniel was the responsible one and quickly herded the others away. Jack silently vowed to come back at a later time to buy some to try out. -The Gateroom should be big enough...- he reasoned. - - - -The Next Day- "Ready?" Jack asked, all set with his wands in his holsters (on his right inner forearm and left calf) and his P-90 against his vested chest. "Yup," Sabin said, looking up beyond the visor of his cap with a smile. Sam and Daniel were directly behind them, Teal'c taking up the rear, all ready. Sam had packed some vials of helpful potions in her side pockets and backpack, Jack and Sabin having looked up the spells needed to make them unbreakable, which Jack cast upon them (the first two times he had shattered them from too much power, but on the third try, it held. Teal'c tested to make sure and promptly snatched it from Jack and threw the vial down on the floor and stomped on it. After Teal'c was content in his assessment, he declared it unbreakable. Sabin and the others, just having watched the demonstration, agreed). -"Chevron seven, locked."- The blue horizon formed before them, and with at that, they stepped though... - - - Sabin and Jack were the first through (Sabin to Jack's left), quickly followed by the others, but they all immediately knew something was not right as they stepped into the clearing a dozen yards from the gate. Jack and the others raised their weapons, looking for hostiles. Without warning, they heard a static roar to their left and saw a fast approaching sphere of energy, its purpose clear: to take them out. "LOOK OUT!!!" Daniel shouted as Sabin took a heavy step forward and flung his arms up at it. With a grunt, Sabin pressed his power forward, actually catching the sphere somewhat and turning on his right foot to slingshot it away from them, it exploding several hundred yards from them. "Daniel, dial us home!" Jack shouted, firing his P-90 in the direction of the energy fire as more and more of the large orbs soared towards them, seemingly from all directions. Jack quickly abandoned his P-90, letting it dangle from his vest as he called his main wand into his hand, all of them now edging to the gate while trying their best to take cover, Daniel advancing to the D.H.D. Sabin was frustrated by the fact in any other situation he would simply be able to activate the gate with his Ancient powers himself, but now could not because he was focusing his power towards doing something else... Sabin looked up, currently seeing three blasts coming towards them, and slammed his hands together, forming a dome shield around them, the DHD, and the gate just in time. BOOM!!! BOOM! *BOOM!* The shield quavered, but held; however, it soon shuddered after four more hits in quick succession, most of those from the west. -Why is this some much harder than it should be?- Sabin asked himself, but then remembered what he had had to do with the first sphere. Sam and Teal'c continued firing their weapons, their fire going through Sabin's shield since they were shooting from within, as Jack waved his wand towards the west (left), the side that seemed to be causing them the most trouble, a building of some kind just able to be made out. "-Bombarda-!" Jack shouted, watching in mild satisfaction as a rumble followed soon after. "Hope that hit something important," he grumbled, before turning towards Daniel. "Daniel?!" "I'm dialing!" he shouted back, his voice barely making it over the clashes against Sabin's shield. Another sphere hit, and Jack and Teal'c noticed Sabin flinch. Time seemed to be barely passing, and Daniel's dialing seemed to be going even slower as Jack and the others saw several orange orbs zooming from the north and east to them. These orbs, for some reason, were more ominous than the larger ones before them. They were brighter, and the whistle they produced brought about the feeling of imminent doom. Apparently Jack's bombarda -had- hit something important, and now whoever was controlling the orbs were pissed. Jack, instinctively knowing there was only one option, thrust his wand up and, pushing everything he had into it, roared, "PROTEGO MAXIMUM!!!" His huge, purplish shield joined Sabin's blue one, the countless orange orbs mere inches away. This was not going to be good. The power, magic, energy, and everything else that was in the air, trembled as the orbs made contact, Sabin and Jack/Jack's wand still providing protective energy. Sound suddenly seemed to be sucked into a nonexistent vacuum removing noise all together for several long seconds, and then, whatever was holding it, let go. *-BOOM!!!---*---CRACK!!!- "GAAHHH!!!" Jack yelled as they were all slammed down by the resulting force, the dome shield no more, but so were the orbs. "Colonel!?" Sam shouted, immediately about to go towards him but stopped when Jack lifted his left hand in motion to stop, waving her off. "Stop, just get to the gate!" he shouted, already on his feet, though he was cradling his wand hand. "Get to the gate!" he shouted again as the gate finally engaged. Daniel had done it. "Go, go, go!" he ordered, helping Sabin up before they all charged up the ramp and through the gate, Daniel and Teal'c in the lead, Sam and Jack on either side of Sabin. All the while, orbs rained down with a vengeance... - - - Sabin knew something was terribly wrong the moment they exited the gate -- well, more like flew out. They were going way too fast. Sabin immediately threw out his `time warp bubble' so he could at least slow down those around him, even though he couldn't do the same to himself. He landed hard, but thankfully not on his head. His right arm taking the brunt of it, he rolled out the rest of the landing, only taking the damage that was unavoidable before he came to a stop. Two more forms landed beside him, though not as hard, thankfully. They all just laid there, Sam and Jack wondering why the Gateroom was so quiet, until they came to the most startling conclusion. They weren't on Earth. Jack sat up first, but was still protectively holding his wand hand against himself as he placed his good hand on Sabin's shoulder, since Sabin was resting on his right side. Sam raised herself up soon after and quickly crawled over to them, too shaky to stand up at the moment. "Sabin?" Jack asked, about to turn him slightly, but quickly stopped when Sabin gave a pain filled gasp, tears in his eyes. Jack and Sam quickly figured out why when they glanced at his arm. "I think his arm might be broken," Sam stated, in shock herself. -Leave it to Sam to state the obvious-, Jack thought. "No, I'd say that's broken," Jack corrected with a grimace, Sabin squeezing his eyes tight, his jaw clenched. "We're going to have to set it or something..." Sam murmured after a moment. "I know," Jack whispered, his left hand still resting gently on Sabin's small shoulder. Sam snapped her head up with an idea. "Do you know a spell? Like to mend broken bones?" "Well, yes. But, I can't do magic right now I don't think," Jack muttered, for the first time looking down at his other hand. "Holy..." Sam gasped. "I mean, I'd try it with my other hand, but... I've just got the hang of using my right..." Sabin opened his eyes, able to see part of the damage to Jack's hand even from where he was. His arm suddenly didn't feel too bad. "My wand, I suppose it took to much backlash or something..." Jack said, managing a shrug. Sam bit her lip. "Do you have any potions to help with this?" Jack asked, meaning Sabin's arm while looking to her backpack. Some hope rose in her eyes, quickly scrambling over to her backpack; but turning back to them, her smile faded. "I just remembered, Janet said it might be risky to give any of these potions to Sabin; he's too little. We haven't had much time to look into the varying effects potions have on children compared to adults," she said, defeated. "Carter, can't we just give him a quarter of the normal amount or something?" he asked, not about to give up yet. He didn't like setting bones, and even less when it was a child's. "I don't think so Colonel," she said. "Potions aren't exactly like medicines. Smaller amounts don't necessarily mean they are safe for smaller people. It's more complicated than that, there's his magic core for one thing, and then --" "Ok-ok, I get it, Captain," Jack said, interrupting her and looking down to Sabin. "I don't want to have to set your arm, Sabin, but..." Jack began, but was interrupted. "No," Sabin said through clenched teeth. "I can fix it," he said. "Help me sit up." Jack and Sam obliged, still sitting on the cold black marble floor. Sam maneuvered herself so Sabin could rest up against her. "I'm going to be tired after this," he whispered, saying this more to himself than to them. Sabin looked around them, his arm laying limply in his lap, Jack slightly in front of him. They were in a circular, chiseled out cavern of some kind. The place was lit with torches on the black walls and the ceiling was like charcoal. The air had an odd chill to it, and the floor didn't seem to be any warmer where they were sitting, despite them having been there for over ten minutes now. Sabin's face fell. "Oh, no..." "What?!" Jack asked, never having seen the current expression he was seeing on Sabin's face before. Fear, uneasiness... dread? "I know where we are," he said softly. "Ban Azka." "Ban Azka?" Jack whispered, his voice just as quiet as Sabin's now. "Is that a planet?" "No, it's a prison," Sabin answered. "But on what planet? Maybe we should just dial home. Why didn't I think of that earlier?" Sam asked, now looking around for the DHD. "There isn't a DHD. This is an incoming wormhole only, it would take too much power to dial out from here," Sabin said gravely. "And we are on Earth already." "-What-?" Jack asked. Sabin looked into his face. "Earth has several Gates, at one time it once had nine. I can only detect four now, though some could have just been buried." Jack and Sam blinked. "Okay... so we're in a prison now. What was it, Ban Azka?" Sabin nodded, holding in a moan due to his arm. It didn't go unnoticed. "Heal your arm, Sabin," Jack said. "Have you ever come across a race called the Wraith?" Sabin asked, ignoring his arm for the moment. Jack shook his head no. "The Wraith is a race who are able to absorb another person's life force. They are merciless and unrelenting, but even they have a line they do not cross, that is, except a small group that had once been among them. This group was even feared by their own kind, for they didn't care who they fed on, including their own people," Sabin said. "Why are you telling us this?" Sam asked. "Someone can only take so much life until it starts effecting them, both physically, mentally, and spiritually. The rogue group of wraith quickened the rate of this when they began doing what even abhor their own kind. They fed on their victim's soul, leaving the body alive but empty." Sam gasped. "They did this also to other wraith, and that was when the Wraith Nation came to the people who had been in control of Earth at the time. A binding treaty was made, and a prison was made for the `demented' wraith, and in exchange, the Wraith left Earth and the surrounding planets in this galaxy alone. That prison is called Ban Azka," Sabin finished. "You mean... they're still here?" Sam asked. "Yes, but it is not as it should be..." Sabin said, trailing off. "What do you mean?" Jack asked. "I'm not sure, but I don't like what I'm feeling," Sabin said. "Are we safe here?" Sam asked. "For the time being. If we had been detected, they would have come by now," Sabin said. "Can they be killed?" Jack asked, unconsciously checking his gun with his good hand. "I don't know, but if they could, I don't think a prison would have been made," Sabin said. "Anything else, before you fix your arm?" Jack asked; a tad worried about why Sabin seemed to be stalling in concern to that. "They don't have to be close to have an effect on you. They can drain you from a distance, but your soul is safe, you just... From how I understood it, they feed on your feelings... memories, particularly your happy ones, leaving your worst for you to be consumed in." "I hate these things. You sure they can't be killed? We have some C-4," Jack suggested, tapping one of his pockets. "They can't go through walls, so we could trap them somewhere," Sabin said, appeasing the Colonel a little. "Well that's something," Jack said. "If we come across them, don't think about anything sad or happy, just focus on a single fact, something that can't be taken away with a happy memory or that will draw up a sad one. It will help a little," Sabin said. "H-how do they take your soul?" Sam asked, knowing Sabin's every word was true. "From your mouth." "A kiss?" Jack asked. "If you have to give it a name," Sabin said, glancing at Jack's hand. "Nuh-uh, you fix your arm little man, Sam has potions and bandages for me," Jack said, knowing what Sabin was thinking about doing. "I'll fix you after I fix my arm," Sabin stated, now slowing his breathing. Jack and Sam glanced at each other before looking down to Sabin's arm. Sabin leveled his left hand over his broken forearm, and then exhaled. A blue and white light appeared and pulsed a few times along the injured portion of the arm. Sabin pressed himself against Sam, biting back a scream. Jagged bone digging into raw nerves hurts, as Jack can strongly testify. Jack placed his good hand supportively on Sabin's knee. A few seconds later, it was done. Sam wrapped her arms around him to comfort, rocking him slightly. Sabin just sat there, letting himself be gently rocked for a moment as he gathered his strength. Jack took Sabin's little hand in his much larger one and gave it a squeeze. "Alright there buddy?" he asked. Sabin nodded, squeezing back, feeling much better now that sharp fire wasn't throbbing in his arm. "Just rest for a little bit, `kay?" he said. "Give me your hand, and then I will," Sabin said. "No, I told you already, I'll be fine with Sam's potions and med-kit," Jack said, shaking his head. "I won't rest until I fix your hand," Sabin said, a tad rebelliously. Jack raised his eyebrow, looking very much like Teal'c. Sam held back a smile. -Now is not the time to be smiling!- she scolded herself. "Fine, but then you're resting, and we won't move until you do," Jack said, deciding it was unwise to disobey an apparent cranky Guardian, however tired and young the Guardian was. Sabin gently took Jack's hand in his right, placing his left above it, and repeated the process. Jack sighed in relief, suddenly realizing how much pain he had been in. Sabin's left hand fell onto Jack's now healed one, too exhausted to even lift his arms now as he looked up at Jack with tired eyes. "Just rest now. Sam and I will keep watch," Jack said, brushing some of Sabin's hair aside as Sabin shut his eyes, and surrendered to sleep. Jack and Sam sighed, suddenly looking around and realizing Daniel and Teal'c were nowhere in sight, though Sabin's cap was on the floor a few feet away. They of course had noticed Daniel and Teal'c were gone, the fact had just not set in until just then. "Where's Daniel and Teal'c?" Jack asked, keeping his voice down, just in case those demented things were near. Sam's face shifted into her thinking one. She finally answered several seconds later. "Well, from what Sabin said, I would say Daniel and Teal'c either ended up at the SGC or some other gate on Earth, since they went before us," Sam decided. "I hope they ended up at the SGC, and if they didn't, I hope it was some place nicer than this," he said. "Hmm, do you think there's a gate in the Bahamas?" - - - Daniel and Teal'c came flying out of the gate, landing hard on the... cushioned ramp? Teal'c was the first to get up, quickly finding that the gate had disengaged, and the others were not with them. "Daniel Jackson, are you injured?" he asked. "No," Daniel answered, getting up from the gel-like ramp. "You?" he asked. "I am fine," Teal'c answered, looking about the room. "Where are the others? Jack? Sam? Sabin?" Daniel called, looking around, before asking, "Where are we?" "You are in the inner temple of the Furlings, Tau'ri. And had we not the patience or the previous knowledge that we do, your Jaffa friend would no longer be," a voice said from behind. Daniel and Teal'c immediately turned around, quickly lowering their weapons when they saw what they quickly recognized as... a Goblin. "A Goblin?" Daniel muttered, nearly silently. "It is a name we are now known by here, though I prefer Furling myself -- much more civilized," the short being said, walking by in front of them. He was elegantly robed, wearing several rings and golden bracelets. He had pieces of body armor on as well, covering parts of his legs and arms, and had an ax on his back. "Furling?" Daniel asked, trying not to gape. "As in, one of the Great Races part of the Alliance?" "The one and the same," the Furling said. Daniel looked at Teal'c. "Sabin was holding out on us!" "Daniel Jackson, was it not Sabin who said the Goblins are more than they appear to be?" he asked. "Ah, Guardian Sabin. Much will come because of him, though more so now because of his company," the Furling said as more of his kind entered, including a few she-Furlings. She-Furlings looked much like the males, just a tad more intimidating. They weren't exactly ugly, just scary looking. They had long dark hair, their noses and fingers a little shorter than their counterpart's, and were robed just as royally. "Do you know where Sabin is, sir?" Daniel asked. "`Sir'? My, Guardian Sabin chose well. But `sir' is much too distant; you may call me Bobob. I much like that name, though I don't know why. Hmm, I suppose there are some mysteries even Furlings do not fully know," Bobob said. "But anyway, in regard to young Sabin and your friends, they are where they should be, that is all you need to know." "Are they safe?" Daniel asked, unable to stop himself from becoming concerned. "As much as they are able to provide for themselves," Bobob said. "Do you know where they are?" "No, as I told you, some mysteries even Furlings to not fully know." "Then how do you know they are safe?" Daniel asked. "Did I say they were safe? Did I promise such a thing? I simply said they are where they should be, and they are as safe as they are able to provide for themselves." Teal'c raised an eyebrow. Daniel was getting annoyed. "Where are we?" Daniel asked. "You asked this already, are you have trouble remembering?" Bobob asked. "Oh stop being annoying, Bobob, you know they are young," a she-Furling said, coming forward, reminding Daniel that he, Teal'c, and Bobob were not the only ones in the odd, temple chamber. "Ignore my brother. He may be king, but he is a bit of... what is it you Tau'ri say? Ah yes, a moron." Several of the Furlings near snickered, which was rather disturbing, but Daniel and Teal'c didn't comment. "Follow me, Helpers and Friends of the Guardian," she said. Daniel and Teal'c decided it best just to do as she said. - - - "Colonel, let me see your hand, sir," Sam said, the two of them having made Sabin a bed and laying him on it, keeping him from the cold floor. Jack sighed, knowing she'd keep asking until he finally caved. They were sitting on either side of Sabin, a blanket under them since the floor was so hard and cold. They had placed the thermal blanket over Sabin. "Fine," Jack said, holding out his hand over Sabin's legs for her to take. "Colonel... did you look yourself?" Sam asked after a long pause. Jack took his hand back to look, not having really looked earlier. Sabin had cured it, it no longer hurt, and they had immediately started wondering where Daniel and Teal'c were, it was easy to forget to look at his hand. "Well, I'll say that's impressive," Jack stated. From the base of his palm to the tip of his fore finger ran a jagged scar, a second scar, just as savage, branching off from that one to the tip of his thumb. There were several other little scars scattered over the rest of his palm and three fingers, though those were likely to fade over time, unlike the main ones. "I think Sabin was right to make you let him heal you, sir. You could have lost your finger... if not your hand," Sam said quietly. Jack didn't reply, but knew Sam was right. "You should get some sleep, Captain; Sabin may be asleep for a while," Jack said. "I'll keep watch, though this room seems to be pretty closed off." "Yes sir." It was a few hours later when Sam woke up and Jack took his turn to nap. Only after Jack had woken from his nap did Sabin stir. "Hey, Sabin, sleep well?" Jack asked, Sam now up as well. "Yeah," he said, sitting up. "I think we should get out of here now." "You sure you shouldn't rest some more?" Sam asked. "I've rested all I can here. Now, the longer we stay, the more tired we will become. The banished wraith are affecting us even here," Sabin said, standing up. It was clear he was still tired, but he was much better than earlier. "Alright. Sam, let's pack up," Jack said, already gathering the blankets and things to put back in their packs. They packed quickly, snacking on MRE's as they did, until they were ready. Jack and Sam now wondered how they were supposed to leave a sealed room. Sabin went to the wall, facing the gate, Jack and Sam following quickly, weapons at the ready. "I don't know what is beyond this, but we should try to go as quickly as we can. I will emit something that should `blend us' into the surrounding area, energy wise, so they will not be alerted to our presence, but they can still see us. Remember what I said about focusing on a neutral fact, it will help," Sabin said. "We understand," Jack said. "Let's go." Sabin touched his hand on the wall, and almost instantly, a doorway formed, revealing a long corridor and allowing the demented wraith's effects to be more clearly felt. They all cringed at the feeling, but focused onto their chosen fact, Jack and Sabin automatically solidifying their Mind Force. Jack took the lead, going into full stealth mode as they went forward, corridors branching off from the main one they were on, heavily built cells now able to be seen, as distant wails and tormented screams echoed around them. Jack quickly slid into one of the side corridors as he saw figures beyond the creepy green, flaming torches lighting the prison. Sabin and Sam quickly ducked in after him, Sam a little confused by his sudden decision to change course, not having seen the ominous figures, but she trusted her CO. They huddled against the wall as the large, three black figures floated by, not even glancing their way. Sam felt a sickening feeling as they passed, but she couldn't see them. "They're gone," Jack whispered in relief. "I think we should stay on this path, they probably travel on the main hall the most." "What's gone sir? I didn't see anything," she whispered, knowing this was an important fact to tell Jack. "You didn't see those black things pass by just a second ago? You were looking right at them," Jack said, stunned. Sabin closed his eyes. "She can't see them," he said. "They are between the physical and spiritual state." "I know what they feel like sir, I'll just assume when I feel that, that they are there," she said. Jack gave a nod, and they continued. The hall had prison cells on either side, moans and whimpers throughout. "Who are these people?" Sam whispered quietly. "Bad, very, bad people. I think the Wizarding World converted this place to hold them," Sabin answered, glancing at the cells as they passed them. They continued on, somehow staying unnoticed. It was a few minutes later that Sabin suddenly stopped, immediately turning towards a cell. "Sabin?" Jack whispered, glancing at the thick metal and stone door. "This man doesn't belong here," Sabin stated, already deciding on what to do. - - - -Sirius Black- The Dementors were patrolling elsewhere, giving him a moment of uneasy rest, but he knew they would return, they always did. Sirius figured they did this so he and the other prisoners wouldn't die or go insane too quickly. How kind of them... This place truly was hell on earth. He eased himself up, knowing he should move around while he could, since when the dementors were around all he would want to do would be the opposite. And that was when he heard it. A child's voice. "This man doesn't belong here," he said. Sirius immediately thought he had finally gone insane. Nearly four years within the walls of Azkaban, and today was the day he had finally lost his mind. And then when he heard more voices, not screams or other sounds he was used to, he was certain insanity had truly claimed him. "What do you mean?" a man's voice asked. "He's innocent and good. We're taking him with us," the boy stated, as if he had the power to actually do something... Sirius just let himself plop onto the floor as he held his head, his head that was making up voices that said things he so wanted to hear. To hear someone, anyone, declare he was innocent and would help him. "Sabin, they will learn we are here," a woman said. "That can't be helped now. I'm going to have to stop giving off the `blend' soon anyway," the child answered. Sirius then heard metal hit metal near the door of his cell. "What the --?" he gasped as the door to his cell swung open, the heavy duty lock simply having disappeared. "Hello," the boy greeted, a man who appeared to be his giant double standing right behind him, gun raised, a woman in similar attire beside the man. - - Jack and the others gazed in, finding a seriously grimy and filthy looking man. "Uh, hi..." the dirty man answered. "I don't think now is the time for much talk, but since Sabin has decided you need to come along, I'm Colonel O'Neill, this is Captain Carter, and this is Sabin," Jack introduced, knowing they shouldn't linger. "Sirius Black," Sirius answered, quickly getting out of his cell, not needing to be told. "You know how to use this?" Jack asked, quickly bending down and pulling his wand out of the holster on his calf. Jack decided, since he probably couldn't use it, might as well give it to the man Sabin had deemed worthy to break out of prison. "Y-yeah..." Sirius said, taking the offered wand almost reverently, as if he never thought he would ever even see one again. "Alright, come on," Jack said, closing the cell door as quietly as he could, but they soon realized that didn't matter, the dementors had been alerted. They hurried down the hall, ignoring the sounds coming from the cells they passed, the feeling of freedom growing closer. "Why are you people here? And with a kid?" Sirius asked, his voice rough with ill use. "Long story, Mr. Black, and one I don't think you'd believe," Jack answered as they came to yet another corner. "You wouldn't happen to know the way out of this place, would you?" he asked. "We're going the right way," Sirius said as Jack peeked around the corner to see if any dementors were about. "Alright, hall's free of soul suckers," Jack said, Jack and Sabin taking the lead into the six foot wide hall. Their escape was going rather well, Jack thought, but that quickly changed when they felt an unrelenting chill in the air. "They're coming," Sirius stated, fighting off the dark surfacing memories. Jack, for a split second, thought he was back in Iraq, before he strengthened his mental shields and embraced the fact he had chosen to focus on earlier. Sam shuddered, recalling a loved one's death before she forced herself to dwell on the mundane mathematical equation that served as her chosen fact. Sabin shivered, for the moment only being effected by the physical cold. "Come on," Jack said, urging them to hurry their steps. They could see light other than green far beyond them, and they hoped it was an exit of some kind as a rush of thick despair ripped across them. The black hooded figures struck without warning, and all Sam saw was part of the wall beside them disappear before they got slammed back by something, only able to fire off a few shots before hitting the floor several yards back. They scrambled up to their feet, immediately knowing they had been separated from Sabin. Sam watched in pure horror as an invisible monster grabbed and lifted Sabin by the neck, whamming him against the marble wall, Sabin's little hands grabbing at the unseen hand holding him up. She and Jack raised their weapons as time itself seemed to become nonexistent... - - - Sabin felt the shriveled, bony hand grab his neck, but he barely registered hitting the wall behind him as he could no longer prevent his worst memory from surfacing. In a split second, he relived the shouts of his father, the pleading of his mother, and the laughter of a being who no longer could be called human. He once again saw the red eyes of his attacker, and the end of the murderer's wand, before green overtook his vision. He snapped his eyes open, vaguely aware of what was truly around him, as his Ancient powers reacted... - - - Jack leveled his gun as he saw Sabin get pinned against the wall. "Sabin!!!" he shouted, furious rage and parental fear pushing aside whatever memories had been threatening to overtake him. He was barely conscious of the surge of power that came from his center and flowed into his arm and into his hand, pulsing into his P-90 as he pulled the trigger. Pftpftpftpftpftpftpft... The bullets flew, but if Jack hadn't been so distracted, he would have seen they were all glistening white. Sam opened fire as well, but even before the bullets hit their targets, something happened. Sabin thrust his hands forward into the chest of the dementor holding him, a golden light exploding outwards, throwing the dementors near backwards, but something more... It utterly vaporized the one he had personally struck. The bullets rained in, streaking mercilessly into the dark forms, as the ones hit by the golden light wailed, shrieking in pain and crumbling. Sabin fell, landing limply onto the floor, before several dark forms fell as well, their shrieks cutting off as the thing they would call life became no more. All the while, Sabin heard pftpftpftpft somewhere above him as he quietly wept, saturated in anguish and misery. The dementors, being hit by flying projectiles, turned to their attackers. Not used to being attacked, they did what they always did and attempted to charge; too confused to be hindered by the fact they had fallen comrades (including a vaporized one). Jack continued firing, but knew they were not going to be able to hold them back no matter how many killing headshots he made. The soul suckers just kept on coming, pushing aside their injured/dead comrades to get to them. "Colonel, behind us!" Sam yelled, now feeling the effects from behind as well; but before Jack could even think about turning to see how many were at their six, Sirius' voice echoed over them all. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!!" Jack and Sam (Jack still firing as Sam grabbed another magazine to reload) didn't pause as they felt a warm pressure come from behind and then brush past and partly through them -- a huge, blue and white form charging forward... A glowing, partly transparent, Grizzly Bear. Glowing white and normal bullets, joined with the swinging paws of a mighty grizzly, mowed down the dementors, the pure energy ebbing from the furry form chasing the dementors all around away. Within moments the hall was empty, save for the five of them (including the grizzly) and the fallen black forms. Jack dashed forward, taking pointblank headshots at the downed dementors he passed -- the glowing bullets eroding the dementor itself. One can never be too careful. Sam was right with him as Jack kneeled down beside Sabin, who was now resting up against the wall, breathing heavily between hiccups, tears already having formed tracks down his cheeks. His scarred wand hand still on the trigger, Jack used his left hand to pull Sabin to his side and into a one-armed embrace while placing a kiss on the top of Sabin's cap covered head. Jack hadn't been that scared in a long time. "Colonel, I think I should carry him," Sam suggested after a moment, knowing they didn't have much time before reinforcements were sure to come. Jack looked up to her and nodded, begrudgingly helping Sabin's shivering form into her arms after she had secured her firearm to the side of her vest, out of the way. "Mum..." Sabin mumbled, not calling Sam `mum', but whispering the word as a lost treasure. Sam and Jack caught each other's eyes, unable to fully imagine what Sabin had just endured. Jack glanced over at the still present grizzly. "I'll keep him around for as long as I can. Dementors can't stand them," Sirius stated, giving Sabin a concerned look as Sam held him protectively. "Dementors?" Jack asked. "That's what they're called?" "How did you guys get all the way down here and not know what they're called?" "It's classified," Jack stated, now leading them out, Grizzly right beside him. Jogging down the halls, which were pleasantly vacant, they knew they had now entered a higher level of the prison as the lights were brighter and the air was cleaner. "How's little guy doin'?" Sirius asked Sam beside him, the glowing grizzly still in front and beside Jack. "He's going in and out of consciousness. He's really cold," Sam answered worriedly. "Then let's hurry and get out of here," Jack said, quickening his pace, the others doing so as well as they cautiously entered a broader area. "HALT!!!" someone shouted to their right. Within moments they were cornered, though not by Dementors, but by wand wielding wizards who had suddenly entered the large, crossing chamber. The four (plus Sirius' grizzly) quickly went into a defensive stance, Jack facing the right and front while Sirius and Sam took the left (behind them a wall), Sabin resting his head on Sam's shoulder, his hands loosely gripping her vest. They edged their way back against the wall, distancing themselves from the door they had entered from, Sirius' grizzly still going full force. "Don't move!" a bulky man ordered again, wand ready to cast, along with the dozen other human guards. "-Fawkes...-" Sabin whispered, just loud enough for those with him to hear. They unconsciously gathered closer together, making sure they were all making contact with one another. Sabin opened his eyes and raised his head a little before resting it on Sam again, forcing himself to take in what was happening around him now. Several of the guards gasped, seeing that a child was so close to Sirius Black, one of the most feared criminals in Azkaban, and with two people who were no doubt assisting that man to escape. "No one needs to get hurt here," another stated, more concerned for the child than anything else. He was a large, young, black man with an earring. "You're right," Jack said, deciding to stall. It was what he was good at, after all. "So let us go," he said. "We can't let you," yet another said, taking a few slow steps forward. "-Fawkes...-" Sabin whispered again, hoping they were now close enough to the surface for Dumbledore's phoenix to help them. "Just surrender, we don't want to kill you." "What happened to just getting hurt? Why escalate things to killing like those soul sucking things did behind us?" Jack asked, his gun still at the ready. Sirius saw Sabin smile from the corner of his eye as Sabin whispered, "grab onto Sam..." before he suddenly moved. Sabin straightened up, using every ounce of strength he had (including the amount he had stored a while back into his band from the CRS) to thrust his hand up into the air, and shouted, "FAWKES!!!" In a blink of an eye, Fawkes appeared over them and directly above Sabin's hand in a flash of fire, his talons taking hold of Sabin's small fist and band covered wrist. And then they disappeared in a column of fire, the four of them being taken away by Fawkes, leaving behind over a dozen gaping Aurors. *Questions Concerning:* -Wizards being descendants of the Ancients...- Most but not all, for some magic-locked are but aren't wizards and some muggleborns aren't but can use magic. It is the condition of their `ascending' capability tied with their genetics that determines if they can use magic, not blood alone. Hope that explains that question. -Sirius, Sabin and SG-1...- Shall be revealed later. Heehee. -Snape teaching Sam about potions...- He will give pointers and stuff later, but has other things to do until then. *"Bold" -* Parseltongue... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... (This will be important later, so keep that in mind). =============================================================================== -And then they disappeared in a column of fire, the four of them being taken away by Fawkes, leaving behind over a dozen gaping Aurors.- *Part 16: OVER MY ROTTING CORPSE!!!* -Fawkes, Hogwarts (before arriving at Azkaban)- He heard a child's whisper from the corner of his mind, a deep need to help overcoming all other thought. He straightened up from his perch, Dumbledore still calmly writing to the Minister at the desk beside him. "-Fawkes...-" he heard again, a distant voice he would know anywhere. A voice he knew was in trouble and in the last place anyone like him should be. Ban Azka. "Fawkes? Something wrong my friend?" Dumbledore asked, suddenly realizing Fawkes did not seem as calm as he usually was. "-I'm coming, Little One,-" Fawkes replied, opening up his wings and calling forth his fire. "-FAWKES!-" the child declared, throwing out a surge of his power, knowing it was the only way Fawkes would be able to locate his exact location. In a blink of an eye, Fawkes flared away, for there was no time to waste. A moment later, he appeared above the source of the magical surge and took hold of the small raised hand before flaring those with him out without any hesitation... - - - -Hospital Wing- They appeared in the middle of the Hospital Wing, Fawkes disappearing soon after to Dumbledore. Sabin let his arm drop as he collapsed back onto Sam, his cap falling off as he did so. Sirius stumbled back, already heading towards the nearest bed, exhaustion setting in quickly after his adrenaline plummeted. Jack moved to help Sirius, but Sirius waved him off, saying, "help the kid." Sam quickly moved to another bed to lay Sabin down, but quickly realized Sabin was going to have none of that as he had a vice grip on the back of her vest and on the strap secured to her shoulder. "Sabin, let me lay you down," Sam said gently. "No." - - -Sabin (arrival and on)- Fawkes released Sabin's hand, and soon after, Sabin felt the side of his face land against Sam's shoulder as his hat fell to the floor, his forehead brushing against the side of her cheek and then her neck. He felt so much warmer now, but also colder, suddenly realizing how cold the place they had recently left had been. Forcing his thoughts away from Ban Azka, he let himself take in the comfort and warmth of Sam's embrace, never wanting to let go, perhaps even afraid to. He tightened his grip and fought off a shiver as he snuggled closer to Sam, wanting as much protective reassurance he could get. The Wielders had of course given him hugs and other parental affection, and there were women Wielders, as well as men, but he couldn't really remember receiving any comfort like this before. Well, except before that night... He threw that memory far away, never wanting to have to relive it again; he just wanted to be comforted now, nothing else mattered. After a moment, he felt himself being lowered and suddenly realized Sam was trying to lay him down, to let him go. Well, that wasn't going to happen, not if he had anything to do with it. "Sabin, let me lay you down," Sam whispered gently to him. "No," he stated, clinging to her, not allowing himself to even touch the surface of the bed. His voice was steady, but it was clear his word was a plea just as it was an order. Sam obliged, worry ebbing from her frame. She cradled him more, sitting on the edge of the bed as she continued to hold him. Soon after, Sabin felt a hand on his shoulder and instantly knew it was Jack. Sabin turned his head, but continued to rest on Sam. He looked up at Jack who gently mind brushed him. Sabin attempted a half smile, but he was just too tired. "It's alright now, Sabin, we're safe," Jack whispered, just as someone behind him charged in. "What in Merlin's name is -- Sirius Black!" Pomfrey shrieked, seeing Sirius and pulling out her wand as Jack turned to face her, Sabin honestly too tired to even attempt to look at her. "Whoa, Ma'am, calm down. Black's innocent," Jack said, raising his hands in surrender/`chill out'-like fashion. Black waved tiredly, but managed a hopeful smile. "Well, don't be hurt if I don't take your word for it," she replied, wand still aimed. "It's true, Sabin said so," Sam said, causing Pomfrey to turn her eyes onto Sabin who was mostly hidden behind Jack. "Good Merlin, what happened?!" she asked, dashing forward and brushing past Jack without an apology as she began waving her wand about, apparently having forgotten about Black who was in the next bed. "Before or after we arrived in Frozen Hell?" Jack asked. "Both," she said, disturbed to find how weak Sabin was. "What did he do to exhaust his magic like this!?" she demanded, but Jack wasn't able to answer because the doors opened and Dumbledore hurried in. "Black's innocent, Sabin said so," Jack stated immediately before Dumbledore could ask or blast the nearly unconscious man to oblivion. "Now hopefully I'll get a trial this time," Black managed. Dumbledore paused ever so slightly at that statement, his eyes betraying a quick rush of shock, recognition, anger and then determination to fix this injustice later before turning his attention to the others. "What happened? Fawkes alerted me to your arrival and told me to seal the floo network here, which I have. I have also told the professors here to be on guard," Dumbledore said, quickly accepting Jack's explanation and Sirius' comment as he looked at them all, his eyes falling to Sabin. "Is Sabin alright?" "He's exhausted, Albus. I don't think I've ever seen a case this severe before," Pomfrey said. "What did he do to cause this?" she asked, turning back to Jack again. "Well, let's see..." Jack said, taking a big breath. "He caught and threw away a car-sized energy orb with his bare hands, made a building sized dome to protect us from several more car-sized orbs and countless more powerful smaller orbs with a little help from me, then we got away, entering a... gate into Ban Azka or Azkaban, whatever. He then slowed us down cuz we had entered too fast, but he couldn't slow himself and he broke his arm. He then healed himself, then healed me," Jack said, briefly showing his scarred hand as he continued, "then slept for a little bit before we decided to get out. He then `blended' our energies or something to prevent the soul suckers from detecting us. Then we found Black where Sabin absorbed the lock into that bracelet of his, then soul suckers attacked soon after. We got separated, dozens of the wraith things coming out of a doorway that had suddenly appeared. Sabin then vaporized one and threw back several others as we shot them; oh, and Black conjured a glowing grizzly bear that charged them. They didn't like that. We killed a decent amount, which I'm not sorry for at all. Then, we continued out, only to be stopped by, I suppose, the wizard guards, where Sabin was able to call Fawkes who then fired us out." Jack looked to Sam. "I think that's about it." "You killed dementors?" Pomfrey asked, disbelievingly. "Sort of what happens to things riddled with bullets. They die," Jack stated. "Especially with magic bullets," Sirius supplied, reclining fully on the bed, seeing he was safe for the moment. "Magic bullets?" Pomfrey asked. "Like glowing white marshmallows," Sirius sighed, "except they were like acid to the dementors." "You were all exposed to dementors!" she suddenly realized, alarmed. "-Accio chocolate-." Four bars of chocolate flew from her office and into her hand. "Ah, chocolate stashes," Jack remarked as she quickly handed the bars out except to Sabin. "Eat!" she ordered, before conjuring a cup, going to a cabinet and getting out some liquids, stuck Sabin's bar in the cup, melted it and added some of the unknown liquids. She quickly brought it to Sabin, stirring it magically with her wand before conjuring a straw for Sabin to drink from. "I take it that's not chocolate milk," Jack said, wondering if it was a requirement for all nurses to move unnaturally fast and dish out orders like drill sergeants. "No, not quite. Well? Eat!" she ordered, before gently kneeling beside Sam to get down to Sabin's level. "Guardian Sabin, could you drink this for me? It will make you feel much better." She was on one knee, looking into Sabin's bright green eyes, which were still a little red from tears, his face dirty, like the others, from Azkaban's filthy interior. Sabin took the straw and began drinking the warm liquid, which was a mixture of hydrating and pepper-up potions, as well as good old chocolate. "That's a good boy," she said, Dumbledore coming around and stopping between Sirius and the others. "How did you three end up in Azkaban?" Dumbledore asked. "Well... normally I'd say that's classified, but considering Fawkes brought us here... I'll just say that it was by accident and we entered a... portal, I suppose you'd call it, that took us to the basement of the place." "You entered from the Condemned Veil?" Dumbledore asked, his voice revealing his astonishment. "We call it a Stargate," Jack said. "Though Sabin said that one just lets people enter, not exit." "That one?" Dumbledore asked. "You've entered one before," he concluded. "You could say that," Jack shrugged, biting into his chocolate bar. "Wow, this is really good chocolate." Jack was going to ask if it was magic chocolate, but was prevented by a voice from the doorway of the Hospital Wing. "Headmaster, the Minister is at the gate right now. He is... -demanding- your presence and entry into the castle," Snape drawled, not even looking at the others in the room (which Sirius was thankful for). "And, he is not alone," Snape finished with a slightly annoyed voice. Upon that statement, Dumbledore knew his presence was needed, though it definitely was not going to be for the pleasure of the Minister. "Very well. Poppy, take care of our guests," Dumbledore said, quickly leaving with Snape, the door closing behind him. "The Minister is going to be in for it if he's not careful," Pomfrey stated, shaking her head as Sam stood up with Sabin and gently lowered him onto the bed since he was done drinking his chocolate concoction and was now barely clinging to consciousness. Though, once Sabin couldn't feel Sam's warmth, he woke up slightly, clearly anxious. "It's alright Sabin, we're still here, you just need to rest now, and Madam Pomfrey needs to be able to look at you properly," Sam soothed, Pomfrey moving to the other side of the bed, Sirius now sleeping, Jack's secondary wand still in his hand. Jack stepped beside Sam and placed his hand on Sabin's head, brushing his hair aside. "You can sleep now Sabin," Jack said, but for some reason, that didn't have the desired effect. Sabin started, immediately grabbing onto Jack's sleeve. "What's wrong?" Jack asked, leaning forward, taking hold of Sabin's hand. "Jack, they're within the outer Zones, a lot of them," he said. Jack didn't need to ask who `they' were, Sabin's eyes and the sudden eeriness that somehow swept through the walls told him all he needed to know. Jack pulled back from Sabin's intense gaze and took hold of his gun, deciding what he would do as he dashed to the doors with barely a look back, though all who saw his face knew he was going to handle the problem if he had anything to say about it. - - - Dumbledore could honestly not remember the last time he had been this angry. The arrogance, ignorance, and downright stupidity of some people! He was again thankful classes were over and the summer holidays had started, he knew this would probably end rather roughly. The only thing about the summer he wished was different was the fact most of his staff were gone, but oh well, couldn't have everything. "Albus, we have a responsibility to remove Potter from the custody of that manipulative man. He brainwashed young Harry into thinking he is something he is not and helped a murderer escape, and even attacked the dementors and guards of Azkaban. We are entering this school, and if you continue to stand in our way, you will be an accessory or even an accomplice to their activities. And you must know, O'Neill, the muggle, and Black's actions call for the Kiss!" Fudge stated, several unidentified men right behind him, along with over a dozen Aurors, about twenty yards in front of the gates of Hogwarts. "Black is innocent, and it may concern you that I have just discovered he never received a trial. How is it that was missed, especially after I had been assured by the Ministry that a thorough, however fast, investigation and trial had taken place? But no matter, one can be arranged now, certainly? As for O'Neill and his companions..." Dumbledore began, only to actually be interrupted. "No excuses, Albus," Fudge stated. "These gentlemen have a work up on this O'Neill. He is a criminal in even his own country, even a traitor. The NID have been keeping an eye on him for a long while and it is a good thing they brought this to the Ministry. Who knows how far he might have taken this," Fudge continued, clueless of how Snape's eyes narrowed at the mention of the NID gentlemen before they fell onto the obvious muggle people just behind him. "Albus, if you would step aside, this only needs to be a Ministry and NID matter. This O'Neill has fooled a number of people. Let it stop here so we can save Potter," he said. "O'Neill is dangerous to the boy." "Cornelius, as I told you earlier, O'Neill is in all rights, but blood, his father, and is not at all dangerous to Sabin." "His name is not Sabin! He is Harry Potter!" "He is Harry Potter, but he is also Sabin, the Guardian; a position that has not been filled in several centuries. I told you of this fact weeks ago, just as the world was told. The magical nations of the world acknowledged this, including the Goblin Nation and Centaur Nation." "It is all a lie, O'Neill tricked them!" "Tricked the Goblin Nation? Come now, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, reaching the end of his fuse, though Cornelius was oblivious. "He tricked them, and now we must correct all of this. Black will receive the Kiss, while the other two will be handed over to the NID. Mr. Potter will be placed in Ministry custody until a proper home can be found for him, such as the Malfoys or another pureblood family. Now Albus, I will ask once more, stand aside." "You are blinded," Dumbledore stated, not moving from his place, which was in the middle of the doorway, Snape to his right and slightly behind. "The new Guardian has come, and because of him, change will follow -- change that has been long overdue. I tell you now -- stand with and aid the Guardian, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Stand against him -- and history will remember you as the fool, blinded by power, who stood against the one who is destined to bring about renewal, prosperity and peace to the world." "He has gotten to you, hasn't he?!" Fudge said, rearing back slightly. "Insane... mad..." he whispered, trailing off as he straightened. "Very well, you leave me no choice," he said, and as he did, figures far behind him came into view. Dementors. The dementors gathered on either side of the Minister, standing in some sort of ranking system, the Muggles shrinking back slightly, unable to see what had just passed them, but knowing not to get in the way; though, they still managed to look smug. The Aurors however, glanced at each other, not looking so sure, and some even looked disapprovingly at what was happening. Dumbledore straightened, his eyes blazing with barely contained fury as he said, "If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius, we have reached a parting of ways. You must act as you see fit. And I -- I shall act as I see fit." Cornelius stiffened at Dumbledore's words. "Then so be it. Dementors, you know what to do. Get Sirius Black, take the other two as prisoners and all who stand in your way, but leave Mr. Potter for the Aurors. -Go-." With that, the dementors were about to rush forward, but someone suddenly stepped into view and on the other side of Albus Dumbledore. Jack's uniform was filthy, his hair going every which way, but that was mostly due to his magic pouring from him. His stance was solid, and in his hands, aimed and ready, was his P-90, his eyes focused slightly above and down the barrel, scarred hand on the handle, his finger firmly on the trigger. "-OVER MY ROTTING *CORPSE*,-" he declared, his voice echoing forth and over the land before him. Jack was in his element, fully embracing the power that surged out of him, rippling off and across his skin. The dementors faltered, actually hesitating in their advancement. "Ah, I see you remember me. I'm touched. Now, -back off-," Jack said, taking a step forward and, to the horror and utter disbelief of Fudge and those with him, a number of the dementors stepped back. Cornelius huffed, but was at a loss of what to do, but it soon didn't matter, for another idiot took charge. "Enough of this, O'Neill," a man in a suit beside Fudge said, pulling out a hand gun and pointing it at Jack, the other muggles with him doing so as well. "Yes, enough of this," Snape agreed, whipping out his wand along with a mutter. He would keep his vow. "AHH!!!" The men all dropped their... snakes? Snape had transfigured their weapons into serpents, and a few of them had been able to deliver a paralyzing bite to their previous handlers. Immediately after that, everyone reacted. Cornelius waved the dementors forward, the Aurors split off, over half portkeying away, wanting no part in this and knowing when to take the advice of `back off', while the others advanced with the NID (who were not bitten) only to be taken down by the spells from Snape and Dumbledore without having dished out much of their own. Jack opened fire, sniping down, as well as mowing down, the advancing dementors. There were so many of them, the air thick with despair and loss, and for a moment, Jack was afraid it was going to be too much, even with his `magic gun' and the Doe Patronus Snape had produced, but then Dumbledore once again revealed why he was the only one Voldemort ever feared... "Cornelius, consider this the last time you will step on these grounds, and the last time you will ever give an order to these dementors..." he said, before continuing in a language understood by very few people. *"I cleanse these lands; banish all tainted souls of evil, of unrelenting greed and hate. I respond accordingly. Thus, I secure these lands, forever more."* Light swam out over the ground from Dumbledore's feet, light from the foundations of Hogwarts joining soon after, until in an instant, it shot out in all directions across the land. And then the dementors fell, screeching in obvious pain, until they crumbled and were no more, leaving only heaps of empty black robes in their place, much like the dementor Sabin had touched. Cornelius gasped, those still with him and conscious totally thunderstruck. "A-Albus... have you -any- idea what you have done?" Cornelius breathed, fear and a million other similar emotions running across his face and radiating from his shaking form. "Something that should have been done a long time ago. Their time should have been ended before it had truly begun, but I think you have other things to be worried about..." Dumbledore replied, gesturing to those who were now a distance behind and on either side of Cornelius, having appeared soon after the Ward had been activated. Several dozen armed and slightly enraged looking Goblins. "You sent for them?!" Cornelius asked Dumbledore, fear and reason escaping him. "Uh..." a voice to his right interrupted, a simple uniformed man stepping forward, his hand slightly raised with his forefinger pointed up. "No, that would be us." "Daniel!" Jack shouted happily, raising his gun to him in greeting. "Where've you been? Where's Teal'c?" "I am here, O'Neill," Teal'c said, making his presence known on the other side with a few well armed Goblins as well. "This is an act of war!" Cornelius declared, raising his trembling wand, those still conscious and up with him torn between flight and fight. "The act of war was committed by you, Minister Fudge," a Goblin said, fully clad in gleaming jeweled armor, grand ax in his hands. "You attacked the Sanctuary of the Guardian, paid no heed to the warnings of the Keeper of the Sanctuary and forced his hand, and thus, ours as well. My kind have assembled, and are now guarding Azkaban you so wisely left unguarded save for fifty or so wizard guards, and are also patrolling the grounds of the Ministry, Diagon Alley, and other necessary properties. All of this occurring the moment you threatened the safety of the Guardian." The Minister fumbled for speech, but was unable to call forth coherent thought, much less words. "All of this, brought about by your brash actions, Cornelius. Perhaps next time you will heed my words, though I doubt there will be a next time," Dumbledore said, tiredness threading into his voice, unnoticed by all but Snape and Jack beside him. The Head Goblin stepped forward, the other Goblins going forward and apprehending a for once wise unresisting Fudge and company. Daniel and Teal'c went forward as well, going to Jack and the other two wizards. "King Bobob, this is Colonel Jack O'Neill. Jack, this is King Bobob of the Goblins, or rather, the Furlings," Daniel introduced. Jack raised his eyebrows in surprise, though now a few things made more sense, particularly with the ceremony at the Legion with Sabin, though some questions were still present. "Ah, good to meet you, King Bobob. Thanks for coming," Jack said, taking the long fingered hand of the much shorter being. "It is my honor to help the Guardian and those allied with him," Bobob said. "Please escort me to him, Protector of the Guardian." "Of course, this way," Jack said, glancing at Dumbledore who seemed a little pale before they all went into Hogwarts, the Goblins apparently handling the situation in front of the castle now. Jack led them to Sabin, Snape having to help a tired Dumbledore a little on the stairs to the Hospital Wing. "Albus!" Pomfrey exclaimed, never having seen him look so obviously drained. "He activated a very ancient ward, if I'm not mistaken," Snape stated. "Dementors are no longer going to be a concern for Hogwarts, or the world for that matter." "All of those dementors were killed?" she asked, stunned. "What, you thought we'd kiss and make up?" Jack asked as she went to Dumbledore who was now sitting on one of the hospital beds. Bobob and two other Goblins continued in, Jack and the rest of SG-1 gathering by Sabin's bed. "Who's this?" Daniel asked, motioning to Sirius, who was sleeping. "Sirius Black, an innocent ex-prisoner of Ban Azka," Jack explained. "Is Guardian Sabin alright?" Teal'c asked, stopping behind Sam. "He's just tired," Sam said. "A lot of stuff happened. Anyways, how did you guys get here? Did you end up at the base?" "Um, well, we ended up with the Goblins," Daniel said with a little laugh. "Apparently there's several gates here. Well, we had a banquet and talked some, but then we were alerted by some kind of device that an attack was happening here and that Sabin was in trouble. After that, everything happened pretty quickly." Jack went and sat on the other bed beside Sabin's. "Alright, Colonel?" Sam asked. "Just a little tired. You know, killing soul suckers and dealing with stupid people..." Jack said. "You should have some Pepper-Up potion. Poppy gave me one earlier," Sam said. Jack merely nodded, looking around the slightly crowded room. The Furlings were at the foot of Sabin's bed, content in just being there. Dumbledore was now lying on the bed he had taken a seat at (lying down only at the urging/demanding voice of Poppy). Snape was beside Dumbledore's bed, Poppy handing Dumbledore a potion on the other side. Daniel was on a chair between Sabin and Sirius's beds, watching Sabin as he slept, and Sam and Teal'c were on the other side, Sam having pulled up a chair as well. Deciding rest wasn't a bad idea, Jack followed Sabin and the others' example, P-90 still clipped to his vest. He was out in a few minutes, knowing explanations could wait; he was too tired to listen now anyway. *Part 17: Changes* Daniel leaned back in the comfy chair Severus Snape had been kind enough to conjure, the chair being sleek black leather, nothing he didn't expect from the illustrious potions master, though it was surprisingly squishy. The goblins had left, seeing they would have to wait to speak with the Guardian as well as the Headmaster since they were both sleeping, Jack, Sirius, and Sam in the other beds. The Goblins had secured everything, officials in the Ministry Government having been secured and ready for a revolution. Not everyone had been as accommodating for the Goblins, defiantly siding with the Minister who was now in the custody of the Goblins. These people numbered a solid 30 percent of the Ministry, but a triumphant 60 percent of the Ministry gladly assisted the goblins in beginning the reformation, collaborating in how best to change and repair what had become corrupt. The other 10 of the Ministry were in shock, but didn't get in the way. From what Bobob had told Daniel, things were in a `lockdown' kind of condition, waiting for the Head of the Wizengamot to hold a meeting that would restructure the government, and for the arrival of the Guardian to put things in order and officially declare his authority over a newly refined nation. Dumbledore was still sleeping, as were the others. Daniel, Teal'c, and their new found friends kept watch over them. Daniel thought about the last twenty four hours, surprisingly not overly concerned by the fact they had not checked in with the General yet. Oops, as Sabin would say, and Jack for that matter. Oh well, once Jack woke up, he was sure Hammond would be contacted, since right now it didn't seem possible, for those who were awake were very busy. Daniel and Teal'c's visit with the Goblins, or rather Furlings, had been enlightening, and had also risen a great deal of questions. Apparently the Furlings had been waiting for the arrival (or more like re-arrival) of Sabin, the Guardian. They no doubt respected Sabin, and though Daniel couldn't put his finger on why, he was certain it wasn't merely because he was the Guardian. There was something more to it than that. When the Furlings had heard the alarm during the feast, telling them Hogwarts (or how the Furlings called it `the Sanctuary of the Guardian') was under attack, they had risen in obvious concern (well, Daniel assumed it was concern, but he couldn't be certain. Goblin expressions are hard to read.). They had at first been at a loss of what to do, stunned that anyone would dare attack such a sacred place, before Daniel and Teal'c, fearful for Sabin, Jack and Sam (assuming they were with him), immediately stood up and voiced their thoughts. "We must assist Sabin," Teal'c stated. "I agree, but it is not that simple," King Bobob began, but he appeared to be thinking. "Sure it is! They're attacking the Guardian, and I would bet, from what I have heard about this Fudge person, for no good reason," Daniel said, just as another alarm sounded. "The Keeper of the Sanctuary has engaged a primary defense," someone stated. Silence fell over the room, every single Furling displaying their outrage in an expression that would terrify most anyone. For the defense to have been needed enough to actually activate... "Then the Doctrine of 396 of the Alliance can now be instigated," an old Furling stated from across the grand room. "It's settled then," Bobob said, giving a nod to several important looking individuals throughout the room. "The Minister, if not the Ministry, has just committed an act of War. We are obligated to respond." After that, they all immediately went into action. They suited up, weapons in hand, and moved, vanishing on the spot to places around the Wizarding World as Daniel and Teal'c were motioned to join a unit that would be accompanying Bobob to Hogwarts. Bobob was furious, along with his sister, Jegita (the she-Furling who had called him a moron) as they all disappeared, transporting to the Grounds of Hogwarts. And there, they appeared just in time to witness the utter destruction of the dementors, a glowing doe between them and those standing at the entrance of Hogwarts, Jack firing his P-90 (tiny white glowing orbs raining down upon the dark figures), and Dumbledore, light surging from the castle and his frame. It was an amazing sight, and Daniel was sure the Furlings had been impressed as well. Daniel had been relieved to learn that Sabin was alright, and though learning about the demise of Jack's wand, he was thankful it had not totally included Jack's hand as it would have no doubt been without Sabin. Daniel shook his head, his mind back in the present, as he looked at Sabin, still deeply asleep beside him. Daniel sighed, unable to brush aside the feeling that once Sabin woke up, major changes would soon follow. - - - Arthur Weasley was a simple man. He liked simple things and enjoyed simple pleasures. He stepped into work for yet another day of mundane work, wishing only that he would be given more time to learn how certain (if not all) muggle devices that they stumbled upon worked. He was about to continue down the hall and into his tiny office, when he heard a commotion behind him, and a heated one at that. He turned around, his hand moving towards his wand when his eyes fell upon the scene before him in the great main chamber of the Ministry. A good half dozen witches and wizards stood along side a dozen Goblins, facing off with a number of Governors and representatives of the Wizengamot. He focused on the humans with the Goblins, surprised to find Augusta Longbottom and several other respected individuals furiously holding their wands at their obvious enemies. "How -dare- you do this!" Malfoy spat, his unmistakable blond hair slightly disheveled. "Siding yourselves with inferior beings." "Inferior? Wow, you are unbelievably backwards," a Goblin growled, his ax being held aloft. The others with Malfoy, Arthur quickly identified, were Goyle, MacNair, Crabbe, and several other people he honestly didn't like. Arthur fully pulled out his wand, catching the eyes of Augusta. Her eyes glinted with satisfaction and approval, just as a flash of light from MacNair's wand caught his attention. He acted, MacNair's spell being reflected by one of the Goblin's axes, as several spells, from both sides, were exchanged. "-Stupify! Stupify!-" he shouted, taking two of them down as the others promptly took care of the rest. "Well, Arthur, good to see you," Augusta said as two aurors floated the stunned and petrified bodies to a holding cell to wait for the meeting of the Wizengamot scheduled later that day. "Um, yes, though, if I could ask, what is going on?" Arthur asked, glancing at the obviously pleased Goblins near. "Our dolt of a Minister committed an act of war, and as an ancient Doctrine states, the Goblins have the right to step in," Augusta stated. "Step in?" Arthur asked, understandably alarmed. "Not permanently, just until order has been returned. Albus is currently recovering from the events that occurred at Hogwarts. We shall wait until he regains his strength until we hold a meeting that will properly restructure the Ministry," she said, now leading him down the chamber. "Is he alright?" "Just tired, he activated some powerful spells that protect Hogwarts. Apparently the ex-Minister thought it a good idea to try to remove Guardian Sabin from the premises -- believing O'Neill brainwashed the lad -- recapture Sirius Black -- who, I just learned, never got a trial and is in fact innocent -- and to hand off the companions of the Guardian to an illegal agency. In addition, the Minister felt he needed dementors to carry this out, -all- of the bloody dementors, I might add," Augusta said, disgusted. "Never liked the idiot, but never thought he would do something of this magnitude." "Mr. Weasley," a Goblin said, coming up beside him. "I request you accompany Augusta for the rest of the day. I believe you will approve of the changes coming." "Certainly," Arthur said, though a little dazzled. - - - -The Next Day- Sirius slowly opened his eyes, part of him hoping what he could remember from the previous day had been true and not just a dream, while the other part didn't dare hope. "Mr. Black?" an unfamiliar voice asked. Sirius turned his face towards the voice, finding a young man sitting in a chair. "You're the last to wake. Albus left some time ago, along with Jack and Sabin. Oh, and I'm Dr. Daniel Jackson," Daniel said. "I'm at Hogwarts?" Sirius asked, looking around. "You're American?" "Yeah, you're at Hogwarts, and yeah, I'm an American." "Muggle?" Sirius asked. "Yeah, why?" "Oh, just curious. Not everyday you're broken out of prison by a magic foreigner with a kid and a muggle. Where are they anyway?" Sirius asked, realizing the Hospital Wing was empty. "How's the kid?" "Carter left with Professor Snape, something about potions. Teal'c, I don't think you've met him yet, he's a big black guy with a seal on his forehead. He's with some Goblins, talking strategy. And Sabin? He's fine, with King Bobob in the garden now with Jack, I believe." "Sabin?" "It's his middle name," Daniel clarified. "So, he's the Colonel's kid?" "He is now, adopted him, gave him a long name though, but that was Albus's doing just as it was his," Daniel said. "Long name?" Daniel took a deep breath. "Harry Manchu James Sabin Norard Potter O'Neill. See? Long huh?" But Sirius was no longer listening, for he was now quickly getting out of bed, Sabin's appearance and name having triggered something, allowing him to put two and two together. Sabin was Harry Potter. Sabin was his godson. "Hey, where're you goin'? Something wrong?" Daniel asked, quickly following the now running man out of the hospital wing. - - - Sabin was happy with what the Goblins had done and what he, Dumbledore and others had been able to help carry out in the Wizarding World. New leaders had been appointed, and due to the Doctrine that had allowed the Goblins to act, a new government of sorts had been established. Augusta Longbottom was now the Minister of Magic with Arthur Weasley appointed as Head of International Relations (this including Muggle Nations). Kingsley Shacklebolt was made Head of the Unspeakables, Amelia Bones was Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and a disturbing looking man, named Alastor Moody, bacame Head of the Aurors. The list continued, and though he approved of them all, he was most pleased with these appointments. Sabin and Jack were now walking beside King Bobob in the magical garden behind Hogwarts, listening to his plans in ensuring the safety of the Wizarding World and that which came with it, now that Dark Supporters had been discovered in the `lock down'. Sabin shook his head, finding it difficult to understand the hatred people had for others as King Bobob changed topics. Sabin was glad the Furlings utilized the Doctrine, which stated they would come to the aid of an ally, an Ancient. There were of course Treaties involving the protection of the Guardian, but this one had a great deal more power, and it had also been placed under one of the ancient treaties, so in effect, they had activated an Alliance within a binding Treaty. Either way, the Minister was doomed, and that was even without the Ward Dumbledore had activated. The Ward needed several criteria to be met before activation. It could only be activated when a Guardian was within the castle, when the castle was under clear threat, and had to be activated by the `Keeper of the Sanctuary', hence, the Headmaster. The protection was created by Salazar Slytherin himself, being one of the four Keepers of the Sanctuary (Merlin being the Guardian during that time), which was why the activation spell was in Parseltongue. After the Founders, this spell, along with others, was passed down from Headmaster to Headmaster by the very magic of Hogwarts, ensuring no knowledge would be lost should a Headmaster be unable to pass on the knowledge himself. Bobob was talking about trivial things now, nothing really worth mentioning or hearing. Jack kept himself entertained by looking at and avoiding the plants they passed. Sabin jumped over a caterpillar as they continued through the garden, the pink little fluffy thing reminding him of the evil lady he and Jack had met at the Ministry. *[Flashback...]* Jack and Sabin followed Jegita, Bobob's sister, into the Ministry. They went through the main hall, a large fountain with sculptures in it. Sabin didn't like it much, and Jack could see why. It showed the pompousness of the Ministry, that was for sure -- all the magical creatures looking up to the witch and wizard as some sort of god-like figures. Hopefully after this was all over, they would put up something more fitting. Jack wondered what Sabin would do to the fountain if he were to change it, though, Sabin was still not up to full strength yet, but, as Poppy had stated, he was still a force to be reckoned with. They then entered into a hall, before turning towards the entrance to a grand chamber, the meeting room of the Wizengamot. Apparently, the meeting had already started, for elevated voices were speaking within, voices bordering on a heated argument. "That is preposterous," an overly sweet voice stated. "The Minister has done no such thing. War crimes, why that's ridiculous." Jack and Sabin quietly entered, Jegita not going in with them but silently shutting the door behind them. "Well, Madam Umbridge, though preposterous and ridiculous, the Minister, or rather ex-Minister, committed several acts of war," Dumbledore said, calmly looking down at her from behind the bench before glancing beyond her to Jack and Sabin, several of the others in the room also having noticed their entrance. "Because they were specifically against the Guardian, these actions warranted a response from the Goblin Nation, sanctioned in Doctrine 396 under the Treaty of Atil. The Goblin Nation actually had the obligation to do this, securing our government and nation until a new one could be formed, which we shall form today." Umbridge, Jack noticed, straightened further, adding barely an inch to her very imposing stature (to caterpillars that is). Her pink slightly fuzzy outfit and build made Jack compare her to a frog crossed with a dyed pink hedgehog, that or those little pompom critters a girl across the street used to collect when he was little (but Umbridge definitely lacked the cuteness factor). "What did these `war crimes' include?" Umbridge asked pleasantly, as if to discredit Albus or something. Dumbledore began reading down the list. "The unwise act of calling -all- of the Dementors out of Azkaban, leaving it dangerously unguarded, to go after a single escaped prisoner and those the Minister believed to be criminals assisting this escaped prisoner. "Attempting to use the Dementors to storm a protected location to outright kill an escaped prisoner, even after learning this prisoner had never been given a trial. "Giving an order to the Dementors to capture the other two `criminals' and hand them over to an illegal agency. "The attempted kidnapping of the Guardian, who ha --" "Eh-hem. The Guardian does not exist. His supposed coming was a hoax," Umbridge stated confidently, not yet seeing Sabin and Jack behind her. Sabin tilted his head a little, while Jack's eyes narrowed. "I don't exist?" Sabin asked, making everyone's eyes turn to him. Umbridge turned around. Her eyes shot to Sabin's face, and then his forehead to see his scar, before looking up to Jack and glaring, instantly knowing who Jack was. "Colonel Jack O'Neill," Jack greeted. "And this is Sabin, the Guardian," he continued. Umbridge seemed to collect herself, as if she was about to do something that was necessary but painful to her. Ignoring Jack, she focused her attention to Sabin and took a few steps towards him, stopping a few yards from him, which was a few paces from the center of the meeting chamber. "Mr. Potter... I understand..." she began as she glanced disapprovingly at Jack before looking back to Sabin, "that this man... has told you some things. But Mr. Potter, these things... are not true..." she said. "You are just a boy... a young, precious little boy. You are not the Guardian." Sabin raised an eyebrow, as did Jack. Everyone in the chamber was quiet, watching this soon-to-be exchange. "I assure you, Ma'am, I am the Guardian," Sabin said. Umbridge gave a heavy sigh, as if she felt sorry that `Mr. Potter' had been tricked by `this man'. She refocused her eyes, trying to look sweet and sympathetic, but it only made Jack and Sabin inwardly cringe at such fake theatrics. "My boy, to associate yourself with such... people... a man who lies and then with beings of near human intelligence.... I fear you are tainting your family name," she continued. Everyone around them were appalled, shocked anyone would even suggest such a thing with the Potter name. This boy, Guardian or not, was responsible for bringing down the Dark Lord, and associating himself with O'Neill and the Goblins was considered tainting? Who was she kidding? "Now see here --" someone began, standing up with several others, not approving of her words, but stopped when Sabin lifted his hand, motioning them to sit back down while meeting their eyes. The moment they saw his eyes, they fell silent, trusting and hoping the boy knew what he was doing. Umbridge continued, believing she was getting through to the boy. "You know this... don't you? You know... deep down, I am right," she said, coming even closer, oblivious to Jack calculating the distance to the `no-enter-zone' around Sabin. "No, you are wrong," Sabin stated. Umbridge paused, as if expecting this sort of denial from him. "Then why... did you allow me to keep speaking?" she asked, as if that would prove he had, for a split second, considered her statements. "To show I will hear anyone out. The Guardian turns no one away without hearing what they have to say," Sabin answered simply. Umbridge revealed a flash of anger in her eyes, clearly deciding the playing nice approach was no longer working. "Child, what would your parents think?" she asked, feigning tenderness while taking a few more steps forward, several people around the room stiffening at her words. To bring up the boy's parents?! Jack was equally pleased, wishing he had a wand, or at least had been allowed to bring in his P-90, that would straighten out this pink pompom toad-hedgehog witch. She took another step, entering the zone Jack had dubbed `getting too close'. He prepared himself to intervene as she took another step, moving her left hand forward, as if to encourage the boy to `see the truth' as she said, "You want your parents to be proud of you, don't you?" she asked, her hand moving closer to Sabin's shoulder. "Why, you little witch," Jack stated, his voice laced with anger, disgust, and sarcasm as he moved. He stepped between her and Sabin, catching her wrist in his wand hand before she could touch Sabin. "Unhand me! You-you monster!" she nearly squeaked. "Than back up your frilly pink self away from Sabin, or I will be happy to take the responsibility of removing you with unnecessary force," Jack stated. She huffed, but didn't move. "-You- are the one who must be removed!" she shrieked, the people around the room either frozen in disbelief, or rising to assist Jack. "I don't think so, pink toad lady," Jack said as Umbridge moved her right hand. Everything after that happened so fast, it was rather confusing to even think back to it once it was over. Umbridge's wand snapped into her hand, moving it towards Jack as Sabin shouted his name. A shield formed (thanks to Sabin) on the left side of Jack, where Umbridge's wand was pointing. A sickly purple light roared out of her wand as Jack thrust his wand hand forward, pushing Umbridge's left hand into her plump pink make-upped face. In that same moment, Albus, Arthur, Augusta, Bones, Moody and a half a dozen other people had pulled their wands and cast a number of spells. CRACK! PING! *BOOM!* BZZ! CRASH! BANG! CRUNCH! -Squish-. *Thud*. The `crack' was her nasty curse slamming into the shield and the `ping' was the curse hitting a part of the ceiling. The `boom' was Jack's hand making her left collide into her face while releasing some form of accidental magic just before the recently cast spells from those above (Albus and Moody's being surprisingly brutal) caused the `bzz' (from Albus's spell), `crash' (Moody's), `bang' (Augusta's), `crunch' (Bones'). The spell sounds from the others just sort of melded together into the `crunch'. It was -almost- enough to cause someone to feel sorry for Umbridge. The `squish' was from her landing on her pink ghastly purse, and the thud was her body landing a good distance away from Jack and Sabin. "Well, that's something I don't see everyday," Jack said, looking at the several-times-over, cursed pink figure on the floor. *[End Flashback...]* Sabin smiled up at Jack, remembering what he had said after they had left the Ministry, order having been fully restored... "Your parents would be proud, you know... just saying, in case you weren't sure," Jack said when they were alone, walking to meet up with Bobob in the garden. Sabin looked up at Jack with appreciative eyes, before whispering, "I know." - - - Sirius was on a mission -- a mission to find his godson. The muggle named Daniel was trying to keep up with him, but was over a dozen paces behind now as he finally entered the garden. He frantically scanned the garden, and then, he saw them -- a small black-haired boy walking beside the very capable colonel, an impressive goblin with them. He ran to them, tempted to turn into his animagus, but not willing to risk dangerously exhausting himself. Jack and Sabin heard him coming and turned to him, a little confused at the man running hard towards them. Sirius got to them, stopping, eyes wide, before Sabin, looking at him as if he was seeing someone he had thought lost. Unknown to the others, this was exactly the case. "Mr. Black?" Jack asked, a little cautiously. "Harry?" Sirius asked, staring at Sabin with hopeful eyes. "That's my first name," Sabin said, gazing up at the man. Sirius stepped forward, and, before Jack could even think, fell to his knees, pulling Sabin into a bear hug as tears began running down his prison-worn face. "I thought you were gone," Sirius mumbled, "They said you had disappeared, had been destroyed like him..." Jack just stared down at the crying man, trying to figure out what he had missed, as Daniel finally caught up. Jack looked up at Daniel, glancing down at Black and Sabin before looking back to Daniel questioningly. Daniel shrugged, shaking his head in equal confusion. After several long seconds, Sabin, feeling relief, joy, and love pouring from Mr. Black, just continued to stand there, until finally, Mr. Black pulled back, resting his hands on his shoulders before placing them on the sides on his face so he could get a better look at him. Holding back another sob, Black somehow managed words. "You look like James... except your eyes. You have Lily's eyes..." he said, heaving in a breath. Jack and Daniel glanced at each other, instantly coming to the same conclusion. "You knew them?" Jack and Daniel asked quietly at the same time. Black looked up, as if startled to find others were there, but he nodded. "James was my best friend. I was his best man at his wedding." Black looked down, before hesitantly looking back up to Jack, briefly wondering what he should do. Coming to a decision, he turned his eyes to Sabin. "And I had been named your Godfather." *Part 18: Dropping In* Hammond glanced at the time again. It had been nearly twenty-four hours since the disturbing energy charge overwhelmed the gate during SG-1's attempt to gate back home. They had yet to fix the gate, due to the damage that had resulted, and could only hope SG-1 had not been lost in the wormhole. He was alone in his office as he gave a heavy sigh, praying things were not as bad as they seemed, when an odd flash of light suddenly overtook the room. Startled, already about to call for security, his eyes settled on two people, one he knew and one he definitely didn't, actually, he wasn't even sure what it was. "Do not be alarmed, General," Gene said. "Don't be alarmed? You two have just appeared in my office that just happens to be under a mountain!" "If we had hostile motives, the wards surrounding this base would not have allowed us entry," the `thing' (Hammond had decided to refer to it as) said. "And... who," (fighting with himself to say `what' instead) "Might you be?" he asked. "I am Tobizook, assistant to the Furling King," the short, terrifying creature said. Hammond merely blinked. "The Guardian and the others shall be arriving soon to explain recent events to you; I was simply requested to inform you of their wellbeing and current location, which is Hogwarts," Tobizook said. "They're at Hogwarts?" Hammond managed. "Yes, under the protection of the Keeper of the Sanctuary, Albus Dumbledore." "The Headmaster?" "Yes, that's what I said." "When are they coming?" "Soon." Hammond looked at Gene, who looked apologetically at him. Oh, this was going to be a long day. - - - -Hogwarts- Sabin and the others were now in the Great Hall, having dinner, after a long, very long conversation with Sirius and the others. The fact he had a godfather was a little surprising at first, not to mention confusing, but it had all been sorted out -- for the most part. It had only taken a few minutes after Sirius' outburst, one could say, that Sirius declared he would not be leaving Har -- um, Sabin's side from now on. Soon after, Sam, Teal'c and Dumbledore had joined in, Snape and Pomfrey watching. "He's my godson, how can I leave him now that nothing is stopping me?" Sirius asked. "Jack's adopted Sabin, but I'm sure we can arrange visits or something," Daniel suggested, since Jack currently didn't know what to think or say. "Visits? I was named by James to be his guardian. Visits will not suffice," Sirius stated. "Sirius, a lot of things have happened, why don't we discuss this calmly over dinner. You don't want to set a bad example, do you?" Dumbledore asked, motioning to Sabin who was standing in front of Sirius and beside Jack. Sabin looked up innocently. Sam smirked. -Setting an example for the Guardian...- So they decided to go to the Great Hall. After a time discussing things, actually well-mannered and calmly (probably thanks to Dumbledore and Sabin), they came to a few decisions. Jack would see if there was an opening at the Base for Sirius to apply for. He would vouch for him, and with any luck, Sirius would at least work where Sabin and the others practically lived. Jack already had some ideas, and if it all went well, he might even ask the General to put Sirius on a team, even SG-1. After their escape from Ban Azka, he knew Sirius could be a good member on any team. They had yet to inform Sirius of Sabin's Guardian status, but they all knew it would come up eventually, and they would explain it then. Right now, Sirius just thought Sabin was special, and had a unique hold on his magic due to his past, which was sort of correct. He had been briefed a little on how Jack and the others had come upon them, but the Stargate Program had stayed out of it. Sirius seemed to take the mystery in stride though, probably because he was just happy to be out of Azkaban and with his godson, he didn't care for specifics, hows, or whys right now, just as long as he would have a future with his best friend's son. "So Ha--Sabin, what do you think of Hogwarts?" Sirius asked, sitting next to Sabin who was also sitting next to Jack. "Cool, it's pretty different when the students are here though," Sabin said. "Oh? You've been here before?" Sirius asked. "Yeah, kind of by accident though. I uh... sort of kidnapped Fawkes," Sabin admitted. Sirius blinked. "You kidnapped Fawkes? Oh, please do tell. This has got to be a great story," Sirius said, glancing at Dumbledore whose eyes were twinkling more than usual, which is to say, the sun was like a dim light bulb in comparison. Snape's expression stayed the same. Jack took over, telling the story of their adventure and escape from Hogwarts, including the part with Snape trying to curse them. Sirius laughed, and Snape had the decency to comment that had he known more of the circumstances, he would not have responded as aggressively. Sirius decided to keep any further comments about it to himself. During the rest of the meal, Sam spoke with Snape about potions, no doubt taking mental notes on everything Snape, or rather `Severus' (as he had told Sam to call him), said. He seemed to be enjoying the conversation, but Jack couldn't be sure since Snape's depth of expression was apparently limited. Daniel was busy chatting with Madam Pomfrey, talking about medical myths. "Ah, and Colonel, I have arranged transport as you have requested," Dumbledore said. "The Goblins helped in it all, and are standing by with the portkey." "Portkey?" Jack asked. "Do they not have those in the States?" Sirius asked, leaning forward to look at Jack past Sabin. "I'm still a little new," Jack stated. "I've only heard of them. So, what are they?" "An item that you touch that them transports you to a preset destination," Sirius said. "Sweet," Jack said, in his classic impressed tone. Before they knew it, they were out in front of the school, gathered around an old quill of Dumbledore's. "Feel free to come back any time," Dumbledore said, Fawkes actually on his shoulder since he had apparently wanted to say good bye to Sabin. "We will," Sabin said excitedly before taking Jack's hand as they (Sam, Teal'c, Daniel, Sirius, Jack and himself) touched the portkey... - - - -Seconds Later- They landed on the helicopter pad on the mountain, several armed guards getting startled and aiming their weapons at them until they saw Jack and General Hammond shouted for them to stand down. Daniel (the only one who hadn't landed on his feet) got up, dusting himself off, as Hammond and others quickly approached them. "I was told you would be arriving here," he said, glancing at the man he had not seen before. "General Hammond, let me introduce you to Sirius Black. Sirius Black, General Hammond, Commander of this Base," Jack introduced. They quickly shook hands. "Shall we discuss recent events inside?" Hammond asked, motioning behind them. "General?" Sabin asked, stepping forward between Jack and Sirius. "I need to do something, and I think I need Jack too. Could Sam and the others brief you? It shouldn't be too long," he said. "Of course, Sabin, but where are you and Jack going?" "To the White House. King Bobob suggested I..." Sabin looked to Jack for the words he was looking for. Jack smiled, almost evilly, getting a hazy idea of what was going on after Sabin had mind brushed him, sending an image of Senator Robert Kinsey. "We have some business with the NID," Jack said, clearly looking forward to it. Sabin nodded. Hammond seemed to approve upon hearing that, though a part of him felt like he should be feeling sorry for a particular group... this feeling didn't last long, however. Jack and Sabin's uniforms had been cleaned by magic at Hogwarts, and they were much better than how they had been when they had first left Ban Azka. Sabin straightened out his cap as Jack handed his weapon off to Teal'c, since it probably wouldn't be a good idea to bring his P-90 where they were going. "I look forward to a report when you get back," Hammond said. "Until then," he looked to the rest of SG-1 and Sirius. "You all will brief me?" "Yes General," Daniel said. The others then went forward, while Sabin and Jack stayed behind. Jack looked to Sabin, wondering what he was planning exactly. He had not been told about this at all, though King Bobob had apparently spoken to Sabin about it. "Ready?" Sabin asked. "Uh, maybe. Where are we going exactly?" "King Bobob just gave me this and said it would take me to the man who can do something about the NID, permanently," Sabin said with a shrug. "Oh, okay then," Jack said, assuming it was some high Cabinet dude or something. He was wrong. Very wrong. - - - -Oval Office- President Josiah Bartlet leaned back in his chair from behind the grand presidential desk. He had just finished looking through several files, and had now a few minutes of free time. The last few weeks had proved interesting, particularly where it came to the Stargate program. He smiled to himself, unable but to find the NID being kicked out humorous, even though the display of such power was slightly unnerving, but General Hammond had assured him `the Guardian' was on their side, and that the NID had been pushing it. After learning what the NID had done, Bartlet couldn't agree more, but he was unsure about what to do about the group exactly. They had their fingers in everything, and he didn't know if it was worth all of the stress and man power of `de-weeding', so to speak. Not only that, if he did decide to act, he would need to inform his Chief of Staff about the Stargate program for help, which wouldn't be too hard if he did, he already knew about the Magical World. He exhaled, deciding he might as well tell Leo, his Chief of Staff, now. He'd need to be told eventually anyways. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Yes?" he called. Charlie peeked in. "Senator Kinsey is here to see you sir. He says it is urgent," he said. "Very well, let him in," Bartlet said, getting up and moving to the couch. He honestly didn't like Kinsey, and a part of him wondered how he got elected to such a position. "Senator?" Bartlet asked, hoping this would be something quick as Kinsey took a seat across from him. "Mr. President, thank you for seeing me at such short notice," he said. Bartlet waved his hand dismissively. "What seems to be the trouble?" he asked. "I am sure you remember the incident at Cheyenne Mountain?" he asked. "Yes." "Mr. President, I understand you have been told a few things after that event, but there is now sufficient evidence to show the true nature of the alien." "Really." "He is dangerous, and I believe he has turned certain members of the SGC against our nation, as well as our planet." Kinsey leaned forward, as if concerned he would be overheard. "He has recently caused the complete collapse of a high security prison and a nation's government. He is also responsible for the injuries of a number of NID agents. Mr. President, I implore you, something must be done about this said `Guardian' before he does anything else." "Senator Kinsey, as I recall, it was your people who prompted a response from this `Guardian' the first time, could this be another such occasion?" "No, sir, the NID were assisting an ally, nothing more." Bartlet was getting to the end of his fuse. This Senator coming in here with no proof, and though the Legion had told him there had been some recent events surrounding the Guardian, it had not included any of this supposed malicious intent. He was suddenly very glad his conversations with the Legion were kept completely secret. Kinsey probably would have come in with some other nonsense to try to discredit them too. Bartlet was about to speak but was suddenly interrupted by the last thing he could have ever expected. -WHAM!!- Two forms appeared right in the middle of the Oval office, a large one and a much smaller one, though nearly identical in everything else. These... guests, and man and a child, had their back to them and were currently facing the oval desk. The man inhaled sharply. "-Sabin! The *OVAL* OFFICE!?-" he nearly hissed. "What's that?" Sabin asked, confused. "Oh for cryin' out loud!" At that, the man and boy turned around. "YOU!" Kinsey shouted, jumping to his feet. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me," Jack moaned. "Security!" Kinsey shouted. Bartlet was now also on his feet, facing the `intruders'. They suddenly heard people running outside the office, but before any of the doors to the Oval could be opened by any of the agents, Sabin slammed his hands together. CLAP! They heard several clicks and odd metallic crunching sounds. Sabin smiled up at Bartlet, standing slightly in front of Jack. "Hi!" he said, ignoring Kinsey completely. Kinsey was furious and stunned into silence, well, almost silence, he was sputtering, trying to form curse words, furious declarations, and other such nonsense. Bartlet looked down at the boy and blinked. "Hello..." he said slowly. "I'm Sabin, who are you?" "Well, Sabin, I'm Josiah Bartlet, the President of the United States," Bartlet answered, very conscious of the secret service pounding on the doors and trying to break them down. One agent was even attempting to kick out the glass of one of the outside doors, but to no avail. "Oh, okay." Sabin glanced at Kinsey, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Mr. President, this -child- is clearly --" Kinsey began, venomously. "If I want to hear you opinions right now, I'll ask you; until then, don't speak," Bartlet interrupted. Jack smirked slightly, before looking to the president. "Mr. President... I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill of SG-1," Jack said, standing at attention before offering his hand, deciding that since he was here, might as well get to business. Bartlet took it, still keeping most of his attention on Sabin, however. "We're uh... sorry for dropping in unannounced and all, sir..." Jack continued sheepishly. "Actually, I'm glad we have this opportunity to meet. I've been wanting to speak with you, as well as with... Sabin," Bartlet said, slowly sitting back down and motioning them to as well. "Mr. President, you can't be serious. These two have just broken in the Oval Office and are now holding us both hostage! This supposed child is the alien I was just warning you about!" Kinsey exclaimed. "Warning or lying?" Sabin asked frankly. Jack had to choke back a laugh. Kinsey glared at him. "Lying," Sabin said, answering his own question. "Why you little--!" Kinsey said, furious beyond reason, advancing towards Sabin, probably more in an attempt to intimidate than to harm, but only because he knew he wouldn't be able to safely do anything beyond that... However, he should have examined the word `safely' more, for Jack had already moved to intercept him. Bartlet and Sabin watched in satisfaction, secretly and openly, respectively, as Jack pulled out his 9mm from within his vest and aimed it right at Kinsey, stopping him in his tracks. "Even think about doing anything like that again, and I will be more than happy to be responsible for my immediate following actions," Jack stated, actually causing a shimmering wave of magic to ripple across his clothes. It did not go unnoticed by Bartlet, Kinsey, or anyone else watching. Kinsey actually took a step back, the agents outside, who had just seen what had happened, were now staring through the windows while talking feverishly over their radios, relaying what had just happened to the other agents. "Sabin, do you think you could..." Jack began, asking an understood question. Sabin grinned. CLAP! --POOF-- Kinsey disappeared. Bartlet gasped. "What! What did you do!?" he asked. "I poofed him outside," Sabin said simply, taking the spot on the couch that had previously been occupied by Kinsey. Sure enough, looking out the Oval window, Jack and Bartlet saw Kinsey sprawled out on the lawn, quickly being surrounded by the Secret Service. Jack really had to fight hard against laughing. Bartlet turned back to Sabin, Jack taking a seat beside Sabin who had promptly scooted over. "So you're really the Guardian," Bartlet said. "Yup," Sabin said, curiously looking around the room. "I assume there is a reason why you are here?" Bartlet asked. "Uh-huh. I'm here to let you know that if the NID continue to cause trouble..." Sabin closed his eyes, clearly recalling something someone had said to him before opening them again, "`Snakes will be the least of their problems, for Furlings are quite merciless when it comes to people who mess with one of their allies.'" "The Furlings?" Bartlet asked. "Yeah," Sabin said. Bartlet looked to Jack. "You probably know them as the Goblins, sir," he said. "Oh..." Bartlet managed, recalling a disturbing picture he had been shown when a representative from the Legion had visited him to acquaint him with the Magical World. "So, what did they do this time?" Bartlet asked, though a little hesitantly. "They tried to kill my team and myself, kidnap Sabin, who, I might add, I have adopted, and tried to help the Ministry, which has just been reformed, storm a protected location with `dementors'." Bartlet decided not to ask what `dementors' were, and moved on. "Was this before or after you two supposedly brought down a high security prison?" Bartlet asked. "After, and General Hammond will send you a report about all of this once he's been briefed, sir," Jack said. Bartlet was about to say something, but was interrupted by his phone ringing. "I probably should get this," he said, a request for permission hidden underneath. "Don't let us stop you sir, this is your office," Jack said, glancing beyond Bartlet to the outside where agents were looking in, guns drawn. "Next time anything like this happens, let's call first, okay?" Jack whispered to Sabin. "Hello?" Bartlet answered his ringing phone. - - - -Just outside Oval- Leo and the others couldn't believe what was suddenly happening. The President had been taken hostage, and, apparently, by some Colonel and a little kid. They had somehow appeared in the Oval and had -somehow- transported the senator (who none of them really liked) out onto the White House lawn. Agent Ron Butterfield, the Head of the Secret Service that protects the President, had the entire place in lockdown and had just called for reinforcements; however, had put that call on hold after Leo had proposed them trying to call the president first to try to determine intentions -- perhaps they were blowing this out of proportion. Leo called the Oval, Ron, Landingham (Bartlet's secretary), and a few others waiting impatiently behind him. `Hello?' Leo gave a sigh in relief, his friend (Jed), the President, had answered. "Mr. President, are you alright?" `Yes, perfectly fine; actually, I'm quite glad they booted Kinsey. He was getting on my nerves,' Jed said. "Who is in the room with you? What do they want?" `Colonel O'Neill and a boy named Sabin,' he answered, before saying something to those in the room. `Er... Leo, maybe you could come in? I think it would be easier if you would,' he said. "Of course, sir," Leo said before Jed hung up. "What did he say?" Ron asked. "He wants me to go in," Leo said. Before Ron could say anything to object, they heard a click. They all turned to the door as it swung open, a boy in an odd military uniform with a cap standing just beyond it. It was obvious he hadn't touched the now open door. "Hi." They all stared at him, all of the agents lowering their guns slightly, but still wary of the man within the room currently standing beside the President. "Hello... Sabin, right?" Leo asked, unsure of how to respond. Sabin nodded, walking out of the Oval slightly. He looked around at them all. "The president is safe, we are not here to hurt anyone good, annoying, or otherwise," Sabin stated, feeling fear and worry from them all as they stared at him. "Who are you?" Ron asked. Ron, a few agents, Leo, Landingham, and Charlie (assistant to the president) were the only ones in the area just outside the Oval now. "Guardian Sabin. Do you want my full name? It's sort of long," he said. "You're the Guardian?" Leo asked, knowing about him from what the Legion had told Jed, and then what Jed had told him. The others looked at him oddly. "Perhaps I should just come in to discuss this," Leo said. "Sure. Hmm, though, you, you, and you can come in too, if you want," Sabin said, pointing to Landingham, Charlie, and Ron. They looked at him suspiciously, especially Ron, but he followed Leo none the less, waving the other agents to stand down, wondering if any of this could get any weirder. And so, after a few introductions and Jed getting the agents looking in through the windows to leave (and to call off the lockdown), Ron, Mrs. Langindham, and Charlie were introduced to the world of magic (Leo explaining most of it) and to the Stargate program (the okay given by the President himself), which was described by Jack. Jack and the others couldn't believe how much stuff was being revealed, but, for whatever reason, it was, though everyone quickly took a vow of secrecy. It was three hours later when Leo reminded the president they had other matters to attend to after a great many things had been discussed, Charlie having left and returned with snacks sometime within there. "So, how are the two of you leaving?" Ron asked, for the first time openly showing interest in seeing some of this fabled `magic'. "With this. King Bobob said it would take us to the Briefing Room within Cheyenne Mountain. I could probably poof there, but I think since this is my first time here, it would be better for me to portkey instead," Sabin said. "Oh, alright," Ron said, trying to follow what Sabin was saying. "Thank you for making time for us, Mr. President," Jack said. "I apologize for any inconveniences, it was not our intention." "No problem, had I been in your place I think I would have just requested the Goblins to take care of the NID and skip all of this; however, I am glad you decided to discuss this and other things with me," Bartlet said before turning and kneeling before Sabin. "Feel free to visit me whenever you wish; however, I will ask that you call me before you do. You know, to warn me so I can let the Secret Service know that a lockdown isn't needed," Jed said. "Okay," Sabin said, Jed offering his hand. Sabin took it, and for a very long moment just stood there, staring at Jed. It happened quickly, and had it not been for what Sabin said soon after, Jed would have passed it off as a random sensation. But it wasn't. "Is something wrong?" Jed asked, deciding it wouldn't be wise to break the handshake just yet. "Not anymore," Sabin replied mysteriously, before letting go and stepping back, retrieving something from within his vest as he did so. Jed stood back up as Sabin backed up against Jack, Jack placing his hands on Sabin's shoulders. "Mr. President, gentleman, madam," Jack said as farewell to them. "Bye," Sabin added, before placing both hands on the stone, making Jack and himself disappear... - - - -SGC- Sirius and the others were beginning to get worried, it being over three hours since Jack and Sabin had left. They had told Hammond everything, and it didn't take long for Hammond to just outright suggest Sirius join in on what they were doing at the mountain after being briefed, which pleased them all. Soon after that, they began telling Sirius about the SGC, Sabin actually being the Guardian (which he took fairly well, considering), and took him deeper into the mountain and into the SGC where he gaped at the gate for a long while. "Jack! Sabin!" Daniel called, pulling Sirius out of his gaze. "What took you guys so long?" he asked. "Oh, just had a chat with..." Jack feigned a glare at Sabin, "The President of the United States, his Chief of Staff, Secretary, Personal Assistant, and the Head of the Secret Service. Oh, and that was after we landed right in the middle of the Oval Office, interrupting a conversation the big guy was having with a certain Senator Kinsey..." Jack paused to smile in memory. "Sabin poofed him onto the White House lawn not long after that..." he finished, quite blissfully. "Looks like the Guardian and yourself had a fun time," Sam noted. "Oh yes, and we let three people into the secrets of the Stargate Program and of there being a Magical World, with the permission of the President, I might add," Jack said. "And while I'm thinking about it," Jack said, changing the subject. "What did you do to the President, Sabin?" he asked. "I know you did something." "I helped him," Sabin said. "Yeah..." Daniel prompted. "He was sort of sick with something, and now he doesn't need to worry about it anymore," Sabin said. "You're not going to tell us more than that, are you?" Daniel asked. "Nope." Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "So, what's been happening here?" Jack asked, looking at Sirius. Hammond came in at that moment. "Colonel, I am sure you will be happy to hear that Sirius Black has just joined SG-1. You all have a week to get him accustomed to how things are done around here before you go off world again," Hammond said. "Sweet!" Jack and Sabin said happily. Sirius grinned, happy to see that his Godson was still a kid, despite the fact of also being the Guardian, though Jack being the way he was probably helped. "Also, you and Sabin need to drop by the infirmary to be checked out. Dr. Fraiser is waiting," Hammond continued. "-Aw-, what?" Jack complained. "We're fine, we just came from a Napoleonic powermonger!" "Poppy just gave me a chocolate drink," Sabin happily put in. "Well, we can't all be spared," Jack replied, recalling how Poppy had pocked and prodded his hand that had thankfully been healed by Sabin earlier. She had said there was something `odd' about it, but Jack didn't bother asking for an explanation to that comment, just shrugged it off -- tired of his hand being handled. "Colonel, Fraiser is waiting," Hammond stated, un-phased by Jack's complaints, and actually privately amused by them. "Yes, General," Jack sighed, turning and trudging forward, guiding Sabin with him. "Powermonger?" Sabin asked before they completely left the room. "Vampires, torturers, powermongers, they're all the same..." Jack mumbled, the others following, clearly entertained by Jack's statements, especially Sirius. *Part 19: Jolinar* -Residence within the White House- Jed couldn't believe how good he felt. His back pain he occasionally suffered from had completely disappeared, and it had been that way for an entire week, ever since Sabin had shaken his hand... He also hadn't had any further symptoms of the blasted Multiple Sclerosis he had been diagnosed with roughly seven years ago. Thankfully, he had the type called `relapsing-remitting,' which simply meant the symptoms would flare every so often and after the `attacks' he would make a full recovery. He had felt a few symptoms coming at the start of the cold he had caught earlier that week, but after Sabin, both his cold and his starting symptoms (random numbness and tingles) had vanished. He had yet to mention any of this to his wife, Abigail (Abbey), though. He was currently on his couch, thinking, while holding a book, when his wife came in. "Have you taken your painkillers today? How's your back?" Abbey asked. "Fine, haven't needed any pills for this whole week," Jed said, turning a page in his book he wasn't really reading. "I find that hard to believe, Jed," she stated. "Well, it's the truth. My cold is gone too," he said, the MS symptoms implied. She blinked. "Really?" "Yes, really. Ever since that meeting I had with the Special Ambassador and the Colonel," he said, now putting his book down. "Special Ambassador, huh?" she said, suspicious. "Is there something you're not telling me, Jed? There must be something going on." "Well, it's honestly extremely classified. Less than ten people that I know of in Washington know both secrets." "I think you should tell me, especially with these, though good, unexpected improvements in your health," Abbey said. Jed sighed. "I can't tell you everything, so just believe what I have to say, okay?" Jed asked. "It's because of national and uh... international security." "It's better than nothing. Spill it." "The Special Ambassador, I think he cured me," Jed said. Abbey just stared at him. "Are you sure you're feeling okay, Jed? Haven't bumped your head or overdosed on your meds and forgotten you've actually taken them? You've done that before you know," Abbey said. "I'm serious, Abbey. He took my hand and I felt this weird... I don't know, pulse maybe? And I asked him if there was something wrong. He just looked up at me and simply said, `Not anymore'. I'm telling you Abbey, I haven't felt this good in a long time. I feel better now than even before our wedding." "I think we should schedule a doctor's appointment, get an MRI," Abbey stated. "-Abbey-... come on," Jed said. "If you're right, and this `Special Ambassador,' witch doctor, or whatever really did cure you as you say, we'll see on the MRI. If not, I'm taking more control over your medication. I'm not going to let you walk around with your pills in your pocket anymore, Jed. Do you hear me?" "Yes, dear." - - - -SGC -- Gateroom- Jack snuck into the Gateroom, ducking behind some large containers holding equipment, searching for Sabin. He moved swiftly behind the Stargate, ignoring the confused looks from the Airmen watching him. He heard a giggle. It echoed around the room and bounced off the concrete walls. He knew he was close now. "Where are you, Sabin?" Jack whispered. Another giggle. -He's taunting me!- Jack thought, doubling his efforts to find Sabin, even looking under the ramp as two people entered the Gateroom... "Sabin, what the hell are you doing! Get down here before you fall and hurt yourself!" Sirius roared, staring up at the ceiling. Jack quickly moved out from behind the Stargate and looked up, finding Sabin hanging from the ceiling, his little hands holding onto a bar he must have transfigured from the concrete. He let go and began to drop as Sirius whipped out his wand, but before Sirius could cast a spell... -Poof!- -Poof!- Sabin disappeared in midair and appeared right before Sirius, Cassandra beside him. Cassandra had been adopted by Dr. Fraiser earlier that year, SG-1 becoming part of her new family as well, and was roughly twelve years old. She was the only survivor of her people after a terrible virus had wiped them out. Her home planet was called Hanka. "-Aw-, Sirius, you told him where I was!" Sabin actually whined. "What?" Sirius asked. "They were playing hide and seek, Sirius," Cassandra said, finding Sabin utterly adorable. She had come with Dr. Fraiser earlier that week to be able to meet Sirius and Sabin, Dr. Fraiser deciding it was time for her to visit the SGC again as well. "What!?" Sirius asked, his anger and worry disappearing and shifting into something else. "And you didn't invite -me-?" "You were reading mission reports," Sabin said. Sirius grumbled something. "I know how you feel," Jack said, sympathetically. "Colonel," Hammond interrupted, looking down at them from the Control Room with an amused expression. "Briefing Room." "Yes, sir," Jack said, immediately leading them out of the Gateroom. The past week had been busy, to put it simply. They had made another visit to the Rocky Cove to get more potion supplies (Sam saying she needed more, especially after understanding the more complex potions after speaking with Severus), and for Sirius to get clothes, desired Wizarding supplies, and a new wand. Sirius' new wand was Mahogany with a Sasquatch Hair as its core. His handsome new clothes were dark and gave him an impressive and clean look. Sirius gave Jack's secondary wand back to him, Jack's second wand now becoming his only and primary wand. Sirius had settled in quite well at the base (his room down the hall from Jack and Sabin's and next to Daniel's). He had taken in all he could the past week, reading (or skimming) the mission reports and learning as much as he could about the Goa'uld and the Stargate Program. He was intrigued to learn the true story of how Sabin joined SG-1, and laughed when he read the events surrounding the NID's visit. Jack had yet to use his wand with his right hand, understandably nervous about what would happen, especially after he had felt when he had just tried holding it. It just felt -off-, heavy almost. So he stuck with learning to use his wand with his left hand so he could cast if he ever needed to. Sabin agreed with him. Jack and the others sat down in the briefing room, Hammond at the head of the table. Going around from his right was Jack, Sabin, and Sirius; from the left was Sam, Teal'c and Daniel. Hammond began briefing them, informing them that it was likely that the planet was inhabited, the M.A.L.P. giving evidence of this, and that if it was, Jack could open up talks about whatever he felt were beneficial to both parties. "Cool, my first mission," Sirius said, excited. Sabin grinned. They finished up the briefing soon after that, and before Sirius knew it, they were all in front of the gate, fully geared and ready to go. - - - -Planet Nassya- Being led by Jack, SG-1 and SG-10 stepped from the blue horizon and out onto the stone platform. "Wow..." Sirius said shakily, having to gather himself after stepping through. "You'll get used to it," Daniel said, referring to the odd feeling one got after stepping through the Gate. "I did." "That's good to know." They went down, entering the clearing. Jack was in front, Sabin a few feet behind and to his right. Sirius and Daniel were just behind and on either side of Sabin, followed by Sam and Teal'c. It didn't take long at all until they were able to make out the sound of people coming from a valley in front of them by a beach. "Village?" Sirius asked. "I'd assume so," Daniel said. "Yup," Jack said as the people in the obvious village noticed them. The people quickly gathered together, their leader in front, trying to decide what to make of them. "Daniel, do your thing," Jack said. SG-1 and 10 went down, Sabin staying just behind Jack, a smile on his face. "Hello. We're peaceful explorers. I'm Daniel Jackson, this is Colonel O'Neill, Sabin, Captain Carter, Teal'c, and Sirius," Daniel said, before then introducing SG-10. "Explorers?" the leader asked. "We came through the ring. You know, the Stargate," Jack put in. All of their eyes widened. "Then, let us welcome you. It is a great honor to greet travelers from the Ring. Such an event has not occurred in several generations. I am Hubert," the man said, everyone eagerly coming forward to shake their hands, even Sabin's. "This is your child?" Hubert curiously asked Daniel beside him. "He's mine." "He's mine," Jack and Sirius both said, practically at the same time, while stepping up and proudly placing a hand on Sabin's shoulders. Everyone looked at them. SG-10 smiled knowingly behind SG-1. -Is Teal'c smirking?- Jack wondered, catching his face from the corner of his eye. "We mean, we are both..." Sirius began. "I'm his dad, Sirius is his godfather," Jack finished. "I see. Your people have interesting customs and obviously treasure your children. I can see our peoples will get along splendidly," Hubert said, smiling down at Sabin like a grandfather. Sabin smiled back, before looking around to the other villagers behind them. If Daniel hadn't been looking at Sabin at that instant, he would have missed the brief frown. -Huh. That was odd,- Daniel thought, but it was soon forgotten as Hubert led them to his house. It didn't take long for the villagers to start a feast and begin sharing their culture with SG-1 and 10, particularly with Daniel. Sabin quickly joined in on a simple game with the other children, and Jack watched over Sabin. Sirius got into a deep discussion with an old gentleman, Teal'c apparently listening in on it, and Sam gathered soil samples. The day continued, and it didn't take long for Hubert to propose an alliance and open up talks about a research outpost with the Tau'ri, led by Jack. While that was going on, Sam was happy to continue her soil collection, Sirius enjoying some talks with the villagers, and Sabin, Daniel, and Teal'c went to the nearby ruins the villagers had mentioned earlier that day. "What are you doing?" Sabin asked, watching Daniel write vigorously on his notepad. "Recording what I think may be this world's history," Daniel said. "Hmm, history?" Sabin asked, clearly confused as he glanced at the odd text by a few carved pictures. "Yes. Many civilizations record their history through hieroglyphs and things, like what we see here," he explained. "These don't tell of this planet's history," Sabin said. "Oh?" Daniel asked, intrigued now. "It is a story with a lesson," Sabin explained. "Nassya's history is on that pillar over there." "You can read this?" Daniel asked. "Yes, remember, I can understand all languages, I just can't write or speak them until I learn," he said. Sabin had the ability to understand all languages, which he had explained to SG-1 earlier. "What is it about?" Daniel asked, looking as if Christmas had come early. A natural translator! "It is a story of a warrior confronting a monster and trying to kill it. However, after nearly making the grave mistake of destroying the `monster,' the warrior learned that the `monster' was a creature who was protecting his village from the true foe. Its lesson teaches that appearances can be deceiving, and what you think is may not be." "Wow. Well, the pictures make a little more sense now," Daniel said. Sabin nodded, glancing towards the village. Teal'c noticed he seemed distracted. "Is something the matter, Guardian Sabin?" he asked. Sabin's gaze had trailed off in the direction of the village, clearly in thought. "I'm not sure, but there is something..." he said. "What is something?" Daniel asked, having been focused on his notebook previously. "Guardian Sabin, I have noted, has recently become distracted. I was asking him if there was something the matter," Teal'c explained. "Oh," Daniel managed, looking down to Sabin in concern. "Is there anything we can do to help? What is --" Daniel never finished his question as several loud roaring vessels streaked the sky, heading towards the village, orbs of energy already having been launched. "Death Gliders," Teal'c stated, his voice flat in disbelief, before he felt Sabin take hold of his hand. Sabin grabbed Daniel's hand soon after, before... -POOF!- - - - -Village- Jack felt the house shake as several explosions echoed through the walls from outside. Jack jumped up and ran outside, his gun aimed and ready as he heard several Death Gliders overhead. People were screaming, and his only thoughts were focused on where his team and Sabin were. "Sir! They're coming about again!" Sam shouted, pointing. The Death Gliders turned about and fired again, striking the ground and one of the village homes. "Everyone to the Gate!" Jack ordered. "Sam, get there and start dialing!" "Yes, sir! Everyone, come with me!" Sam shouted, waving them towards the gate. "Hubert, go with Sam. We'll take you and your people to safety," Jack said, before heading to one of the fallen buildings he had seen Sirius run to. -POOF!- Jack immediately stopped, knowing Sabin had just appeared at the edge of the village, on the side closest to the Gate. The people about gasped in awe, but because their village was being bombarded, there was no time for staring -- besides, Sabin was just getting started. Sabin released Teal'c and Daniel's hands, both of them instinctively moving away as Sabin centered his energy. -CLAP!- A dome, much like the one he had formed before the adventure through Ban Azka, materialized over the majority of the village and the Gate. -Boom-boom Boom-... The dome held, and it was clear to Jack and Sam that the Gliders' firepower was far less than that on P4A-771. Sabin deducted the same thing and lowered his arms, still holding up the shield but able to focus his attention elsewhere. "We've got to get these people to safety," Jack said. "Agreed, O'Neill," Teal'c said, before they all went into action, SG-10 going into action as well. "Where's Sirius?" Daniel asked, running with Jack to help some frightened kids. "I saw him run towards that house," Jack said, pointing to one of the damaged and burning homes. "-Colonel, the Gate's open. I'm sending people through-," Sam said over the radio. "Good, Carter. Tell Hubert to tell Hammond what's happening," "-Already did, sir. He just went through, leading his people-," she replied. -Boom... Boom...- The dome remained solid. "Sabin!" Jack shouted, seeing him run towards the house he had just indicated. He quickly went after him. He only went a few steps before he stopped, Sirius running out from behind the flaming house with an old man in his arms. It was the same old man he had been talking to earlier that day. "Sabin!" Sirius yelled, stopping before him and kneeling down, the man limp in his arms. "Can you help him?" Sirius asked desperately. Sabin nodded, quickly placing a hand on the old man's forehead and one on his chest. Sabin surged his power into the man, quickly learning what was wrong. Part of his chest had collapsed after something heavy had landed on it, his lungs were badly burned from smoke inhalation, and he had a pretty bad head wound. Sabin willed himself not to even think that this man was too far gone, and forced more healing power into him. Sabin's hands glowed blue, and he was concentrating so much that he didn't notice the dome flicker slightly. Luckily the Death Gliders were having to turn around at that moment. The man's eyes snapped open, sucking in a giant breath of air. "Thank Merlin," Sirius gasped, clearly thankful. "Come on, we gotta go!" Jack shouted, immediately helping Sirius get the old man up before grabbing Sabin's arm to keep him from falling as they ran. Sabin allowed the dome to collapse as they went up the ramp, all of the villagers either directly in front of them or already on the other side. Sabin was privately surprised he wasn't as tired as he thought he would be after healing the man, but it stood to reason that, after all that practice in Ban Azka, his stamina and endurance would have improved. Sirius, Jack, and Sabin were the last to enter the SGC, the Gate closing behind them. The moment Sabin step foot on the ramp, he knew something was off. Wrong. He stopped, oblivious to the concerned looks from Jack, Sirius, and Hammond (in the balcony overlooking the Gateroom). Sabin closed his eyes, wanting to zone in on the threat that was now in the base. It was unbelievably malicious, full of hatred and murderous intent; it was more than enough to enrage Sabin. Sabin clenched his fists, his knuckles quickly going white as he tightened his fists to the point of making them tremble slightly. This being would like nothing less than to destroy the Tau'ri and enslave all he thought inferior. He was no doubt already a murderer and enjoyed his killing. Well, Sabin wasn't about to let this continue. "Sabin? Alright there buddy?" Jack asked, actually feeling the disgust and anger from Sabin. Sabin opened his eyes. "There's a very bad... man, in the infirmary right now. He came through the Gate with the villagers before us." "What? I thought --" Jack began, already getting a better hold of his gun. "The Gate is within the Zone, besides, only extremely powerful zones can work on Gates, and those zones have to be placed on both sides," Sabin explained. "Alright, let's go," Jack said, Teal'c and Sam clearing the way and telling the airmen to divert the villagers still in the Gateroom to the rec room, in which they would stay until further notice. SG-1 headed to the infirmary. - - - -Infirmary- Dr. Fraiser tended to the wounded villagers, pleasantly surprised more were not hurt. She went to one of the men that had been one of the unfortunate ones. He had been in one of the houses that were first hit and had burns all over his body. It actually amazed her that he was still alive. She was about to begin the treatment of his burns but stopped when several people stormed into the infirmary, being led by none other than the Guardian -- an extremely angry Guardian if she read his face right. "Dr. Fraiser, move away from that man," Sabin stated, continuing forward. Fraiser blinked, wondering what all of this was about, especially when she saw the rest of SG-1 aiming their weapons at the man (Sirius having his wand out) and that a few well armed airmen were slowly entering the room and going along the walls. Fraiser slowly backed away. "Sabin, this man is really hurt. Whatever this man has done, can this not wait?" she asked. Sabin went forward and stopped right beside the bed, his waist coming just below the top of the bed where the unconscious man lay. "We're placing guards around this man," Jack stated, lowering his gun slightly. "He is not to be left alone." "Of course, if you think that is necessary, Colonel, but what is going on?" Fraiser asked. "Guardian Sabin senses this man means all of us harm," Teal'c said, letting the end of his staff rest upon the floor since the threat was obviously going to be out for a while. "Harm? The man can barely breathe, let alone hurt anyone," she said, motioning to the unmoving body. "Because of the Zone, I can sense any malicious intent towards all under my protection," Sabin said, turning towards a still slightly confused Fraiser. "That is also why I knew he was here." "I see." "Well doc, once you do whatever you have to do to stabilize the man, we'll detain him in the holding room," Jack said. "We're not taking any chances." "Of course," she said, moving back towards where she had been. Sabin was about to step aside for Fraiser, but he didn't quite make it that far... Everything that followed felt like a lifetime, but it was but a few seconds. "RAHHH!!" The burned man sat up, his arms firmly wrapping around Sabin's arms and chest in a blink of an eye. Sabin quickly realized this man was unnaturally strong, and that wasn't counting the fact he was doing this while being badly burned. "Sabin!" Jack shouted, dropping his gun and impulsively thrusting his scarred hand forward. As Jack's arm straightened, the burned man bowed his head by Sabin's neck, opening his mouth... "Ahhhh!" Sabin cried, struggling as much as he could, sending out a jolt of power in attempt to make the man release him, but the man just held him tighter. Kicking off the floor in further attempt to get away, Sabin felt two things: A powerful pulse of power not his own shoot by his face and shoulder to hit the man holding him, and an extremely painful burning sensation shear through him, originating at his neck. The man was blasted back, landing in a heap on the floor at the other side of the bed, but this was not the end of it. Sabin landed back on his feet, his hand immediately going to the side of his neck. "Nobody move!" Jack shouted, his eyes wide, fearfully staring at Sabin. - - - -Seconds before- Jack propelled his arm forward, willing all of his power forward as he watched the man move his face by Sabin's neck. What Jack and the others saw next terrified them. A Goa'uld. It shot out of the man's mouth and easily penetrated Sabin's skin and entered into the back of his neck. Soon after, the burned body was hit and was flung back, but their attention was now on Sabin. "Nobody move!" Jack shouted, his eyes wide, fearfully staring at Sabin. Gasping, Sabin's other hand found support on the side table as he straightened. "Sabin?" Jack asked, unsure if he even wanted an answer. Sabin shakily looked up at him, gripping tightly on the table as he fought for control, but as Sabin met Jack's eyes, his eyes glowed. "No!" Jack shouted, feeling completely helpless. Sabin's knees gave out and he quickly caught himself on the nearest bed with his other arm. With a moan the glow flickered, going back and forth from a strong white to a dim one. "Fight, Guardian Sabin," Teal'c urged, everyone praying Sabin would win, their weapons aimed. Sabin's hand tightened over the covers, his legs moving in attempt to get him upright, but to no avail. "Get -out-," Sabin managed to ground out. "--_No_,--" the intruder replied, Sabin's voice clearly not his own as his eyes glowed again. Sabin's hand holding onto the edge of table tightened, actually bending the metal around his fingers. Sabin pulled, yanking the table away from the wall, and in an amount of force clearly not possible for a child, even one such as Sabin, he threw the table to the opposite side of the room where it crashed into the wall between two previously occupied beds. Sabin fell to his knees, his back to the wall where the table had been after he had spun slightly. Sabin gagged, his whole form trembling from internal strain before gagging again, as if he had eaten something particularly horrible. It landed with a splat before him, dark and unmoving, a serpent-like thing on the floor. Jack practically leapt over the bed to get to Sabin. He pulled Sabin to his chest to comfort them both. Sabin hiccupped, blood on his lips. "Good Lord, is it dead?" one of the airmen asked as everyone but Jack and Sabin stared at it. Before anyone could check, Sirius waved his wand and growled, "*-Eradico-*!" The previously dead Goa'uld was now a pile of ash. "It is now," Sirius replied, his eyes narrowing, before going to Sabin. Placing a comforting hand on Sabin's shivering back, Sirius looked to Jack. Jack and Sirius exchanged looks of utter relief, and neither could even attempt to voice their feelings on the matter. Instead, Jack stood up, allowing Sabin to continue resting against him. "Sabin?" Sirius asked. Sabin opened his eyes and looked at him, and for an instant there was a questioning expression on his face. Jack didn't know what to think of that. "I'll be okay," Sabin whispered, his hands securely gripping onto Jack's vest. "The host is dead," Fraiser stated after a moment of checking the severely injured man. "I think the only thing that was keeping him alive was the Goa'uld." Jack and the others nodded at her grim assessment. Fraiser then went to Sabin, seeing the wound near the back of his neck and the blood from his mouth. "I think we should get you checked out. Make sure you'll be okay," she said softly, already getting disinfectants and other needed equipment before leading SG-1 out to the MRI. - - - -Briefing Room a few hours later- Hammond had just been told everything that had taken place off world and in the infirmary, and it was clear he was disturbed by it all. The only thing that had eased his feelings was that Sabin would be alright, and that he had somehow been able to defeat the Goa'uld that had tried to possess him. Another thing that had him a little worried was the display of Jack's magic. Though his action was understandable, the raw power behind it was quite alarming. Hammond decided to bring it up once things had quieted back down. He had a suspicion it had something to do with the wand having exploded in that hand. "How is Sabin?" Hammond asked. "He's better than earlier and is resting now. Cassandra is with him," Daniel said, remembering how much effort it had taken for them to coax him away from Jack. It was moments like that that reminded SG-1 that Sabin was still a child. "I promised him we wouldn't be long, General, so with all due respect, if we could make this quick," Jack added. "Understood, Colonel," Hammond said, before giving a heavy sigh, trying not to imagine what would have happened if the Goa'uld had succeeded in his goal. "Sabin's injuries?" "Fraiser has patched him up, and his body seems to already be healing the internal damage that had taken place in his neck, throat, and around his spinal cord," Sam said. Hammond nodded. Daniel sighed. "What I don't get is why the Goa'uld attacked and sent one of their own in to infiltrate the village. I mean, what was the point? What could they possibly have gained?" "Maybe they found out we were there," Jack said. "And after we beat the crap out of Apophis..." "I don't think that's the reason," Sirius said. "Well, whatever the reason, I think we should be really cautious now," Sam said. "Yeah, never underestimate the enemy," Sirius stated. "What's the status of the Nasyian survivors?" Hammond asked, changing the subject. "Well, we managed to rescue 237... well, now 236 people. The critically burned and some of the overflow our infirmary couldn't handle were transferred to the Air Force Academy hospital. The rest are awaiting relocation," Daniel said. "Very good," Hammond said. "General, I think it's important to try and find the reason why Nasyia became a Goa'uld target," Daniel continued. "Agreed! But relocation is the first priority. I'm assigning the three new SG teams 10 through 12 to coordinate with you. If that is all, you are dismissed." "Oh, Black, I hate to be a nag about this but ol' Doc Fraiser says you haven't been checked out yet?" Jack asked as they exited the briefing room. "I'll go after we check on Sabin. Wouldn't want to break post-mission protocol after my first mission, right, Colonel?" Sirius said. - - - -Sabin's Room- Jack and Sirius entered Sabin's room (which was across the hall from Jack's), Teal'c and the others waited outside since there wasn't a great deal of room in the ex-storage room. Cassandra was drawing in a chair next to Sabin's bed, and Sabin was reclined back against some pillows, a bandage on the back of his neck. "Hey, Sabin. Finished with the briefing. Hammond wants to start relocating the Nasyians soon," Jack said. "Yeah?" Sabin asked, his voice obviously suffering from a bad case of sore throat. Jack and Sirius nodded before kneeling down beside Sabin's bed. "SG teams 10 through 12 will be helping us relocate them, and we'll be starting that tomorrow probably," Jack said. Sabin nodded, pretty sure he would have to be left behind until good ol' Fraiser released him from his bedridden state. He focused his eyes to Sirius. He felt no malicious intent from whatever had attached itself to Sirius, and felt that Sirius had given his consent, so knew this being wasn't an enemy. Though calling it a `friend' at this point might be unwise. He did the barest mind brush he could and learned this individual was scared, but had no choice but to go along with Sirius. He also felt the same sense of duty and honor in them as he did from Teal'c, and knew they had a hatred towards the Goa'uld, particularly the one who had hurt him, that was roughly equal to Jack's. Sabin blinked, only a few seconds having passed before deciding something. "Hi," Sabin greeted Sirius, or rather the one within him. Sirius smiled, returning the greeting, not yet realizing Sabin wasn't addressing him exactly. "Hi, Sabin. Doing better?" "Yeah, just wish I could heal myself, but Fraiser said no, which I sort of understand since I've already used a lot of energy today. Healing inside stuff is sort of complicated and draining. So, who are you, and why are you in my godfather?" Sabin asked conversationally. Jack quickly turned towards Sirius, trying to decide what he should do if he had just understood Sabin correctly. Sabin didn't seem too upset about what Jack was pretty sure he was referring to, but... Sirius stood up slowly and backed away with a smile. "I told her she wouldn't be able to hide from you," Sirius said, before hastily explaining. "She told me she is with a group called the Tok'ra, and I got a great deal of memories about them. She had been inside the old man you healed on the planet, and had hoped to travel through the Gate unnoticed, but the Goa'uld had managed to track her with the help of that assassin." Jack stood up, understandably moving between Sabin and Sirius slightly. "`She'?" Jack asked suspiciously. "Her name is Jolinar. Her people work against the Goa'uld. They may be the same species, but their people are quite different." "How do we know she's not making you say this to save herself?" Jack asked. "Ask Sabin," Sirius said. "He's telling the truth," Sabin stated. "How did she get into you?" Jack asked, Teal'c and the others watching fixedly from the hall and through the doorway. "I had run into the building to help the man. I knew he was in there from speaking to him earlier. Well, a ceiling beam had fallen on him and I used a spell to lift it off him before I got him outside to the back of the house. He wasn't breathing, so tried CPR which I had learned last week from you all. Jolinar knew the old man was about to die and would take her with him if she stayed, so she entered me. At first I blocked her because she tried to take control, but then something strange happened. I put my Legilimency and Occlumency on full force, understandably trying to figure out what this thing was inside me. I got her memories, and let me tell you, I'm still trying to shake the headache away. Well, after seeing her memories, I returned the favor since she answered my questions the best she could. She learned Sabin had healing abilities and asked me to take the old man to him, which I was about to do anyways, I might add," Sirius explained. "All of this happened on the planet?" Daniel asked from behind him. "Well, learning that she wasn't evil was on the planet. Comprehending most of everything else was after, but she told me the gist of the assassin and stuff on our way to the Gate. Soon after that we all know what happened." "Which was why you immediately disintegrated it," Sam said, understandingly. "Could we speak to this `Jolinar'?" Jack asked, not as convinced. "Alright," Sirius said, before bowing his head. Jack and the others prepared themselves, though Sabin was fairly relaxed. Sirius raised his head as his eyes glowed. Cassandra gasped. "--_I am Jolinar of the Tok'ra. I must say, I am quite impressed with the Tau'ri_,--" she said, her voice a deep echo within itself. Jack blinked. "Jolinar of the Tok'ra? Why did you not reveal yourself?" Jack asked. "--_My mission was, and still is, sensitive. I must be wary of who I trust_.--" "What mission would that be?" "--_I have information concerning a few System Lords and must deliver it to my people, though, now they would have no doubt moved, and I know not where they are now_,--" she said, slight despair peeking through her voice. "Moved?" Jack asked. "--_Yes, we are constantly on the move. The Goa'uld have been hunting us for a very long time_.--" Jack hummed slightly, thinking. "Let's say I believe you. What do we do now?" Jack asked. "--_I do not know. For right now, my people have no reason to believe I am even still alive_.--" "Well, that's brilliant." "--_Indeed_,--" she agreed. "Um... can we speak to Sirius now?" Jolinar bowed her head, before giving Sirius back control. "That is the weirdest feeling ever!" Sirius exclaimed. "I can see and feel everything, but it's not me, you know?" "No, we don't know, but anyways... thoughts?" Jack asked, looking to Sam and the others for insight as well. "I suppose we take this to the General. There's not much we can do right now," Daniel said. "I guess Jolinar, if we are to believe her, which since Sabin does I will too, will have to just stay in Sirius for now." "I agree with Daniel Jackson. Jolinar of the Tok'ra should stay with us, and perhaps share the information she has with us, since our common enemy is the Goa'uld," Teal'c said, knowing Jolinar spoke the truth since he had heard stories of the enemy of the Goa'uld when he was a Jaffa under Apophis, though Sabin's input on it all definitely helped him decide as well. "Alright, back to General Hammond, then," Jack said, before turning back to Sabin and Cassandra. "We'll be back soon okay? I would take you with us, but Fraiser would bring out her needles she likes so much." "It's okay. I think I should go to sleep now anyway," Sabin said. "Alright," Jack said, tucking in the covers and situating the pillows for Sabin. The rest of SG-1 smiled behind him, Cassandra joining them, though hesitantly looking up at Sirius as they left the room. After tucking Sabin in, Jack turned out the lights, a Star Wars night-light coming on in the corner of the room. "I'll check on you after the briefing and then see you tomorrow," Jack said. "Good night, Sabin." "Night," Sabin whispered. *Part 20: Calming Effect* Sabin's hand came to rest against his bandaged neck as he rolled over in his sleep, sweat spotting his forehead. With a soft whimper he turned over again, trying to force away the churning nightmare. "--_I almost have you...you're mine..._--" he heard a voice echo in his mind. "No... no, I'm not," he whispered back, his voice a mixture of fear and determination. "--_Pitiful child. You're no match for the Goa'uld, the gods_,--" the voice said. "--_We will destroy the Tau'ri you treasure so._--" "You're not gods," Sabin stated, now actually getting angry. "And I won't let you hurt anyone anymore!" Sabin released a mental pulse so strong it made his ears buzz, but it was soon more than that. Information, jumbled and confusing, surfaced, it was almost painful. If it wasn't for his experience with the Archive, he would not have been able to digest much of the information going through his mind now. There was information about technologies, primitive to his Ancient knowledge but quite impressive to Tau'ri standards. With all of that, there were names, dates, events, and even plans of the Goa'uld, as well as the information they believed they had correct about the Tok'ra, the other System Lords, and the Tau'ri... Everything this Goa'uld had done and seen flashed before him, several lifetimes of events and actions. All of this was anything but organized, for this information was not meant to be discerned or intelligible, at least not all at once. Overwhelming would be an understatement. Sabin didn't even feel, let alone wake, when he fell off his bed and landed on the floor with a dull thud. - - - -Briefing Room- "So you have no idea where your people are?" Daniel asked Jolinar. "--_No. Well... I know one place, but I do not think it wise to go there. It is our safest place and I do not want to possibly jeopardize it. I would rather wait and find one of the minor locations_,--" she said. "That is understandable," Hammond said. "We shall keep a look out for any word about the Tok'ra, until then, I assume you wish to stay in Sirius?" "--_Yes, I would. Despite his childish attitudes in certain things, I find his companionship refreshing_.--" "Very well, then," Hammond said. "Now, do you have any other information concerning the Goa'uld or other things that will be beneficial to us at the moment?" "--_I don't believe so, General, but if I did, I'm sure Sirius would remind me_.--" "Yes, I would," Sirius said, taking control for a brief moment. "That is -so- weird," Jack muttered, quite loudly that is. "--_It is for one such as I as well, O'Neill. I have never had a host able to obtain control so easily. Normally it is a co-joined action, shifting control back and forth_,--" Jolinar said, her eyes glowing as she took control again, not even bowing her head this time. Jack blinked and was about to say something, but right before he could, the lights went out. Darkness everywhere, they couldn't even see two inches in front of their faces. "What just happened?" Daniel asked. "It appears the power has gone out, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said. "Uhh, shouldn't there be emergency lights on or something?" Sam asked. "One would think," Jack said. "Hmm, -Lumos-," Sirius said, evidently the one currently in control. Light erupted from the tip of his wand, nearly blinding them all. "Jeez! A little warning next time, Black," Jack said, shielding his eyes. "Sorry, but at least we have some light now," he said as the light dimmed and they were able to make out each other's faces, though not much of the room. Their eyes quickly adapted, making Jack decide more light would help. Shielding his eyes with his scared hand and pulling out his wand with his left, he said, "I'm going to give us some more light, okay?" "Good idea," Sam said. "-Lumos-." His wand lit up, much like Sirius', but... so did his hand that was currently shielding his eyes. "Ahh!" Jack fell out of his chair, his hand glowing brightly where his scars were. On the floor and reclining back on his elbows, Jack blinked several times, trying to get rid of the spots now in his vision. "Jack... your hand... it's glowing," Sam said, all of them up from their chairs and staring at him. Jack looked at his hand. "Oh, really, Carter? I didn't notice," he retorted, picking himself off the floor, one hand glowing, lit wand in the other. "And you call me weird," Sirius said. -Ring-ring-. Hammond picked up the phone. Apparently the phones weren't out. "General, this is Sergeant Siler. There's been a power outage of some kind, if you are not already aware of it. I believe it has originated from level 25. It has affected all lights on levels 20 through 28," Siler said, the technical Sergeant. "Shall I send a crew up there to investigate?" "One moment, Sergeant," Hammond said, before relaying what he learned to SG-1. "Sabin?" Daniel asked. With that, Jack and Sirius got up. "No, Sergeant. I'm sending SG-1. I think it may have been Sabin," Hammond said as Jack and the others dashed out of the room. "Go ahead and begin making repairs though." - - - Jack led the way, but even with the Lumos spells, it was hard to make out what was ahead of them. It was just too dark, and too much power in the Lumos spells just caused a bright blinding glare, and taking time to grab flashlights unfortunately never crossed their minds. "I have an idea," Sirius said suddenly, still on level 27. "-Expecto Patronum-." Sirius' grizzly came forth, illuminating the halls much better than their wands or Jack's hand. "Ooo, much better. I have got to learn that spell," Jack said. Now able to see, without it being too dim or too bright, they hurried to level 25, where their quarters were. Going up the stairs, since the elevator was out of the question, they finally made it to the 25th floor. "Uhhh, guys... the floor is alive," Daniel said. They all looked down, having felt the odd ripples shifting under their feet. "What the --?" Jack breathed, before stating, "Sabin's upset." Jack quickened his pace, having to slow near the grizzly. "Come on, hurry! Smokey, move aside!" Without pleasantries, Jack just ran through `Smokey' and dashed to Sabin's room, flinging the door open, the rippling floor growing more turbulent. Looking in the room and raising his glowing hand and lit wand to see, he looked to Sabin's bed. The blankets were a mess, wrapped and rolled together like a knot, but Sabin wasn't there. Jack looked to the floor, the others suddenly behind him and quickly finding the bed empty, just as he had. "Sabin!" Sabin was on the floor and on his side, rocking back and forth with his eyes closed, his forehead covered in sweat. "Daniel, get Fraiser! Something's wrong!" he said, getting down beside Sabin and turning him over after handing his wand to Daniel. Daniel did as he was told, taking Jack's lit wand and dashing to find Fraiser. Sirius's grizzly entered the room, providing them with more light as Jack glided his glowing hand above Sabin's frame, looking for anything that would tell them what might be wrong. "Could it be a nightmare?" Teal'c asked as Smokey moved closer to Sabin. Sabin suddenly seemed to calm, but only a little. "Wait-wait!" Jack said. "Smokey, come closer!" Smokey, evidently accepting his new name, obeyed, causing Sabin to relax a little more as he lay beside him, though not enough to celebrate over. However, the rippling stopped. "Come on, wake up!" Jack said, shaking Sabin a little. He wouldn't wake. "What do you think is wrong?" Sam asked. "--_Why is... _-Smokey-_ causing a positive response?_--" Jolinar asked, eyes glowing briefly. "I don't know," Jack said, looking at Sabin's face and deciding maybe he could mind brush him out of this probable nightmare. He soon learned that was a mistake. "GAH! Holy crap!" Jack cried, pulling back and holding his head. "What!" Sirius asked. "What did you see?" "I don't know, but definitely not what a kid should be seeing, even in a nightmare. We've got to wake him up!" Jack said. "We agree," Sirius said hurriedly, speaking for himself and Jolinar. Sam went forward, brushing past Sirius to kneel beside Jack and across from the concerned looking grizzly. She quickly examined Sabin. "His pulse is erratic and his breathing is shallow. You're right; Colonel, we need to wake him up," Sam said, now really worried. "Try making a patronus, maybe two will help more and be enough to wake him." "I don't know how," Jack said. "Just say, `expect-o patro-num' and think of a really -- -really- happy and powerful memory. Maybe that's why `Smokey' is helping him. It's a positive entity-like energy," Sirius instructed. "Daniel has my wand," Jack said, now wondering why they didn't get flashlights. "You don't seem to need a wand any longer, O'Neill," Teal'c observed, glancing at Jack's still lit hand. Jack looked at his hand before looking at Sabin who was now scrunching up his face in so many emotions, Jack couldn't decipher them. "Alright, -nox-," Jack said, `turning off' his hand and closing his eyes, before focusing on a memory. He slowly exhaled, remembering the birth of his son, Charlie, and the first time he held him... If that wasn't a powerful happy memory, nothing was. "-Expecto Patronum-," he said, waving his hand over to the bed, hoping to have whatever patronus he produced land on the bed or something. Well... it was not meant to be. Silver and blue light and mist came from his hand, adding to the happy and calming feeling Smokey was giving to the room, but nothing else. Jack sighed in frustration. "Again, Jack. That was a really good first try!" Sirius said. "-Expecto Patronum-!" More mist. "-Expecto Patronum-!" Before Jack could be disappointed again in only producing mist, he suddenly felt something exit his hand, or more accurately, -somethings-. "Holy Hanna," Sam gasped. A swarm of glowing -bumblebees- came zooming from his hand, quickly gathering all over Sabin in a kind of bright, buzzing blanket. Sabin actually sighed, his face relaxing as his breathing deepened. "Wake up, Sabin," Jack said, and the others could have sworn they heard a buzzy `wake up' echo from the swarm. "Jack?" Sabin whispered, uncertain. "Yeah? I'm here, can you wake up for us, buddy?" Jack asked. "What's on me?" Sabin asked, beginning to open his eyes. Just then, Daniel and Fraiser came in from the hall. "Colonel, what on Earth is this!" Fraiser immediately asked, already trying to decide the best way to swat the (radioactive?) bees away from Sabin before she saw the equally bright grizzly. "My Patronus," he said, helping Sabin sit up. Sabin already looked much better than he had a minute ago, the bees forming a vest on him, as well as a beanie-like hat. Fraiser looked to Sam and the others. "They helped Sabin wake up, we were afraid..." Sam trailed off, before finishing with, "We knew we had to wake Sabin up." "Sirius's patronus had seemed to help Sabin, so Captain Carter proposed an additional patronus to be called," Teal'c said. "O'Neill carried out the idea." "But I have Jack's wand," Daniel said. "Though it went out soon after I found Fraiser." "O'Neill does not seem to need a wand any longer," Teal'c stated. "--_I'd say that is correct_,--" Jolinar agreed, causing Sirius's eyes to glow brightly in the low light. "Whoa!!" Fraiser shouted, raising her flashlight and making a fist ready to swing at Sirius. "Doc! It's okay! She's a Tok'ra!" Jack shouted, suddenly realizing Fraiser didn't know about Jolinar. "A what?! Sirius' eyes just glowed! He's a Goa'uld!" Fraiser nearly roared, ready to take Sirius out with her trusty flashlight. "Oi..." Jack groaned. "--_I am NOT a Goa'uld_!--" Jolinar spat, making Sirius stand even taller. "--_The Tok'ra are _-nothing-_ like the Goa'uld_. _We do not live off of the suffering and enslavement of others, nor do we call ourselves gods. Never compare us to them, for we are nothing like those abominations!_--" Fraiser looked down at Jack and Sabin, barely fazed at being seriously yelled at. "Does the General know about this?" she asked. "We just had a briefing with him, well, before the lights went out," Jack said. "Jolinar will be staying in Sirius for the time being." "It won't be forever," Sirius said, making Fraiser jump from the sudden change of tone and voice, as well as expression. "Well, I suppose that's good to know. Now, what happened?" she asked, Sam moving out of the way as Jack picked Sabin up and placed him back on the bed, the bumblebees stubbornly staying put on Sabin's torso. Fraiser sat down on the edge of the bed right beside Sabin, while Jack sat just near Sabin's feet. "I swear, nothing should surprise me anymore," Fraiser mumbled to herself as Sabin gently poked one of the glowing insects on his stomach before happily petting the fuzzy, though misty, side of it. "--_I think I may know some of what happened_,--" Jolinar stated before focusing her attention on Sabin. "--_You saw his memories, didn't you?_--" Sabin nodded, now looking down at his hands. "That bloody -monster-! I'll kill them *all*!" Sirius growled dangerously, learning from Jolinar what Sabin probably experienced in the nightmare. "What?" Fraiser asked, not completely understanding the importance of what Jolinar had asked. "--_The assassin's knowledge and experiences... if I am correct, Sabin knows them all now_,--" Jolinar stated, regret actually surfacing in her odd voice, though there seemed to be some hope in it as well. Sabin shivered, forcing his thoughts away from a great deal of things he had learned, though, if he was honest with himself, it wasn't all bad. He now knew their secrets... He continued staring at his hands, now having to blink back tears. The horrid things the Goa'uld had done... Sabin sniffled and his lip quavered, but there was no denying the frightening and righteous anger now ebbing from his frame. The bees glowed brightly, shimmering gold and silver now, brief pulses of blue rippling across them collectively. Sabin swore right then and there to defeat the Goa'uld as quickly and as decisively as possible. Their time reigning over the galaxy would soon be at an end. "They believe they are gods. I will prove them wrong. I will give them a taste of true power," Sabin whispered, his voice so thin, it resembled a breeze more than a voice. Those in the room could think of nothing to say after that, instead, Fraiser took Sabin's little hand in hers, while Jack placed one of his hands on Sabin's knee. Fraiser pursed her lips, still trying to think of something right to say. "I know you will, Sabin. You will," she whispered, patting his hand. Sabin looked up at her, tears about to spill over. A few of Jack's glowing bumblebees crawled across his forehead and scar, spreading their protective energy and visible hope over his skin. Fraiser couldn't stop herself, his bright green eyes with his young and innocent face staring right at her. Hoping these bees didn't sting, she wrapped her arms around him, ignoring the creepy crawly things now walking onto her and the soft constant buzzing. - - - It was some time later when Sabin was able to go back to sleep, but before then, the General had come down to make sure everything was alright. The lights had been turned back on a few minutes before, thanks to Sergeant Siler and his technical team. Hammond was utterly confused to find a swarm of glowing bees happily... patrolling? all over Sabin. Sabin was laying back on a few pillows, Sirius, or rather Jolinar, telling him a bed time story about some operation that sabotaged an entire Goa'uld host network. "--_Selmak ensured the package was delivered. We later learned it was a success when we were told the expected hosts had been brought to the wrong planet, with no working Gate! They were several billion miles away from the Goa'uld symbiotes_!--" Teal'c actually let out a small chuckle as Jack laughed out right. Hammond knocked, unsure if he should even be interrupting. "--_General Hammond_,--" Jolinar greeted simply. "Sorry for interrupting, but I thought I would check on you, son," Hammond said, now looking at Sabin. "I'm okay. Sorry for breaking your lights," he said. "It's fine, time we replaced some equipment anyway," he said, pausing as he focused his full attention on the glowing swarm. "Those are mine, sir. They're uh... my patronus," Jack said from the other side of the bed, apparently enjoying Jolinar's bedtime story too. "Patronus? I thought they were only a single animal." "They're supposed to be, but Jack has to be different," Daniel teased, sitting in a chair in the corner. "I do not," Jack said. "Do too." "Do not." "Do too." "I don't do it on purpose," Jack stated, deciding to end it after receiving Hammond's gaze. "No one said you do, O'Neill," Teal'c said, standing calmly beside Daniel. Jack held back a huff. "So, why are the -- are they bees?" Hammond suddenly asked, deciding to just move on. Jack jumped up, picking up one of the little fellows off of the top of Sabin's head. He brought it to Hammond. "Yup, adorable little honeybees. And look, they're a little squishy too," he said, squeezing the good sized bee just a little to show him. It didn't seem to mind the treatment. "They also have a stinger, but they're quite docile. Though, I haven't told them to attack anything, so..." "I see. So why are they on Sabin?" Hammond asked. "They have a natural calming affect. They were able to wake Sabin from his nightmare, or trance rather, and I also think they are good for his healing. From what I have observed, they are able to take some of the energy he gives off, and store it in themselves before giving most, if not all, of it back to him in a more concentrated form. His neck wound is nearly healed, sir," Sam explained. Hammond stared at her for a moment. "You can also just think of them as a comfort blanket, sir," she simplified. "I will, Captain," Hammond said, glancing back to the bee Jack was now watching crawl across his scarred hand. "We shall brief on everything else tomorrow." "Yes, General. I think that's a good idea," Jack said, becoming serious before he glanced at Sabin, a flash of sadness passing over his face. Yes, Hammond definitely wanted to hear what had recently transpired, especially if the Guardian needed this unusual assistance to calm down, but not right now. They all looked like they needed sleep. "Good night, Colonel, SG-1," he said, his message of `go to bed!' coming through loud and clear. *Questions concerning:* -Sabin's dream- -- It was a nightmare. The voice Sabin heard was part of his dream, which was repeating what the Goa'uld had said to him earlier that day. -The Asgard- -- They will be making an appearance soon, but not in this part. Great things come to those who wait :P =============================================================================== *Part 21: Five* -Later that week- The Nasyians had been settled on a new world after expressing their thanks to Hammond a few days after coming to the SGC. They happily formed an alliance and agreed to keep them informed of their developing society. Sabin had emotionally recovered for the most part from his ordeal, with much thanks to Jolinar who helped him sort through certain memories and things. Jack provided the calming bees once more the following nights, just to be safe and for his own peace of mind, but they were now no longer needed, though Sabin didn't voice it. Sirius and Jack practiced some with Jack's wandless magic, but after the demonstration of casting the Patronus Charm without a wand, much practice wasn't needed. Jolinar had adapted well to the SGC. Though her voice still made a few people jump when she started talking, she and Sirius got into a fairly good habit of bowing their head before switching control. Jack still thought it was weird though. Jolinar had told them a few things about the Goa'uld, and had even told them she knew a few likely locations of Sha're and her brother, Skaara. She also said the Tok'ra would probably be willing to work with them to mount a rescue, if proper planning was done before carrying out the operation. Daniel and Jack were especially pleased with this news. She also warned that the System Lords (Goa'uld `overlords' in the galaxy) would not allow the Tau'ri to thrive and become a threat, especially when they realized Earth had a Guardian again, which was part of how they lost control of the Tau'ri before -- though that bit bordered more on myth than historic truth as far as she knew. She was convinced the Goa'uld were already planning an attack, though it was barely an outline at the moment. Sabin confirmed this with the memories of the Ashrak that had tried to take control of him. An Ashrak was a Goa'uld hunter and assassin, sent by the System Lords to eliminate those who opposed them. They were highly-trained and extremely capable at what they did, and usually possessed the most advanced technologies for carrying out their missions. This Ashrak had been sent by Sokar, a very powerful Goa'uld that even the System Lords didn't like. There was no doubt why Sokar took the persona of the devil on many worlds... It was now July 30th, and Sirius was on a mission, walking to the General's office. "Come in," Hammond called after hearing a knock on his door. Sirius entered, closing the door behind him. "Something I can do for you, Sirius? Or is it you, Jolinar?" "It's me. I uh... I wanted to let you know it's Sabin's birthday tomorrow and --" "Already got it taken care of," Hammond happily interrupted. "Professor Dumbledore sent his phoenix to me earlier this morning with a letter, proposing a party at Hogwarts. He wrote that a few friends of yours and Sabin's parents will be there as well. Also, that there will be a second birthday boy by the name of Neville Longbottom who is turning five today. Tomorrow morning, there will be a party here at the SGC before you and the rest of SG-1 take the transcontinental portkey to Hogwarts. I've contacted certain people and have it all in order." Sirius grinned. "He also wanted me to tell you a Remus Lupin would also be making an appearance." "Wow, you certainly are the General for a reason, huh?" Sirius asked. "It's only things like this that keep me from retiring," Hammond admitted. "Oh, and don't let Sabin know about this. Tell Jack of course, but let's see if we can manage a surprise." "I'll try, but he'll probably know something is up," Sirius said. "Yes. He is the Guardian for a reason, after all, but let's try just the same," Hammond agreed. Sirius nodded, before happily leaving the room. -Ring.- The red phone. "General Hammond," Hammond answered. "Hello, George. This a bad time?" Jed asked. "No, not at all, Mr. President," Hammond said, wondering how Jed would respond if he actually said `yes, this is a bad time'. Of course, that would never happen, though. "Well, I've just been told by a certain friend of mine that a Guardian's birthday is approaching. Abbey and I would like to thank him for what he has recently done for us, and Abbey really wants to personally meet him, if that can be arranged," Jed said. Hammond smiled. "Mr. President, how would the First Lady and yourself like to pay a visit to Europe and a magical castle tomorrow?" - - - -July 31st- "Saaabiiiiiin," Jack called, opening the door to Sabin's room and peeking in. "Time to get up. It's already past seven." -Poof!- -Poof!- Sabin poofed off the bed and appeared in front of Jack, grinning up at him. "You know your bed is only a few paces from the door," Jack said. "And you're not even dressed yet." Sabin looked down at himself, seeing the blue teddy bear pajamas Fraiser and Sam had given him before he took a shower the previous night. "I'll wait out here for you," Jack said, closing the door. - - - Sabin knew something was going on, he could feel eagerness and excitement practically saturating the entire base. "What's going on today, Jack? Are we going to go off-world some place?" he asked, walking beside him. "Actually, no," he said, taking the elevator down to level 28 where the Gateroom was. "We have something else planned." "Why are we going down here then?" Sabin asked, suddenly conscious of the presence of over fifty people within the Gateroom before them. Jack didn't answer, but suddenly guided Sabin in front of him. *"Surprise!"* General Hammond, Cassandra, Dr. Fraiser, Mike McGonagall, Gene McPherson, the rest of SG-1, and a number of the SGC personnel were gathered around the entrance of the Gateroom. A giant cake with five flaming candles was in the center, being held by Teal'c, and there were magically flying confetti above them, having been charmed by Sirius. Sabin stared at them all, his face lighting up. "Wow." "Happy Birthday, Guardian Sabin," Teal'c said, smiling. "Go on, Sabin, make a wish and blow out your candles," Sirius said. Sabin blew them out, and before he knew it, the cake was set on a side table and everyone was given a piece and had wished him a happy birthday, and all of this happening even before lunch! - - - "Gene, I see you have everything in order," Hammond said. "Yes, sir. Just waiting for your word," he said, hiding something in his hands. "I believe Sabin has finished his cake," he said, glancing behind Gene at Sabin who was talking with Jolinar about Tok'ra parties. Gene nodded. "SG-1 will be back around dinner, your time," he promised. "Very good." - - - "Colonel, are you all ready?" Gene asked, coming up beside Jack. "Yeah," he said, leading them to the others. "Hi, Gene," Sabin greeted, privately wondering why the rest of SG-1 was suddenly coming around now. "Hello, Sabin. Having a good birthday so far?" "Uh-huh. The cake was really good, it's insides were spiraled chocolate and vanilla," he said, icing on the corner of his mouth. Gene smiled as Mike leaned close to Jack. "Sorry I can't come along, but do say hi for me, will you?" he whispered. "Of course," Jack said. Mike backed away, Sabin now definitely knowing something was going on, but still unsure what exactly. "Everybody ready?" Gene asked suddenly. "Yup," Sam said, stepping up between Daniel and Teal'c. "Ready for what?" Sabin asked, confused for one of the few times in his life. "You'll see," Sirius said. "Alright, take my hand," Gene said, putting it in the middle of their little hurdle. "Okay," Gene said. "On the count of three. One --" "Have fun, Sabin!" someone shouted from out of their circle. "Two --" "Remember to take pictures!" Fraiser shouted. "Yeah!" Cassandra agreed. "Three..." Sabin couldn't help but gasp, not used to not knowing where he was going or what to expect and only having used a portkey that had taken him and Jack to the White House. Being ported away, he knew the distance being traveled was further than the last and only portkey he had used, it almost reminded him of the transcontinental floo. They landed, appearing in a very large, familiar room. - - - Neville followed his grandmother, the new Minister, into Hogwarts. It was close to dinner time, and he couldn't help but wonder what they would eat here at this grand castle. Dumbledore had invited them, and he said a few others would be coming to celebrate his and someone else's birthday. He said Neville knew this person, but he, nor Gran, would tell him who. Gran said it wouldn't be a -big- party, which was fine with Neville, but that it would probably be the biggest one he ever had, since it wasn't just his birthday they were celebrating. They quickly entered the Great Hall, and Neville quickly noticed several people at the head table who were no doubt the professors of the school. One particularly dark man made him uneasy (Snape). "Now Neville, best behavior," Augusta said. "Augusta, glad to see you made it," Dumbledore said, coming towards them. "Now we are sure they will arrive any moment now, so I will wait to make introductions." Augusta glanced to the others in the room, and she was pretty sure at least three of them were muggles, or rather non-magics. They were oddly familiar... Before she could try to put a name to one of their faces, their attention was drawn to the center of the room. A group of seven appeared in the middle of the Great Hall, one of them definitely a child. "Sabin!" Neville squealed, dashing towards the group before his grandmother could stop attempt to stop him. "Neville, hi!" Sabin said, turning around, surprised as he realized where he was. "Hello, Sabin," Dumbledore said, stopping before him and beside Neville. "I hope you are having a good birthday." Sabin nodded. "I am, Albus." Sabin looked behind Dumbledore, finding many familiar faces and a few unfamiliar, some of them being surprised, amazed, excited, and just plain happy. "I'm glad to hear that. Now, let me introduce you to a few people who would like to wish you, as well as Neville, a happy birthday," he said. Sabin looked at Neville, surprised but pleased they shared birthdays. "Neville turned five yesterday," Augusta put in. "But Albus thought it would be nice for you both to have a party together." "Well, Sabin, you've already met Augusta, our new Minister of Magic, and her grandson, Neville," Dumbledore said, waving the other guests forward. A family of red heads came up, two of whom he recognized. "Hi, Bill and Charlie," Sabin said. "Hi," they greeted, thrilled he remembered them. "These are the Weasleys. This is Arthur, Molly, their two oldest sons you've already met, Percy, Fred and George, Ron, and Ginny," Dumbledore said. Arthur took the liberty of shaking Sabin's hand. "On behalf of the Weasley family, let me wish you a happy birthday, Guardian Sabin," Arthur said proudly. "Thank you, sir," Sabin replied, unsure if he should be amused or taken aback by all of this. Dumbledore then moved onto the next introduction, or more like turned it over to Sirius. "Sabin, this is Remus Lupin, one of my best friends, as well as one of your father's. It took Dumbledore awhile to track him down, otherwise you would have met him sooner," Sirius said. Sabin went forward, feeling the happiness of the man focused on him. "Hi, Mr. Lupin," Sabin said, holding out a hand he had done with Arthur. "Just Remus, please. I can't tell you how happy I am to see you Ha -- Sabin." Sabin smiled, taking Lupin's hand. Sabin cocked his head, discovering Lupin's closely guarded secret in less than a second, along with a few other things. Lupin suddenly felt so exposed, if he didn't know any better, he would have said he was naked. However, the moment passed in less than a second and he was uncertain if it had been his imagination or not. Whatever had just happened, Sabin didn't seem to acknowledge it, but continued smiling at him, almost approvingly. Sirius motioned Lupin to stand beside him as Dumbledore continued with the introductions. "Mr. President, I assume you have already met this birthday boy?" Dumbledore asked. "Yes, I have. Hello, Sabin," Jed said, coming forward. "Hello, Colonel." SG-1 couldn't help but stare (respectfully, that is). They didn't know the -President- would be coming. Sabin glanced at the woman beside Jed. "This is Abbey, my wife. She wanted to personally thank you for what you did for us," Jed said, smiling broadly. Abbey came forward, Ron Butterfield, the head of security, slightly behind her. She kneeled down and didn't wait for an invitation. She pulled Sabin into a tight hug. "Thank you, Sabin. However you did it, I don't care," she said, before pulling back and kissing his forehead. Sabin blinked, for a moment overcome with her feelings of gratitude and thankfulness before she stood back up with a smile. "You're welcome," he said. After a short time of silence, Dumbledore finished the introductions, introducing SG-1 to the rest of the group. After that, the real party began. They all sat down at the large table on the main floor of the hall, the professors and all the other guests sitting around it, enjoying the cakes and other foods made by the house elves. "Have you continued practicing, Neville?" Jack asked, sitting diagonally from him and next to Sabin. "Uh... yeah," Neville said shyly. "What are you referring to, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. "Go on, Neville, show him what I'm talking about," Jack said. "`Kay..." Neville said nervously, especially when all eyes went to him. He held out his hands and cupped them, squinting his eyes as he focused. A red orb of light formed. "Very impressive," Teal'c noted. The Weasleys stared in awe. Neville smiled proudly, Augusta nodding in approval. "Can you do the same, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. "Uhh, I don't know. I've never tried," Jack said. "Um, do you think that is wise?" Daniel asked, glancing at Jack's scarred hand. Jack looked to Sabin, only to find him twirling several marble sized orbs around Neville's larger orb. Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling, Flitwick actually looked a little jealous, McGonagall looked intrigued, and Snape appeared to have no opinion on the matter. Snape was talking with Sam, listening to what potions she had recently created, and what progress she had made about the theory behind the science of it. The Weasley twins were now trying to form orbs of their own, scrunching up their faces and humming. "You can make them, Jack. You've sort of already been making them when you make your magic bullets," Sabin said, Neville now attempting to make a second orb to go across the table and between the dishes. "So I just... concentrate?" Jack asked, looking at his hand. "Yup." Jack did as he was told, ignoring the fact all the adults, as well as Weasley children, were now staring at him. They all stared as a collection of light and misty energy formed above his hand. Jack tried rounding it out, make it into a sphere, but it wouldn't cooperate. "It looks like a blob," Daniel stated. "Thanks, Daniel. You're very observant," Jack replied. "What's wrong with it?" Sirius asked, about to poke it with the end of his fork. "Nothing. It's still moldable energy," Sabin stated. "He didn't give it enough rules." "Rules?" Snape asked, suddenly getting into the conversation. "Everyone has rules for their magic, whether they know they do or not. That's why some people can do certain things easier than others at times. They haven't given themselves personal limits," Sabin explained. "Yeah, that would be Jack," Daniel mumbled. "Hey! I heard that," Jack said. "That makes sense. I was reading about accidental magic and the majority of it occurring in childhood. So it's because children haven't set what the `norm' of what their magic should be yet," Sam noted. "Pretty much," Sabin said. BANG! "Fred! George! What did you do?!" Mrs. Weasley suddenly shouted, finding the twins with stuck up hair and odd static popping randomly all over them. "I think our orbs backfired..." Fred stated. "I'll say," Sirius said, amused. "You guys didn't provide enough limits to it. Your magic had no boundaries, so it just dispersed," Sabin said. "Ah..." Fred began. "We will keep these `boundaries' --" "In mind from now on --" "Guardian Sabin." Molly didn't seem exactly pleased, but didn't say anything. The party continued with the opening of presents, which wasn't a lot, but there wasn't really much of anything he or Neville really needed or wanted. Sam gave Sabin a kit of magical glow-in-the-dark paint, which she had brewed that weekend. Sirius gave him a little stuffed grizzly bear with magical glowing bees, which occasionally buzzed around it. Jack particularly approved of the gift. Daniel and Teal'c gave him a very old book they had found in one of the back alleys near the Rocky Cove. There were odd symbols and things they didn't recognize, but it sort of reminded them of that map the crazy wand maker had showed them that one time. So they figured it was a good gift, especially after remembering when Sabin had asked the bookstore lady if she had any really old books. Sabin seemed to like it, and gently set it in his lap before opening another gift. Jack gave him a new cap, which matched his own of course (Sabin wouldn't have it any other way), and a fishing rod. Sabin quickly put his cap on as he examined the shiny rod. "We can go fishing at the lake some time. Maybe you'll catch a fish from my lake," Jack said. Sabin smiled and nodded before going to his next gift. Dumbledore gave Sabin a few rather loud socks, which he had charmed to change temperature, depending on current body heat. He said something about how one could never have too many socks. Dumbledore also, with the other professors, as well as Lupin, gave Sabin a photo album they had recently put together. Lupin was the one who handed it to Sabin. It included old pictures of his parents and pictures that had somehow been taken during SG-1's last visit. McGonagall and Flitwick seemed to be the ones responsible. Neville got a large collection of American candies, both magical and non-magical, from SG-1. Dumbledore eyed the candies, probably searching for the everlasting gobstoppers Jack had mentioned to him before. Sabin and Neville got other small and simple gifts and were ready to begin enjoying them, but before they knew it, it was almost time for them to leave. "We promised the General to be back before dinner time in the States," Gene said as everyone was saying their goodbyes (Teal'c and Sam gathering up Sabin's gifts). "Oh, yes, different time zones," Flitwick said. "Nearly forgot." "Ah, that reminds me. I need to retrieve something from my office for Sabin," Dumbledore said, heading to the door. "I'll be back in a moment." As Dumbledore left, Sabin said goodbye to the Weasleys, who were still a little shy around him (well, except the twins, and the two oldest brothers). Molly still gave Sabin a big hug though. "It was very nice to meet you, Sabin," she said, not seeing the twins behind her actually forming an orb together. "It was nice meeting you and the rest of your family too, Mrs. Weasley," Sabin said, backing up after the hug and happy for the twin's success over their orb. Molly inhaled and exhaled heavily as she stared down at Sabin. "Is there something wrong, Mrs. Weasley?" Sabin asked, sensing unease and something he couldn't quite place, displeasure? frustration? concern? "Oh, no dear, nothing at all," she said, Mr. Weasley, Jack, and Sirius taking notice of the conversation now. Sabin raised an eyebrow in disbelief and confusion. "Molly, Guardian Sabin needs to be going soon," Mr. Weasley said as Jack and Sirius came and stood on either side of Sabin. "Gene's almost ready, Sabin, are you?" Jack asked. "Uh-huh, almost. I want to say goodbye to Remus before we go though," Sabin said. "Of course, he's over there," Sirius said. "We need to wait for Dumbledore to get back from his office anyway." With one final glance at the Weasleys, Sabin hurried over to Lupin. Jack smiled at the twins now tossing the orb back and forth behind Mr. and Mrs. Weasley before watching Sabin find Lupin. "Do you know what you're doing?" Molly suddenly asked. "Dear --" Mr. Weasley tried to interrupt. Jack looked at Molly, quickly noticing she was upset, and he was pretty sure her feelings were focused primarily on him. He was suddenly very happy they were out of the way and at the corner of the party. "Yes, I do. And so does Sabin," Jack answered, without a doubt, meaning every word. He didn't want a fight, but then, he needn't have worried. Peeves had just come in. "Peeves!" McGonagall shouted, suddenly furious. Peeves had the cake, looking as if he was about to drop it on poor Neville. All in the hall quickly turned to face the disturbance, Augusta immediately looking murderously at the poltergeist. "Ickle little child, one of the wee little birthday boys turned five," he said, floating carelessly above a petrified Neville. "Peeves, I'm warning you!" McGonagall said, ready to levitate the cake if Peeves dropped it. Teal'c stared up at the spirit in curiosity, while Sam looked on in concern, as did most of the others in the room. Neville was frozen in place, afraid any movement from him would bring the left over cake and glass dish on top of him. Sabin was -not- pleased. "I do not tolerate those who hurt or threaten my friends and those I protect. You better rethink your current actions, before I am forced to carry out my own against you," Sabin said loudly, standing in front of Lupin and boldly facing and gazing up at Peeves with unwavering green eyes. Sabin had spoken with such authority, it might as well have come from the Headmaster himself. Those not used to the shift of Sabin's tone and power were stunned, including the Bartlet's and Ron Butterfield. Peeves froze. "I would never hurt one of those you protect. And would never dream of hurting one of your friends," he managed, suddenly wondering what he had been thinking to try this stunt. "Good, because all inhabitants of this castle are under my protection, and those who threaten their safety and wellbeing will answer to -me- and -my allies-," Sabin warned with no uncertain conditions. "I-I see," Peeves said, beginning to move back down to the table. "See that you don't forget, since it is clear to me you have forgotten your original purpose for being within these walls and on these grounds," Sabin said softly, actually almost sadly. Peeves' eyes grew wide, snapping back to Sabin's face. It was clear Sabin's words had hit a cord within him. Peeves looked back to the cake. As Peeves set the cake gently back on the table, Dumbledore came back into the hall, immediately realizing something had happened and quickly discerning what had. "Find what you were looking for, Albus?" Jack asked, deciding it best to shift their attention onto something else. "Yes, I did. Can't believe I nearly overlooked giving this to Sabin," Dumbledore said, waving Sabin over to him. Sabin, apparently confident that he had convinced Peeves to at least behave, happily ran over to Dumbledore. Dumbledore opened his hand before Sabin, holding out an octagon with odd symbols on it. "One of the Goblin Lords asked me to give this to you the next time I saw you. He didn't tell me what it was, but said you would know what to do with it," Dumbledore said, everyone gathering around to see what he was talking about. Sabin took it, suddenly very excited. He pulled his sleeve up, revealing the band that he had used while in Ban Azka, and set the small octagon in the center. "What are you doing, Sabin?" Sam asked. "You'll see," Sabin said, as he pressed the octagon with his finger -into- the metal band. "Now that's cool," Jack said. Sabin turned his wrist, looking at the bottom side of the band, and tapped some of the symbols. Nearly everyone jumped or flinched back, except Dumbledore that is. A short cone of light appeared from the band, shapes and characters being projected within the cone. Before Daniel got a good look, Sabin deactivated it, evidently finished with whatever he had just done. "Thanks, Albus. I wasn't sure if this piece still existed or not," Sabin said. "You're welcome," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling, as Gene moved forward. Sabin turned to Lupin, since he had yet to completely say goodbye yet. "Well, you know you can contact me whenever you wish. Dumbledore knows where to find me," Lupin said, kneeling down to Sabin's level. "I can find and poof to you on my own, now that I've met you," Sabin informed him with a childish grin. Lupin appeared as if he was about to object (concerned about a certain furry problem), but, before he could, Sabin hugged him and whispered in his ear so no one else could hear. "Don't worry. I know who you truly are." Lupin startled, his movement unnoticed by all but Jack, Teal'c, Sirius, and Dumbledore. Sabin let go and joined Jack and the others. "Don't be a stranger now, any of you. You are always welcome here," McGonagall said, the other professors nodding in agreement. They smiled in thanks. Jack looked to the President. "You have a ride home, sir?" "Yes, we flooed into the Headmaster's office, so we'll be leaving that way," Jed said before looking to Sabin. "And thanks again, Sabin. Oh, and about the NID. They will -never- be bothering any of you again. I've made sure of it." "Thank you, Mr. President. That may be the best political decision I have ever heard about," Jack said with complete honestly and sincerity. "I may have to agree with you, Colonel," Jed said. With some final waves and farewells, Gene pulled out the portkey.... SG-1 made it home right on time, Sabin no longer four years old, but finally five. *ALSO:* For those who like fantasy and the like, I have recently published a book. :D. Check out my profile and click on the link to the official site for the book if you're interested. *Questions concerning:* -Peeves- - His purpose will be revealed later. All I'm saying. ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ #Ancient# :-Asgard-: *Part 22: The Fury of the Guardian* "-I've caught myself a baby bumblebee. Won't my Mommy be so proud of me? I've caught myself a baby bumblebee...-" Jack softly sung, letting one of his patronus bees crawl to the tip of his finger. It honestly looked as if he was singing to it. He probably was. "I wonder what he would do if it stung him," Daniel muttered behind him. Jack ignored his comment, and continued humming the song. They were in room overlooking the Gateroom. "I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my Squishy. Come on, Squishy, come on, little Squishy," Jack said, the bee standing on the tip of his pointer finger, just staring at him as Jack spoke to it. "Is mental illness contagious?" Daniel asked Sam, who was having a hard time keeping a straight face during the briefing they were supposedly having. Jack looked up at that. "That stings, Daniel," Jack said, feigning hurt. Sabin giggled. Daniel didn't get to respond though, for they were suddenly interrupted by an alarm. "No one's due back today," Hammond stated as they got up and quickly made their way to the Control Room. `Intruder alert. Inbound traveler is unauthorized. Repeat, inbound traveler is unauthorized.' They made it to the Gateroom, just in time to hear: -Thump-. "That didn't sound good," Sirius muttered, the iris still in place and solid. - - - -Later- "There was no organic residue, but they did pick up a faint nuclear signature. Traces of iridium," Sam explained. "Iridium, that's the radioactive stuff we put in the Sagan institute box we left on Cimmeria," Daniel recalled. "You got it. I wanted it there because it would leave a very recognizable signature," Sam said. "Same stuff?" Sirius asked. "Yeah," Sam confirmed. "Weren't the locals supposed to give that box to... Thor? Whoever, whatever he is?" Jack asked. Sabin perked up, curious and interested. "Thor?" he asked, barely containing excitement. "We assume he is a member of the Asgard, an extremely advanced culture," Teal'c explained. "The fact of the matter is, we really don't know," Jack added helpfully. "The Asgards must've gotten the box and sent an answer. General, we have to respond before they leave," Daniel said. "They wouldn't have sent a message that way," Sabin stated, now a little troubled. "Something must be wrong." "How do you know, Sabin?" Sirius asked. "I learned about them during my time with Jovon," Sabin answered simply. SG-1 glanced at each other before looking to Hammond. "We'll send a probe though at 1300 hours. From there I will decide if you have a go," Hammond said. - - - -Control Room- "The probe should be there... now," Sam said, controlling the M.A.L.P. The screen came into focus, and what it displayed was not good. There was a dead Cimmerian lying on the ground, sword in hand. "--_Goa'uld_--" Jolinar stated, recognizing the damage. The view slowly turned, revealing a Jaffa, with the mark of a bird on his forehead, not far from the Cimmerian. Sabin clenched his jaw. "Clearly Cimmeria is no longer safe from the Goa'uld," Teal'c stated. "Whoa, pan right. That's Gairwyn. The woman who showed us around. She's saying something," Daniel said, as they all saw her, cradling a wounded man. "Turn up the gain on the MALP's mike," Sirius said. "-Please... the Etins have come. Please help us. Please... the Etins have come. Please help-," Gairwyn pleaded. - - - -Briefing Room- "Cimmerians use the word Etin for Goa'ulds. Gairwyn said the Etins are there. For a thousand years, Cimmeria was safe from Goa'uld attack and then we show up and screw up Thor's technology," Daniel stated, clearly not happy. "Daniel Jackson is correct. The Goa'uld usually send an advance scout though the Stargate to determine a planet's worth and vulnerability. If none of the scouts report back, it is a deterrent to invasion," Teal'c said. "We need to help them," Sabin stated. "I agree," Sirius said, the others nodding in agreement. Hammond was quiet for a moment, not liking the idea of sending them out to face a Goa'uld force of unknown strength and numbers. However, the look on Sabin's face told him he wouldn't let `no' be an answer. "All right. But keep your heads up on this one," he said finally. - - - -Cimmeria- "No hostiles in sight, sir," Sam said. "That's always good," Sirius muttered. Jack led the way, immediately stopping at the sight beyond them. Pyramid ships under construction. "Holy... Kids... now, that... is no weekend hunting lodge," Jack said. "Someone's over there," Sabin stated suddenly, turning around and pointing. The others turned with their weapons aimed. "Gairwyn!" Daniel shouted, hurrying towards her. "You returned! Kendra said you'd come. She never doubted it," she cried, coming forward, before glancing to the two faces she had never seen before: Sirius and Sabin. "You brought a child to this place?" she asked, aghast. "He is O'Neill's son and Sirius Black's godson," Teal'c stated, bowing his head slightly in explanation. She glanced at Sirius, trying to figure out who and why this child and apparent godfather had joined SG-1. "What happened?" Carter asked, deciding to guide her attention away from Sabin and Sirius. "We thought it was Ragnorock," she answered, still distracted and now staring at Sabin who was simply gazing up at her. "That's the Norse Armageddon... the end of the world," Daniel explained. "There was fire in the heavens. Five or six bursts in the sky in a straight line. But no sound. Then we heard an evil thunder and a great metal point came through the clouds..." she said, finally looking away from Sabin. She knew there was something different about him, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was. "A Goa'uld Hatak, a pyramid ship," Teal'c said. Sirius nodded in agreement, getting the information from Jolinar. Teal'c nodded in return, understanding Jolinar agreed. "Kendra knew it was the Etins, even before the burning and the killing started. Our village is gone and most of our farms," Gairwyn said. None of them noticed Sabin's eyes flicker in a brief pulse of anger. "You said Kendra knew we'd come. How?" Daniel asked. "She gave me a box. She told me to fly it through the portal. She said you'd know what it meant. The cost of sending it was great," she said sadly. "The men who died here?" Sam asked. "My husband and his brothers," she answered softly. Sabin took a quiet step forward and took her hand in comfort. She looked down, a little surprised, but nodded tearfully in thanks. The moment was broken soon after, however, when Sabin pulled his hand away and turned to his right. He didn't explain himself as he immediately thrust his hand forward toward some trees and overgrowth as several staff blasts roared out of them. The blasts seemed to ricochet off an invisible wall in front of Sabin, bouncing back and lighting the trees on fire. A Jaffa sounded a warning horn. Jack and Teal'c immediately laid down some cover fire, allowing them to pull back easily. Jack threw out a grenade for good measure. They quickly ran into the forest, following Gairwyn, Sirius and Daniel alongside her. Sabin and Sam were behind them, Teal'c and Jack taking up the rear. It didn't take long for them to know they were safe, for the moment anyway, and stopped. "Everyone okay?" Jack asked. "Yes," Gairwyn said, the others nodding, though her eyes were on Sabin. "Are you... a child of the gods?" "I'm not a god, nor a child of one. I'm Sabin," Sabin answered, part of him wanting to run back and take care of the Jaffa, but not knowing their numbers or the terrain and such, it wasn't a good idea, especially since such rash actions weren't called for at the moment. They were safe for the moment. "But how did you do that? Are you a master of magic powers?" she asked. "Guardian Sabin knows many magics. As does Sirius Black and now O'Neill," Teal'c stated. Gairwyn's eyes grew wide. "Kendra said you were special," she said, looking at Jack. "Alright... where to?" Jack said, hoping to move the discussion elsewhere and move to a safer location. "Well, uh, as a former Goa'uld host, Kendra would probably be a help. Can you take us to her?" Daniel asked Gairwyn. Gairwyn nodded seriously, quickly leading the way after saying, "This way." It didn't take them very long to come to an area of the forest with new graves, items and things on them. "Kendra and her family reside here. Hopefully, she is now with Thor," Gairwyn said, walking to Kendra's grave. "She's not with Thor, because Thor hasn't ascended or died," Sabin said gently. "But I am sure she is happy and at peace with your husband and his brothers." Gairwyn and the others looked at Sabin with at least some confusion (Gairwyn a lot). "Thank you..." Gairwyn managed. "Ascended?" Daniel asked. "You don't think death is the end, do you?" Sabin asked. Daniel blinked. "My dearest friend. Kendra used her knowledge only to heal... and this was her reward. They've already killed over half of our people," Gairwyn said, speaking to no one in particular. Sirius went beside the grave and knelt down, picking up one of the items on Kendra's grave. Sabin stared determinedly at the grave for a long moment. "It's customary to leave a person's favorite items outside their grave to take with them on their journey to Thor. These items are of no use now to any of us. They belong with Kendra," Gairwyn whispered. Among the items was a Goa'uld hand device (called a ribbon device) and a healing device. Sirius put the ribbon device on. "Sirius?" Jack asked. Without a word, Sirius (or rather Jolinar) activated it, making it glow. "You possess the power!" Gairwyn exclaimed. "I suppose I do," Sirius said, Jolinar quickly telling him about the ribbon device. Sirius quickly learned a ribbon device could emit a destructive energy that was generally directed at a victim's head, and if applied long enough would kill the victim by "frying" their brain. Sirius shuddered. It was also capable of projecting a strong repelling force that could fling a victim a great distance away, and could emit a hypnotic force that made the recipient docile and limp. A ribbon device was controlled by thought, and could only be operated by a Goa'uld or ex-host. "Well, Kendra retained the ability to use Goa'uld technology because she used to be a host to a Goa'uld. So you have the ability 'cuz of Jolinar," Daniel said. "What?" Gairwyn asked. "Jolinar?" "Oh boy," Sam muttered. "Jolinar? I do not understand." "Sirius Black is a host to a symbiote. They coexist together for the moment. Later, we hope to find Jolinar a permanent host, however, for right now, she is staying with Sirius," Teal'c stated frankly. "You have allowed a -Goa'uld- to -join- your people?!" she almost shouted, the only thing keeping her from doing so was the Jaffa in the area. She had her ax in her hand in less than a second though. Sirius stood up straight at that, Jolinar obviously angered at such an accusation. Sirius' eyes glowed. "--_First off, I am not a Goa'uld. My people are at war with them. For centuries we have been fighting them, trying to stop such atrocities that has sadly befallen your people. Do not mistake my kind for those beings of evil,_--" she said. "You see, Gairwyn. Like myself, Jolinar fights against the Goa'uld," Teal'c said. Gairwyn was quiet, staring at Sirius. She slowly lowered her weapon. "I believe you, but only because I trust those you are with. Also, I would not advise telling any of my people. They are not as open minded as myself." "Fair enough," Sirius said, taking the ribbon device off. "Jolinar and I thank you." "Alright. Why don't `cha bring that stuff with you. We should find a place that's a little less public," Jack said, motioning to the Goa'uld device and healing one. Sirius nodded, putting them in his bag. He didn't think he's ever want to use the ribbon device, but he supposed the people at the SGC could take a look at it and maybe learn how to counteract it. "Let me show you where my people hide," Gairwyn said, still a tad wary about Sirius/Jolinar, but she would trust SG-1. They followed Gairwyn, cutting across the countryside, until they arrived at a cave. They entered, quickly finding men armed with swords. They resembled Vikings, their clothes, weapons and general appearance being very similar to the type to that era. The men in the cave quickly drew their swords, ready to fight those who just entered. "Halt!" a bearded man shouted. "Olaf, these are friends. They came to us through the ring," Gairwyn quickly explained. "These are the dogs of Midgardr. Thor has abandoned us to the Etins because of them... because they destroyed Thor's hammer! It is these that have brought this down on us!" he shouted. "And it is these who can save us! With their help, we can still summon the power of Thor." "Don't you understand, woman? Thor has abandoned us because of their evil." "For crying out loud, don't you understand that this woman is right? We can help you if you'll let us," Jack interrupted, clearly annoyed. "How?" Olaf asked. "We've fought the Goa'uld before and we've beaten them," Sam said. "And I will remain here to do battle with you until the Goa'uld are driven from this land," Teal'c vowed. "And they will be," Sabin stated, his voice laced with an amount of authority and conviction few had ever heard from a single individual before. Olaf and the other armed men turned their eyes to Sabin, who had been behind Jack and Sirius until now. "A promise of a child?" Olaf asked. "He is not a mere child," Gairwyn stated. "He is a master of magics. As is his father and godfather who are with him." Mutters and whispers echoed about the caves, everyone now trying to get a look at Sabin and his guardians. Sabin's green eyes stared back at Olaf, as if waiting for a reply. "I know a way around the patrols. I'll take you, if you wish," Olaf said, looking up to Jack. "Good," Jack said. "But the child stays here. The young should have no place in war," Olaf stated, many of the other men in the cave nodding in agreement. "Very well," Jack said, looking down at Sabin. Sabin nodded his consent, though it was clear to Jack that Sabin would act if needed. With that, Teal'c, Jack, and Sirius follow Olaf back into the woods. - - - -Later- "If Olaf is right and Thor has rejected us, our last hope lies with you," Gairwyn said, pacing. "Gairwyn... I doubt Thor's angry. Now, he may just be far away. That's why he left the hammer to protect you," Daniel said. "If only we could gain access to the Hall of Thor's Might. I know he would help us," she said. "What is the Hall of Thor's Might?" Daniel asked, Sabin looking up at that. "Oh... the ancient tales tell of a hall in which Thor placed all of his powers to help us, to defend us," she said. "Take us there," Sabin said, standing up and moving away from the cave wall he had been resting against. - - - "There!" Olaf said, pointing. Jack, Sirius, and Teal'c looked, finding a Goa'uld, the three pyramids in the distance with a lot of Jaffa. "Now... you wait here," Jack ordered Olaf. "Alright," Olaf answered. Teal'c and Jack moved closer, Sirius staying with Olaf to serve as cover. Jack got out his binoculars and zoomed in. "What's with the heads? They look like those guys who used to be with Ra back on Abydos," Jack said. "They are Horus. They guard the family of Ra. These probably guard the Goa'uld Heru-ur," Teal'c answered. "And he'd be Ra's what? Cousin? Uncle? What?" Jack asked. "He is the son of Ra and of Hathor." "Nice pedigree," Jack muttered. "He's a very powerful System Lord. Much feared, even among the Goa'uld. He is a conqueror. He eliminates all who dare tread in his shadow, including other Goa'uld," Teal'c continued, before being interrupted. "-Stupify!-" Sirius shouted. Jack and Teal'c immediately turn as a Jaffa flew back, a flash of red forcing him away. Olaf was fighting with his sword, Sirius somehow managing to keep the others back, including a man in full armor... Heru-ur. Jack and Teal'c didn't wait, aiming at the other Jaffa and opening fire, taking out all of the Jaffa. Sirius threw another curse, this one at Heru-ur; however, a force field easily deflected it. Heru-ur retracted his helmet, giving a mocking grin. "--_It is no use_,--" Heru-ur said, his eyes glowing. Knowing when to fight and when to run to fight another day, Jack and the others ran, hearing more Jaffa closing in on their location. "--_Place heavy guard at the Chaapa-ai! Find them_!--" Heru-ur ordered. - - - -The Caves- Jack, Sirius, Teal'c and Olaf made it back to the caves at a near dead run. Entering the cave, they found Sabin, Sam, Daniel, and Gairwyn getting ready to leave. "What happened? Did you run into Apophis?" Daniel asked, seeing they had hurriedly entered. "Not exactly," Jack said. "It was the Goa'uld called Heru-ur," Teal'c stated. "You're kidding!" Daniel exclaimed. Sabin frowned. "You know him?" Sirius asked. "He's Horus the Elder, ancient Egyptian god. A pretty mean one, especially considering the fact that his parents were Ra and Hathor..." Daniel said. "We know," Jack interrupted. "So, did you find anything we can use?" Sam asked. "Well, the good news is, with enough artillery, we could blow those pyramids to high hell," Jack said. "And the bad news is?" Daniel asked. "The Stargate is now heavily guarded. The Goa'uld are aware of our existence here," Teal'c answered. "Which means we can't evacuate the Cimmerians," Sam said. "Unless..." They looked at Sabin. "I could place a zone over the area, but I don't know if I would be able to defend the area from all of their forces long enough for us to evacuate everyone," Sabin said, pausing to think. "Well, I guess we'll just have to hole up in here a while till things calm down," Daniel said. "Things will not calm down, Daniel Jackson. They will, in fact, calm up," Teal'c said. "He means things will escalate, of course," Jack translated. "The new pyramids in the valley are landing pedestals for the Goa'uld mother ships. They will most likely arrive very soon and contain large numbers of death gliders," Teal'c said. "Let us contact Thor then," Sabin said. "Contact?" Sirius asked. "The Hall of Thor's Might," Sabin answered. "I'm not sure if that place will allow us to contact him, Sabin, though I agree we should go since there must be something to the legend. We were just about to go there, after all," Daniel said. "Wait. What?" Jack asked, confused. "Go to the Hall of what?" "The Hall of Thor's Might. I think it may refer to... uh... an alien weapon or weapons that have been hidden away for centuries," Daniel explained. "We could use the fire power, sir," Sam said. "Or if Sabin's right, Thor's help." "And Gairwyn said she'd take us there," Daniel said. "Well, much as I hate to admit it, it sounds like our old buddy Thor is our best bet. Why don't you two try to find this... weapon, or whatever it is? Teal'c, Sirius and I'll lay some explosives... see if we can slow the attack," Jack said. "Yes, sir," Sam said. "Olaf?" Jack asked. Olaf grunted, leading Jack, Sirius, and Teal'c out again. - - - -At the Obelisk Entrance to the Hall of Thor's Might- Sabin and the others stopped in front of a short decorative pillar with a hammer head-like top. "This is it," Gairwyn said. "This is the Hall of Might?" Daniel asked, confused. "You were expecting something different?" she asked. "Well, uh... uh, maybe a hall?" Sabin gave a small giggle. "I don't see anything that could be a weapon," Sam said, looking around. "Because it's inside," Sabin said with a grin, reaching up to a red sphere. "It is forbidden to touch the stone," Gairwyn said hesitantly. Sabin didn't pay any mind as he stood on his tippy toes to place his hand on the large red jewel. The stone glowed, and a moment later, a beam from the top of the pillar washed over them, making them disappear. - - - -Inside the Hall of Thor's Might- They found themselves in pitch blackness. "Daniel?" Sam asked. "Wow! What a ride," Daniel said. "Where are we?" Gairwyn asked. "The Hall of Thor's Might," Sabin answered, holding up his hand and causing an orb to float above it, lighting up the chamber they were in. "Well, this is a step in the right direction. At least it fits the definition of the word `hall'," Daniel said. "I have a really bad feeling about this," Sam muttered. "Don't worry," Sabin said, quite happily, if Daniel had to guess. "I don't understand. No inscriptions, no alien devices, and no visible way out," Daniel said, looking around. "Wait," Sam said, motioning to a small orb on the opposite wall that was now glowing. A hologram of a strong Viking man materialized. Thor. "I am Thor. You are brave to come before me," he said, his voice deep and booming. "O mighty Thor, we need your help," Gairwyn said, bowing slightly. "However, only the worthy may witness Thor's might," Thor continued. "Do you not think me worthy?" she asked, before he suddenly disappeared. "Why has he forsaken me?" "It's just a holographic recording. It's being projected through that hole in the ceiling," Sam said, trying to calm Gairwyn. Sabin didn't say anything. "Oh, yeah, if you say so," Daniel said. "So... what does it mean?" Sam asked. "I'm not sure. Maybe somehow we have to prove that we're worthy before he'll trust us with his might," Daniel said. "Which you still think is a weapon." "I'm hoping so, at this point." "How can we prove our worth?" Gairwyn asked. "Well, given that the rest of the room is empty, I assume it has something to do with this stone," Daniel said. They began walking toward it, but before they could take another step, the floor began to shake. "Thor is preparing to strike us down!" Gairwyn cried. "No he's not!" Daniel and Sabin both shouted. "He's not a wrathful god," Daniel finished. "Then what is he doing?" Sam asked. Suddenly, most of the floor in front of them fell away, revealing a deep cavern, save for a narrow strip of floor connecting their side to the obelisk. "Oh, this is... this is definitely a test," Daniel said. "So, uh... we're supposed to go across this?" Sam asked. "Yeah... I don't suppose this is the best time to bring up my problem with heights," Daniel said uneasily. "Don't worry. Thor wouldn't hurt us," Sabin said confidently. "Okay..." Daniel said, not exactly believing. "Wait. Couldn't you just poof us over there?" he asked Sabin. Sabin shook his head. "I think that would be considered cheating." "Ah, good point," Daniel said, before looking to Sam. "We had to cross a beam way worse than this in basic training," Sam said, though not exactly confidently. "Please, be my... be my guest," Daniel said. "Of course, we had a net," Sam muttered. After an agonizing minute, Sam made it across the beam without a problem. "Okay. Come on. Come on," she said encouragingly. Gairwyn, realizing she was next, then slowly began making her way across. "Come on, Gairwyn, you're already halfway there!" Sabin said, but the moment after he said that, the ground shook again. "Ahh!" Gairwyn screamed, falling forward but managing to stay on the beam, though her arms were now hugging it. "Gairwyn! Alright... you're okay. Now, just... just slide across. You can do it," Sam said, just as worried as Gairwyn. "Thor shook the beam! He wants me dead!" she cried. "No, he doesn't!" Daniel shouted. "It's OK. Just stay there. I'll come and get you," Sam said, already moving to get on the beam. "No. I'll do it. You're already across," Daniel said, moving forward. "Yeah, I'm right behind you now. Almost there... OK... now, what we're gonna do here, you're gonna give me your hand. I'm gonna help you get you back on track... and then we're gonna finish this thing together. Okay? Okay," Daniel said. However great a plan Daniel had, though, was broken when the ground shook again, the beam crumbling from underneath them. "Daniel!" Sam shouted as Sabin threw his hands forward, thrusting an invisible wall of force at them, propelling Daniel and Gairwyn at Sam. -Humph!- Daniel and Gairwyn landed on the other side, Sam catching them, for the most part. Daniel slowly sat up, rubbing his now sore arm after helping Gairwyn aside and off of him as Sam came out from behind them. They looked at where the beam used to be, finding the floor had been restored. "Are you guys OK? OK. So... uh... what was that all about?" Sam asked as Sabin went towards them. Before anyone could answer, the hologram of Thor suddenly reappeared. "You have shown true selflessness and bravery. Willingness to sacrifice oneself to save another is an honorable trait. I salute you. Now you must add wisdom to courage. Solve the riddle of the runes and I will show you my true might," Thor said, before disappearing again. "How did he know what we did?" Daniel asked. "There must be some sort of advanced sensors in here," Sam suggested. "So, uh, now what?" she asked, turning on her flashlight and shining it at the obelisk. A beam washed over them again and they were transported to another room. There were four runes on the wall and the room was illuminated by a fire in the center. "Now we try to solve the riddle of the runes," Daniel said. - - - -Forest- Sirius, Jack, Teal'c and Olaf crouched behind some trees, their bodies magically blending into the trees and bushes. Sirius had cast disillusionment charms on them all, which had impressed Olaf immensely, as well as notice-me-not charms. They had just finished placing charges about, and were now just waiting to set them off. After a few minutes of waiting, Olaf noticed Jaffa approaching. "Sons of Midgardr! The Etins approach! A large contingent coming up the lower path. We must fight!" Olaf said, moving to get up. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," Jack said, placing a hand on his shoulder to keep him down. "You said you would help us fight," Olaf complained. "Quiet," Teal'c said. A moment later, several explosions go off, and Jaffa went flying. Jack, Sirius and Teal'c didn't waste their advantage, and fire upon several other Jaffa, before it grew quiet again. "Thunder... and fire! You do possess Thor's might," Olaf said, before looking beyond Jack and the others. "Hyaaaaaa!" he suddenly yelled, throwing his ax between Jack and Sirius. -Thunk.- Jack and the others looked behind them, finding a Jaffa with an ax in him looking completely confused before dropping. "Now we are matched," Olaf said officially. "Thanks," Jack said, idly wondering if that Jaffa had even known they were there, and what he must have been thinking when he suddenly saw an ax flying at him. Any other thoughts on that Jaffa were soon silenced though, when Goa'uld warning horns suddenly blared over them. "O'Neill, another patrol approaches. We should leave this area immediately," Teal'c said. "Come," Olaf said. - - - -Hall of Thor's Might- "Daniel, uh, we don't have time for this," Sam said, looking around the room. There were four odd runes similar to a P, a C, an M, and an R on one wall. Another wall had a few simple shapes: a triangle, pentagon, circle, and a square. And the last wall had pictographs. "Well, the faster we solve the riddles, the faster we get whatever Thor's Might is," Daniel said. "Is Thor testing us?" Gairwyn asked. "I figure it's some sort of safeguard. He wants to be sure that whoever finds the weapons is smart enough to understand the technology and use it wisely. It's like he wants to be sure his children have grown up enough before he, uh, hands them the keys to the armory. Which might not have been a bad idea if we'd done the same thing on Earth," Daniel explained. "Well, it doesn't make any sense that he would waste this kind of time when the planet's under attack," Sam said. "Well, remember, he thinks this is a protected planet... that his anti-Goa'uld devices are infallible. I mean, he couldn't know there would be any hurry to find whatever Thor's might is," Daniel said. "Well, there-there is a hurry," Sam started. "Sam is right; we don't have time for this. They are getting closer to the cave as we speak," Sabin said, briefly closing his eyes to sense what hostiles were around Jack and Sirius (magical signatures were handy when wanting to know what is going on with allies). "Sabin..." Daniel began, hoping to explain to Sabin why they had to do this, but Sabin wasn't listening. Sabin glanced at the wall with the runes, then immediately went to the wall with the shapes and, standing again on his tippy toes, drew a line from the center of the circle to the edge with his pointer finger. "Sabin, what are you doing?!" Daniel asked, alarmed that he might have done something wrong. "Solving the riddle," Sabin said, turning back around as the circle changed into yet another red stone, this one with gold markings. - - - -Forest- They quickly followed Olaf, Jaffa warning horns blaring in the distance. "What's going on, Teal'c?" Jack asked. "They are signaling their position. They will close into an interlaced pattern that will sweep in and corner us. It is an old Jaffa hunting technique," Teal'c answered. "Let's go set up more spells over and around the cave, it may buy us some time. I just wish there were more of us who could do magic. If there were, we might have been able to take them and their stupid pyramids," Sirius said. "I'm sure when Sabin and the others return, we'll have something to take them out," Jack said, hoping he was right. - - - -Hall of Thor's Might- Daniel looked back at the runes. "3.14159," Sabin said. "Pi?" Sam asked. "Of course! Norse runes were ideas, but in later years they became letters. But they were also numbers, three... fourteen... fifteen... nine," Daniel said, going to the stone behind Sabin. Daniel placed his hand on the orb. The hologram once again activated, the tall bearded Viking-like fellow standing tall and proud. They all turned and faced him as the image suddenly dissolved to reveal a different projection: A short, slightly scrawny, Roswell-like gray alien. "Wh --" Daniel gaped. "I am the actual one... whom you know as Thor," Thor stated. - - - -The Caves- "Olaf, get your people as far back into the cave as possible. Keep them quiet! Put the fires out," Jack said before turning to Teal'c. "How're we doing?" "We have been located, O'Neill," Teal'c said. "I think they must have some sensors that don't fall for our charms," Sirius sighed regretfully. - - - -Hall of Thor's Might- "Daniel, this is uncanny. It looks just like the descriptions of the Roswell Grays back home," Sam whispered. "I guess there's some truth to those stories after all," Daniel said. "You think the Asgard may have visited Earth?" Sam asked. "Why not?" "I am the Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet," Thor said. "How can this be?" Gairwyn asked, her eyes wide. "In the ten-span since I created this world, you are the first to reach this level of contact. You have finally grown wise enough to see me in my true form," he said, as if speaking to children. Sabin took a little step forward. "Hi! I'm glad we were able to contact you. The Goa'uld are here, a lot of them. I was thinking of trying to do something myself, but I don't think I would be able to completely take out the pyramid ships and all the Jaffa," Sabin said. Thor's eyes grew wide, feeling both shocked and confused -- shocked from the news that the Goa'uld had supposedly invaded a protected planet, and confused that a child, a -human- child, would talk so frankly to him. "Sabin, it's a hologram. It was probably recorded a thousand years ago. It can't hear you," Sam said. "On the contrary. My image is a living transmission. I am communicating to you from my quarters aboard the Asgard ship, Biliskner," Thor said, before turning his attention to Sabin. "Your news troubles me, young one, as Cimmeria is a safe world." Sam and Daniel were now gaping at Thor, too shocked to say anything, but it didn't matter, as Sabin began talking again. "It isn't any more. A year ago, my friends came here to find you, including a Jaffa. Your hammer took him," Sabin said. "The Jaffa serve the Goa'uld," Thor stated. "This one does not. He stands with them, and now with us, to fight the Etins," Gairwyn said, speaking up. "You see, so, we had no choice but to destroy the hammer to free our friend," Daniel said apologetically. "And by doing so, you have opened Cimmeria to attack by the Goa'uld," Thor said. "I think we know that," Sabin stated, not sarcastically or meanly, just as a fact, as Thor had just stated his. Thor's eyebrows rose a little at that. "So, uh... if you have any weapons that might be of help, we would really like to set things straight," Sam said, hoping Sabin didn't just insult the Commander. "Weapons?" Thor asked as Sabin shook his head. "Isn't that what all those tests were here to protect?" Daniel asked, a little confused. "The tests were designed to tell us when the Cimmerians would be advanced enough to see us as we really are. We did not anticipate outside interference," Thor said. "Well, you see, we don't -- we didn't mean to interfere," Daniel began, but it was too late. Thor had disappeared. "No, wait!" A moment later, a beam shot out of the obelisk again, and Sam, Daniel, and Sabin found themselves in the forest again. "Where's Gairwyn?" Daniel asked. "With Thor," Sabin answered. "Come on." They went through the forest, but after a moment, Sabin paused. "They've cut us off," Sabin said. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to force our way through," Daniel said, Sam and himself raising their weapons. They heard shouts of Jaffa unnervingly close as they continued to the trees, staying low. They passed the cemetery. Sabin faltered behind Sam, making Daniel pause behind him. "You okay, Sabin?" he whispered, placing a hand on Sabin's back. Sabin took a slow deep breath. He could feel them clearly now, their ruthless and murderous intentions. He opened his eyes, mutely scanning the dozen or so graves, and these were the ones he could see! How many others had they murdered? How many more would they kill if he didn't do something? He could feel them closing in on those in the cave, and it would only be a matter of time until they found them. Found them and did what they always did -- enslave or murder them all. Sabin exhaled, something that could only be defined as rage bubbling over from within. He was the Guardian! It was his job to protect those who could not protect themselves! He was meant to stop and, if necessary, destroy those who harmed the innocent. Hadn't he sworn to defeat the Goa'uld as quickly and as decisively as possible, that he would give them a taste of true power?! Daniel pulled his hand back, an odd sort of heat seeming to radiate from Sabin's form. "Get back to the others," Sabin stated as Sam turned around. He stood up straight, silently berating himself for not doing something like this sooner, but in the back of his mind he was certain he wouldn't be able to take them all for long. Three pyramid ships under construction with another in space watching, Death Gliders no doubt already coming... "Sabin, what are you..." Daniel asked, understandably alarmed to find Sabin's eyes extremely sharp. He was angry. Sabin didn't answer; instead, he slammed his hands together, releasing a selective pulse from where he stood. They heard several people falling and being slammed back all around them. "I have cleared a path to the cave. Go." He would keep his vow. -POOF- "Sabin!" Daniel gasped. Sam gasped as well, but she knew they had to move now if they were going to use the advantage Sabin had given them. "Come on!" Sam said, taking hold of the side of his upper sleeve. Daniel nodded, immediately following her. They made it to the caves in record time, the sound of Jaffa troops marching through the forest around them. "That's timing for you. The parade's about to begin," Jack said as they entered, before freezing. "Where's Sabin?" "He... I don't know. He poofed after releasing some sort of pulse. He was angry Jack. Very angry," Daniel said worriedly. "Where did he go?" Jack asked, pronouncing each word clearly and separately. "I said, I don't know. He sort of stopped when we were passing the cemetery, and then... I don't know. I could feel his magic, kind of like when the NID paid us a visit. Then he told us to come here after saying he had cleared a path for us. He then poofed." "What is the matter?" Olaf asked, seeing his new allies a little rattled. "Sabin's gone," Sam said. "The child?" "Yes." "We need to go find him," Sirius said, moving towards the exit. "Let's go then," Jack said, agreeing. "They must be getting very close now. How many are out there?" Sam asked, already moving to follow Jack and Sirius. "We are outnumbered approximately 20 to one," Teal'c said. "And no high tech weapon to help us?" Jack asked, suddenly remembering why Sabin and the others had left to begin with. "Well, no... but we did meet the real Thor," Sam said, trying to be positive. "Did you, now? Nice fella?" Jack asked, before peering from the cave. "Alright. Here we go." - - - -Goa'uld Construction Site- Sabin appeared at the edge of the site, holding nothing back as he threw several Jaffa aside with unseen forces even before they realized he was there. "Aray Kree!" several shouted, turning towards him and activating their weapons, many confused when their eyes came to rest on a five year old child. Sabin continued walking forward, towards the middle of the site, batting another group away from him with a firm hand as the Jaffa around opened fire. Sabin paused, glaring at Heru-ur who was now not even a dozen yards away, as the energy blasts from the staff weapons roared towards him. Heru-ur smirked, assuming Sabin was going to be struck down by his Jaffa. Sabin just stood there, not breaking eye contact, knowing his time warp around him would stop the blasts. Heru-ur's smirk immediately vanished, his eyes widening in disbelief as the orb blasts from the staff weapons froze in midair around Sabin. Without a word, Sabin slammed his hands together. BOOM! The blasts were propelled back, striking the Jaffa who had just tried to hit him. "--_Di'dak'dida?!_--" Heru-ur roared, raising his hand wearing the ribbon device. "Yes, I dare," Sabin stated boldly, the Jaffa who were still up glancing to Heru-ur for instructions. Sabin widened his stance, lifting his right foot up and over before slamming it down on the ground. Just as he did that, he slammed his left fist into his right open hand, releasing a burst of his magic to expand over a hundred feet all around him. Every metal not within a shield crumbled, the molecular bonds holding it all together collapsing. Armor, weapons, and any metal item was now nothing more than a pile of metal dust. A corner of two pyramids were no more, and a number of Jaffa were now either standing or lying in metal dust, only clothed with whatever was under their armor... padded leather and cloth. Not a dignified outfit by any means, especially to a prideful Jaffa. "--_You will pay for this, you impudent child!_--" Heru-ur growled, protected within his personal shield, eyes glowing. "--_Kill him!_--" he shouted to his Jaffa, too enraged to really wonder what this child was or how he was doing the things he was. The Jaffa ran forward, intent on killing Sabin with their bare hands. Sabin quickly moved and threw out electric orbs from his hands, immobilizing all who they came in contact with. The Jaffa further out called for reinforcements as things suddenly came ripping across the sky. Death Gliders. Sabin focused his eyes back to Heru-ur, who was now charging towards him, his ribbon device shimmering to life. Apparently, he was tired of watching his guard being beaten. Sabin raised his hand and threw out his force just in time as the deadly hand device forced out some of its own. The Jaffa near pulled back, feeling foreign energy rippling into the air. "--_You pitiful boy. You think you can defeat me? I am a god!_--" he bellowed, his face inches above Sabin's, the air between them thick with enraged power. Their hands were inches apart, the ribbon device vibrating as it continued to pour out its destructive energy over Sabin. "You are not a god," Sabin stated flatly, now moving beyond rage, his eyes now revealing a green fury. Heru-ur pushed his power harder, his form towering over Sabin whose hands were up, a dome-like aura barely visible around him, deflecting the deadly force raining down on him from the ribbon device. "--_Who do you think you are, child? You are nothing, just as those people you are trying to help are _-nothing-_. They are only here to serve me or die, and before the end, you will come to the same fate, despite your display here._--" Well, Sabin had had -enough-. The ground was now rippling from around his feet, and the Jaffa watching mutely wondered who they should really be following. His eyes bore defiantly into Heru-ur's, his right hand still just below Heru-ur's, as Sabin swung his left. His hand passed through Heru-ur's personal shield, landing firmly and immediately gripping the back of Heru-ur's hand holding the device. Heru-ur's left hand was holding his wrist in attempt to stabilize his other. Heru-ur glanced at the small hand now touching his, Sabin's fingers having wrapped around part of the device. "This is your end," Sabin whispered, his words echoing forth despite their initial volume. The last thing Heru-ur felt was an odd heat surge into his hand, before a blinding light overtook his vision and a wave of unrelenting fury perforated every fiber of his being. Horus the Elder, Heru-ur, son of Ra and of Hathor, was no more. Sabin and Heru-ur's body were slammed back, the ribbon device exploding like a hundred pound bomb between them. Sabin rose up a shield just as he felt the heat rush towards him and before he heard the deep rumbling -boom-. He rose up his time warp, but because of the energy he had already spent, it didn't do much, but his shield was enough to protect him from the assault of the exploding ribbon and roaring fire as he was forced back off his feet. "Sabin!" he heard at least two people shout somewhere behind him. He landed hard, but it wasn't as painful as he had expected it to be. It was as if the ground had cushions on it. He quickly decided Sirius or Jack had cast a spell to help break his fall. Raising himself slightly, resting back on his elbows, he looked up as a clap of thunder echoed over them all. He smiled. Still looking up at the sky, the rest of SG-1 ran to his side, their eyes still glancing skyward. And then they saw it: a massive black storm cloud forming over the damaged pyramids. The Jaffa still up were clearly intimidated, and even more so because they had no weapons. "Sweet..." Jack breathed, now kneeling beside Sabin, Sirius at Sabin's other side. "Ladies and gentlemen, I think this is... Thor's chariot," Daniel managed. "An Asgard mothership. I've heard them described in Jaffa legend," Teal'c said, amazed himself. Glaring white beams of light then rained down from Thor's ship, engulfing the entire camp, the three pyramids, and all of the Jaffa, leaving nothing Goa'uld behind, including Heru-ur's body which had come to rest several yards in front of Sabin. "Are you alright?" Sirius asked. Sabin nodded as Jack gently but on no uncertain terms took hold of his arm, getting Sabin's attention. "Don't you ever do something like that again without letting me know and bringing me with you!" Jack said, his brown eyes staring into Sabin's green. "Leaving Sam and Daniel like that! What were you thinking?! We get over the hill just before the explosion and see that Heru-ur-roo guy practically on top of you with that ribbon thingy!" Sabin looked down, a little embarrassed at rightfully being chastised. Sure, he was the Guardian and had certain responsibilities and abilities that aided in his tasks and such, but Jack was still -his- guardian. Jack had a right to know where he was and what he was doing. "'m sorry," Sabin whispered. Jack sighed, wondering when he had decided to go into father-mode. "It's okay. I'm just glad you're okay," he said, helping Sabin up after giving him a brief head and kissing the top of his head, his cap having landed somewhere behind him. Sam got Sabin's hat and dusted it off before placing it on his head. Sabin looked behind Sam and the others, finding the Cimmerian people standing in awe of Thor's ship and, if he was honest with himself, him. "That sure is a big ship," Jack said, calling Sabin's attention back to the huge object in the sky. "Yeah," he agreed, inwardly smirking at knowing the Ancients' ships were even bigger. Jack was about to say something else, but was interrupted by a beam of light. Blinking away the white glare, their eyes came to rest on Gairwyn and, someone much shorter beside her, Thor. Gairwyn was silent, looking respectfully to Thor. Thor went forward, stopping a few feet in front of Sabin, Jack and Sirius on either side of him. Thor was about the same height as Sabin, though his head was obviously bigger. He had a gray body, his limbs thin and frail looking. "I am Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet, to those I did not meet earlier," he began, glancing at Jack, Sirius, and Teal'c before looking back to Sabin. "I have been told a little about you, little one, as well as those who accompany you, but I wish to know more about who you are." "I am Harry Manchu James, Sabin Norard Potter, O'Neill -- Guardian of Terra; but everyone calls me Sabin," Sabin said. Thor was clearly interested, taking in every word. :-You are an Ancient?-: Thor asked, causing Daniel to jump and Sam to startle at the obvious change in language. #Yes,# Sabin answered. :-I take it they don't know?-: #No, they don't know everything about me. They are not ready to know, but they will soon.# :-I told my suspicions to the Asgard High Council about you before coming down here. I hope you approve of my actions.-: #I would be surprised if you didn't.# :-Then let me be the one to extend my people's hand in friendship,-: he said, holding out his bony hand. Sabin happily took it as he said, #I humbly receive it.# :-And to reinstate the old alliance,-: Thor said, their hands giving off a bluish hue Jack remembered from when Sabin had met the old Goblin Lord at the Ministry some time ago. #I gratefully accept,# Sabin finished, causing the blue light to extend outwards, until it flashed and disappeared. Everyone watching in the area was understandably confused, but too nervous or surprised to ask what had just happened, that is, except Jack. "Uh... sorry, but... English please? What were you guys talking about, and what just happened?" Jack asked. "I've seen Sabin do something like this before, but..." Thor turned his big eyes toward Jack. "You are Colonel Jack O'Neill, correct?" Thor asked. "Yes, I'm also Sabin's adopted father. This is Sirius Back, Sabin's godfather; Captain Samantha Carter; Dr. Daniel Jackson; and Teal'c," Jack said, quickly adding the introductions. "The Jaffa who has turned against the Goa'uld," Thor stated, now looking at Teal'c. "The hammer shall be repaired soon. Know that it will make an exception for you, former first prime of Apophis." Teal'c inclined his head appreciatively and said, "Then Cimmeria will be a safe world again. That is good." "Yes, but it wouldn't have been so without your help. You are welcome here any time," Thor said, smoothly moving away from Jack's initial question as he looked back to Sabin. "I will leave a teacher behind to help Cimmeria rebuild." Sabin nodded. "Until we meet again, Guardian Sabin," he said, before disappearing in a beam of light, going back to his grand ship. "He seemed like a nice fella," Jack said, looking up at the ship that was now moving out of the sky. "Only you would call the Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet (an extremely powerful leader of an intergalactic force and race, I might add) a `fella'," Daniel muttered, shaking his head. Sabin couldn't help but giggle. "So... what was up with all the stripped Jaffa?! I'll admit that's an image I will treasure for the rest of my life, but how did it happen? Or do I even want to ask?" Jack asked as they made their way back to the Stargate. "I dematerialized most of the metal in the area," Sabin answered. "Ah, I remember now, you did that a little after you first arrived at the SGC," Jack said. "You think I could learn how to do that?" "Uh, Jack," Daniel interrupted. "I don't think that would be a good idea, I mean..." "Party pooper..." Jack grumbled, no one but Sabin hearing him. Sabin caught Jack's eyes, a glint of mischief within the green. Jack didn't give up hope, Sam dialing home. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _Goa'uld to English_ Di'dak'dida -- You dare?! Aray Kree -- Stay where you are *Questions concerning:* -Thor's exclusion of Jolinar and Sirius in saying they were welcome on the planet as Teal'c was- - Thor did not think it wise to reveal to the people that Jolinar was with Sirius, Tok'ra or not. It was simply easier this way. ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ *Part 23: The Tok'ra* Alarms blared within the SGC, until the code came in, informing them the one on the other side was a friend. Tek-matte Bra'tac, the former First Prime to Apophis. Opening the iris, a form stepped through. "Hammond of Texas, will you give me leave to enter your compound?" Bra'tec asked. "You have it, Master Bra'tac. Units, stand down," Hammond said. "Bra'tac, greetings from Earth," Jack said, coming down with Sabin trailing behind, never having met this man before. "But I take it this isn't a... social call?" he asked, shaking his hand. Bra'tac nodded gruffly before looking to Teal'c. "Greetings, old friend. I bring bad news," he said. "My family?" Teal'c asked, actually revealing worry and concern. "No, they are safe. However, Apophis is not as dead as you believe. His remaining forces are moving in mass to overtake Heru'ur's former territory and claim those planets as his own, as well as the technologies and weapons." "What?!" Jack shouted, causing Sabin to jump slightly, not having expected such a shift in emotions. "I am told he and Klorel escaped through the on-board Stargate before your explosive devices destroyed the ship," Bra'tac said. "And Colonel, we believe Apophis has placed his son in a safe location, not wanting to risk him in this operation." Jack nearly growled in anger and disappointment, having hoped he would be able to get to him. Klorel was the son of Apophis, a Goa'uld who had taken control of Skaara's body, a boy who Jack had befriended on his first away mission. "They must have used those rings to get to the gate just after I did," Jackson noted. "He must act quickly to reinstate his power, or the System Lords will send another Goa'uld to eliminate him and rule in his place, as well as Heru'ur's old territories." "Teal'c is right. Nearly all the warriors and serpent guards loyal to Apophis died on those two ships. Apophis returned to Chulak in shame; however, with Heru'ur's fortunate as well as unfortunate demise, he now has a chance to regain control and become even more powerful than he had been before," Bra'tac agreed. Sirius suddenly gasped, quickly allowing Jolinar to take over. "--_My people reside on the rim of Heru'ur's former territory, we must warn them! When Apophis claims planets, he searches them for any resources and hidden people, native or otherwise. And I am sure they will be willing to help_,--" Jolinar said, causing Bra'tac to jump and quickly aim his weapon at Sirius. "What is the meaning of this?!" he spat. "--_Master Bra'tac, forgive me. I should have allowed my host to introduce ourselves before speaking, but your news... deeply troubles me._ "--_I am Jolinar of Malkshur, a Tok'ra._--" "And I am Sirius Black," Sirius immediately cut in, surprising Bra'tac even further. "Of London," he added as an after thought. Bra'tac blinked. "You are forgiven," he said, lowering his weapon, clearly having to overcome shock after seeing Teal'c's nod behind Sirius. He then, for the first time, noticed Sabin, standing partly behind Jack and watching him intently. "Master Bra'tac, let me introduce you to my adopted son, and Sirius's godson, Sabin," Jack said. Bra'tac's eyes suddenly grew wide. "Sabin, the Guardian of Terra?" Sabin smiled, nodding. "You are the one who killed the System Lord, Heru-ur?" he asked. Sabin suddenly grew serious, somehow standing taller, but not in pride. "Yes, I did." "Then young Guardian, I am in your debt. Because of you, a powerful System Lord is no more and has given us the chance to perhaps take down another," he said, pausing as he looked up to Jack and the others. "If you are willing to help." "Of course! Let's go!" Jack said, enthusiastically. "--_Let us go to the Tok'ra before they move. The place will not remain the top hiding place for long, which is why I did not suggest going sooner, as I mentioned earlier, but now new circumstances have surfaced,_--" Jolinar said. "General?" Jack asked. "You have a go," Hammond said, seeing the glint in Sabin's eyes again and knowing, like last time, there was no saying no to this mission. - - - Sabin was alone in his room, his magical teddy bear with glowing bees buzzing around it sat on his bed beside him. He looked down at the bracer on his arm, and pushed some buttons. With a smile, he hopped off the bed as Jack knocked and peeked his head in. "Ready, Sabin?" he asked. "Yup, I'm ready now," he said with a grin, after he straightened out his cap, since he was in uniform. - - - Jack and Sirius/Jolinar were first, slightly in front of and on either side of Sabin, closely followed by Sam and Daniel. Bra'tac and Teal'c took up the rear. "Chevron seven, locked." The Gate came to life, and SG-1 and Bra'tac stepped through... Desert. Everywhere. "There is no evidence of footprints or tracks of any kind. If the Tok'ra were here they have not been near the gate in many days," Teal'c said. Sabin giggled quietly to himself. "There's some sort of dunes over there," Sam said, pointing. "Uh, Jolinar, you sure this is the place?" Jack asked. "She's sure, Jack," Sirius answered, giving a smirk upon hearing Jolinar's strong retort in his mind. "They're here, Jack," Sabin answered. "They're actually all around us," he continued calmly. "What do you mean?" Jack asked, a tad uneasy. "The Tok'ra are known for their ability to mask their trails. They are, as you say, stealthy in their actions," Teal'c said. With that, no less than twenty people rose out of the sand around them, weapons drawn. "Yeah, stealthy would be a good word, Teal'c," Daniel agreed. "We mean you no harm. But I warn you, if you make any aggressive moves, we will fire on you," one of them said. "--_Cordesh, it is so good to see you again_,--" Jolinar said, stepping forward. "--_And you, Martouf,_--" she added. "--_J-Jolinar_--?" he asked, his eyes glowing. "--_Yes, it is I_,--" she answered before Sirius interrupted her. "Whoa-whoa-whoa, this is really...awkward," he said, the Tok'ra around surprised a host could take over so easily. "What is the matter Sirius Black?" Teal'c asked. "Jolinar's sort of... married to Martouf," he answered. "Interesting," Jack said. "These two are Jaffa. Apophis sect," someone said suddenly, motioning to Teal'c and Bra'tac. "We are no longer in the service of Apophis," Teal'c answered. "Who then are you in service to?" Martouf asked. "We are allied with these, the Tau'ri, in battle against Apophis," Bra'tac answered simply. Martouf seemed to approve as he looked to the others, Sabin hidden from obvious view. "Come. Jolinar no doubt approves of you all. Let us talk," Cordesh said, waving at them to follow. "Gather closer together," Sirius stated, being told by Jolinar to do so. Jack and the others did as they were told, still armed and fully geared. Several rings shot up from the sand, surrounding them, before a flash consumed them, and took them to the tunnels below. The secret dwelling place of the Tok'ra. - - - "People of the Tau'ri, let me introduce Grand Counsel Garshaw of Belote," Cordesh introduced. "--_Greetings_,--" Garshaw said. She was a fairly pretty woman, robed in clothes slightly better than the other Tok'ra, but then, she was not just on the surface covered in sand. "Hi!" Jack and Sabin both greeted. "You are truly Garshaw of Belote?" Teal'c asked. She nodded. "She is the most hunted Go-Tok'ra of all time," Bra'tac stated, correcting himself just in time, recalling how Sirius had stated never to call them Goa'uld. Garshaw seemed to approve, before her eyes shot to Sabin, not having noticed him before. His small stature and previous silence had hidden him well. "--_A child is among your ranks? Explain_,--" she said, between being angry and curious. "--_His name is Sabin. He is the Guardian of Terra and is responsible for the death of Heru'ur, who I am sure you have recently been told has died_,--" Jolinar said. Garshaw's eyes widened, actually in awe. "--_You, child, killed a System Lord?_--" she asked. "I did what I had to," Sabin stated, clearly not boasting. Garshaw looked to the others, the Tok'ra near staring in amazement at Sabin who stayed beside Jack. "--_And you, of the Tau'ri, are the people who rid the galaxy of the Supreme System Lord Ra?_--" she asked. "Yup, that would be us," Jack said. Garshaw gave a slight nod. "Then let us have a feast and talk. I trust you have a lot to share with us." - - - It was after dinner now, Jolinar and Jack having explained the situation with Apophis and how they needed to act as soon as possible. Garshaw agreed. "--_He will no doubt be gathering followers now, and we know a few planets he will sure to be recruiting from_,--" she said, before motioning for a few of her people to prepare a few teams. "--_Let us walk, we have not yet fully shown this place to you all_.--" The Tok'ra gave a grand tour, walking them through all of the oval-shaped crystal tunnels and listening to Jolinar explain how she had ended up with Sirius. She also explained that it wasn't a long term kind of bond, probably because of the Occlumency, but Jolinar left it simple. Finally, they came to the last hall. "Allow me to introduce Loflin and Jean," Cordesh stated, stepping into the large room with two evidently sick people resting on two beds. "Their host's names are Carl and March. They have been married for over 180 years, and have each lived for over 200 years." "You need new hosts," Sam stated, understanding. "Yes. Sadly, we don't think they will last much longer. They are both dying and there is nothing we can do anymore. And there is another who will soon be in need of a host as well. Her host will soon be as weak as Carl and March," Cordesh said. "Selmak?" Sirius asked, knowing the name from Jolinar. Cordesh nodded sagely. "Do any of you wish to volunteer to serve as a host?" Martouf asked. They shook their heads, Sabin looking down, recalling the feeling of the Ashrak in him and trying to take over. He shivered. Jack must have noticed as he placed a hand on his shoulder. He was about to say something to comfort him when Jolinar spoke up. "--_The Longbottom's. I am sure they would be willing to,_--" she said, quickly gathering information from Sirius, and happy to find two possible hosts that would not only benefit from the bond immediately, but would allow for the symbiotes to continue a marital arrangement. "Brilliant! So, you people can cure mental illnesses?" Sirius asked, taking over, suddenly excited and hopeful to reverse the effects of the Cruciatus Curse. "It depends on what kind you are referring to," Cordesh answered. "Of course! Could your people cure diseases like Alzheimer's?" Sam asked, quickly seeing where Sirius and Jolinar were going. "Alzheimer's?" Martouf asked. "It causes the person to suffer from severe memory loss, even the loss of the ability to speak or make coherent thought," Sam explained. "Of course," Cordesh answered. "Symbiotes can cure most problems in humans, as well as damage to the brain." "Jack?" Sirius asked. "Way ahead of you. Garshaw, with any luck, you will soon have two new hosts," Jack said. "Carter, you, Sirius, and Jolinar, go back to the SGC and find the Longbottoms who were suggested. I think having two more Tok'ra to help us out in all of this would be a nice addition as well." "Yes sir," Sam said, already following Sirius who seemed to know where he was going. "We'll be going to Dumbledore," Sirius called back, already out of the room. "We'll be back as soon as we can!" Jack and the others then turned back to Garshaw. "Well, let's go ahead and go back to planning our move against Apophis," Jack said, rubbing his hands together. Sabin smiled, a determined glint in his eyes. - - - Sirius and Sam gave a quick summary to Hammond before contacting Mike McGonagall who then provided the means to contact Dumbledore. Sirius knew this wasn't going to be easy, and with the secrecy of the SGC, knew it was going to be even trickier. Not only had the get Dumbledore to back them, they had to then convince Augusta Longbottom to allow her son and daughter in-law to leave to an unknown location and stay away for an unknown amount of time. Sirius knew the Longbottoms would agree to this, and after speaking with Jolinar, knew Loflin and Jean would be happy to raise Neville with them. Heck, they might even agree to stay on Earth and serve as Ambassadors or something. "Ah, Sirius and Samantha! Lemon drop?" he asked as they stepped into his office, having come from Mike's fireplace. "Sure!" Sirius said. "So what is the reason for this surprise visit?" Dumbledore asked. "Well, sir, we believe a couple, who you know, would benefit greatly from something we have to offer. It is top secret and I'm sorry to say we can't explain what it is exactly, but we know they would agree to it," Sam began. "Who are we talking about, and what is this benefit?" Dumbledore asked. "Albus, we have a way for the Longbottoms to get well again," Sirius stated, getting to the point. "We need your help to convince Augusta to allow us to take Alice and Frank with us, where we can give them what we are promising." Dumbledore's eyes widened. "Where?" Dumbledore asked. "And are you sure?" "We can't tell you where, but yes, we are very sure. Sabin, Jack, and the others are there right now, waiting for us to return with them. We don't know how long we will be gone, but please, let us help them," Sirius said. Dumbledore was silent for a moment, knowing Sirius and Sam were sincere. "I'll see what I can do. I'll go and speak with Augusta right now," Dumbledore said. "But she is going to want more proof than you have given me." "We will try to answer her questions," Sirius said. - - - "So each team will infiltrate a ship, most impersonating Jaffa. Then, once inside the vessels, we will place explosives in certain areas near the engines," Martouf said. "Then, once in position, we will set the timers and leave from the rings down to the planets they come to take over. That way, Apophis's fleet will be taken out as well." "Hmm, Sabin, do you think you could just poof us down to the surface instead of us having to use the rings? It would save time," Jack suggested. "Uh, I don't think so. I've never been on the planet we're going to, and I also have never poofed off of a ship in space before. I don't know how much power that would take or even if it would be safe for me or those with me," Sabin said. "Ah, better not risk it then. We'll use the rings," Jack said, never having thought of the possible problems of poofing through space. "--_Poofing?_--" Garshaw asked. "Sabin has many abilities," Jack said proudly. -Poof- Sabin disappeared. -Poof- Sabin appeared behind Garshaw. Garshaw jumped, turning around in alarm. Jack smirked. "--_I would say so, Colonel O'Neill_,--" she said. "Okay, back to business, those with me will take out Apophis personally," Jack said. "--_And who will be with you?_--" Garshaw asked curiously. "Carter, Daniel, Sirius and Jolinar, and Sabin probably," Jack answered. "Colonel, I understand Sabin is the Guardian of your planet, but to involve any child, with or without abilities, in a mission like this is... not responsible," Cordesh said. Jack, Teal'c, Bra'tac, and Daniel nearly glared at Cordesh. They had been over this! Did he not understand Sabin was a member of SG-1?! Sabin's eyes narrowed, glazing over him with his mind force and not liking what he found. "--_Now, Cordesh, I am sure the Guardian knows what he is getting involved in, no matter his age_,--" Garshaw said calmly. Sabin's eyes stayed on Cordesh as he shifted his mind force to Jack, giving him several images. A Goa'uld, a fighting but losing man, and a scheme to make their plan against Apophis fail. Jack glanced at Sabin, Sabin giving a slight nod. With that, Jack stood up, aiming his weapon point blank at Cordesh across the table. "--_What is the meaning of this!?_--" Cordesh's symbiote shouted, his eyes giving a slight glow, Garshaw now just as angry. "It's okay, soon the Goa'uld will no longer have a hold over you," Sabin said. "--_Goa'uld?! I am not a Goa'uld_!--" he roared. "Cordesh, you have been discovered. I can sense your ill intentions towards myself and those with me, not to mention against the Tok'ra you supposedly are sided with," Sabin continued, Cordesh growing angrier and angrier. "This is absurd! My loyalties are with the Tok'ra and will always be!" he said, standing up now as well. Sabin closed his eyes, searching over the person before him. "Then why do you have a means to communicate with our enemies?" he asked, his eyes snapping back open, his green eyes shining brightly with power. With that, he lifted a hand, and the next second an orb came shooting out of Cordesh's pocket and into his small palm. "A long range visual communications device," Teal'c stated. All of the Tok'ra near were suddenly furious. "--_The plague that is the Tok'ra will soon be wiped out_!--" Cordesh growled. "--_I am sickened to think I once called you my friend, Cordesh, but I want you to know -- the System Lords will fall, but you won't be alive to see it_,--" Garshaw said, before nodding to a few Tok'ra guards. "--_Attempt to remove Cordesh from Dunel without harming him; you know what to do with Cordesh_.--" Garshaw sighed as Cordesh was led away, before looking to Sabin. "--_I believe I shall be proud to call you friend_,--" she said. - - - Sirius couldn't believe it, but he didn't dare question it. Augusta had given them permission to take Frank and Alice with them, wherever they were going. It had of course taken some convincing, and he was ever so thankful for Dumbledore's support, but Augusta had agreed. He and Sam had admitted it was a secret, trial by trial base of a cure, but that they were very certain it would work for Frank and Alice. Sirius was certain the thing that had finally gotten Augusta to agree was his small reference to Neville's right to be raised by his parents, no matter how good Augusta was as a guardian. So here they were, levitating the confused and lost couple up the gate, having sent word to the Tok'ra of their coming. Carl and March, the hosts of Loflin and Jean, were thankful that their symbiotes would continue to live after they were gone, and were looking forward to passing on in peace and without the sadness of taking their symbiotes with them. - - - Sirius led them back, poor Frank and Alice confused as they were floated down the hall towards a large chamber. "Frank, Alice, I don't know if you can hear me, but we have found a way to help you, however, this method is not exactly what would be considered ordinary," Sirius said, speaking to his old Auror friends, and hoping they were in there somewhere and able to understand him. "--_Are they ready_?--" Garshaw asked, her eyes soft upon seeing the clearly mentally lost couple. "Let me," Sabin said, joining them in the room after they had arrived. Everyone cleared a path, the incident with Cordesh removing all previous doubt anyone had concerning the little Guardian. Sabin mind brushed them, finding their minds wrapped in what he could only call scar tissue. Sabin slid himself deeper, the feeling of helplessness, confusion, anger, and loss everywhere. He went further, actually surprised to find that their minds were connected, like a bond creating a form of a safety net. Sabin quickly gathered that had it not been for this bond this couple had, they would have died after they had suffered from the dark curse. Part of him wished he had met the Longbottom's before now. He knew he could remove the damage done to them, given enough time and effort, but also knew it was better this way. He knew Loflin and Jean would be able to heal the damage quicker than he would be able to, and probably more deeply, just because they would be sharing a body with them, rather than standing outside and looking in. Accepting this, he focused onto what he came to do. `Hello?' he asked in Frank's mind, and so, in Alice's mind as well. `Yes?! Who's there?! Where are we? What has happened? Is our son okay?! What is wrong with us?!' they frantically asked. `My name is Sabin. Your other questions will be answered soon, but know your son is safe and being raised by Augusta,' he said. `What is going on?' they asked, slightly more calm upon hearing their son was okay. `You are going to be cured, but before we can, I must ask you something. They way we can cure you will call for you to share your bodies with another being. These beings will heal your injuries and give you long life, but you will no longer be just of Earth any more. You will be of their people as well. Now, I am certain they will be more than happy to stay on Earth and allow you to be with your son.' `Beings?' `They call themselves the Tok'ra, and I know all of this is very confusing, but please just answer this question: Do you want to be bonded with these beings? It will be a permanent condition, but one you will greatly benefit from.' `What do they gain?' Frank asked. `Life; the continued opportunity to continue living and sharing your body with you,' Sabin answered, knowing that Jack and the others were growing a little concerned with how long this was taking. `I don't know what exactly you are talking about, but I know I can trust you, and that this is probably one of the few ways that we will go back to truly living,' Frank said. `Our answer is yes,' Alice answered. `I want to be a part of my son's life; I don't care if I have to share my body with someone to do so.' `Okay. Your symbiotes will soon be here. Their names are Loflin and Jean.' With that, Sabin stepped out of their minds and looked to Garshaw. "They have agreed." - - - Jack and the others waiting in the room across from the chamber where the Longbottoms, Sirius, Jolinar, Carl and March and their symbiotes were. The plans were set, and they would move out the next day, the Tok'ra's spies having told him Apophis's ships had yet to arrive. Sabin was sleeping on the couch-like seat, knowing the next day would probably require him to use more of his powers he was used to using on the daily basis. It was late when Sirius stepped out of the chamber with a smile on their face. "--_It has worked. They are resting right now and are both willing to help in the plan tomorrow. They are also eager to get back with Neville, but after their bond with Loflin and Jean understand how helpful they would be here. Loflin and Jean have also expressed a curious condition between Frank and Alice. It appears that their minds are linked. They can read each other's thoughts as if they are sharing a single mind_,--" Jolinar told them. Sabin opened his eyes upon hearing that and smiled. "It is their bond that has allowed them to stay on this plane," he said, before closing his eyes and going back to sleep, leaving those who heard him slightly confused and amazed. - - - Morning came and all six teams were ready. Frank/Loflin and Alice/Jean would be going with Sirius/Jolinar, Martouf, Bra'tac and Teal'c to one of the motherships. Jack, Sam, Daniel, and Sabin would be taking on the ship with Apophis on it. "It is so good to see you two again," Sirius said again that morning. "I have to admit, this whole sharing the body and mind thing is a little weird, but I wouldn't take it back for anything," Frank said. "I can't wait to see my son." "So you are a host as well?" Alice asked Sirius. "Well, temporary host. My Occlumency early on prevented the bonding process to fully complete, but I'm willing to wait a little longer until Jolinar has another willing host," Sirius said. They were all fully geared, radios, explosives, and all. Alice and Frank were wearing what the other Tok'ra were. They also had their wands with them, thanks to Augusta who wanted them to have their wands as soon as they were better. "I can't wait to see mom's face," Frank said with a smirk. "She's going to faint!" Sirius chuckled at the mental sight. Augusta Longbottom, fainting... right. They were now making their way to the stargate, one of the Tok'ra already dialing to the designated world. "Sabin, invisibility?" Jack asked. Sabin held out his hands for Sam and Jack to take, Daniel touching his shoulder, a little confused. They felt magic ripple over them. "Okay, only we can see and hear each other," he said, Jack staring in shock, not having expected him to make them -all- invisible. The other teams were going to be masquerading as Jaffa and Goa'uld, so didn't need to be invisible. After that, they stepped through the gate. After walking for some time and over a few hills, they found themselves before pyramid ships, hundreds of Jaffa, and a huge amount of slaves before them. There was no doubt Apophis was on the middle ship, due to how much protection and Jaffa were near that one. "Well, let's go do this," Jack said, leading the way to the entrance of the pyramid ship. - - - The other teams were successful in getting on the ships, the recruiters happy to welcome more followers to serve Apophis. It was actually pathetically easy. Frank and Alice followed the other's lead, Loflin and Jean answering their questions and helping them understand that they were in a different portion of the galaxy and fighting against an evil empire, on a ship about to fly through space, and they were soon going to blow it up once they were close enough to a planet to `ring' down. They were understandably concerned, but Loflin and Jean's memories of them surviving and carrying out even more dangerous missions were a comfort. They would do this and then make it home to their son. - - - Jack and the others snuck onto the ship, ever so thankful for being invisible and silent. Sabin giggled, Jack making faces at passing Jaffa who were ignorant of their presence. "Okay, I suppose we need to find the engines now, huh?" Jack said. "This way," Sam said, Martouf having given her the layout of the ship before they had left. After making it to the floor the engines were on, they heard them roar to life. They were now moving. Sam and Sabin moved against the side wall, knowing they were about to enter hyperspace, Jack and Daniel followed suit just in time to keep from being knocked off their feet. "How long do you think until we make it to the planet, Gorut?" Daniel asked, now walking again. "A few hours. We'll have set the charges long before that though," Sam said. "Giving us plenty of time to permanently take care of Apophis. I am -so- tired of that guy," Jack said. Sam and Jack finished setting the charges with plenty of time to spare. Now they needed to find Apophis and take him out. "He's this way," Sabin said, pointing. "That is so cool," Jack said, smiling. - - - Alice and Frank snuck away from the other Jaffa, quickly heading to their designated engines, while Sirius and Martouf, Bra'tac and Teal'c took care of theirs. Finally, actually able to feel the ships slowing down, they knew they were approaching the time to activate the timers and leave. Finding a secluded spoke, the signal came over their radios. With that, they quickly headed to the rings on the ship that would take them to the planet's surface. The teams, now needing to take control over the rooms with the rings, prepared for combat, and then they made their presence known. - - - -Before signal was given- The new First Prime Apophis did not like this. He could feel it in his bones, could feel it in his heart. Something wasn't right, something was wrong. Deciding to be paranoid, which wasn't really a choice at all, he called for a surprise search of the ship, and what they found on one of the engines told him his suspicions were warranted. He set off the alarms, alerting everyone intruders were on board. - - - "Sir, one of the explosives have been disarmed!" Sam said, looking at one of her `gizmos' as Jack called them. "What?!" Jack shouted. "Sir, we have to place another. If one doesn't go off, there's not a guarantee that the ship will --" "I get it Carter. You and Daniel go take care of it, then get off once you do no matter what, after you activate the timers of course. We'll take care of Apophis and leave before the timers set off the charges. Fifteen minutes is enough time. Got it?" Jack asked. Sam and Daniel nodded, quickly running back the way they came, still invisible and silent just as the alarms of the ship went off. "Sabin, let's go," Jack said. Sabin nodded, the two of them now going down another corridor. Sabin and Jack knew they were getting closer, the security getting tighter. Weaving though Jaffa guards, they made it to the area where Apophis resided. "You know once we kill Apophis and start shooting, they will lockdown the rings and stuff... if they haven't already because they know someone is here. Hmm, how did we not think of that sooner?" Jack asked. "It's okay. They still can't see us, and I know Goa'uld technology," Sabin said. "I knew there was a reason why you didn't seem worried," Jack said. Sabin grinned, his hand unconsciously patting his armband. Not long after, they entered Apophis's quarters, Apophis himself sitting in a fancy chair, servants throughout, Jaffa Guards at the doors. "Almost makes me feel as if I'm cheating," Jack muttered, stopping just inside the room with Sabin and looking at the Goa'uld with distaste. "We're not, just using our abilities and resources wisely," Sabin said. `Colonel, the charge has been reset. We had to position it in a different location, but it will have the same results. We are in the ring room now and will go down once we are in orbit,' Sam said over the radio. "Very good. Me and Sabin are in front of Apophis, just waiting to send him to his Maker," he answered. Before Sam could answer, they all felt the ship slow down as a Jaffa went to Apophis and told him they were about to enter into orbit. "Alright, Captain, you and Daniel can activate the timers and go down to the planet soon. We're approaching orbit," Jack said. "Understood?" `Understood, sir. Out.' Jack put the radio back, lifting up his P-90 and nodding to Sabin. "Ready?" "Yup." Jack took a few steps forward, taking aim, however, Jack suddenly felt himself pass through something, and just as he did, the Jaffa in the room moved into action. "Jaffa Kree!" one shouted. They assembled protectively in front of Apophis as Apophis stood and activated his shield. "Crap," Jack said. "That just had to happen." "We passed through a matter detection field. It doesn't matter if we're invisible or not," Sabin said. "Well, I don't feel bad about cheating anymore, but now we have to do this the hard way," Jack said. "--_We know you're in here. Show yourself_!--" Apophis ordered. "Pfft, like that'll happen," Jack said, finger on the trigger. Sabin slammed his hands together, obliterating the Jaffa's weapons and armor and throwing them back, though Apophis was still safe within his shield. Apophis could see where the pulse had originated from, and set out to resolve this attack before it got further out of hand. He threw his hand forward, activating his hand device and thrusting out a powerful wall of force. Jack saw it and stepped beside Sabin, throwing out his scarred hand and producing a wall of his own. -BOOM!- Jack was thrown backwards as Apophis was slammed back as well, his hand device cracking against his palm. "--Ahh!--" he roared as more Jaffa poured in, confused at finding their god's chamber a total mess and him in pain. Sabin turned around as Jack picked himself up. Jack quickly reoriented himself, happy to know they were still invisible because they weren't being shot at yet. "--_Jaffa Kree! Ris'vi he'u! Deactivate the ring room! The intruders are within! Don't let them escape!_--" Apophis shouted, pointing in the area Jack and Sabin still were as the Jaffa followed his orders, preventing escape. "--_Sha'lokma'kor_!--" The Jaffa opened fire, shooting blindly in the direction Apophis had directed them. Jack fired as well, aiming at Apophis as Sabin raised his hands. The weapon blasts halted in midair as Jack's glowing bullets pelted Apophis relentlessly. Apophis dropped, his shield no longer operating. There was no doubt he was dead. Sabin shot the blasts back, taking down those who had fired them. Not waiting for anything else to happen, Jack grabbed Sabin and ran to the sealed door, attempting to get out. "We're running low on time, Sabin!" he shouted. "They've shut down the rings," Sabin stated, actually worried. "I don't know if I can reactivate them in time." `Colonel?! Are you there? We're on the surface. All the other teams have checked in. Over,' Sam's voice asked aver the radio. "We're still on the ship. We've been sealed inside the now dead guy's chamber, and they've shut down the ring room," Jack answered. `Sir, there's not much time. The timers --' Sam began. "I think I understand the situation we are in, Captain." `Can Sabin poof you two to the ring room?' Daniel asked, talking into the radio from behind Sam, his voice clearly worried. "Apophis ordered them to deactivate the rings!" Jack shouted. "We don't have time to reactivate them!" `Colonel, get out of there!' Sam actually shouted, seeing the time on her wristband. The ship suddenly shifted and seemed to rattle. The ship beside the one they were on had been destroyed. "I guess Alice and Frank's team succeeded," Jack muttered, before noticing Sabin grabbing his armband and staring at it. "Sabin?" he asked. Sabin didn't answer, just immediately hugged him, Jack just barely catching the look of solid determination on his young face. --*POOF!*-- - - - "Colonel, what's going on up there?!" Sam shouted into the radio, fear in her voice. They only got static as a reply, just as a second explosion became visible in the sky above them. "Oh no..." Daniel breathed. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _Goa'uld to English_ Sha'lokma'kor -- Get them/Kill them Kree -- Attention Ris'vi he'u -- Close the doors *Questions concerning:* -Sabin and Jack being unable to ring down-: The rings' system had been entirely deactivated. They did not have time to turn them back on and definitely didn't have time to poof to all of the explosives to reset them so they would have time. The rings' system is like a computer, once you shut it down, it takes a moment to start it back up. -Sirius/Jolinar and Martouf-: There will not be any slash relationship there, for anyone who doesn't already know I do not write or read slash. -Sabin and Jack taking the `unnecessary risk' of personally killing Apophis-: First of all, it was necessary, they didn't want to take the risk of him escaping... *again*. So they felt the best and only way to really do that was to personally kill him before blowing up his ship. -Sabin's future schooling-: Don't worry; I'm not going to pull any obscure, cockamamie, things with that. There is very little Earth (muggle or magical) can truly offer to him education-wise. The only things that he is missing at the moment is Earth's geography and history after the Ancients, but Daniel and Sam will no doubt provide enough knowledge on that later. ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ *Part 24: The Beliskner* Thor was concerned. He had received a message from Sabin, requesting for assistance in former Goa'uld territory. He was glad Sabin had informed him of Apophis' plans of trying to claim Heru'ur's space, but feared he would not be able to make it in time to make much of a difference. He made the Beliskner go faster, heading to the coordinates Sabin had sent to him. He just hoped he wouldn't be too late in helping, if his help was needed. He and his people were allied to him, after all, and not only that, he liked Sabin, as well as that odd Tau'ri `fellow,' Jack or something? - - - Jack's feet landed on something solid, but not exactly level. Soon after, he realized that, wherever he was, it was dark but not completely. There were stars twinkling above him and a fading fire in the sky far off in the horizon. He was unbelievably cold, but not from the temperature or weather of the area. His very core felt as if it had been submerged in icy water, and his whole body felt as if he had tumbled down a steep hill of unforgiving concrete. He was out of breath and could feel himself shaking, even before his legs gave way. Hitting the grassy ground on his side, he suddenly felt a small form land against his legs. Sabin. Looking down, immediately realizing they were in a valley of some kind, Jack found what made his heart nearly stop. "Sabin!" Now on his knees, he waved his hand over Sabin, muttering -lumos- at the same time to see him more clearly. He was silent and still and Jack could see that his lips were dark blue and he was not breathing. He was very cold, colder than Jack. "Oh please no," he breathed. "Sabin, come on, buddy." He laid him down straight before quickly searching for a pulse. He found none. "No, no, come on," he said, immediately checking his airway and beginning CPR. "One-two-three-four-five," he said, before giving one breath. He continued cycling through this for a number of minutes. "Please, not again, please," he said, desperation thick in his voice as he continued CPR. "I already lost one son, please don't take another..." His voice dispersed into the night air as he gave Sabin another breath. - - - "How do you end up in these situations?" Jovon asked, shaking his head down at Sabin. They were in a vast, brightly lit, plain. Sabin turned and looked up, a little sheepishly. "Well, I need to tell you something anyways. Something is coming, well, several things," Jovon said. "Because of this, you need to prepare. I see that you've already begun teaching your dad a few things. His quick grasp of his Mind Force is quite impressive, but no need to stop there -- and you shouldn't." Jovon had clearly embraced Jack's new title as `dad' to Sabin. "I'm sorry that I can't tell you more, but you need to be going, before it -is- too late. Even now, you are cutting it a little close... and I am sorry to say that you will not escape unscathed either way," Jovon said. "It was good seeing you again, Sabin. Until we meet again." - - - Jack was now officially hysterical, beyond it actually. It had been over fifteen minutes since Sabin had poofed them off the ship, not that he knew that -- to him it felt like hours, days even (except for the fact it was still dark). "Four-five..." Jack nearly jumped when Sabin took in a ragged breath. "Sabin! -Thank you-, Lord!" Jack said, lifting his eyes slightly to the sky before looking back down to Sabin. Sabin's lips were still blue and it was clear that he was struggling to take each breath, but he was alive! Jack felt like crying in relief and nearly did. "Jack?" Sabin mumbled as Jack bent down and kissed him on the forehead. "I'm here," Jack said. "It's okay, every --" Whatever was okay, Sabin never heard, for in that instant, they were consumed by a blue and white pillar of light. - - - "Colonel! Come in, Colonel!" Sam shouted into her radio again. "Sam..." Daniel said, trying in vain to get her attention as he took hold of her arm. "Colonel! Jack, come in, -please-!" "Sam!" Daniel shouted, giving her arm a shake. Sam jumped, tears in her eyes. "They can't-they can't be..." Sam managed. "Sam, we need to get to the gate," Daniel said. "The others are waiting for us." He didn't know what else to say or do. "What-what if Sabin managed to poof them down here? What if they're hurt?" "We'll come back and search for them, okay, but right now, we need to tell the others what has happened." Sam shut her eyes before giving a shaky nod, knowing Jack would not want her to lose her composure, no matter the situation. - - - Jack found himself standing in a large odd metal... ship? His eyes focused on a huge window. Dark space was on the other side, but he wasn't concerned about that, he was more concerned about the fact that Sabin was no longer with him. "Colonel O'Neill." Turning around and raising his gun in one swift motion, Jack found himself aiming at a little gray Roswell fellow. "Where's Sabin!" Jack shouted. "Here," he said. "I apologize, but I felt it best to place him immediately into the stasis pod to help him heal. I see that you resuscitated him, but he is still very weak." Jack wasn't positive who the guy was, but knew he was an Asgard. "Thor?" Jack asked, slowly moving to the pod, not completely at ease yet. "It is I. I had received a message from Guardian Sabin, informing me that you all were attempting to take down Apophis. I am glad you have succeeded, though I wish I had arrived in time to prevent Sabin from injuring himself," he said regretfully. He moved something on the control panel. "Will he be okay?" Jack asked, now lowering his weapon and approaching the `pod'. He found Sabin sleeping within, his lips not so blue anymore. "Yes, though the ship's systems are trying to find the cause of the problem. Could you tell me what happened?" he asked. Jack told him what had happened, and that they had not anticipated Apophis shutting down the rings and that they quickly learned it would take too long to recharge the crystals since they had been shut down. It wasn't that Sabin didn't know how to restart the rings, just that he didn't have time to. It was like shutting down a computer and waiting for it to reboot. Some things nobody can rush. Jack felt stupid for not having thought of that response from the Goa'uld. He then told Thor about how Sabin had poofed them to the planet's surface. Thor's eyes grew wide. "Yes, that would have caused his body a great deal of stress, traveling through space, and with a companion no less. How are you feeling, O'Neill?" he asked, now looking at him in concern. "Good. I was a little shaky and cold at first, but I'm fine now," Jack said. "You are very lucky. If Sabin had been any weaker, you would have been in the same condition as Sabin, if not worse." "How bad is he?" Jack asked, turning the conversation back onto Sabin. "I'm reading extreme exhaustion, but not exactly where his physical condition is concerned, though his body is tired. It's like there's a separate system besides his physical one," Thor said, appearing a little confused. "I think I may know what you are referring to. All people like him, well, magic users, have a magical core. Sam read all about it and told me. We are sure he has exhausted it before, like after Zoning Cheyenne Mountain and escaping from Ban-Azka." "How long did it take him to recover after those events?" "A few days, the Zoning didn't take as long." "So this?" Thor prompted. "I don't know, two days at least, probably," Jack admitted. "But then, what is this pod thingy doing, exactly?" "The stasis pod is putting nutrients and energy directly into his body. I don't know how this will affect his magical core, but perhaps it will allow more of his energy to focus there." Jack nodded, looking back to Sabin. - - - Teal'c, Bra'tac, Sirius, Martouf, Alice and Frank and the others part of their teams (including some individuals who appeared to have been Goa'uld prisoners) met up in front of the gate, the rendezvous point. "Where is O'Neill's team?" Bra'tac asked. "They should have been here before now." Before someone could speculate where they were, they saw Sam and Daniel approaching from the shadows. It didn't take long for them to realize something was wrong. "Where's Jack and Sabin?" Sirius asked. Sam kept her head bowed, while Daniel slowly looked up and sadly shook his head as Sirius began demanding to be told what happened. - - - "Sabin?" Jack whispered before turning to Thor. "Hey, I think he's waking up!" Thor hurried over. "Guardian Sabin, can you hear us?" Thor asked. Sabin frowned, wondering why he was laying in a glass tube-like thing before he nodded a little. "Good. Now don't move much, just relax. The pod is helping you," Thor said. "W-where am I?" Sabin asked, his voice distorted by the glass between them. "You are on the Beliskner, my vessel," Thor answered. "I detected both of your life signs on the surface and brought you up as soon as I could. We are now going to Earth, where I will leave you. I am certain my assistance will be needed to secure the new territory you and the others have taken, which was a great help to us. Because of the previous arrangement, our border of space was warped inward, but now it has flattened out, which will allow us to send more ships to where we really need them." "You having problems or something?" Jack asked, wondering why the Asgard would be so concerned about gaining a few more ships for use other than border patrol. "We have an enemy that has been gathering in force, the Replicators, but now that you and your people have shifted the territories, we can focus more of our strength elsewhere. We will be forever grateful. Your actions may have turned the tide in our war with the Replicators," Thor explained as Sabin closed his eyes again. Jack could almost swear the little gray dude smiled. "How long until we get to Earth?" Jack asked, Sabin now asleep. "A few hours. I'll be able to send a holographic transmission in a few minutes," Thor said. "That's good. I can only imagine what they're thinking right now..." Jack said, feeling bad about making them worry like that. "They might think we're... gone." "It is a possibility, but soon that belief will be corrected," Thor said. - - - General Hammond watched as Sam, Daniel, Sirius (and Jolinar), the Longbottoms (with their symbiotes: Loflin and Jean) and Teal'c took their seats in the briefing room. Many of the Tok'ra were looking on the planet, hoping for a miracle, but they had already said their recent scans had found nothing. Sirius was close to tears. Sam had already been crying, and now she was trying to put up a brave front. Teal'c was as sad as Hammond had ever seen him, and the Longbottoms appeared lost. Probably imagining what it would feel like if their own son was gone, since Sabin and Neville were the same age. Hammond cleared his throat, trying to get past his own emotions and trying to figure out what to say; however, he was interrupted. A bright column of light appeared right beside him, a transparent figure of a Roswell-like alien materializing. "Friends of Jack O'Neill and Guardian Sabin," he greeted. "Thor?!" Daniel gasped. Thor nodded. "I have decided it best to send out this holographic transmission as soon as I could, assuming you had come to the conclusion that Jack O'Neill and Guardian Sabin had suffered a terrible fate. I am informing you that is not the case. Jack O'Neill and Guardian Sabin are both on my vessel, the Beliskner, and we will be within Earth's orbit in three hours." Hammond and the other took several seconds to absorb what Thor had just told them. "They are alive?" Sirius asked. "Very much so," Thor answered with a slight nod. Sirius and Daniel began laughing in hysterical thankfulness as Sam and Alice Longbottom gave a grateful half choked sob and embraced each other. The others looked utterly relieved. "What happened? Are they both alright?" Hammond asked. "They are both tired, but Sabin seems to be suffering a little more from fatigue than O'Neill. I have placed him in a stasis pod to help in his recovery. O'Neill told me the last time he expended his... magic, he was out for a few days." "Has he woken up at all?" Sam asked. "He woke a few minutes ago, just long enough to ask where he was and to learn that O'Neill was with him," Thor answered. "He is sleeping again at the moment." "Could we speak to O'Neill?" Hammond asked. "Certainly." He disappeared for a moment, and then Jack focused into view, as if he had stepped onto a platform. "Good morning, campers!" Jack said. "It is morning over there, right?" "Yes, Jack, it is," Daniel said, too happy to see Jack alive to be annoyed with his enthusiasm. "It is very good to see you well, Colonel," Hammond said. "Indeed it is, O'Neill," Teal'c agreed. "So how is Sabin doing, really? I suspect Frasier will want to take a look at him once you both arrive," Hammond said. "I think he drained his magic a great deal, more than his warding of the base and even that whole incident at Ban Azka and at Hogwarts." Jack sighed, for some reason feeling as if he was missing something. "So he's just really tired, right?" Daniel asked. "I think so, but I think it would be wise to get a second opinion, just to be safe," Jack muttered. "Jack is actually requesting an examination by another doctor?" Daniel asked, stunned. "I don't want to take any chances. Right now... I don't know, right now his magic just feels different," Jack said. "Different?" Sirius asked, now growing concerned after feeling such relief. "I can't really explain it, and didn't know I could sense his magic until I felt the difference." "General, I think we should get Madam Pomfrey up here or something," Sirius said. "It could be nothing and just that he's tired, but a shift in magic that causes it to actually feel different can be serious." "I agree with Mr. Black," Frank Longbottom said. "We can floo Dumbledore and get Madam Pomfrey over here before the Beliskner arrives." "The President has already allowed the secret of the Stargate Program be told to a number of people. I don't know how much he would appreciate another request, however, because Sabin's life may be at risk, I do not see how he can refuse," Hammond said. They all nodded. "I'm going to go back and sit with Sabin. Thor will probably beam us down into the infirmary when we arrive," Jack said. "We'll be waiting," Hammond said as Jack's form faded. It took a moment for them all to refocus, but knowing that Jack and Sabin were alive was an immense relief and now they were able to focus on other matters. "--_The Tok'ra have rescued several people from one of the Goa'uld ships. Apparently they had been moving a small number of future hosts. One of them has agreed to take a host of ours,_--" Jolinar said through Sirius. "I assume that would be yourself?" Daniel asked. "--_Yes._--" "When are you going to do this?" Hammond asked. "--_I was hoping for today, mainly because my future host is not well at the moment. Nothing life threatening, but I can't stand the thought of my future host being uncomfortable when I could help her,_--" she said. "Very well. I assume Sirius will be okay afterwards?" he asked. "--_Yes, though he may feel sluggish and a little lonely, putting it bluntly, but because we both understand I am leaving, and have already come to terms with it, it will not be as traumatic for him if something happened to cause me to leave suddenly._--" Hammond and the others nodded. "Whenever you wish to leave Sirius, just tell Dr. Fraiser so she can monitor it all, make sure you both are alright," Hammond said. "I think we'll go ahead and do this before Sabin and Jack arrive, then," Sirius said. "That woman has a nasty cough and there's no point in letting her stay sick if we can do something about it." "Very well. Is there anything else?" Hammond asked. They all shook their heads, the Longbottoms already getting up to floo Pomfrey and Dumbledore to get in contact with their family again... - - - Dumbledore was in his office, working on a few papers for the upcoming school year when his fireplace suddenly flared. Thinking it was Augusta or someone else from the Ministry, he stood up to welcome them; however, he quickly learned this was not the case as the fireplace alerted him that the firecall was from out of the country. Far out of the country. "Headmaster?" a voice asked. Looking into the flames, Dumbledore could hardly believe his eyes. "Frank Longbottom?" "Professor, you may want to sit down." - - - "Thor, come here! Something's wrong!" Jack shouted, skidding across the floor onto the bridge of the ship where Thor was. Thor quickly left the console, hurrying in behind Jack to find Sabin sitting up and clearly upset in the pod he was supposed to be resting in. "What is wrong Guardian Sabin? Are you in pain?" Thor asked, trying to understand the readings he was now seeing. "Core's damaged; can't fix it," Sabin nearly rambled, sounding scared and disoriented. "Jovon said -- not unscathed, b-but -this-!?" "Sabin, calm down. How do you know your core is damaged? How bad is it?" Jack asked, taking his little hands in his. "Sleeping, looked at it, felt weird. Crack in it... tried repairing it, b-but I can't!" Jack gently hugged him, looking to Thor and hoping he would know how to fix this. "Doesn't feel good, hurts some." "It'll be alright, Sabin, just rest on me," Jack said. "I don't understand much about your core, Guardian, but I believe the stress you were under while transporting yourself and O'Neill to the planet's surface is the cause of this. I am sorry to say I do not know how to help you, but perhaps the Tau'ri magic users can help you where I cannot," Thor said. Sabin nodded against Jack's chest, one of his hands loosely gripping onto Jack's vest as he fell into a restless sleep. "How much longer until we arrive?" Jack asked. "Less than ten minutes." - - - "Everyone ready?" Fraiser asked, Pomfrey and Dumbledore trying not to appear too overwhelmed from everything while standing next to Sirius and the others in the Infirmary. "Yeah," Sirius said. The Longbottoms had felt it best to go to the Longbottom mansion because they did not wish to be in the way if Sabin needed to be treated for whatever reason, and they also wanted to see their son again -- most of all. Sirius and Jolinar were no longer together, Jolinar now with a new host, for which Martouf was especially grateful. Sirius felt understandably empty, and though a part of him would always miss Jolinar's companionship, a greater part of himself was actually happy to have his thoughts be completely his own. The Tok'ra had all left, not wanting to get in the way, but made Hammond swear to keep them updated about the condition of Jack and Sabin. After Dumbledore had been told a brief summary of the Stargate program, the President actually insisting the old head of the Wizengamot be told the truth, Dumbledore arrived at the base via portkey through the Legion of American Wizards with Madam Pomfrey. Pomfrey was understandably concerned when she was told about Sabin's apparent `shift' in magic Jack had described, and did not understand why time felt as if it was mocking her by how slow it seemed to be going. She, of course, was more focused on wondering what Sabin's true condition was than the fact aliens existed and how the Americans had a doorway into other worlds. Dumbledore's thoughts were jumbled between the Longbottoms, the Stargate Program, and Sabin. He couldn't help but be worried, for the same reasons as Pomfrey, knowing what a `shift' in magic could mean. A damaged core. If Dumbledore wasn't such a skilled Occlumens, he probably wouldn't be able to form a coherent sentence. He had once experienced a damaged core himself a long time ago, and it was something he wouldn't wish on anyone. If that was what had befallen Sabin... He didn't even want to think about it. A cracked core was beyond uncomfortable, and it made one feel as if they had a chunk of their very being misplaced. It was enough to make anyone go mad, and for some cases, if left untreated, could. If something was wrong with Sabin, he hoped this was not the problem, for if it was, drastic measures would need to be taken, and the very magic and life of the Guardian would be at risk. A bed had been readied, Fraiser hopeful that Thor would know which bed to place Sabin on. Finally, after a few more agonizing minutes, two pillars of light took over the room, one on the bed they had prepared, the other right next to it. Jack and Sabin appeared, many in the room giving a small gasp, never having seen something like that before. Dumbledore and the others stayed back, Fraiser already having dished out death threats if any of them got too close, or, heaven forbid, got in the way. Barely after the light dissipated, Fraiser was taking Sabin's pulse and readying her penlight, ignoring Jack for the moment as Pomfrey waved her wand over Sabin's semi-conscious form, before Sabin flailed, suddenly wondering why he felt surrounded. Too tired to be truly conscious of what was happening or where he was, Sabin focused on one goal, finding Jack. "Dad!?" he shouted out, batting Fraiser's penlight away before reaching toward where he instinctively knew Jack was. "We're in the infirmary, Sabin; back on Earth. Terra," Jack said, forcing Sabin back onto the bed and taking Sabin's hand that was waving about and battling Janet Fraiser's penlight that had yet to directly shine in his eyes -- Fraiser's attempts of soothing him utterly failing. "Too bright and dark!" Sabin practically yelled, his other hand somehow snatching Fraiser's penlight as Pomfrey gathered readings with her wand. Jack couldn't help but feel bad for practically siccing two doctors on Sabin, but with how he was acting now, worry beat back guilt. Tightly holding the penlight he had just taken from Fraiser and was barely keeping from her, a loud bang rocked their ear drums. "Ahh!" The penlight was broken and they all could suddenly feel hot magic rippling off of Sabin. "Merlin! Tell him to stop using magic!" Pomfrey suddenly yelled. "It'll make the fracture worse!" Sabin was clearly not coherent, falling back to his first mission of finding and getting to Jack. Jack was suddenly there, unapologetically pushing Fraiser aside, not caring if he'd pay for it later, and pulled Sabin off the bed and into his arms while kneeling on the floor to comfortably cradle Sabin. "Dad," Sabin sighed, unimaginable relief radiating from such a tiny word. "I'm here, just calm down, Sabin; you're safe." "I can't fix it, I can't fix it. Please fix it," he said, before losing what small grasp he had on consciousness. "Everyone but Jack, move away from him!" Dumbledore suddenly ordered, stepping up and pulling out his wand. Everyone did as they were told, too stunned by the power from the old man to question him. They took a few steps back and made as much room as they could for Dumbledore as he went to his knees beside Jack and placed his old hand on Sabin's chest. "Place your wand hand over my hand," Dumbledore told Jack, before closing his eyes and muttering a few words under his breath. "If you can, enter his mind and let him know everything will be alright." Jack did that, becoming even more shaken when Sabin's Mind Force barely responded. "Direct as much magic as you can into my hand. I will try to mold it over the fracture to help close it," Dumbledore directed. Jack barely nodded, the scars on his hand growing hot as the magic was then absorbed and guided by Dumbledore. Dumbledore ignored the burning sensation on the back of his hand as Jack continued giving him his magic to use. Dumbledore finished muttering and was now completely focused and still, no doubt repairing what he could. The others in the room waited anxiously, Sam and Daniel barely breathing by the door, while Hammond, Sirius, and Teal'c stared at the scene from the opposite wall. Fraiser and Pomfrey stood frozen at the foot of Sabin's bed. Finally, Dumbledore pulled his hand away from under Jack's, Sabin now resting peacefully. "Did it work?" Jack asked. "Yes, but he must not use any magic for at least two weeks. Think of what I have done as clay in a crack. It needs to dry and stiffen before he can use his core again, otherwise he will morph his magic into something he may not be able to control, or even use. What I have done is something I wish had not been necessary, but because it was, I did it. The other options would not have been wise." "What were the other options?" Sam asked. "The next best option would have been to lock his magic, and wait for his core to possibly heal. It would not have been a guarantee, and unnaturally locking a person's magic can be extremely dangerous, especially in one so young. His magic is still developing, and though it has developed more than even my own, it is still adjusting, and will continue to as he grows. Locking it would have brought another set of risks I did not want to place on Sabin." "So will he be okay?" Sirius asked, slowly approaching. "As long as he lets his core heal by not using any magic, he should be. A few slip ups of using magic might be okay, but I wouldn't advise pushing it at all. I'm seriously stunned what he did to the flashlight did not cause more harm to his core, though I do not know what the fracture looked like before." Taking a collective sigh of relief, Pomfrey and Fraiser went back into action. Pomfrey helped Jack tuck Sabin into bed, while Fraiser prepared a bed for Jack, which for the first time he would not object to. Soon after, Pomfrey checked Dumbledore over, making sure he hadn't over exerted himself. After getting her readings, she `strongly advised' him to sleep in the next day. Not wishing to risk Pomfrey slipping something into his food or drink later, Dumbledore promised to do as she said. Now that everything had quieted down, Sirius, Daniel, Sam, and Teal'c approached Jack and Sabin's beds, the others having stepped out into the hall. Seeing the looks of his team, Jack knew they were trying not to burst about something. "What?" he finally asked. Teal'c's smile nearly broke his face as he answered, "Guardian Sabin has designated a new title for you." Jack relaxed into his pillow, a soft smile reaching his lips as he closed his eyes, missing the faces of the rest of his team as he surrendered to sleep. Sam had a dreamy grin, Daniel had an amused and happy smirk, and Sirius had an expression torn between jealousy, gratitude, and joy. *Question Concerning: * -Sabin's Limit and Consequences-: I definitely understand questions such as: What good is an incapacitated Guardian? and What if something happened? Wouldn't Sabin become a liability rather than a help? To answer such questions, here are my reasonings and thoughts: I hope, as you have been reading, you have been able to see that Sabin's limit has been pushed further, as in breaking through the previous bounds and setting a new `limit'. Here's a summed up look to show what I mean: ---Initially, his first limit was met because he had made a HUGE ward along with stopping and poofing the NID out. ---The next was obviously Ban Azka, where before entering the ghastly place, he deflected a car sized energy blast and put up a large protective dome. Then entering Ban Azka, he put up a time warp to prevent Jack and Sam from landing too hard (though that didn't help him much -- since his arm broke). Then he healed his arm, healed Jack's hand, and then took a short nap. After that, they went through Ban Azka, broke Sirius out, confronted dementors (Sabin vaporizing one) then called Fawkes. (Please note when Sabin confronted and killed Heru-ur and dealt with a lot of his Jaffa, he didn't meet any limit, which he would have before Ban Azka.) ---Then the recent one, of course, was on Apophis' ship. He made Jack and himself silent and invisible most of the time, battled and killed Apophis, and then poofed down to the surface. Now, poofing from a ship to a planet's surface may not seem that big of a deal, but it is. Though I didn't go into much explanation, I'll clarify here of why it was so draining. -------One, he had Jack with him, meaning he had to protect and prevent another person's life force and magic from being lost in space, not to mention his own. -------Two, just as he left, the ship exploded, meaning he not only had space to deal with, but the force, energy, and heat from the exploding ship. Though poofing isn't exactly like apparating, imagine how one would get splinched if they weren't strong enough to counter outside forces? Not pretty. That said, the question concerning about what if something bad happened and the planet was in danger and Sabin was helpless... I'm sorry, what about all of those times Jack or one of the others returned from a mission severely injured in the episodes? Aren't they practically Earth's guardians as well? I don't care how macho you are, it's going to take you weeks, if not months to get over some of the things Jack has endured, such as a broken leg with a punctured lung accompanied with hypothermia. I would continue listing examples, but there are just too many to list. Anyway, as I was saying before I interrupted myself, like in the episodes, there are going to be times where Earth is vulnerable, and it's only through luck that things don't happen (like Goa'uld attacks or whatever). And as for Sabin being helpless, Dumbledore didn't say he -couldn't- use magic, just that he -shouldn't-. I hope this explains my reasoning enough for those of you questioning Sabin's limits to at least accept it. I'm not asking you to like it, because I'm sure Sabin doesn't like it either :P =============================================================================== #Ancient# ::Asgard:: Part 25: The Ancients It had been a week since Thor had beamed Sabin and Jack back down to Earth, and during that time, Sabin had stayed at the SGC, resting. Dumbledore had stayed for the first two days, wanting to make sure his `patch job' of Sabin's core was holding and hadn't shifted. Only after he was certain Sabin was on the way to a solid recovery and after he had given Hammond a quick way to personally contact him did he leave. The rest of that week had been fairly boring, not that Sabin knew that, he slept most of the time. The only interesting thing that had happened involved the Tok'ra and a symbiote called Selmac. Remus Lupin arrived at the SGC -- courtesy of Mike's fireplace. At first, he didn't understand why Sirius had contacted him and had asked him to come to the States, and admittedly became very nervous when a pair of armed guards met him at the gates to escort him into the mountain. He had, of course, spoken with Dumbledore before coming, but Dumbledore had not brought much to light, his eyes twinkling more than usual. It was enough to unnerve anyone. Once deep inside the mountain, Sirius, Sam, and the general explained the situation to him. Though it was slightly overwhelming, he knew about the miraculous recovery of the Longbottoms, and learning that these beings known as the Tok'ra could combat the werewolf within him, it didn't take long for him to accept what they were proposing. "So, this Selmac will be able to -- er... tame --" Remus began. "Your furry friend?" Sirius finished for him. "Yeah..." "We're not one-hundred percent sure, but I think it is worth a try, and not only that, Selmac is a very old and wise leader of the Tok'ra, and he will die if he doesn't gain a new host." Lupin was a little uneasy about sharing his body, especially if that meant the possibility of exposing another to the pain and life that came with being a werewolf, despite Sirius and the other's assurances. "We have already told Selmac everything about the situation, and he is confident it won't be a problem, despite this never having been done before," Hammond said. "But whatever your choice, there is someone who is waiting for you in the infirmary." On the way to the infirmary, Sirius began telling Remus a little about the SGC and that something had happened to Sabin. Remus was understandably concerned, but quickly calmed when he learned Sabin was on the mend. "Dad, it's sort of boring here now," Sabin said. "Dr. Fraiser won't let me out of bed for anything!" Remus, Sam, and Sirius entered the fairly quiet infirmary, finding Jack next to Sabin's bed. "I know how you feel, I don't like the infirmary much either, which is why I have convinced Hammond to allow you to go with Sirius for the weekend, and at least part of next week, to my cabin," Jack said. "You won't be coming with us?" Sabin asked, not sounded pleased at all about that. "No, I'm afraid not. Part of SG-1 needs to get back to work. Daniel believes he's found an important planet, and he's itching for us to go visit it. It seems to be a low risk planet, probably real boring rock and research stuff, so don't worry, you won't be missing much," Jack said, before noticing who had come in. "Hi, Remus!" Sabin said. "Hey, Sabin. Sirius told me some of what happened. I'm glad you're getting better," Remus said. "So, Sabin, Jack told you about tomorrow?" Sirius asked. Sabin nodded, part of him looking forward to it, while another part of him wanted Jack to go with them too. "It'll be fun, Sabin. The lake at my place is great. You and Sirius will have a great time, besides, it's time you and your godfather got to know each other better," Jack said. "Once you can safely use your magic again, you two will be allowed back on missions, so just enjoy your little vacation, `kay?" Sabin smiled, brightening a little, wondering if Sirius knew how to fish. As the day continued, Remus came to a decision about becoming a host and agreed to it. Knowing he was not the only one who had agreed to be a host to a Tok'ra also helped. Apparently, there were a number of other people who had agreed, all somehow being tied to the SGC one way or another. Sam's father, Jacob, was even among them, since Selmac was not the only Tok'ra in need of a new host as soon as possible. Jacob was suffering from cancer, and needed to be helped quickly as well. Somehow, before the day was over, all of that had been set in motion. Remus became an ambassador between the Tok'ra and the people of Earth, dozens of willing hosts (mostly those seeking a cure of some sort) left to accept symbiotes, and Sabin had packed his things for the weekend. "You be good for the Guardian, you hear?" Fraiser warned, speaking to Sirius. "Yes, ma'am, you have nothing to worry about," Sirius said, wise enough to just agree with the short doctor. "Remember to wear your seatbelts," Sam reminded, since they had to drive to the cabin due to the current danger of using magic near Sabin's healing core. "Yes, mother," Sirius retorted, making Sabin giggle. They all said their goodbyes, Sabin and Sirius leaving soon after for a few relaxing days at Jack's cabin, while Jack and the others prepared for a small mission to appease the higher ups. Wouldn't do to appear lazy. - - - Jack, Teal'c, Sam, and Hammond were being briefed by Daniel about Ernest's planet, a planet they had visited before they had met Sabin. On the projector were pictures of the four languages that had been taken on that planet. "On the planet where we found Ernest Littlefield, PB2-908, we also found a repository of information," Daniel said. "The meaning of life stuff," Jack said, trying to move the briefing along. "Yes, and based on the four distinct alien languages inscribed on the wall we concluded it was some sort of meeting place, where these four races would --" "We already read the mission report, Doctor Jackson," Hammond interrupted. "Okay, right, well, two days ago the probe sent this image from P3R-272," Daniel said, before pointing to a picture. "There's a close-up on a circle of symbols. Now if you look closely you'll see that the symbols match one of the inscriptions from the meeting place on Ernest's planet... So you realize what this means?" "You know what this circle of symbols says?" Hammond asked. "No, I don't even know what it sounds like, but based on the Norse rune at the bottom of this inscription, I'm positive that one of the four races in the alliance is Thor's race, the Asgard. Obviously that would make the aliens that belong to this race their allies." "You mean like the Furlings?" Sam asked. Daniel nodded. "I do believe this world is worth exploring, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said. - - - "Jack certainly likes these... Simpsons," Sirius said, his eyes gliding over the long row of DVD's. "I began learning English by watching them before Jack could see me," Sabin said, climbing up to sit on the couch. "Really? Wow. Well, what do you want to do?" Sirius asked, setting down the games Sam and Fraiser had insisted on him taking. "-Candy Land-?" Sabin asked, hopeful, his eyes brightly looking to the colorful box below -Don't Spill the Beans-, -Don't Break the Ice-, and -`What's in Ned's Head?'- "Certainly," Sirius said, more than happy to play any game with Sabin. "But remember what Fraiser said. You'll need to take a nap before dinner." "Aww, but we're not really doing much but playing this. This is sort of like resting," Sabin said. "It is, but you know how she is; Fraiser'll know, and then I'll get in trouble," Sirius said. "Will you be taking a nap too?" Sabin asked. "No... I'll probably be fixing dinner while you sleep," Sirius admitted, laying out the Candy Land pieces. "Will we have jelly?" he asked. "Sure, why not?" he said as he chose the figure he would play across the board. - - - -Monday- Jack, Daniel, Sam, and Teal'c stepped out of the gate, entering a small, circular boring room. There were no exits and the walls were smooth and dark. There was light coming from the ceiling and a collection of markings on the floor in a small circle. "Strange. Breathable air, moderate temperature, but where's the life support coming from?" Sam wondered out loud as Jack hit the wall with his hand. "Walls are solid," Jack said with a slight wince, shaking out his hand. "As the probe indicated there appears to be no exit," Teal'c said. "Well, this was an intergalactic waste of time," Jack said, not impressed at all with the place. "Well, wait a minute, sir. Where's the power for the lights coming from? What's the point of this place?" Sam asked as Daniel looked up. "Hello! Hello! I'm Daniel Jackson, we're peaceful explorers from the planet Earth," Daniel shouted. Jack raised an eyebrow. "It was worth a try," Daniel muttered. "Daniel, how long you figure we oughta hang out here and scratch our cosmic heads?" Jack asked. "Well, we can't just give up," Daniel said, part of him hoping someone would answer his hello from earlier. "Why not? Let's go home," Jack said, turning and stepping into the circle of writing on the floor. Just as he was about to take another step, something suddenly appeared out of the wall behind him. It was a circular layered object, a hole in the center. "Okay... that's something," Jack said, quickly noticing the odd thing on the wall. Teal'c approached it, looking into it. "Watch yerself there, Teal'c," Jack warned, an uneasy feeling washing over him. "What do you see?" Daniel asked curiously. "Blackness, filled with colored lights," Teal'c answered simply before walking away, allowing Jack to step in front of it and look in. It suddenly changed its form slightly, startling Jack and causing him to quickly lean back. "Whoa!" Jack shouted, his eyes taking in the disk-shape before the thing instantly changed again, leaping out at him and grabbing his head. His hands instantly went up and gripped the thing's sides as buzzing suddenly filled his ears and colorful streaks overtook his vision. "Colonel!" Sam shouted, all of them staring in shock as it grabbed Jack before a blinding light overtook the entire room. Blinking away the dots in their vision, they immediately saw that Jack was no longer with them and the object on the wall had disappeared as well. "Jack?!" Daniel shouted, his voice echoing throughout the room. - - - Jack fell back, landing on a fairly hard surface, but not painfully so. He felt dizzy and sick, and very disoriented. "Urgh... what happened?" he asked, placing a hand on the side of his head as he sat up. "You looked into our archive," a soft voice stated behind him. Jack quickly turned, taking hold of his gun to aim as he stood up, while at the same time regretting his quick movements, his vision swimming for a moment. "Your weapons will not work here," the voice said, almost amused. Jack blinked several times, trying to focus on the radiant shape before him. It was definitely feminine, but there were more figures behind her, all equally brilliant in the hazy space surrounding them. "Who...who are you?" Jack asked, understandably awed by the sight before him. The figures straightened, clearly in pride. "*N*o*u* a*n*i *A*n*q*u*i*e*t*a*s*. *W*e* a*r*e *t*h*e* A*n*c*i*e*n*t*s," they all stated as one. Jack lowered his weapon a little, deciding these... people could probably take him out anytime they wanted. "You brought me here?" Jack asked, suddenly wondering where the rest of his team was. "Yes. Just you though," she said, her figure coming into focus more, revealing her face to him. Jack couldn't help but think about the elves in Lord of the Rings. This `Ancient' was very pretty. "May I ask why?" Jack asked. She smiled. "You looked into our archive, and though we normally would have simply allowed things to occur as well as things do, we have decided to speak with you." "Oh... okay. I'm all ears," Jack said. "You are the Protector of the Guardian, are you not?" she asked. "Uh... yeah... Why?" Jack asked, wondering how they knew that and why it was important. She smiled as another stepped beside her, drawing Jack's attention. "Great trials await you and yours, O'Neill, and to help prepare you, we are allowing you to keep what you can from what you have seemingly stumbled upon; however, know that with everything there is a price and a limit," the bright man said. "The Guardian will need your help and those of your people, and you all will undoubtedly need his help as well. A mighty collection of evils are coming, heed our warnings and prepare yourselves, for before the end, all you have and know will be on the line." "What are you offering me exactly?" Jack asked, for the moment ignoring the fact this being knew his name. "*O*u*r *k*n*o*w*l*e*d*g*e," they all said. Jack blinked, wondering if it was wise to question how wise their decision was to offer -him- their knowledge. "Um, not that I don't appreciate your offer, but... are you sure I'm the right person you should be offering this to?" Jack asked, hoping he hadn't just shot himself in the foot. "Oh, we are very certain, O'Neill," the man said. "How do you know my name?" Jack asked. "I take an interest in anyone near Sabin, after all, it is I who found him," he stated. Jack's eyes widened, realization quickly dawning, but before he could reply, he felt himself falling. Jovon. "Embrace only what you can bear," were the last words he heard before he knew no more. - - - Sam ran to the wall where the disk and Jack had just disappeared from. "Colonel?!" she cried, banging on the wall, not really knowing what she was hoping to accomplish. "Daniel, walk across the circle!" Sam ordered, hoping to call back the object to maybe get Jack back. Daniel moved to do so, but before he could, another blinding flash took over the room. THUD. "O'Neill!" Teal'c stated, hurrying to the crumpled form in the circle as Sam and Daniel moved as well. "Jack, can you hear me?" Daniel asked, alarmed when Jack remained unresponsive. Sam placed her hand on his neck. "His pulse is racing. Daniel, dial the gate," she ordered, not wanting to stay in the room a moment longer than they had to. - - - Sirius sighed, listening to Daniel over the phone. Sabin was currently taking a nap on the couch with the teddybear Sirius had given him on his birthday. "Is he still catatonic?" Sirius asked. "...okay, I'll tell him. We'll probably be heading back soon after I tell him... Yeah, hopefully. Did you figure out anything more about the room?... Hammond has barred that address? Probably a good idea, but still... Uh-huh, okay. Bye." Sirius hung up, wondering how he would tell Sabin about the recent mission that was supposed to have been a simple harmless one. The weekend had gone well, and he really enjoyed getting to know his godson better. He didn't know how many times they had played Candy Land, but didn't mind playing it since it usually meant he would soon hear Sabin's giggle... like when Sirius continued to draw Princess Lolly and he said maybe she had a crush on him or something. Sirius sighed happily, before remembering the task that awaited him. He didn't have to wait long until Sabin woke up, and the moment he did, he forced himself to tell Sabin what had happened to Jack. Sabin's eyes grew wide. "We've got to get to the SGC!" he said even before Sirius had finished speaking to him. He then rushed to the car after reminding himself that he couldn't poof. - - - Jack opened his eyes, quickly finding himself in the infirmary. -How did I get here?- he wondered. -Ah, team must have brought me back.- "Colonel!" He turned to find Fraiser with her trusty (blasted) flashlight and the others hurrying to his side. Sabin and Sirius were not at the SGC yet. "Pupils are back to normal. Pulse is fine. How do you feel?" Fraiser asked. #Okay, I suppose, though I'd like to know why you always have to blind me before you ask me anything,# Jack said with an accusing glare. Fraiser and the others paused, glancing at each other worriedly. #What?# Jack asked. "Jack, can you understand me?" Daniel asked slowly. #Yeah, of course I can understand you. Did that light in the room fry part of your brain?# Jack asked. "Nod if you can understand me," Daniel said, clearly not comprehending Jack's answer. Jack nodded, now annoyed and slightly confused. What was their problem? "Well, Jack, we can't understand you," Daniel said, still talking sort of slow. #What? I'm speaking English! Unless... am I speaking parseltongue? You know --" Jack moved his arm back and forth, like a snake. "No, you're not speaking parseltongue," Sam said, thankfully making sense of Jack's charades. #Hmm. Well, I did meet those Ancients, Anqueetas or something. Anquietas? And they said something about offering me their knowledge. Is this it?# Jack asked. Unfortunately, everyone was clueless about what he had just said. "What should we do?" Sam asked. "Hope that Sabin and Sirius come back quickly. Hopefully, Sabin will be able to translate for us, since he doesn't need to learn a language to understand it, just to speak it," Daniel said. "I'll go and update the General," Sam said as Jack scratched his head, thinking. Janet sighed, quickly going to get the MRI ready. - - - Sabin ran out of the elevator, ignoring Sirius's cries to slow down. Turning the corner, he narrowly missed running into someone before charging down the next corridor to the infirmary. He had immediately realized what had happened to Jack and knew at this very moment Jack's mind was attempting to adapt to the tremendous amount of knowledge that had been collected by the Ancients. He knew Jack could handle a lot, but also knew there was a limit, and to pass said limit was extremely dangerous. And considering how advanced Jack's Mind Force was now, that limit would be approaching faster than it normally would have. Sabin ran faster, wanting to see Jack right then, afraid he would be too late, despite knowing how ridiculous such a thought was. Sabin burst through the doors, quickly spotting Jack sitting on the bed with the others talking a few feet away. "Dad!" he called without pause as he continued toward him. #Sabin! How did you get here so quickly?# Jack asked, scooping him up before becoming very serious. #You didn't poof did you?# #No! I just ran from the elevator. Sirius is coming,# he said, pointing to the door just as Sirius came huffing and puffing to the doorway, out of breath. "Sabin..." Daniel asked, his eyes very curious. "Yeah?" "What did you just say to Jack?" "That Sirius was coming." "You can understand and talk to him?" Fraiser asked. Sabin paused, realizing he had been caught and the only thing to do was to admit it. He nodded. "How? You haven't had any time to learn it... have you?" Daniel asked, thinking as quickly as he could. "Your first language..." "What do you mean?" Fraiser asked, a little confused, while Sam was beginning to follow. #Sabin, I met Jovon!# Jack interrupted. #You did?! What happened?# Jack quickly told Sabin what had happened, rambling on about how bright and amazing they were and what they had told him. "Okay, Sabin, English please?" Daniel asked. Sabin sighed, glancing back at Jack to see him nod. "Jack looked into an Ancient Archive. Right now, his mind is trying to compound and absorb the information," Sabin said. "Ancient Archive?" Daniel asked. "Wait a minute, this is ringing a bell. You mean... `the Ancient Ones'? `Teachers of Roads'? He's speaking the language of the Gate Builders?! The race that's the head of the Ancient Alliance of the Four Great Races?" Sabin nodded. "How do you know this? And what was Jack rambling about?" Daniel asked. "Not long before I came through the gate with you, I had absorbed an Archive, which has all of the Ancients' knowledge. So on Sodaba, I accepted the task of Guardian." "Okay... so you have the knowledge of the Gate Builders already in your head?" Sam asked. Sabin nodded. "Is that where you learned their language?" Daniel asked. "No, I learned from Jovon and the Wielders." "Guardian Sabin, Jovon is an Ancient?" Teal'c asked. "Yes, though like most Ancients, he has ascended," Sabin said. "Sabin, this is huge. Why didn't you tell us before?" Daniel asked. "You weren't ready, and even now, it is a little premature." "Wait, so are you an Ancient?" Sam asked. "Yes." "This does explain a few things though. Like why the Asgard and Furlings reacted the way they did to you," Daniel said. "Yes, they are allies, two of the Four Great Races. The other two are of course the Ancients and the Nox." "The Nox?!" Daniel asked, gaping. "Okay, this is all well and good, but what about him?" Sirius asked, motioning to Jack. "I just finished looking over his MRI, and I've never seen anything like it. Well, except maybe from Sabin, but this is a little different," Janet said. "How different?" Sirius asked, having caught his breath and absorbing all the new information. "A normal human brain operates at 5-10% of its functional capacity at any given time; Colonel O'Neill's brain is working at over 90% capacity," Janet said as Hammond came in. "Sabin's... well, since I had last checked, is around a solid 35%, though it shifts around constantly." "Well, what's the worst-case scenario? What does this mean for Jack?" Daniel asked. "I can't know for sure. His brain is trying to digest the information, but frankly, it just doesn't have room for it all, either that or his mind doesn't know how to compound it in such a way to not interfere with other functions, such as speaking English. If it continues on this trend, he'll possibly lose the ability to understand us all together, not to mention lose more important brain functions," Janet said. "We can't let that happen. Is there a way to stop it?" Daniel asked. "Not that I know of... Sabin?" Janet asked. "We can contact the Asgard; they'll be able to help," Sabin said. "What about the Furlings?" Sam asked. "We'd probably be able to contact them faster." "Their skills are not in the mind, but in matter," Sabin said. "They wouldn't be able to help in this." "Alright, how do we contact the Asgard, and is there anything we can do to help Jack until then?" Daniel asked. "Yes, I can go into his mind and help him," Sabin said. "Sabin, you're still healing," Fraiser said. "It has been two weeks," Sirius said softly. "And Dumbledore said `at least two weeks'," Fraiser argued. "If Guardian Sabin wishes to try, then we should allow him to try," Teal'c said. "We are not going to allow him to place himself in danger," Fraiser stated. "It would be irresponsible, allowing him to do something we know may very well permanently damage his magic." "Janet, I understand what you're saying, but if this helps the Colonel --" Sam said. #Hey, do I get a say in this?!# Jack interrupted. They all quieted down and looked at him. #Sabin, why don't you just tell me how to organize the knowledge? Then later, if I really need your help, you can use your Mind Force, but by then, the Asgard should already be here to help. Sabin, Jovon told me something is coming. I need to know as much as I can so I can better help you and everyone else.# Sabin nodded before looking to the others. "I'll tell him how to organize the knowledge he has gained, that should provide enough time until the Asgard come; but if that's not enough, I'll go into his mind," Sabin stated. Fraiser sighed, clearly not happy, but since Sabin wasn't putting himself at risk at the moment, there was little she could say. "I'll talk to Hammond and find a way to contact the Asgard," Daniel said, but Sabin lifted up his forearm with the bracer on it. "I already did," Sabin said. "What? When did you do that?" Daniel asked. "While you were all arguing," Sabin said with a shrug. "Oh." "Have they responded?" Sam asked. "Thor will be coming as soon as he can, but because of the Replicators, they are having to travel around them, since they don't have time to confront and defeat them if they wish to quickly arrive on their home planet to gate here," Sabin said. "Their planet isn't in our galaxy, and it's also the closest planet with a gate that has enough power to gate them here." "And so they'll get here when, exactly?" Daniel asked. #I wish we knew more about these replicator thingies,# Jack said. #They sound like horrible creepy crawlers.# Sabin shrugged. #I'm sure if the Asgard need help, they will ask for it and tell us about the Replicators.# "Sabin? When?" Daniel asked, able to deduce that Jack's comment wasn't very important at the moment. "Just under two days," Sabin said. "That seems to be cutting things a little close, don't you think?" Sirius asked. "If I am able to help him take in the knowledge correctly, it will slow down the process and prevent his mind from placing the knowledge over already used space," Sabin said. "Which is why he's currently speaking Ancient." "Alright. Tell us how to help," Sam said. "Guardian Sabin, I propose a place away from all distractions," Teal'c said. Sabin nodded. #Alright! No disturbin' us; we're gonna be workin'!# Jack exclaimed, already getting up from the bed. - - - "Where's Sabin and Jack?" Daniel asked. "Still working," Sam said. "Hmm, well, you think someone should go get them? It's almost dinner, and they did skip lunch, if you recall," Daniel said. "I will go get them," Teal'c said. Knocking on the ajar door, he slowly pushed it open. "Hi, Teal'c!" Sabin said, sitting on a chair beside Jack's bed. Jack was currently lying down with his eyes closed. "Hello, Guardian Sabin. It is almost time for dinner. I have been sent to see if you will be joining us." "Dad is almost done with what he can do right now. He'll be needing food and rest after this," Sabin said. "Should we not be quiet while he finishes?" Teal'c asked, wondering why Sabin wasn't bothering to lower his voice. "He can't hear us right now," Sabin said. "How can you tell, Guardian Sabin?" "I can feel it. He's right now working on what the Ancients knew about energy." Teal'c gave a slow nod. A few moments later, Jack woke up and rubbed his eyes. #I think I'm getting a headache,# he said, mostly to himself. #You need to rest after you eat. That will help,# Sabin said as Jack stood up. #But there's another thing you can do that might help a little.# #What?# #Enter new gates into the base's system,# Sabin said with a smirk. #Let's go,# Jack said, grinning. #Come. Teal'c. We're off to play with computers before we eat. Never thought I would say that...# "Guardian Sabin?" Teal'c asked. "We're going to the control room for a few minutes; then we'll get some food. It's to help Dad's headache," Sabin said, leading the way out of the room. "Very well. Shall I inform the others?" "Sure!" Sabin said, excited about seeing how much knowledge Jack had properly absorbed. - - - "Where's Sabin and Jack?" Daniel asked, seeing Teal'c come back alone. "They are in the control room." "Why?" Sam asked. "I do not know." With that, they all, including the general, headed up to the control room to find Sabin twirling around on one of the chairs as Jack typed away at one of the main keyboards while Walter Harriman, the Chief Master Sergeant, who operated the gate, stood behind, dumbfounded. "Colonel, what are you doing?" Hammond asked. #Oh, nothin' much. Just enjoying the moment,# He paused, turning towards them slightly. #You know, it's sad that you can't understand me right now, but I'm going to enjoy the moment anyway. It's the first time in my life I'm able to do something with a computer Sam can't!# He smiled at Sam before going back to his work, his fingers dancing over the number keys, spewing seemingly random digits across the screen. Sam was confused, looking to the others, hoping one of them would know what was going on. "Sabin, what's he doi--" Daniel began to ask, just as the system crashed. Sam hurried to one of the free computers and tried to see if there was anything she could do, but before she could, the screen flashed and a cascading flood of numbers washed over the screen. "It's machine code. The numbers the Colonel was entering must've been some been some sort of program," Sam said as Jack entered a few more numbers. The numbers flickered. "What did you do?" Sam asked Jack before noticing her screen zero to a point and expand outwards. "It's the destination map. These are all the Stargates we've been to," she explained, not that she really needed to. The others had already guessed that. "Sam, are those new 'gates popping up?" Daniel asked, trying not to look dumbfounded but failing miserably. Sabin giggled. "That's not possible. It takes days to calculate the planetary shift of each new location," Sam said. "Whoa, wait a second. Sir, the new Stargates did not come from the Abydos cartouche data that we put in." "But that's the only reference we have, isn't it?" Hammond asked as Sabin tried his best to hold in his laughter. "The Colonel must've input new Stargate locations into the computer. Right, Sabin?" Sam asked. "Uh-huh. Doing this helps his mind adjust a little bit, so I suggested he do this. And I figured we wouldn't mind getting a few new addresses," Sabin said with a shrug before twirling around on the chair again. #Done!# Jack declared, the map now practically completely covered with little gates. - - - Jack went to sleep soon after dinner, while Sam immediately went to examine the code Jack had entered into the computer. While Jack slept, Daniel managed to get Sabin to agree to help him with translating, not to mention learning, Ancient. To Daniel, it might as well have been Christmas. Sabin continued teaching Daniel until Sirius mentioned it was time for bed. Sirius! Sam, Daniel, and even Teal'c blinked at that. "Hey, Sabin is my godson. What sort of godfather would I be if I didn't make sure he got a few hours of sleep before morning?" he asked. They glanced at the clock to find it a little after 2 am. They went to bed soon after. - - - The next morning wasn't as lighthearted. They quickly learned Jack was now unable to understand English, and could only communicate with Sabin, though Daniel could get a few words in -- not that that was particularly good since his Ancient grammar was currently atrocious. It was almost as bad as his parseltongue. Well... maybe not that bad. #You goof, Jack, now?# Daniel asked, unknowing mixing up words with others that sounded alike in Ancient. #Are you healthy feeling dumplin' and rejoiced?# Sabin and Jack couldn't prevent themselves from laughing. "What, what did I say?" Daniel asked, only to have Sabin and Jack shake their heads. "Did I say it wrong? Is this better? #Slept you well night during? Ache in head bye-bye?#" Sabin and Jack answered with more laughter. #Daniel, you're hilarious,# Jack said. "I guess I need to work on the grammar a bit more?" Sabin nodded. "But are my words at least good? I mean, I'm pronouncing them right, right?" Daniel asked. "You're mixing a few words up. Like you said `goof'- `-Ay-you-joy-' instead of `good'- `-Ay-you-jay-'. And you said the word `dumpling' for some reason. I don't know what you wanted to say there," Sabin said. "I'll work on my pronunciation then too," Daniel promised. "So, how is the Colonel feeling, Sabin?" Sam asked after they had all settled down. Jack now looked as if he was trying to stare through the conference table. Sabin sighed. "Well, he's doing well considering, but as you can see, he has to sort through things now every twenty minutes or so, or else it'll spiral out of control. I told him how to notice this and fight it by separating and categorizing things he's able to, but it's getting harder." "Have the Asgard contacted you yet?" Sirius asked. "Yeah. They're almost back to their home planet in the galaxy of Ida. They'll gate here once they land," Sabin said. "It should be some time this evening." "Will that be soon enough?" Sam asked, casting a worried glance at Jack who was still in a daze, mentally chipping away at the knowledge threatening to overwhelm him. "It will have to be," Sirius answered for Sabin. Sabin nodded. - - - "Should we take him to the infirmary?" Daniel asked worriedly. It was three o'clock, and Jack was currently holding his head in his hands, leaning forward in the desk chair in Daniel's office. He had just scribbled all over the black board behind him to try and help organize his mind, but it didn't seem to be helping much. There were bizarre and unrecognizable symbols all over the board, weaving and looping about, several of the equations overlapping one another. Jack's state of mind had clearly made a turn for the worst. He had been doing fine up until this new wave of knowledge hit. Jack was clearly nearing his limit and he wasn't looking well at all. He looked very much like a zombie with the flu. "No, we should take him to the gateroom," Sabin said. Teal'c and Sirius went forward, helping Jack up. #I don't feel so peachy,# Jack said, stumbling slightly before Teal'c steadied him. #We're going to take you to the gateroom now, hopefully Thor will be arriving soon,# Sabin told him. They arrived in the gateroom not long after, Hammond quickly going to Sabin and the others as Fraiser fussed over Jack who now had to depend on Teal'c and Sirius for support. "Sabin, any word from Thor, yet?" Sirius asked. "Nuh-uh," Sabin said, hurriedly pushing buttons on the bracer before moving to Jack. "Teal'c, set Jack down," Sabin said. "I need to help him now." Teal'c quickly lowered Jack to the ground, Sirius assisting as well, as the others gathered around a slight distance away. No one even moved to stop Sabin as he kneeled in front of Jack and locked eyes with him. #Thor will be here soon, but I must help you until he arrives,# Sabin said before flaring his Mind Force... Sabin entered, finding a jumbled, insane mess. Quickly combing through the scattered and nearly unintelligible and expanding data, he began pulling everything not gathered and organized to the forefront of Jack's mind, so when Thor arrived, only that would be removed, and not all of the things Jack had worked so diligently to store in his mind. Sabin was quite proud when he found how well Jack had arranged everything, Jack clearly having tried his best to collect enough information on subjects he believed important so they would be more useful to him, instead of taking random facts on -everything-. Sabin was completely focused on what he set out to do, for a moment even losing track of the outside world as he continued. Gathering all of the information not integrated into Jack's mind wasn't that hard, and before he knew it, he was done, finishing his work by squishing it all down into a mental cube to be swept away by Thor. Mentally pulling back and leaving Jack's mind, he quickly realized he was resting against someone. "Thank, Merlin, Sabin. You sort of went limp soon after looking at Jack," Sirius said, placing his hand on Sabin's small chest protectively. Sabin was quick to notice Fraiser kneeling beside him and Daniel helping Jack sit up. Sabin frowned, but then realized what had happened. It had been a long time since he had used his Mind Force. It made sense that his body would make that fact known. He suddenly felt a little foolish. To go from weeks using no Mind Force or any sort of magic to suddenly delving deep into someone's mind clouded with a huge amount of information... He should have expected his body going a little loopy because of it. Oh, well, no fretting over it now. He was fine, and, sort of like diving into a cold pond, his body had been quickly reacquainted to his powers. "Incoming wormhole," Sergeant Harriman announced as the gate began spinning. "It's Thor," Sabin stated. They all stared as the gate continued before finally locking on the eighth chevron instead of the normal seventh. With a kawoosh, the blue horizon appeared. They looked at Sabin. "The wormhole is coming from a different galaxy; needed another point in space," Sabin said with a shrug. "Of course, the extra chevron must add a new distance calculation to the existing points, kinda like dialing a different area code," Sam said excitedly before looking up the ramp as a form stepped out from the blue. "Greetings," Thor said, looking at them before resting his eyes on Sabin. "You asked for assistance? O'Neill looked into the Archive?" Sabin nodded. "I've gathered what you need to remove at the front of his mind. I've also packaged it so your people can make some sense out of it if you wish." Thor's eyes widened a little at this. Clearly he hadn't expected that. "Thank you. I assume you are confident the rest has settled?" he asked. "I double checked," Sabin said. Thor gave an approving nod before lifting his hand and aiming his palm at Jack. His palm had a pearl like gem in its center. Jack instinctively looked up, and as he did so, a stream of brilliant white light came forth from his forehead before abruptly stopping. He sagged against Daniel, but didn't pass out. He looked as if a great weight had been removed from him, and he actually looked much better, save for the being exhausted part. "Thanks, Thor buddy," Jack whispered, blinking at him after a moment. Everyone gave a sigh of relief upon hearing him speak English again. "It was no problem, O'Neill. I am glad I was able to help," Thor said before turning to Sabin who was now standing. "How are you feeling Guardian Sabin?" Thor asked, taking a few steps forward until he was directly in front of him, nearly at his eye level. "Much better, Thor. And thanks for helping," Sabin said, actually giving the surprised Asgard a hug. Thor returned the action after a brief, stunned pause, his long skinny arms looking quite out of place around the five-year-old human boy, and yet looking completely normal. Well, that quickly led to the others gathering around Thor to express their gratitude, Sirius giving a fairly heavy pat on Thor's little gray back as Sam and Fraiser gave him a little peck on his left and right cheek. Sabin giggled at Thor's wide, round eyes before Hammond took hold of Thor's thin pale hand with his thick plump one and gave a firm but gentle squeeze in thanks. Thor gave a grateful glance at Teal'c who simply gave him an appreciative nod. Thor wasn't sure if he'd be able to walk back up the ramp if Teal'c were to slap a hand on his back. Thor figured he would suffer internal injuries if Teal'c did that... Thor turned, having been released by those who had been around Jack and Sabin, only to come face to face with a smiling, though tired, Jack. If Thor had anything to say about it, it looked as if Jack was enjoying the frazzled little `Roswell-looking fellow'. Jack didn't bother to ask as he flung his hand forward, immediately taking hold of Thor's forearm with his hand, forcing Thor's hand to grip Jack's. "Thanks fo---I mean... ::Thanks for getting most of that stuff out of my head,:: Jack said. Thor smiled, or at least that's what the others assumed as Thor replied, ::Anything for those who very well may become, the Fifth Race.:: *Questions concerning*: -Ori-: They will most likely be brought in, but when I will have time to write that far to include them remains to be seen. -Sabin's Ancient Powers vs his Magic-: Magic is essentially ancient powers, it has just `mutated' through the centuries into the form recognized as magic. Because Sabin has both, his Ancient Powers reside everywhere within him, including in his core. Hope that clears up some questions. -Spaceships-: Coming... =============================================================================== *Part 26: Rep vs Dup* It had been several months since Jack had taken in the archive and since Thor had come to help. Remus had gone with the Tok'ra and was becoming quite adjusted to life off-world. He visited occasionally, but his duties and new responsibilities had him busy. Selmac was also pleased with how things had gone, and was proud to be Remus's symbiote. Lupin's fury little problem was now a thing of the past, and his physical transformations were now very minor, only changing a few physical structures, such as his cheek bones, rather than his entire body. Whether this was due to having a symbiote or being offworld was anyone's guess, but one thing was certain, Selmac prevented the wolf from gaining control. A few other things had occurred as well, but nothing too different or difficult, though Sam's father, Jacob, had fallen ill. After speaking with Hammond, and then Sam and the rest of SG-1, he agreed to joining the Tok'ra. Had he revealed his sickness earlier, Sabin would have been able to heal him, but because he kept it hidden from everyone until it was almost too late, it would not have been a sure thing if Sabin had tried to cure him. His symbiote was young and looked up to Selmac (which wasn't a surprise), so it didn't take long for Jacob to meet Remus and become his friend and an assistant Ambassador. Several missions had been completed by SG-1 during this time as well, most of which would have no doubt been a great deal of trouble had it not been for magic or the knowledge they had acquired through the archive or other personal research (such as potions, spells, languages, and technology). Daniel especially had used this time to learn Ancient and pick up some Asgard (since Jack had found it fun to speak it with Sabin -- probably just to bug Daniel). They had recently returned from the new Reetou planet. They had set the record straight with the Reetou rebels who had had the misconception that killing all possible hosts was a good idea to eradicate the Goa'uld. Sabin specifically got straight to the point and (after restraining a few Reetou who had come after `Mother' and the human child she called `son') agreed to placing Zones in certain areas to protect them from any future Goa'uld invasions. This appeased the rebels and knocked some sense back into them. The boy, who had happily taken the name Joron (after hearing how he had taught Sabin), returned with `Mother' (after being healed by Sabin) to become a future leader of the Reetou. An alliance had also been formed between the Reetou people and the Tau'ri, which ironically had been the shortest part of it all. After the past few missions, Sirius and the others had been given some time off, which was a good thing, due to mounting stress and some events. Sirius had recently gotten news of his mother's death, and he needed to go make arrangements for the funeral and to claim the Black's fortune (which he wasn't about to let fall into another's hands). Teal'c had already left to visit his son, as well as a few Jaffa (such as Bra'tac). Sam happily disappeared into her lab to work on potions and some new `gizmos'. Daniel had a dentist appointment, which would soon be followed by an in-depth look into Asgard grammar. "I'll get you a little fishing rod before we get to my cabin, alright?" Jack asked as they headed toward Sam's lab to ask her if she would like to break away from her research to join them in their trip (even though Jack knew it was a lost cause). Sabin nodded happily, looking forward to a well earned vacation. Walking into the lab, they quickly found Sam diligently working, loudly. "Carter!" Jack shouted, to be heard over the sound of welding and boiling cauldrons. How she multitasked, he would never know. Looking up, Sam turned off the torch and took off the welding googles. "Sir?! Hi! What are you doing here?" she asked, before realizing what she said. "I mean, I thought you and Sabin had already left." Jack shrugged. "Thought we'd drop by before we did. What are you doing?" "Uh, I'm getting ready to do a detailed analysis of the decay rate of naquata within the reactor while letting my new rejuvenating potion simmers. It's really quite amazing, I mean unlike plutonium, naquata actually has --" "Ah! I'm on vacation!" Jack interrupted, wondering how he could have forgotten that his simple question would be answered by a complex answer, and though he could understand what she was saying more than he used to now, he didn't feel like clouding his head with mumbo-jumbo when he was looking forward to fish. "Yes, sir," she said with a smile. "So are you," Jack reminded her. Sabin grinned. "I know, I've been looking forward to an opportunity like this for quite some time --" "You know, maybe it's just me, but I always thought when one GOT a chance to leave, one actually LEFT. Daniel's getting his teeth cleaned and filled, Teal'c's off visiting his kid somewhere, Sirius is taking care of family matters, and I and Sabin have a date with a lake in Minnesota where the bass grow this big." He spread out his arms, holding his hands far apart. "Really?" she asked, preventing herself from rolling her eyes. "Oh, Yes! What I'm describing here, Carter, involves a very special element." "This IS fun to me, sir." "Well, if -- playing with your little reactor sounds better than exploring the lakes and natural beauty of Northern Minnesota with me and Sabin, there's not much I can do." "Was that an invitation -- sir?" "Nothing wrong with that is there? Couple of coworkers, friends, if you will, fishing. It'd be fun." "I appreciate the offer, sir, really! Sounds great! But I should --" "Ah, we knew it was a long shot anyway, so no sweat. See you in a week. And by all means, have fun! Don't let the potion fumes mess up your brilliant little head either." They turned to leave after Sam gave Sabin a quick hug. "Well, have a good time," Sam said as they paused by the doorway. "Oh, we will. Land of sky-blue waters, loofas, ya sure ya betcha', snookums, mosquitoes, home of --" The home of what, she never heard, for in that instant, Sabin and Jack were surrounded by a pillar of light and vanished. "Colonel!" Sam shouted, immediately running to sound the alarm. =============================================================================== Sabin and Jack appeared in a darkened room, as if the entire place they ended up in had been shut down. Turning around, they found a large window, which revealed Earth far below them. Jack and Sabin looked at each other. "Um... Thor's ship?" Jack asked. Sabin nodded, before looking around, his eyes narrowing. "Something's not quite right," Jack said as they cautiously headed to the hallway. There, they heard an odd scratching noise and saw a light beyond them. Sabin gasped, a metallic looking spider-like creature coming around the corner far down the hall, which was quickly followed by more. "What the -- Sabin, let's go!" Jack shouted, the little creatures now rushing toward them on the floor. Quickly backing up and trying to figure out where to go, they whipped around to dash down the other side of the hall, only to nearly run, face first, into a robo-bug that had perched itself on the wall a foot behind them. "Ah!" Jack shouted, the thing leaping out at him, trying to claw at his face with his k-nex-like crabby legs. WHAM! Jack slammed his hand forward, a pulse of magic forming at his palm before bashing into the little metal monster. It flew and crashed against the opposite wall. Not waiting for anymore of them to get close, they hurried down the hall, found a room, which had opened when Sabin waved his hand, and entered. The heavy door slammed shut behind them. =============================================================================== "I'm pretty sure it was the Asgard transportation technology," Sam explained. "For Jack's sake, let's hope you're right," Hammond said. "Send a message through the Stargate to Teal'c. I'll try to see if I can contact Black and Dr. Jackson after I notify Pentagon." "Yes, sir," she answered as Hammond picked up the phone. "This is General Hammond. Get me Major Davis at the Pentagon." =============================================================================== Catching their breath, they both jumped when a voice addressed them over the intercom. "Greeting, O'Neill... and Sabin." "Thor?" Jack asked. "Turn right, then enter the door at the right," Thor stated. They did as he said, only to find a fairly bare room with a bed in the middle of it. Thor was laying in it. "Thor? You all right?" Jack asked as Sabin hurried forward, peaking over the edge at the ill Asgard. "No." "What happened?" Jack asked, approaching the bed as Sabin reached over the edge and took hold of Thor's frail hand. "It is, as you humans say, a long story," he said, having to pause a few times to keep his breath. "Does this have anything to do with those -- bugs?" "I could not transport you directly into this room. The -- bugs -- as you call them, are attracted to the high-energy output of the transporter." "What are they? I mean, I have a vague idea, but... They're not those Replicator thingies are they?" "They are. They are the enemy of the Asgard. I am weak. The information you will need is contained within the stones," Thor answered, his voice growing soft. Jack glanced over to the console as Thor managed, "Forgive me!" "For what? Thor?!" Sabin clamored up onto the bed capsule, balancing precariously as he leaned over Thor and placed his hands firmly on his chest as Thor's eyes closed. "Do you need my help?" Jack asked. Sabin shook his head as his hands began to glow and his eyes sharpened in concentration. Jack blinked, watching the light from Sabin's hands fade back and Thor's breathing ease as some color came back into his cheeks. He remained unconscious, however. "He just needs rest now," Sabin said. "He had internal injuries and radiation poisoning, but I've repaired the damage." Jack nodded softly. "Good." In hopes of learning something that might help, Jack then went over to the console and moved a stone. Thor appeared on the screen. "Colonel Jack O'Neill, I have made these recordings for you for in the event that I am dead, or unable to pass on the necessary information," Thor said. "Under my command, the Beliskner was called into battle against the Replicators. During the battle, after firing a new weapon that devastated them, they fiercely retaliated. Despite their dwindling numbers and all of our efforts, this ship became infested, as well as two others. The Replicators accessed the computer which contained information about your planet and plotted a course here. The crew was transported off the ships. I and a few others destroyed the outbound transported technology in the infested ships to prevent the Replicators from escaping, and I alone remained in the hopes of stopping the Beliskner and the two other ships, the Valhalla and the Einherjar, from reaching Earth. If you are watching this recording, I have failed. The two other ships are in route to you as you are hearing this. In your time, they are two hours and forty-three minutes away." "Oh. Well, crap," Jack said, understandably at a loss as he turned back to Sabin. "Ideas?" "Secure this ship," Sabin suggested. "Then use it to take out the other two." "Sounds like a plan," Jack said with a nod. "I wish we knew more of what we were up against though." The moment he said that, the screen the recording of Thor had been on changed, detailing the make up of a Replicator, their power converters, their past strategies, and other useful information. "Oh, that's helpful," Jack said, pleased. They began studying it, scrolling through a few pages by sliding a stone on the console down. After a while, they came upon how Thor and the other Asgard had utilized the weapon in the previous battle. "Interesting. I can see why the little buggers retaliated the way they had. They had been driven into a corner and had no where to go except back at the Asgard," Jack said, shaking his head. Sabin was frowning, deep in thought, which quickly got Jack's attention. "Something wrong?" "I'm thinking... The weapon must have used some kind of unique radiation or radiations." "Yeah... and?" "And, even though it destroyed all the bugs it came in direct contact with, indirectly, it would have changed them a little. It went out like a cone, not a sphere, after all." Jack pursed his lips, thinking. "Do you think that's good or bad?" "Bad. They could harness it, and then the new weapon the Asgard made would become ineffective. It might even become a power source for them rather than something to harm them." "So they're like the Borg?" Jack asked. "Pretty much," Sabin said, causing a stone to move over by itself. Sabin's eyes widened. Jack looked at the screen, his eyes widening as well as they took in the weapon specs. "What were the Asgard thinking?!" Jack asked. "That's-that's -- for crying out loud, I don't know what that is, but dang! Is that technically radiation?" "It's bordering on something else," Sabin whispered. "What?" "The Ancients had worked on this for a short time until they realized the dangers of it. The information they had gained was stored within the knowledge Thor got from you after the archive. Had I known they were going to use this bit of information like this, I wouldn't have given it to them." "So what is it?" Jack asked. "It's the base of life -- consciousness -- in its simplest form. I suppose people would call it the Breath of Life or Living Breath. From this, a creature gains things like awareness, fear, hope... a desire for purpose. "It makes sense why the Replicators crumbled the way they had when they were surrounded in this. They didn't understand it, their programming and processes wouldn't compound and analyze it, and so, it consumed them. I suppose the Asgard could have misunderstood this reaction as being something else, and explained it as something that disrupts the signals between the chips..." "And the Replicators who were close to this `breath'?" Jack asked. "I don't know." "Could they become aware and stuff?" "Possibly, but I don't think they did here. And from what the Ancients learned in their short study of the Breath of Life, it is very specific in what it chooses to reside in, if that makes any sense. I don't feel another consciousness here, other than you and Thor," Sabin said as his eyes roamed the walls and ceiling. "Though, this place does feel... off. At first I thought it was just an after effect of being taken up here by surprise and stuff, but now I'm not so sure." "Well, according to what's on the screen, Thor thinks we should regain control of this ship's weapons, fire the weapon again at the ships when they arrive, and then blow this ship up afterwards. After the few weeks of studying I've been doing on Portkeys, we -and- Thor should be able to arrive back on Earth safe and sound before this ship falls into the atmosphere, since it's just the three of us, if we go that route." Sabin shook his head. "With or without magic we wouldn't be able to destroy the ship completely, and that's if we're able to take care of the Replicators on the other ships, which sounds a little risky if you ask me. And I am sure if we contact Daniel and the others about explosives, they'll go up in transport with whatever they give us to try to help." "You're right, and as nice as it would be to get more help, I don't think I'll be able to provide enough power into a Portkey for that, and I'm not about to trust Black with making one, destination Earth -or- bug-free ship. He's admitted it himself; he's not good at making them." Sabin thought for a moment. "There may be another way. Yeah, that might work, but first, I think we should go ahead and let Sam and the others know what is going on. We have just over two hours now." Jack nodded, moving another stone. =============================================================================== Sirius, Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c were in the briefing room with Hammond. "So they just vanished?" Sirius asked. "Yes," Sam answered. "Well, we have to do something!" Sirius stated. "What can we do, Sirius? We don't know where they were taken, or why. In fact, we are not even positive if Thor is the one who took them," Daniel said. Just as Daniel leaned back in defeat, a transparent form shimmered into view. "Jack?!" "Oh good, this thing is working," Jack said, his voice a little distorted, but otherwise understandable. "Are you and Sabin alright? What's going on?" Sirius asked. "We're fine, at least for right now, but we have a bit of a problem. Thor is the one who took us, hoping we'd be able to help with his pest problem," Jack answered. "Pest problem?" Teal'c asked. Jack nodded, before going into a quick brief of what was going on, including the two ships on their way, and that Sabin had come up with a possible plan. "Beam us up there!" Daniel said. "I'm sorry, Daniel, not gonna happen," Jack said. "Jack!" Daniel complained. "No. Don't worry, we have an escape plan, but there's no way we are going to allow the Replicators to infest Earth. We're going to stay as long as we can and stop them." Sam and the others were going to voice their objections, but before anyone could, they heard Sabin's voice. "Dad! They're eating through the walls!" "Crap! Gotta go!" "Jack!" With that, he disappeared. =============================================================================== Jack and Sabin hurried to the middle of the room by Thor. "Don't do anything, let them come to us," Sabin said, as the bugs swarmed in through the hole and began sweeping along the walls around them until they began clamoring along the floor towards them. "Sabin?" Jack asked, understandably not liking how they were getting surrounded. Sabin shifted his stance slightly, the metallic bugs now within a yard of them. Jack inhaled sharply, his hands ready but unsure of when to act as the bugs suddenly advanced. Sabin brought his hands together, producing a resounding wave of sound, magic, and power. -CLAP!- All of the Replicators in the room crumbled, much like the armor of the Goa'uld had in the Gateroom nearly a year before, and many out in the hall did as well. The rest who were lucky enough to be outside of the pulse's range clamored away, deeming it too risky to advance again at that moment. "Phew, a little bit more warning next time? I was about to blast as many as I could while fighting off a panic attack when you nearly gave me a heart attack with that clap," Jack said. Sabin smiled. Taking a calming breath, Jack looked around them. "Well, it certainly worked. So, this part of your plan?" Sabin nodded as he began sweeping through the mass of chips, as if looking for something. Soon enough, he found what he was looking for and began moving certain chips and clearing the corner of the room for them with a wave of his hand. "Okay..." Jack said, a bit at a loss. "I think this will work," Sabin said, as he dumped several hundred `special' chips at the corner and kneeled before them. Lowering his hands over them, he exhaled. "What are you... whoa." Jack watched Sabin reconstruct the chips into a different sort of bug. A Praying Mantis. "Sabin, are you sure you -- holy crap!" The mechanical Mantis, which was about the size of a football, moved, turning his head toward Jack in a thoughtful like fashion. "The chips I used were touched by the `Living Breath'. With it, I had hoped to offer another chance, so to speak, for the Replicators. It is hard to explain, but from my training with the Wielders, I believe this is the right choice. I offered the `breath residue' an opportunity to attach to the construct while using some of my own energy to bond with it, making it into a metallic being, rather than a relentless and thoughtless machine it was before." "Sounds a lot like a soul to me," Jack said. Sabin brightened. "Exactly, that's exactly what it is." The Mantis slowly turned its head back on Sabin, watching him speak. "Can it understand us?" "It has the basic understanding of the computer it initially consumed, and since that was likely an Asgard computer, most likely," Sabin said, gently placing his hand on the Mantis' back. The Mantis' saw-like, jointed appendage came up slightly, enjoying the contact as it slowly brushed Sabin's clothed arm with its tarsus (the thin feeler extending from the end of the thorny claw). Jack was noticeably uneasy. "I don't feel any harmful intentions from... her." "Her?" Jack asked. "I don't know, she feels like Sam, only like a child," Sabin said. "Hmm, well then, if that's the case, I suppose I'll give little Mantis a chance," Jack relented. Mantis seemed to perk up at that. "Okay. So what now?" Jack asked. "Can you make more mantises? ... manti? manty? mantees? mantids?" "Mantises works," Sabin said with a giggle as Mantis scurried over to some scattered chips and touched them. "Oooo," Sabin said. The chips near trembled before sliding over each other and making more mantises, which then happily gathered near Mantis. "`Oooo' is right, but how did she do that, and should we be worried? This seems like dangerous territory here," Jack said. "She was able to do that because I formed her that way; she just copied her method of `creation' to make others like her. And I don't think we should be worried. The reason why the Replicators are so relentless is because they have no understanding of life and its value. Mantis and her friends do. Even now, they are growing in their understanding and forming bonds with each other and us, like a family. The Replicators couldn't even do that with each other. They were like grasshoppers rather than a family group." "Okay -- but us, part of their family?" "Well, we are the first `adults' they've ever seen, so, yeah." "We're like surrogate parents to these thi -- creatures?" Jack asked, quickly correcting himself. If Sabin was right, he should treat them with respect so they would hopefully, in turn, treat other creatures with respect, unlike their predecessors. Sabin nodded. "Well, okay," Jack said, looking at the twenty or so praying mantises before him. "Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Jack and that's Sabin, but since you can't talk, you can just, I don't know, wave your leg at us if you want our attention." They waved their front left leg and looked expectantly, or as expectantly as any metallic bug could. It was rather cute, in a bizarre sort of way. "Ooo-kay. Do you need anything?" Jack asked. Mantis pointed its long dangerous arm to itself. "You? Um." Jack thought for a second. "Do you want a name? Is that it?" She nodded. Nodded! "Pretty clear little quiet beings, aren't they?" Jack asked Sabin before turning back to Mantis. "Well, how about, Ameno? That seems to fit you." Ameno nodded, quite proud of her name. It was also clear the other mantises had designated her as the leader. "Shall we then?" Jack asked. "The more Replicators we take out, the more Ameno and the others can duplicate themselves. That's it! You all, my little mantis friends, will be called the Duplicators! How's that sound?" They cocked their heads, as if digesting the word, before nodding again in agreement. "I think I like you guys," Jack said, which only made them straighten in pride. For whatever reason, they respected Jack's opinion and wanted his approval. "We'll come up with more names and ways to identify each of you later, okay?" Sabin promised. They agreed. "Okay, we have an hour and a half or so now," Jack said, glancing at his watch. With that, they left the room, leaving five mantises behind to protect Thor. Sabin also erected zones around the room, just in case. Entering the quiet and empty hall, Sabin and Jack began telling the mantises what they were doing and what had been going on. The mantises seemed angry that the Replicators had set a course for Earth to consume her resources and kill the inhabitants, no matter their obvious ties to them. "Hmm, where are they?" Jack asked as they continued down the long corridors. "This way, I think," Sabin said, motioning to a slightly darker corridor. The mantises, following Ameno, had formed a defensive formation in front of Sabin and Jack, obviously taking the task of removing the Replicators very seriously. They seemed to also be rather protective of Sabin. Arriving at the end, which joined yet another corridor, they found them. Clamoring all over the halls, obviously in the process of replicating more (as Sabin had taken out a large number of them), the Replicators quickly turned toward them. The Replicators did not wait, but charged them, the mantises in front meeting them head on, but then something happened none of them had been expecting. Upon contact, the mantises emitted a bright pulse of light which went out to the walls and beyond, rocketing down all ends of the corridors. The Replicators instantly crumbled into piles of chips. Jack and Sabin blinked, Ameno and the other mantises straightening in confidence and accomplishment. "Well, I certainly hadn't expected that," Jack said. "Do you think that's all the Replicators?" "I don't know, but maybe --" Sabin didn't need to continue, for Ameno was delegating the other mantises into teams of five while she and two others rose up more Duplicators from the remains of the Replicators. "That is so sweet," Jack said. They then turned to Jack and Sabin, as if waiting for a go. "I take it you all plan to search the rest of the ship?" Jack asked. They nodded. "Good plan. Me and Sabin will head to the main control room and try to regain control of the ship's operations." Ameno waved her two front legs to the groups behind them, causing them to dash away like commando teams carrying a search and destroy mission. She then clamored up Sabin's pants and shirt to come to rest on his right shoulder and head. "Alright, then," Jack said, wondering when he had exactly accepted Ameno, but oddly okay with it. They then hurried to the main control room of the ship, piles of Replicator parts already being seen beside Duplicators reassembling them into fellow mantises. "The more I see, the more I like," Jack said as they came to the door. =============================================================================== "What do you mean the Tok'ra can't get a ship here?" Sirius asked. "Sabin and the rest of us have helped them out a great deal and they can't even find it within their hearts to send one of their ships to help?!" Sirius shouted. Remus sighed. "It's not that simple. None of the ships are close enough to get there in time. Even our fastest ship wouldn't be able to get there, Sirius. Selmac and I already spoke to the other Tok'ra and have already ordered three ships to head there, but it's going to take them six hours," Remus said, his voice slightly distorted over the transmission, his head and shoulders visible on the screen. "So there's nothing we can do to help Sabin and Jack?" Daniel asked. "Hmm," Remus thought. "I know we can't do anything, but what about other allies?" "You mean, like the Furlings?" "No, they don't have any space travel capabilities that I know of, but Sirius, can you think of one man who would be able to make a long distance portkey? One that could traverse space?" Remus asked. Sirius brightened. "Albus Dumbledore?! Remus, if you weren't a guy or on a screen, I'd kiss you." =============================================================================== "Yes!!!" Jack shouted. "Weapon systems are now online, though we don't have all control yet." He continued sliding a few control stones about before his face turned serious. "Er-Sabin, I think we have a problem. We don't have enough power to fire the Breath weapon Thor and his Asgard buddies made. Not even once. It looks like the little buggers sucked the power of that system dry." Sabin looked at the controls and made a few mental calculations. "We might be able to fire it once if we rerouted the power from other systems, but that would take time, and one of the systems that would need to be included would be life support." "Okay, that'll be a last resort, then." "The two ships will be here in twenty," Sabin said. "If we focused some more power into the transport system, we might be able to send fifty or so Duplicators over to take care of them, though I don't like the idea of two Asgard ships so close to Earth with their weapon under the control of the Replicators." "What we need is a distraction or more help," Jack said. CRACK! =============================================================================== "Are you sure this is possible and that you can make it happen?" Hammond asked. Dumbledore, Sirius, Sam, Teal'c, and Daniel were all with Hammond in the briefing room. "Yes, and it has been done before, but alas, the poor gentlemen who portkeyed to the moon did not understand vacuums... He was brought back by his second portkey, which was charmed to activate after a few minutes. It is yet another reason why wizards have shied away from certain explorations." "Wow," Sam breathed. "Ouch," Daniel whispered. "Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "But since we are going to a ship, that won't be a problem. All I'll have to do is focus on Sabin's magic for a location, which won't be hard because it's like a beacon," Dumbledore explained cheerfully. "Alright, you all may leave when ready." With that, they suited up and armed themselves, even Dumbledore changing his bright robes into imposing battle robes, before they gathered around Dumbledore who was holding a ring. He slid it on and the others grabbed onto one of his sleeves. "Everyone ready?" Dumbledore asked. They all nodded. "Okay," he said, closing his eyes. "One-two-three --" CRACK!!! =============================================================================== "Holy Crap!" Jack shouted, Sabin and himself turning about to find... "Albus?" "Guys?" "Hello, Jack and Sabin," Dumbledore said, Sam and the others on either side of him. "Are you two alright?" Daniel asked, blinking at the thing resting on Sabin's shoulder and the other similar creatures all about. "Yeah, we're fine," Sabin said. "What are these... things?" Sirius asked, Teal'c and Sam aiming their weapons at them. "Dumbledore and SG-1, may I introduce you to the friendly Duplicators," Jack said. "Duplicators? But what about the Replicators?" Sam asked. "They have been taken care of, but we are now trying to figure out how to handle the two infested ships on their way here," Jack said. "Do you have control of weapons?" Teal'c asked. "Yeah, but we're having power issues, and even then I think it would be nice to return all three of Thor's ships relatively undamaged," Jack said, thinking about the energy bursts they had in their arsenal. "That and it would also provide more Rep chips for Ameno and her, uh... family." "Ameno?" Sam asked, before Ameno turned to her. "Oh. Hi?" Ameno gave a small wave. "We'll finish the introductions later. Sabin, are those two dots what I think they are?" Jack asked, now pointing to the little display screen. Sabin nodded as Ameno started making a clicking noise with her mandibles. Soon all but five of the metallic mantises on the ship were in the room. "Whoa..." Daniel breathed. "They'll be here in ten minutes. Any ideas?" Jack asked. "If given a relative position of where they are headed, I can charm a few portkeys to take some of us or some of the mantises to one or both of the ships," Dumbledore said. "Feel free to take a look at this then, old man," Jack said, bringing up a space map on the screen showing all three ships and their coordinates and presumed destinations. Dumbledore took out his wand and began casting. Teal'c pulled out radios and made sure everyone had one and that they were set on the correct channel (Sirius still had trouble with that for some reason). "Ah, good thinking, Teal'c," Jack said. Teal'c inclined his head in acknowledgment. "The Replicators on both ships have had more time to multiply and gain more control of the systems, so be ready to have them on you immediately," Sabin said, tucking his radio into a pocket. "I think the back up plan should be someone staying here, rerouting power to the weapons to fire on both of the ships, the Valhalla and the Einherjar, in case the Replicators show signs of trying to fire on Terra or the Beliskner." "Okay, who though?" Jack asked. "My skills are not extremely high in technology, even now." "I have an idea of how to reroute power," Sam said. "Then you will remain here and keep an eye on the situation as you redirect the power to the weapons," Jack said. "Yes sir," she said as Sabin went to her and began giving her a quick run through of how the Asgard had things set up. "Okay, Duplicators!" Jack said, making them all scurry before him and stand at attention. "Wow, make me feel like a drill sergeant why don't you? Okay, in groups of at least five you will team up with each of us. We have to clear both ships of the Replicators before they have a chance to retaliate or truly attack us or Earth. Understood? Cool, assemble then!" Sirius and the others stared in fascination as they were each joined by seven or so Duplicators. Dumbledore gave a satisfied nod to himself as he put his wand down. "Ok, I have a portkey for each of us with two activation words. One word will take you to one of the ships, the other will return you to the SGC. They are `Ship' and `Home' coupled with `Activate' right before said word. The Duplicators will need to be on the person traveling to join them," he said, handing out an everlasting gobstopper to each of them. "The blue goes to the Valhalla, red goes to the Einherjar." Sabin, Jack, and Daniel had blue. Teal'c, Dumbledore, and Sirius had red. "Carter, when we go, ask one of the Duplicators to lead you back to Thor's room. There's control panels and everything there. If something happens, fire the main weapon, grab Thor and, with the mantises, get your butt down to the SGC. Understood?" "Understood sir," Sam said, before glancing at her screen, already quite accustom to Asgard technology. "They are approaching orbit." The Duplicators got on their designated person. "Alright. Let's go then," Jack said. "Activate-Ship." With that, they disappeared. =============================================================================== They landed on the hard floor of a crowded corridor. CLAP! Sabin released a pulse, eliminating all Replicators within sight. "So glad you can do that," Jack said, dusting a few chips off his shoulder while Ameno and the other mantises hoped down from Sabin, Jack, and Daniel before causing the chips to reform into Duplicators. "You know how weird this is, right?" Daniel asked, understandably dumbfounded. "Yes, so let's split up and try to meet up at the main control room to finish this day of insanity," Jack said as they went in different directions. "Keep in touch by radio though! That's an order!" =============================================================================== "-Bombarda!-" Sirius shouted, blasting twenty Replicators away while Dumbledore waved his hand and wand to bash several more into the wall. Teal'c fired his weapon, only to quickly find his weapon was ineffective. "They are immune to certain energy blasts," Teal'c stated with a frown, pulling out a pistol. Pinging a few Replicators in the head with his gun, Teal'c reloaded, the Duplicators swarming off of their backs and shoulders. With a flash, the Duplicators took down the rest of the Replicators before transforming the fallen into their ranks. "That's..." Sirius began. "Impressive," Dumbledore finished, before they split off and continued their assault. =============================================================================== "Several corridors have been cleared, over," Daniel informed them. "Good, Daniel. Where are you now?" Jack asked. "Sabin, where are you?" "Heading to a power room I think." "Down another corridor," they answered respectively. "We have fifty percent of the Einherjar cleared, O'Neill," Teal'c reported. "Got it. Sam, how's the weapon power system thing coming?" he asked. "Almost done sir, but I've been monitoring the other ships, and the Einherjar has activated its weapons. I think it might fire on the Beliskner," she said. "Keep an eye on them, Captain. You know what to do if they target." "Yes sir." Jack and his team of mantises rounded another corner, finding even more bugs. "Argh, they remind me of cockroaches!" Jack said as he thrust his hand forward and smashed all of the ones on the floor while the Duplicators went into action. Finished with that corridor, he went into a large chamber. Lighting the area with his scarred hand, they found the walls infested and a large cluster of them in the corner by the power converter. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" he shouted. There was a big mommy one. Vastly outnumbered, all of the Duplicators lit up, bathing the place with the Replicator debilitating light. The big mommy remained. "Well crap," he said, he and his mantis buddies backing out of the room. "Sabin, we have a problem," Jack said over the radio. "What?" "One seems to be immune to our friends' light, and it's huge. It seems to be the queen. I'm in the second floor corridor past the weird archway things." "Ok, we'll find you," Daniel said. "Yeah," Sabin agreed. =============================================================================== "Albus, do you see any other bugs on that screen?" Sirius asked over the radio. "There's just a cluster around one of the engines powering the weapons, from what I can tell," he said. "It's on the fourth floor." "I am approaching that floor," Teal'c said, thankful for Dumbledore's charm providing his gun with an unlimited supply of bullets. =============================================================================== Sam gasped, watching the reading of the Einherjar's weapon system go up and lock. "Colonel, it's targeting, I'm firing!" Sam shouted into the radio. "Go Carter!" "To me!" she ordered, all of the mantises surging to her to cling onto her clothing as she moved to another panel. She slid a stone and pressed it, already having set the target, and fired upon the Einherjar. In one go, she effectively wiped out all of the Replicators on the Einherjar with the Breath, but doing so cost the Beliskner lights, artificial gravity, and life support. Grabbing hold of the still unconscious Thor (who was beginning to float up from his bed due to no gravity), she gripped the gobstopper in her other hand and shouted in an already wheezy breath, "Activate-Home!" =============================================================================== Janet Fraiser quickly found a patient on her floor, accompanied by Sam and about twelve large, silver mantises. "What the--?!" "Stand down, Airmen!" Sam ordered, halting the men by the door from firing on the Duplicators. "They're friends, trust me." That got them to back down, Fraiser quickly moving forward to examine Thor. Sam motioned the mantises to gather on one of the clear beds before telling one of the Sergeants to get General Hammond. =============================================================================== Sabin and Daniel quickly joined up with Jack, confident this was the last infected area to clear out. "Should Sabin just go in and clap?" Daniel asked. Jack looked at Sabin, only to find him staring into the dark room where the mother bug resided. Sabin shook his head. "Not yet. I feel... something. I think the Replicators, or at least this one, is approaching true consciousness... There's something, but I'm not sure." He stepped into the room, Jack, Daniel and the mantises quick to provide support and protection. They heard a growl. A dark growl. "I know you can understand us, for you can understand Asgard and had control of this and two other vessels." Sabin stopped walking forward, giving a slight shudder. "Your kind is truly malicious and full of greed. You are incapable of seeing another life form as anything more than an obstacle, and that's if you see anything of value in their possession," Sabin said, receiving yet another deep growl. Sabin stifled a gasp, his eyes growing wide in a painful revelation. "You *are* capable... but you choose not to be. You see, or at least had seen a glimpse when the Breath had barely brushed past you... You, the only one of your kind I have felt any true consciousness from, and yet you have chosen to ignore what you know to be. Why?" The Mother gave a quick stream of short hisses, as if infuriated. Sabin clenched his fists. "A moment before, I had hoped I would find something more than a Replicator. If you had any wish to explore what you had been given the chance to experience and learn within you, I would have spared you. I would have helped you. But I see what you truly are. You had been shown that there is value in beings greater and lesser than yourself, but you cast it aside. You truly are evil and have doomed your kind which may have had a hope of becoming more than just raging machines." The Mother moved, raising herself up on her six legs. She could have been compared to a sumo wrestler in bug form. Ameno and the other mantises tightened their formation in front of Sabin, Jack and Daniel. Sabin slowly brought up his hands. "After you, I will ensure the rest of your kind is swiftly removed. I will not allow another source of pain and death to rise. Neither this galaxy nor any other has room for it," Sabin said softly as the Mother furiously charged forward. CLAP! She fell apart, her chips still racing forward to collide harmlessly against Sabin and those with him. They stood in silence, until Ameno stepped forward and formed five more Duplicators out of the crumbled remains of Mother. Sabin gave a soft smile, feeling the kind aura from the mantises. "We're all done. Let's go home," Jack said, speaking into the radio. "Understood," Teal'c said. "Activate-Home," they whispered, the Duplicators accompanying them. =============================================================================== Thor remained asleep on the bed in the infirmary. The Duplicators commandeered a room full of batteries they seemed to enjoy being near (despite the fact they didn't absorb any power from them). Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts after thanking SG-1 for an exciting adventure and receiving a bag of everlasting gobstoppers as thanks from Jack. Sabin and the others were currently in the Briefing Room, updating the General on what had happened on the ships. Sabin was relatively quiet during it all. He did explain why the Duplicators had been unable to destroy the Mother though. "She had been exposed to the Breath when she was just another Replicator, but because she grew into a mother on the Valhalla and somehow gained consciousness from it, a resistance against the Duplicators' light formed. The Duplicators light is a variant of the Breath and my power, because both were instrumental in forming their consciousness," Sabin said, before going silent once more. "Guardian Sabin, is something wrong?" Teal'c asked. Sabin shrugged. "Come on, Sabin, what is it?" Sirius asked. "It is clear you're sad about something." "Is it about the Replicators?" Daniel asked. Sabin nodded, his eyes betraying a trace of wateriness. Jack moved his chair closer to Sabin and lifted him up to set him on his lap. "They doomed themselves. They could have been more but chose not to be out of a belief of superiority. I felt her hatred, her malice, greed, and arrogance. Foreign things in a machine, I know, but they were there -- part of a consciousness choosing them over mercy, kindness, and understanding. I don't understand such a choice. It only promises demise and ultimate defeat to the tyrant race in the end." "You're right, Sabin. It does," Jack quietly agreed, as Sabin shifted and allowed himself to rest fully on Jack's chest and shoulder, closing his eyes. "I'm sad for them," Sabin whispered. "For their end is coming, and it didn't have to be." The others remained silent, not know what to say to that. *Questions concerning*: -Ban Azka-: I referred to Azkaban as Ban Azka because the Ancients (in my story lore), called it that originally. It was only later that the name was changed. -Duplicators:- They will have an impact on the future of Earth. All I'm saying. =============================================================================== *Part 27: A Matter of Time* Jack thought about Sabin as he poured his milk into his Fruit Loops. With a content smile, he suddenly realized how long Sabin had been with them. It had been over a year, as they had just recently celebrated Sabin's sixth birthday, as well as Carter's promotion from Captain to Major. Not long after they had returned from saving Thor and bringing about the creation of an entirely different `nation', the Duplicators, much had changed. And yet, a great deal had remained the same. The Tau'ri had become close to the Duplicators, understandably, since Sabin was adored by them. The Duplicators even occasionally accompanied the SG teams on off-world missions, especially when it was believed they may encounter malicious machines. The protective mantises had a remarkable ability to sense the intent of such beings and had become a mighty assistance in such things. But things with them had not stopped there. They had colonized a planet, specifically chosen by the Asgard for them to inhabit. The Duplicators had multiplied quite quickly as they completely removed the danger to the Asgard. It had taken some time, of course, but before Sabin's sixth birthday, the threat the Replicators had once posed was whipped away by the metallic mantises. And so, with the Replicators completely eradicated, a new, quite remarkable civilization surfaced. Because of this, and the fact they felt indebted to the Duplicators, the Asgard decided it best to provide them with a proper planet to call their own. The Asgard had been a bit leery at first, since the Duplicators were very similar to the Replicators, but they couldn't deny the vast differences between the intelligent machines and their tie to Sabin. Their consciousnesses were, in the simplest terms, made of his essence. Their sense of right and wrong were also the same. They would never become what they had helped defeat. It wasn't in their nature and never would be. The Duplicators settled on `the Colony' as their world's name. It was primarily covered in lush green forests with occasional patches of fields and plains. It also had a gate, which they had quickly learned how to operate. The planet was fairly close to Earth, gate-network wise, and was enriched with plenty of raw materials for the Duplicators to use and manipulate. They were already in the process of making verbal communicators for themselves, allowing them to actually speak. It was a work in progress though. With Ameno, the first of her kind and leader of the Duplicators, they were a force to be reckoned with on nearly every level, and the only thing clearer than their abilities was their loyalty to Sabin and his allies. Jack shook his head, recalling when Sabin had played with over twenty of the little guys by climbing on them as they made a jungle gym for him. That hadn't been long before SG-1 paid a quick visit to the Wizarding World. The Longbottoms had invited them to a house warming party, as they had just settled back into life. Neville had been a little nervous around his parents when he had first learned of their symbiotes, but he soon accepted Loflin (in Frank) and Jean (in Alice) as extra parents. Augusta had been the one most hesitant, for the first time not really knowing how to respond. What do you say to beings inhabiting your son and daughter in-law? But, as Neville had, she too adjusted and welcomed them as family. They, of course, did not let it be known to a lot of people that Alice and Frank were sharing their bodies with two Tok'ra, but those who did know, such as Dumbledore, were thankful this arrangement had been made (after getting over the near heart attack of first meeting them --glowing eyes and altered voice--). For those who did not know, the miracle of the Longbottoms was simply explained by the Guardian having a hand in it. That was more than enough to quench anyone's curiosity about it. The past year had also been filled with other things, particularly learning. Jack now had a good handle on apparition, having been taught by Sirius and licensed by the Legion of American Wizards. Sam had also learned more about potions, occasionally even receiving some literature from Severus Snape about some advanced mixtures. It seemed to a great many people Severus appreciated Sam's unique outlook and insight on brewing, and no one could deny how Sam lit up when she received the sometimes smelly packages of potion ingredients from the famed Potions Master. Daniel had taken up teaching Sabin the recent history of Earth, primarily the past five hundred years. Sabin enjoyed it, although Jack would never be able to understand Daniel's enthusiasm in it all as he taught his son. Son. He couldn't even really include the word `adopted' anymore. Sabin was his son now, plain and simple. Which, at times, was difficult. He couldn't help but find himself thinking about Charlie. He would be a teenager now. Jack shook himself, not allowing himself to continue down the same thought path he had stumbled down several times before. To do so again wasn't healthy, and it wouldn't help him be a good father to Sabin. That was another thing that had happened within the past year. He didn't know how, exactly, and at this point didn't care, but he had told Sabin. Everything. That in itself had been extremely difficult, and it hadn't helped that everything was brought back when he looked at Sabin during the discussion. Reminding him how Charlie had been at that age, and how his future had been cut short. But it hadn't stopped there. Sabin, as any child can sometimes be, was a little curious, though Jack could see there was more behind it than just curiosity. He had asked if it would be possible for him to meet Sara, Charlie's mom and Jack's ex-wife. Sabin's innocent question of, `Don't you think she'd want to know?' also got him thinking over it more, especially with how she took their last conversation. Would it be so bad for her, who may know him better than anyone else, to be brought into the loop? And that, probably above everything else, had brought about the biggest change for Jack that passed year. He had kept very limited contact with Sara during the past few years, due to the incident involving an alien entity impersonating him and seeking her out in attempt to find Charlie--the source of Jack's apparent deep internal wound. That whole mess had resulted in him having to tell Sara a brief outline of the Stargate Program, because having her believe their government was running a cloning program was just too wrong. But after that, that had pretty much been it, though she had made him promise her to not do anything too dangerous and to have them let her know if anything... happened to him. Good or ill. And so, after briefly thinking over Sabin's question of going to meet Sara, he agreed doing so wasn't a bad idea. Now that he thought about it, Sara would probably want to know he had adopted a boy, and the thought of her finding out about it through means other than himself... well, it was better not to think about it. Besides, this probably counted as good news Sara had asked to keep her in the loop about. And so, Jack called her, and, through a very short, albeit odd, conversation, they arranged to meet. --Flashback-- Sabin got out of the car and hurried to Jack as they made their way up the driveway. Sara had suggested simply meeting at her father's house. She was living with him now, because of convenience and the fact he needed a little bit of help to keep up with the house now. Jack's ex-father-in-law had graciously taken his leave earlier that day to give them some alone time. It was clear to pretty much everyone who met the stern but kind man that he felt it would have been better if Jack and Sara hadn't separated, but had endured the horrible experience of losing a child together. Unfortunately, it would never be known if such an action would have been better or not. "Like I said earlier, I sort of hinted you're a bit more than a simple child, but nothing more than that. Don't do or say anything that will reveal exactly how big my hint was. Let me break it to her, `kay? I practiced with what I'm going to say," Jack whispered, looking up to the porch with a partly open window. He was certain he had seen her standing by the curtain of the window but had moved soon after. Hammond had given the okay for Jack and Sabin to share whatever they wished with Sara. Having the President as a friend no doubt helped. "Okay, I will," Sabin promised. Jack gave a brief nod. "Alright, you ready?" he asked, both of them coming up to the door. "Yeah," Sabin answered, though he was now standing behind Jack. Shaking his head, Jack took a breath and knocked. The door opened a moment later, Sara standing beyond it. She looked at Jack, taking in his appearance and mentally comparing what she saw to the last time she had seen him. "Hello, Sara," he said softly. She opened the door a bit wider. "Hello, Jack." Jack smiled and stepped forward, Sabin careful to remain in his shadow, though he took a peek from behind Jack. "Oh, hello there," Sara said, looking down at him and giving him a sincere, albeit slightly confused smile. "Hi," Sabin said. He didn't shy away, but remained where he was, positioned just behind Jack's legs. "Well, come on in. My porch is nice, but you both probably would like to sit," she said, welcoming them in. The inside of the house was just as simple and common as the exterior, though it was clear it had just been tidied (the lines in the carpet from the vacuum cleaner and very shiny counter tops revealed this). "So, how have you been?" Jack asked. He had asked something similar over the phone a few days ago, but such a question was a good thing to ask first when one didn't know what to say, right? "Good," she said as they entered the living room and sat down. Sabin sat beside Jack on the sofa while Sara sat in the rocking chair. Sara looked at Sabin. "Oh, sorry. Let me introduce you, though it's not really necessary. Sara, this is Sabin; Sabin, this is Sara." Sara smiled and gave Sabin a nod. "So you live with Jack now?" she asked, or, rather, prompted. "Uh huh, though we're usually at the base instead of at the cabin," he answered. That caused Sara to look to Jack in question. Jack cleared his throat. "You remember, uh... the stargate?" "And your obscure explanation of it, yes," she said. She almost looked as if she was entertained by Jack's apparent nervousness. "Well, obscure or not, you know more about it than over 99.9% of the population of Earth." "And your point, Jack?" Jack glanced at Sabin. "You understand the whole going to other worlds through the stargate and all of that, right?" "You told me about your work a few years ago, Jack, after that entity impersonated you and--" She took a breath here and looked away slightly, understandably a little uncomfortable about bringing up anything related to Charlie at all. Jack fought back a sigh. "I'm sorry that happened. I wish I could go back and prevent that from happening." Sara looked up at that. "Why? I don't. It gave us the chance to do what we should have done long before that point." She didn't need to say what they had done. It was understood between them. They had let Charlie go, together. Made their peace with what had happened. Or at least as much peace anyone could make after losing a child. Jack gave a little nod, before refocusing. "Well, like I said over the phone, I wanted you to meet Sabin and for him to meet you. You had asked to be kept informed about big things," he said. Sara smiled. "Yes, though, how long did it take you to realize an adoption counted as something big?" she asked, obviously amused. Dodging the question with a cough, he shrugged. Sara shook her head. "So this concerns the stargate, I take it?" she asked. Jack nodded and seemed to prepare himself, though for what Sara didn't know. "I'm about to tell you things very few people know, and the reason I'm going to tell you these things is because Sabin said you should know." Sara glanced at Sabin, privately wondering why Jack would carry out the suggestion made by such a young child if it was so serious. "I have a way to make sure no one can force you to repeat what I'm about to tell you, but I need you to make a promise, of sorts, out loud right now before I go on." Sara raised an eyebrow. "Jack, what is this about?" "Please, Sara, will you make the promise or not?" "I don't understand what this is about or what this has to do with you adopting Sabin, but sure, I promise to keep what I hear tonight to myself," she said as Jack raised his right scarred hand and whispered something. "Jack, what was that?" she asked. She could have sworn his hand had glistened for a second. "And what on earth happened to your hand?! When did that happen and why didn't I hear about it?" "I simply sealed your oath, and I'll get to my hand later," he stated before leaning forward and reciting what he had practiced the night before in front of the mirror. It took two hours for him to describe what he and his team did exactly, but it took even longer when he got to Sabin and the Wizarding World. However, before dinner, he had shared it all with her, or at least as much as he believed she could handle at one time, which was quite a lot. "So, why are you telling me this now?" Jack clasped his hands together, clearly trying to decide how best to answer. There were many reasons, though why he had waited so long... well, there were many reasons for that as well, but as for why he was finally telling her... . Jack hadn't even been able to voice exactly why to himself yet. He missed her, but felt even thinking about asking for a second chance was too much to request. He couldn't ask that of her, not after everything he had, or rather hadn't, done. "Jack?" she asked. "I couldn't not tell you," he finally answered before going still again. "Don't start doing it again," she stated after a moment, frowning slightly. Jack blinked. "Sorry?" "You are shutting me out, like you did before." Before Jack could respond, they all heard the front door open. Sara's father was home. "I'm home, Sara! Is Jack and the little ki --" He entered the living room. "Oh, I guess so. Hello," he greeted, his eyes coming to rest on Sabin. Sara's father was a stout but strong looking man. His hair was gray and his face was littered with wrinkles. "Sorry if I interrupted anything, but it's nearly time for dinner and it's Tuesday." Jack and Sabin looked at him questioningly. "I make dinner on Tuesdays," he clarified. Sabin perked up at that, before glancing at Sara and Jack, looking thoughtful. He looked back to Sara's dad. "Can I help?" he chirped. "Ah, but of course," he said, laying on a French accent. "I, the master chef, could always use an assistant." He went forward and kneeled down, Sabin already off and around the couch to get in front of him. "I am Mr. Johanus Marksman," he said, holding out his hand and swallowing up Sabin's to shake it. "I'm Sabin O'Neill," Sabin answered. He figured stating his full name would be a bit much at the moment. Johanus looked up at Jack and Sara before appearing to make a decision. "Well, come along, Sabin. How do you like homemade pizza?" "Pizza?" Sabin couldn't help but ask excitedly. "I like ones with black olives, but any pizza is yummy." "Black olives, ay? We'll see what we can do," he said, leading him out of the room and strategically leaving Jack and Sarah alone... . Sabin and Johanus returned roughly twenty minutes later to find Sara and Jack both sitting on the couch, obviously just having finished a very deep conversation. --End Flashback-- Within those twenty minutes, the smell of cooking pizza coming from the kitchen, Jack and Sara had come to an understanding, as well as something more. Jack didn't know if he and Sara would be able to get back together after everything that had happened and with what had changed, but at least there was a chance now. "-- About it. What do you think?" Daniel asked loudly, nearly causing Jack to drop his spoon as he was rattled out of his thoughts. "Oh, I don't know, Daniel. That's a tough question," Sirius said, seeing that Jack was distracted and probably didn't want to answer. Sirius and Daniel went back and forth, Jack not really paying attention as Sabin and Sam entered the commissary to join them for breakfast. Sabin was a little hyper, looking forward to the day. Not long after finishing his colorful and sugary cereal, Teal'c came in to get him. "So we're going now?" Sabin asked, having to do double time to keep up with Teal'c's strides. "Yes, Guardian Sabin. I had promised you yesterday we would do so." Sabin was clearly excited and Jack couldn't blame him. Teal'c was going to begin teaching him physical self defense. Jack had taught him a few moves, but hadn't really gone that far into serious martial arts. They were usually doing things with magic together more than anything else. Often times Sirius joined them in whatever they were doing, and, very rarely, Remus did too. However, due to Tok'ra business, Remus spent very little time on Earth. Jack got up, wondering when they would have another mock duel as he followed Teal'c and Sabin out. It had been a pretty close wizard's duel the last time he had challenged Remus. O o O o O -Nine hours later- Sabin wiped the sweat from his forehead, actually out of breath, which was rare for him. "Good, Guardian Sabin. You are improving," Teal'c said. "You are better than you were before lunch." "I am? But you took me down just as fast as before," Sabin said. "I had to use a bit more force. You are quite agile, young Guardian," he said, bowing his head slightly. Sabin couldn't help but blush a bit from the praise, not that anyone could really tell. He was already flushed from his recent exertion. They had been practicing on and off during the whole day, only having been interrupted once when SG-12 had arrived early after one of their team members broke their ankle. `Unscheduled off world activation,' the intercom suddenly blared for the second time that day. Sabin paused, straightening up as he frowned. Something wasn't quite right. -Poof- Appearing in the center of the gate room, the sight that greeted him was not a common one. `Incoming wormhole.' The gate was completely wrapped in electricity, like a web, even though the iris was sealed shut. Sabin could feel the intense gathering of power just beyond the covered event horizon, and it was going to burst out at any moment. Quickly gathering his power, his time warp bubble subconsciously forming around him, he thrust his hands at the gate. Who knew what would happen if this foreign power was not contained? Thrusting his power forward, he strained under the sudden thickness in the air. It almost felt like... but no, that was impossible, wasn't it? But then Sabin was certain, and he knew, no matter how strong or powerful he was, he wasn't going to be able to stop what was coming. There was no way a single individual of his ability could stop or turn it away. And then it came. A huge flash of white light was the last thing he saw, before he felt his frame slammed back with an unmatchable force. He twisted about, hoping to roll out of whatever impact he was about to endure as his shoulder struck the unforgiving concrete wall behind him, soon followed by his head. . . . O o O o O "I'm sorry, but that's just how I feel about it. What do you think?" Daniel asked Jack. "Oh, I don't know, Daniel. That's a tough question," Sirius said after a moment, seeing how Jack probably hadn't been paying any attention whatsoever. Daniel was about to respond, but was cut short when Sam ran in, frantic. "Sabin! He vanished!" she shouted. "He gasped and then just disappeared!" "He does that Sam. You know, `poof', gone, appears somewhere else?" Sirius said as Jack rose from his seat, not liking the part of Sabin gasping before he left. "No, it wasn't like that! There was no poof, pop, flash of light or smoke! Just -gone-!" she said as she ran over to the nearest alarm and pushed it, placing the base in high alert. O o O o O "What the--!" a soldier gasped as a little body they immediately recognized as Sabin appeared out of nowhere against the back wall several yards above them before giving in to gravity and plummeting to the floor. "Catch him!" another shouted. Dashing forward, a sergeant barely managed to break Sabin's fall with his arms. "Help! He needs a doctor!" the sergeant exclaimed, instantly spotting blood already seeping from Sabin's ear. Soon after, he also caught sight of blood running down the back side of Sabin's neck. "Alert Doctor Fraiser!" Sergeant Siler ordered, coming to the man who had caught the Guardian. "What happened?" General Hammond asked, looking down from the control room. "He just appeared, and by the looks of him, it looks like he hit the wall very hard, but I know he didn't hit it. I saw him appear right against it and then just fall," the first soldier said. "Get him to the infirmary, now," Hammond said. The sergeant ran out as fast as he could. O o O o O The SGC was practically up in arms, trying to figure out what had happened to Sabin. At first, they thought there had been an intruder and that, somehow, they had done this to Sabin, despite the Zone placed on the SGC by Sabin himself. But after a full sweep of the base, and with nothing even remotely suspicious, they could only sit and wait for Sabin to regain consciousness and hopefully tell them what had happened. "He's not going to wake up anytime soon, I'm afraid," Fraiser told them. "He sustained a nasty concussion, and only thanks to Major Carter's potions was I able to prevent him from needing emergency surgery. As it is, I don't know if he's going to be able to even remember how this happened to him. His shoulder had also taken quite a hit as you can see. His collarbone managed to break in three places, if you can believe that." She paused and sighed. "I'd allow Sirius to fix his shoulder, but some odd things have been happening as I've been treating him, and I don't know if it would be safe." "What's been happening, Doctor?" Hammond asked. "Well, a few times, it's as if his time warp flickered or something. At first I thought it was just me imagining it, but you can't really imagine gravity being slower than it should be, or your own hand slowing down without your consent." "What does that mean?" Daniel asked. "It could be tied to his head injury, or maybe he wasn't able to turn it off completely before he blacked out. But that doesn't make much sense either. We know from past experience that when he goes unconscious, everything he was doing with his abilities shuts off. They don't sporadically turn on and off." "Maybe I could Mind Brush him," Jack suggested. "I'll be as careful as I can. Maybe we can learn what's happened. Besides, if he is aware at all, he'll want to know we're here and helping him." "Hmm, I don't know. With his head injury, I don't know if doing that would do more harm than good," she said. "I'll wait a little bit then, but if he doesn't wake in a few hours, I'll try," he said. "I suppose that will have to do," she said, Hammond giving a nod of consent. "Until Sabin wakes and tells us what has happened, I want this base to remain on high alert," Hammond said. "We are also expecting the return of SG teams 6 and 11 within the next few hours." "Yes, sir," they agreed, before looking back down at Sabin, who was still sleeping. O o O o O The next hour passed without much incident, save for the early return of SG-12 due to a minor injury. However, when the time came for SG-6 to return, they did not. "Dial out and attempt to make contact through the MALP," Hammond said, standing behind the technician. "Yes sir." He began dialing, but when the last chevron went to engage, it jammed, failing to complete the address. "What?" the technician said, looking at the computer read outs. "I don't know what the problem is sir, it should have worked." "Get Major Carter down here," Hammond said. O o O o O "How is he?" Sirius asked, walking up from behind Jack. "The same. And I know what Fraiser meant by his time warp fluctuating. A few times, I could see a ripple in the air, and the dust in the air near it slowed considerably before going back to normal. I just wish I knew what it meant and how to help him." He sighed, before moving on. "Has Carter figured out what's up with the gate?" "Not yet, but the other team has come in just fine. For some reason we can't dial out to the planet SG-6 is on, and they haven't dialed in. Sam's running her diagnostics right now, though." Jack nodded, looking back at Sabin whose shoulder was now wrapped with his arm secured against his chest in a tight sling. "Well, I've waited like I said I would," Jack said, shifted his chair forward. "Go ahead and get the doc in here now." Sirius nodded and got Fraiser. Once she was there, he went in. It was odd, not what he was used to whenever he mind brushed Sabin. Everything was muffled for some reason, and there seemed to be some sort of echo, though of what he didn't know. "Dad?" Sabin asked, his form appearing before him in an empty, though hazy, mindscape. "I'm here, Sabin. Do you know what happened? How are you feeling?" he asked. "Something with the gate. I'm having trouble remembering what exactly. There was a whole lot of power behind it, about to come out from behind the iris, so I tried to force it back I think, but... I don't know. The last thing I really remember is this white flash and this force hitting me," Sabin said, shaking his head, trying to remember more. "Hmm, okay. That's a little odd, well, obviously, but we've recently been having some trouble with the gate. It won't let us gate to certain places, while other worlds are perfectly fine. It's as if there's an address lock or something." "That's weird. Any power fluctuations?" "No, but Sam is working on the problem. She'll be briefing us on what she's found soon." "How long have I been out? Well, I suppose I'm technically still out, but, you know," he said with a shrug. "Roughly four hours. So, how are you feeling?" "I think my shoulder might have hit the wall, it feels weird. As for my head, it's sort of fuzzy." "You broke your collarbone in three places, and Fraiser said your head was in pretty bad shape before she gave you some potions." "Oh. I suppose that explains it then." "Okay, well, they're probably wondering what is taking me so long. So just focus on resting and getting better now. We'll figure out what's going on," he said. "'Kay." With that, Sabin faded away and Jack pulled back, opening his eyes to find Hammond, Sirius, Fraiser, Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c waiting anxiously for him to tell them what Sabin may have said. "He said there was something with the gate. A power that had been beyond the iris that he was trying to stop. His memory is a little fuzzy, and that's all he remembers, except for a flash of white light and being forced back into the wall," Jack said. "The iris wasn't closed when he appeared in the gate room," Hammond said. "You're sure he said the iris was closed?" "Yeah, he said the power was about to come out from behind the iris, so I would assume that means, from what he remembers, the iris was closed," Jack said. "That doesn't make any sense," Sirius said. "Well, have you figured anything out, Major?" Hammond asked, turning to Sam. "Yes, sir." "Very good. Briefing Room?" he said, motioning them to the door. "I'll stay here with Sabin," Sirius said. With that, the rest of them headed out. O o O o O "We ran a sequence of random dialings and this is what we found," Sam said, going right into it as she turned on the screen display, showing a number of gate locations with bright dots with lines connecting to a common center gate dot. "These were the worlds we were able to contact, including Alaris, the planet where SG-12 was doing its survey. At the center of this group is P4X-639," Sam said, pushing a button and going to the next image. "Two weeks ago, SG-15 took these images of solar activity on P4X-639 during their survey there. Now, if I had to guess, I would say the problem must stem from this solar activity. "I believe the gate there is somehow establishing a simultaneous connection with all of these gates, creating a kind of subspace bubble, and that everything within the bubble is getting cut off from the rest of the gate network." "What are the implications of this?" Hammond asked. "Well, sir, if we don't figure out what is potentially wrong with the gate on P4X-639, who knows when we will be able to establish wormholes with worlds outside the bubble. Not only that, SG-6 will not be able to gate home," Sam said. "Permission to lead SG-1 to P4X-639, sir," Jack said. "The sooner we figure out this problem, the sooner we get SG-6 home and figure out what had happened to Sabin, because I wouldn't be surprised if this bubble thing was related to it." Hammond thought for a moment, looking at the options before him. Seeing nothing else he or anyone else could do, he nodded. "Permission granted, Colonel. You all may leave when you are ready." They left in record time. O o O o O "So this Malakai person, how was he with SG-15?" Jack asked, going up the ramp. "He was friendly. He was translating the ruins that are not far from the gate," Daniel said, having read the report. "Alright, that's one less thing to worry about," he said. Sirius was staying behind with Sabin, who had yet to physically wake up. "Let's go check this gate out," Jack said, stepping through. Coming out on the other side, they found that the sun above them was releasing sizable solar flares, or as Sam would have said, `corona mass emissions'. In front of them was a very long path with tall rock columns on either side with holes aligned in their direction. At the end of this path were the ruins, with a large stone table at its center. The table had large square stones on the surface at various heights. They were like buttons. Just beyond the table was a man diligently working. "Alright, let's go say hi." Jack led the way. Stopping at the edge of the ruins, Daniel cleared his throat. "Uh, hi. We're peaceful explorers from the planet Earth. I'm Daniel Jackson. This is Major Carter, Colonel O'Neill, and Teal'c. We're SG-1. You may remember SG-15. They came and took a survey here a few weeks ago," Daniel said. "Are you Malakai?" The thin, rather nerdy and meek looking man turned his eyes up, very surprised. "Oh! Yeah. I remember. I'm surprised your people sent another team here, especially with the geomagnetic storm and all," he said nervously. "We won't be here that long for it to be dangerous to us. We just came to check a few things," Sam said, already moving toward the DHD. "While Sam is working, could I join you? I know these ruins were made by the Ancients. I read SG-15's report. You see, I've been learning from someone who knows this as their first language. I could assist you if you like," Daniel prattled on. Jack shook his head and let Daniel be Daniel as he walked around the edge of the ruins, looking at the very old language carved into the stones. He could read it of course, thanks to the archive he had accidently looked into roughly a year before. The carved text was still confusing though, filled with obscure statements. Perhaps a different dialect? He found these two written several times: `He who starts must end.' `The end is held by the one who begins.' How odd. He quietly noticed Teal'c was behind him, probably not wanting to be around two archaeologists ogling old rocks. Coming around the ruins, he decided to check on Sam, who was kneeling behind the DHD now, taking a look at the inside with her gizmos. "Find anything out?" he asked. "Not really sir, but it seems like there has been a diversion of power. I don't know where it's been sent, but if I had to guess sir, it's as if it's waiting for something." "Is it on a timer? How much power has been diverted?" Jack asked. "It could be any number of things, sir. A timer, a set condition, a button. As for how much power... I don't know. A lot." "Have you got anything we can work with at the SGC to find some of the answers we need? Fraiser threatened us with making us bedridden if we didn't return in the specified time." "I believe so. I can at least determine how much power has been moved and maybe where it's coming from with what I've scanned. The crystals might actually be reacting to the sun's radiations, now that I think about it." "Alright," he said, picking up his radio. "Daniel, let's go home." Receiving no response, he clicked his radio again, however, before he could even speak, they all heard a large build up of energy all around them. "O'Neill," Teal'c said, the three of them slowly moving away from the gate, slightly confused. "Yeah, I hear it." Suddenly, huge streams of electric arcs branched between the pillars along either side of the path as the chevrons on the stargate flickered on and off. "What the --" The gate activated as the energy wrapped around it. O o O o O -SGC- "Incoming Wormhole," the technician said as Hammond came up beside him. "What is that?!" he asked as the gate, iris closed, was completely encased in thick fingers of blue lightning. "I have no idea, sir." O o O o O "Are you doing this?" Jack shouted, quickly making his way to Malakai, who was pressing the large stones down on the table as quickly as he could with his back to them. "Stay away!" he screamed. Making it just shy of the table, they all spotted Daniel unconscious on the ground. "Daniel!" Sam shouted, quickly going to him. "What the hell are you doing?!" Jack yelled, grabbing Malakai by the back of his collar. Teal'c soon joined him. "Stay back! I must see to this!" Malakai shouted again, franticly pressing down a stone square. The three of them were engulfed in a blinding white light. "Colonel!" Sam shouted beside Daniel, all the while the light extended even further... . . . O o O o O "Anyway, I'm sorry but that just happens to be how I feel about it. What do you think?" Daniel asked as Jack jumped, suddenly looking around. "Colonel, something wrong?" Sirius asked. "Weren't we just somewhere else?" Jack asked. "Whe --?" Daniel began to ask, but was cut short by Sam's frantic entrance. "Sabin! He vanished!" she shouted. "He gasped and then just disappeared!" "He does that Sam. You know, `poof' gone, appears somewhere else?" Sirius said as Jack quickly rose from his seat. "No, it wasn't like that! There was no poof, pop, fl --" -Crack- Jack apparated. O o O o O -Infirmary- "What on Earth?!" Fraiser nearly shrieked as Sabin just appeared on a thankfully empty bed not a few yards from her. She quickly took in his condition. His arm and shoulder were secured in a very tight sling and his skin seemed a little pale. She quickly went to him and took his pulse as she startlingly recognized her own handiwork in the way the sling had been secured. -Crack- "Ah!" she jumped, placing a hand on her chest. "Must you do that, Colonel?!" "How is he?" Jack asked, having just come from the gate room after realizing Sabin was not there. "I don't know; he just appeared. What happened?" she asked as the base's alarms sounded. "Doctor, I have no idea what's going on! We were on this planet, trying to figure out the gate problem, when the gate went berserk from something I'm sure this guy, Malakai, did, and then there was this flash of light and I was back in the commissary eating my fruit loops!" Jack said, just laying it all out. "What happened to Sabin?" she asked, deciding it best to focus on one thing at a time, the priority being her patient. Jack frowned. "He doesn't really remember, except something being wrong with the gate and trying to stop it before being slammed back by a force," he said. Just then, Hammond and the others entered the infirmary, being led by Teal'c. "O'Neill, is he still asleep?" Teal'c asked. Jack nodded sagely before turning his attention to Sabin. He leaned down. "Oh, no! No Mind Brushing! I'm certain he's had some head trauma recently, and there's no way he's ready for anyone but himself to be in his head," Fraiser stated, somehow getting between Jack and Sabin. "So let's just be still for a moment and figure out what on Earth is going on." "I need to talk to him. You've already taken care of his concussion and stuff with Sam's potions and let me mind brush him before," Jack said, moving to go around her. "Colonel," Hammond stated. His tone could not be denied. Jack slowly turned to him. "What is going on?" he asked. "I don't know sir. It's almost as if we went back in time," he said, his eyes passing over them all. Everyone but Teal'c looked completely confused, and, if Jack was correct, worried about his sanity. "Jack, you were just in the commissary with me and Sirius," Daniel stated hesitantly. "We were there most of the morning." Jack was getting more than a little frustrated and lifted up a finger to argue, only to have Teal'c intervene, preventing Jack from doing something he may or may not regret. "I am in agreement with O'Neill. I am experiencing a great deal of familiarity with certain events," he said. "Colonel, I'm not sure what to make of all this," Hammond said, though his attention soon shifted to someone behind Jack. Sabin was rubbing his eyes with his free hand. "D*a*-d-, w*ha*-t's- g*o*i-ng- *on*-?-" Sabin asked, all but Sabin quickly noticing how different his voice sounded. It had a fine echo quality to it, coupled with the smallest touch of baritone. "Sabin, does your throat feel okay?" Daniel asked. "-Y-e*ah*, -it -f*ee*-l-s fi*ne*, -w-*hy*?" Jack moved forward, placing his face mere inches away from Sabin's own. "Say something. Any long sentence," he stated. "-L-i*ke* w*ha*-t?-" Sabin was a little confused. He had just woken up and everyone was, for whatever reason, flipping out over whether or not his throat was okay? "Repeat what I told you the last time we spoke," Jack said, his eyes now obviously focused on Sabin's mouth. "-W-*ell*, yo*u* -to-ld *me* to fo*cu*s on gett*in*g *be*tt-er- w*hi*le -y-*o*u an*d* -the- -othe-*r*s w-ork-*ed* on -fi-g*uri*ng -o-u*t* wh-at'-s *wro*ng -wit-h *t*he *ga*te." "Whoa, why are his lips out of sync with his voice?" Sirius blurted. "It's like a badly dubbed Japanese movie!" Sabin looked confused. "-I- *do*n't -th-*in*k I s*ou*-nd- a*ny* di-f-*fer*-en-t. Y*ou* -gu-ys *so*u-nd- li*k*e -y-o*u'r*e in -a- t*un*ne-l -th*ou*-gh-." "Hmm, do you think it has something to do with his time warp fluctuating?" Sam asked aloud. "It could be," Fraiser said, approaching the bed and taking his pulse. "Are you in any pain?" she asked, motioning to his wrapped shoulder. "N*ot* -mu-*ch*. I'm *ju*st -s*o*-*re*." "Okay, that's going to take some time to get used to," Sirius said. "Hopefully we'll figure out what's going on and fix it before then," Daniel said. "I already told you what's going on. We somehow went back in time. That Malakai creep did something with those ruins and messed with the gate system with the help of the sun corona whatchama call it!" Jack explained. "Okay. Why? And why don't the rest of us, besides you, Teal'c, and Sabin, remember?" Daniel asked. "How should I know?" "Jack, Teal'c, sit. I need to examine you two. Maybe I'll find something that'll tell us why," Fraiser said. "Aw, for cryin' out loud," Jack said, before obediently going to one of the beds after seeing Hammond's face. Teal'c said nothing as he sat on the adjacent bed. Sabin looked apologetically at them, before bringing up his hand to toy with one of the straps of his sling. "Sabin, no touching," Fraiser stated. "And don't heal yourself until we know it won't be affected by your time warp." "'-K-*ay*." O o O o O "Well, I can't find anything wrong with them," she said three hours later. "See? Like I said earlier, we're fine. We should be going back to the planet and stopping Malakai before he starts this all over again!" Jack stated. "Colonel," Hammond said sternly. "General, respectfully, I have to agree with Jack here," Daniel said. "I mean, if he's right, which I think he is, we've been `reset' once before this, since Sabin had tried to stop it, but had gotten hurt before being treated by Fraiser. If we might have a way of stopping it, we should try it." The others nodded in agreement, even Fraiser (grudgingly so). "Very well," Hammond said. O o O o O Jack, Daniel, Teal'c, and Sam stepped from the gate. It was just as last time, not that Sam or Daniel knew. "The geomagnetic storm is building up, we shouldn't stay long," Sam said, before focusing her eyes to the front. "There it is. Malakai should be here somewhere," Jack said. Sam looked at the table and the ruins. "I wonder how it works." "Subspace fields and time inversions," Jack answered as Sam rose her eyebrows. "It's what you said." Sam nodded slightly, but immediately changed her focus when Jack lifted his P-90, Malakai coming out from behind one of the large stones near the table. Malakai raised his hands up in surrender, Sam also aiming her weapon at him. "Whoa, easy guys!" Daniel said. "That's Malakai, the one who started all this," Jack said. "I don't understand," Malakai said, his eyes wide. "Whatever you did I want you to undo it!" "I did nothing!" "Like hell!" Jack retorted. "Colonel, I don't think he knows what you're talking about," Sam said. "Perhaps he has no memory, O'Neill," Teal'c suggested. "Oh he remembers. He's the one who was pushing all of those buttons," Jack said, stepping closer. "Please, I'm an archaeologist. I've been trying to translate these alien symbols. I-I told the others that came before you. I can show you my notes," he said, moving to his bag. "Ah!" Jack shouted, snatching the bag away. Malakai went back to his previous `I surrender' position. Jack began rummaging through the bag, finding a small thing he concluded to be a gun and put it aside. "For self defense, I'll assume," Jack grudgingly said, continuing his search. "What's this?" he asked suddenly, finding a little device that slid open to reveal a woman. "If you must know," he said, his voice cracking, "it's my wife." Jack moved to set it back down, but the ruins suddenly lit up, just as before. "What'd you do?!" Jack shouted. "I didn't do anything! It engaged on its own!" Sam said. "Turn it off," Jack said. "How?" "It's drawing energy from the ionization in the atmosphere. There's nothing Major Carter can do," Malakai stated frankly. "Excuse me? How'd you know her name?" Jack asked, Sam and Daniel's eyes widening in surprised realization. Malakai paused. "You told me." "No, I didn't. Not this time around!" "It doesn't matter, you're too late. The ruins are working properly now." "How do you shut this thing off?" "Even if I knew I wouldn't tell you." "Sir, it's building up some sort of charge," Sam said. Frustrated, Jack stepped closer to the table and began reading the tablets to himself. Daniel joined him, getting up close to the table as well. The tablets didn't make sense at all. Some were a collection of numbers, others were short little phrases, and others simply looked like they were merely there for decoration. Jack was unable to read much else when they were consumed by the white light... O o O o O "Anyway, I'm sorry but that just happens to be how I feel about it. What do you think?" Daniel asked. "Oi!" Jack exclaimed, before rising up from the table and apparating away. -Crack- "Was it something I said?" Daniel asked, utterly confused. Sam ran in a moment later, stating that Sabin had disappeared from the hall. O o O o O "So let me get this straight. A man named Malakai on P4X-639 made the ancient device there take us back in time?" Sirius asked. They were in the infirmary, and Fraiser was once again examining Teal'c and Jack. "Yes," Jack said for what seemed the hundredth time as Fraiser shined the penlight in his eye before turning it off. Jack looked her in the eyes. "I ask you, what could possibly be in my eye that could explain this?" "How does Sabin remember if he didn't go to the planet?" Sam asked, ignoring Jack's question to Fraiser. "That's a good question," Hammond said as they looked to Sabin who was sitting on the adjacent bed, thinking. "I *th*ink -I- h*ad* touc-hed- the *in*itial -w-a*ve* of -it -wh*en *I -wa-s tryi*ng* to -fig-ure *ou*t wh-at- it *w*as *and* s-top -it," Sabin said. "Hmm, that might explain how the Colonel and Teal'c still remember, since they were at the table with Malakai and came in contact with it as well," Sam reasoned. "Does that mean we could go to the planet and touch this wave thing too and remember the loops from now on ourselves?" Sirius asked. He didn't like knowing he would forget all of this if/when another loop started. Jack frowned. "No, I don't think so. Last loop, Daniel was right up against the table in the same spot Teal'c and I had been when the light came. He doesn't remember." "Then that would mean one has to `enter' the loop when it initializes," Sam said. "But Sabin entered before either of you did in the loop before." "Malakai said, `The ruins are working properly now' when O'Neill was attempting to stop it. Malakai must have discovered something wrong after the first loop began and had to reinitialize the technology when we were there," Teal'c said. "It must have been because of Sabin," Daniel suggested. "Since he was trying to stop the wave from going through the gate, maybe he affected it." "I cou*ld* ha-ve-. I *do*n't r-eal-ly re*mem*ber -mu-ch, just *th*at I w-as -try*ing* -t-o sto*p it *-an-d that* it* some-h-*ow* felt fa-mi-l*iar*," Sabin said, frowning. "Your time warp!" Sirius said, jumping up. "It would also explain why your time warp is jumbled up, wouldn't it? If that's why it feels familiar, this loop wave is like a huge version of your time warp." "That actually makes a lot of sense," Sam said, looking to Sabin. "It would explain how you do not go back where you would have been ten hours before when the loop begins again, but end up at the last place you were before the loop restarted. And it would explain why you still have your injuries and the sling. Your time warp must be forming a mini subspace bubble around you, damping out the effects of the loop just enough for you to not be entirely confined within it like we are. A similar bubble must be around Jack and Teal'c, only it is limited to allowing them to retain their memories every loop." "Okay, so what do we do now?" Sirius asked, not even bothering to attempt to follow Sam's explanation. "We figure out the symbols on the table and figure out how to stop this," Jack said. "Just because someone can recognize symbols on a keyboard doesn't mean they can run a computer. If we can translate the rest of the text I can put the device in a proper context and figure out what it's supposed to do," Daniel said. "We know what it does! It's a time loop machine!" Jack said loudly. "Um. Think about it. Who would build a device that loops time every ten hours?" Daniel questioned. "Who knows?! But that's what it does." "Yes, but maybe that's not what it's -supposed- to do. I mean for all we know that's just an accidental by-product of its true function." "Then we read all of it. It shouldn't take too long since we have practically three people who know the language," Sirius said. "`Practically three?'" Daniel asked. "Well, Jack and Sabin know it, and you're still learning," Sirius stated with a shrug. "Very well, the three of you will translate it and we will go from there. Meanwhile, Major--" Hammond began. "I'll try to come up with other ways to maybe break the loop connection from here," Sam interrupted/filled in. Hammond gave a nod. O o O o O -Several hours later- Translating and reading all of the text was a lot more work than they had initially believed. With all of the images SG-15 had brought back with them from their mission to P4X-639, Jack, Daniel, and Sabin had barely made a dent in it. Granted, Sabin had taken a nap that was long overdue. It wasn't that the pictures were out of order or incomplete, it was just that there was a lot there and almost everything seemed to be written in some sort of code or as an obscure metaphor. Sam was currently running simulations, already knowing it was impossible to dial out in order to give a busy signal to P4X-639. As Jack had explained, they were in a sort of subspace bubble, and were locked within that until the bubble was more or less popped. They were hopeful Sabin, Jack, and Daniel would come up with the solution, as there were currently no other options. `Unscheduled off world activation.' "Great," Jack groaned, putting down the page he was reading. They were all consumed in white light. . . . O o O o O . . . "Colonel, I'm not sure what to make of this," Hammond said after Jack began explaining their situation. "I'm sure there is something going on here, sir, especially with Sabin, but if we've had this meeting before..." Sam began. "Why are Teal'c, Sabin, and I the only ones who remember? Well, it's because of this subspace aura bubble thing we got from coming in contact with the initial wave of the device on P4X-639," Jack stated, but to no avail. Sam and the others were looking just as confused and unconvinced. "And you'll all believe me when SG-12 comes through that Gate --" He glanced at his watch. "--in four... three... two... one ..." Jack said, raising a finger expectantly only for nothing to happen. "SG-12 isn't due back for three days," Hammond said. "-Yo-u*'re *se-ven- *sec*on-ds- off, *D*ad," Sabin said, glancing at his own little watch. `Unscheduled off world activation.' "So close," Jack stated. O o O o O "Colonel, I must examine the three of you, especially Sabin," Fraiser said. "You're not going to find anything," Jack said. "Why don't we wait for the lab results before we jump to any conclusions?" "The results will be negative," Teal'c stated. "Y-eah-, a*nd* -yo-u alre*ady* -ban-*da*ged -me- *up,* se-e?-" Sabin said, pointing to his wrapped shoulder and secured arm. "Humor me." Sabin sighed and actually pouted. O o O o O "Argh! We've been over this!" Jack exclaimed. "If we really have had this conversation before then I probably pointed out to you that there's no way this entire text can be translated in less than a day," Daniel said. Jack grumbled something under his breath. "Look, if you guys are the only ones with memories of previous loops, then you're going to have to help by remembering." Jack sighed and nodded, knowing Daniel wasn't trying to be annoying on purpose. They got to work again, going through the next fifty pages or so before... `Unscheduled off world activation.' "You know the worst part about this?" Jack asked. "Every time we loop Daniel asks me a question and...I wasn't listening the first time." "You are not the only one who must endure some discomfort, O'Neill," Teal'c confided as the loop restarted... . . . O o O o O Teal'c was in the gym, placing a few more mats on the floor in preparation for the sparing session with Sabin. "Whoa!" CRASH! "Sorry sir, I didn't realize you were there!" a man said, who was sprawled out on the floor with a number of dumbbells and a now crushed box. "You have said that on many occasions," Teal'c stated, getting to his feet. The airman had tripped over him with a heavy box of weights. "I..." the airman began, gazing up at him from the floor. "Perhaps next time I will not be so forgiving." . . . O o O "O'Neill, should we not be assisting Daniel Jackson with the translation?" Teal'c asked, coming to the table Jack and Sabin were sitting at. O'Neill was armed with a ketchup and mustard bottle, quietly attacking his empty plate. "Sabin and I are taking this loop off," he stated. Teal'c glanced at Sabin and saw he looked a little tired. Considering that and acknowledging his own mental fatigue, he sat down. "I'm telling you, Teal'c, if we don't find a way out of this soon I'm going to lose it," Jack said. "Lose it...it means go crazy, nuts, insane, bonzo, no longer in possession of one's faculties--" He squirts the ketchup even harder. "--Three fries short of a happy meal...WACKO!" He thrust his plate up beside his head, revealing his work of art. A red and yellow smilie face. The loop restarted. . . . O o O o O "I'm sure Teal'c is looking forward to the defense lesson just as much as you are, Sabin," Sam said, both of them walking to the commissary. "You sure?" Sabin asked uncertainly. "Of course, Sabin. He wouldn't have offered to teach you if he didn't want to." "But I'm so much smaller than he is," Sabin said. "Since when has size mattered? You have certainly proven size doesn't matter." "I suppose, but that's with magic abilities, not with physical combat. I don't really have big muscles like Teal'c does," Sabin said, flexing his right arm and pulling up his sleeve to reveal a thin childish arm. Sam cracked a smile. "You'll do just fine," Sam said, about to further reassure him, but then Sabin suddenly stopped and gasped, as if surprised, just as he vanished. Disappeared without any warning and without any trace. "Sabin!" Sam shouted, about to bolt down the hall to sound the alarm when a voice behind her stopped her. "I*'m* o-kay-," Sabin said, stepping out from a room directly off the hall behind her. She whipped around, surprised. "Wha--" she began, stopping when she saw the sling. "What happened to your arm?!" "We'*re* -in a- time *loop*. Tea-l'c-, me, a*nd *dad -a-re *the o*nly -on-e*s *who re-me-*mber* prev-iou-s *loo*ps. -My- *tim*e warp -has- *dis*torted a lit*tle* -bit- beca*use* of -it,- *wh*i-ch- is *why I* s-ou-nd *lik*e this*. I also* d-on't- return to -how-* or* where I -wa-s *wh*en all -of- *th*is st-ar-ted* like* da-d-, Tea-l'c, -and *the* rest -of- you *fo*r- th-e sa*me* re-aso-n." Sam blinked. "So your arm... ?" "Sustai*ned* d*am*-age- when *th*e l-oop- *pro*cess i-nit-ia*ted* a s-eve-ral l*oo*ps -b-a*ck. *I h-ad- *tri*ed to s-t*o*p- the -dis-*torti*on fr*om* -com-ing thro*ugh *the -gate- *befo*re I r-eal-ize*d w*hat- it- was -and- t*hat *I -cou-ldn't *sto*p it." Sabin paused and looked beyond Sam. "Sabin," Jack said, coming down the hall with the others trailing behind him. "You've just told her about the looping I take it?" "...Holy Hannah." O o O o O "I don't understand why we don't just go to the planet and imperio the guy," Sirius said darkly. Jack, Sabin, and Teal'c had told them all about the loop, survived yet another exam from Fraiser, and were now sitting around trying to make sense of the writings on the ruins. "We are not sure that would be possible," Teal'c said, Sabin looking disapprovingly at Sirius. "From what Teal'c and the Colonel have said, it doesn't seem like Malakai would know how to turn it off even if we attempted to force him," Sam said. "I agree with Sam," Daniel said, before turning to yet another page. "We are just going to have to learn how to turn it off ourselves." They continued working for a little bit longer, Jack heaving a big sigh as he flipped to the next page. "There's too many pages," Jack mumbled. "Exactly how many of these loops have you...have we been through?" Daniel asked. "Oh... lost track after ten," Jack answered. "I believe the number is eleven, O'Neill," Teal'c provided. "That must be frustrating," Daniel said. "Err... yeah," Jack stated. "On the other hand, it's kind of an opportunity," Daniel continued. "How's that?" Jack asked, bored. "Well, think about it. I mean if you know in advance that everything is always going to go back to the way it was then...you could do anything for as long as you want without having to worry about the consequences... ." Daniel shrugged a little and looked back to his page. Sabin, Jack, and Teal'c looked at each other before straightening a little as ... `Unscheduled off world activation.' The light came again. . . . O o O o O . . . "D*ad*, d-o-*es* -the- gen*eral *kn-ow- *abo*ut -thi-s?" Sabin asked, handing Jack the gulf club. They were standing in front of the gate, the event horizon clear as day. Teal'c had just hit a ball in, and it was now Jack's turn. "Not yet," Jack answered simply. "Hmm, I wonder how far Alaris is." "Several billion miles, O'Neill," Teal'c answered. "That's got to be a record!" He got ready to swing. "Colonel O'Neill what the hell are you doing?!" Hammond shouted. "O*o*-oo-," Sabin managed as Jack turned around suddenly. "In the middle of my back swing?!" . . . O o O o O . . . "Are you ready, Guardian Sabin?" Teal'c asked. Sabin nodded, his arm and shoulder no longer needing the sling. If Teal'c was correct in his count, his shoulder had healed after twenty-nine loops (which had mostly been filled with them helping Daniel before taking a few `breaks'). "Alright, right when they're under us," Jack said, holding his water balloon. Daniel and Sirius came under them, oblivious to what was about to transpire. SPLASH! "AW! What is this?!" Sirius shouted, suddenly dripping wet. Sabin giggled, a simple sticking charm suspending Jack, Teal'c, and himself on the high ceiling of the practice room. "Jack!" Daniel shouted, soaked as he looked up. . . . O o O o O . . . An unsuspecting Sergeant walked down the hall, only to nearly trip over Sabin who was running, armed with a... water gun? "No mercy!" a voice shouted. Colonel O'Neill charged around the corner to release a huge wave of water from his super-soaker. "Ah*hh*!" Sabin shouted, squirting him back. "How's the wife?" Jack asked the sergeant while moving past. "Fine... sir." . . . O o O o O . . . "This is so odd," Daniel said, referring to the page in front of him. "I almost get the feeling that whoever wrote this wanted to get across one single important piece of information, but had the inability to actually say it outright or something. Or maybe it was so obvious to them that they felt they only needed to imply?" "I do-n't- *kn*ow. It *is* a -lit-tle *li*ke that, -b-ut *it* is m-or-e of a *wa*rning a-n-d a h*ist*ory. A -sa-d *hist*ory. I do*n't *t-hin-k they e*ver *be-liev-ed t*he*ir -tec-hn*olo*gy wou*ld *-be -used *ag*ain," Sabin said. Jack, Sabin, and Teal'c were back to work, their previous loops off having given them a break and a brief boost of sanity. The fact that they had made great progress and were very close to finding a solution also helped. "Hmm," Jack hummed, staring at a page. "I think I might have found something." They hurried over and looked. "I think you're right, Jack. If you put that into the context of the text written above it on the ruins... ." "We can't turn it off," Jack said. "Then who can, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked. "Malakai. `He who starts must end.' `The end is held by the one who begins,'" O'Neill quoted. "That was written directly on the opposite side of the temple," Daniel said in realization. "So O'Neill is correct," Teal'c stated. "-Th-*en* le-t'-s *go t*-o Ma-*lak*ai," Sabin said. "Once we brief the General," Jack agreed. O o O o O In the briefing room, Daniel was up front by the screen, everyone else sitting down. "What have you got, Dr. Jackson?" Hammond asked. "With the help of Teal'c, Jack and Sabin, the translation has been completed. "As I originally suspected, P4X 639 was once a colony of the Ancients. They thrived there for thousands of years until they were struck by some sort of unspecified cataclysm, perhaps a disease, but we'll never really know for sure. In any case, facing certain destruction they built a time machine." "They were going to go back and change their history, to avoid their fate," Jack added. "Right, but it didn't work. Instead of sending a team of scientists back to the key moment in their history the device caused a short term continuous loop. Just like the one we've been experiencing. They experienced the same day dozens perhaps hundreds of times trying to get the machine to work but in the end they gave up, they shut it down and... let the end come." "So the loop can be broken?" Hammond asked. "Yes, but only by the one who started it. Evidently, the machine locks onto the one who initiated it to act as an anchor. Perhaps it is how the loop knows where to begin eve--" "Yes sir! The loop can be broken," Jack said, interrupting Daniel. "We just need to convince Malakai to do it." "That can be arranged," Sirius said, patting his inner forearm where his wand resided. Ignoring that statement, the General nodded. "Colonel, have your team geared up and ready to embark in thirty minutes." "Gladly sir." O o O o O "The geomagnetic storms are building up. Hopefully this'll be quick," Jack said, leading the way to the altar. "Malakai!" "I don't see anyone sir," Sam said. "He's around here somewhere and he knows we're on to him." "He*'s* -hi-*din*g," Sabin stated as Jack gave some silent instructions with his hands. They spread out, Teal'c now up front. "Sto*p, *-Te-*al'*c. G*oa*'u-ld Fo-r*ce* Fie*ld*." "Thank you, Guardian Sabin." "In fact it is. I had to trade several rare artifacts for the field generator but it was well worth it," Malakai said, stepping out from behind a pillar. Daniel stepped up, conscious of the fact Sirius was just waiting for the chance to cast something on the guy, force field or no force field. Sabin was looking at Malakai with a sad frown. "Malaki, please stop the loop before it restarts again," Daniel said. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do that." "Why not? So you can be the king of Groundhog Day?" "You think I would do this for personal power? She... You wouldn't understand." Jack paused, changing his approach. "What happened?" "She died. 12 years ago. When I found this place and discovered its true purpose, I dedicated myself to unlocking its mysteries." "So you can go back and save her?" Sam asked. "No, that would be quite impossible. She died from a congenital heart weakness. Not even the ability to travel time could change that." "Then why are you doing this?" Jack asked. "To be with her once more." "Malakai, the device doesn't work. It never did," Daniel said gently. "It never did? You're living proof." "We finished translating the text on the ruins. The ancients who built this place never got it to work. They tried over and over again, just like you, but in the end, they gave up. Why do you think this place has been deserted for so long? They couldn't save themselves." "You're wrong! There must be some other explanation. I know I can make this work." "You can't. They proved it can't be done. You're just gonna go on like this forever, you'll be trapped." "Along with billions of innocent others," Teal'c inserted. "This device activated fourteen stargates simultaneously. That's fourteen worlds reliving the same day over and over," Sam said. "Not to mention what you starting all of this did to my godson," Sirius practically snarled. "You could have killed him." "I uh... I didn't realize. But, it doesn't matter." To Sabin, it didn't seem like he had heard Sirius. "Once I'm able to input the correct time coordinates, the cycle will be broken." "The people who made this are the same people who made the stargates, and they couldn't get the damn thing to work! And even if you could, just for the sake of arguing, you can't change what happened," Jack said. "I can... touch her face again. Talk with her. Hear her laugh..." "Like you remember?" "Yes." "And then what'll happen?" "She'll die." His voice nearly cracked. "And then what? You'll start over?" The energy was beginning to gather. They were running out of time. "Listen to me; I know what it's like," Jack said as the storm overhead became louder. "How could -you- possibly know?!" Malakai shouted, his voice ringing even louder than the thunder, but it would soon be outmatched by Jack's anger. "I LOST MY *SON*!!!!!! I KNOW!!!" The air around them stilled, the lightning now seemingly a distant thing. "And as much as I --" Jack took a breath and forced himself to calm. "I could never live that over again. Could you?" Malakai's eyes, now filled with unshed tears, glided over them all, before returning to Jack. "No." "Let her go." Malakai stretched out his arm and deactivated the altar, causing the energy build up to stop. He sighed and lowered the force field as well. Sabin stepped around Jack and went before the altar. "Malakai, have you read all of what is written here?" Sabin asked, his voice thankfully completely back to normal. "Yes." Malakai watched Sabin walk around the altar to stop at a corner pillar. "Then I tell you, as an Ancient, an heir to those who built this place... live," Sabin said, glancing at the device that held images of Malakai's wife. "She would want you to." O o O o O "Well, we're still here, Colonel. I assume you were successful?" Hammond asked as they made their way down the ramp. "Well, General, you know what they say. If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try, try... try again," Jack said. "And we are glad the three of you did." Jack hummed a tired `you're welcome' fashion. O o O o O "I don't think I've ever seen anyone enjoy oatmeal so much," Daniel said. They were in the commissary, eating breakfast. Daniel and Sam were watching Jack, while Sirius, Sabin, and Teal'c were having an early morning sparing session. "When you've been eating fruit loops for who know how long, a little variety helps." "We got a message from the Tok'ra. Apparently they've been trying to contact us for over a month," Sam said after a moment. "Really?" Jack asked, bored. "And as for SG-6, the past two months must have been interesting for them." "It all certainly makes you think, though," Daniel said. "I mean, with Malakai. We've all lost people before, but unlike us, Malakai didn't seem to have anyone to help him or something to anchor him." "Okay... and?" Jack asked. "I don't know, I'm just saying that it makes you realize what we have, despite of what we've lost. We still have lives to live with people worth living for, and none of it should ever be taken for granted. There are no real loops to take us back." "Yes," Jack slowly agreed, thinking. "You're right..." O o O o O Jack flattened his shirt for what seemed to be the tenth time as he slowly made his way up the driveway. He had left Sabin with Sirius, who was eager to show Sabin things he had gotten out of storage. Something about old things from Zonko's Joke Shop. Coming to the porch, he gathered up his courage to knock. The sound of someone coming to the door reached his ears and he knew there was no going back now, not that he really wanted to. "Jack?" Sara asked. "What are you doing here?" "Well, I wasn't sure if I should call or not, but I was wondering, if you're free tonight... how does dinner at Homey Diner sound?" Sara tilted her head, taking in Jack's slightly more formal dress, before giving him a soft smile. "It sounds great. Let me get my coat." =============================================================================== A/N: Most of you have probably noticed that this story is now labeled `complete'. It is that way because this section of it is. I don't know if I will make a `Guardian 2' or an epilogue, but I decided this was a good closing spot. It doesn't leave anything huge left undecided (Voldemort is an ant), but is open enough for me to continue if time and life allows. For those who have waited for this part, 8 months is a long time and I don't really want to do that to you all again. At least this way there is an `ending' you can all hopefully live with if that becomes the case. Thank you all for reading and reviewing, as well as forgiving me for torturing you with long waits between posts. This has been really fun to write, and I'm saddened that life has gotten so busy I have to prioritize my writing time. Hopefully that will change, but it probably won't any time soon. If I do write another part for Guardian, I will post an alert on here directing you to the new part. Thanks again ^^ _______________________________________________________________________________