The Rise of the God-Emperor

CH 44: Analyzing the Intel

The following morning, the War Room was a flurry of activity. Harry sat at the head of the table, surrounded by stacks of parchment, books, and the unsettling sight of 1,000 collars they had retrieved from the forest lab. Across from him sat Draco and Luna, both engrossed in the research they had started to unpack the night before. The air was thick with focus, but beneath it all, a quiet tension hummed—this was their chance to gain real insight into what the Muggle scientists were doing.

Harry picked up one of the collars, turning it over in his hands as if he could unlock its secrets by touch alone. The smooth metal was cold and unnerving. He had broken one before—when it had been on Hermione—but seeing a thousand of them stacked here, ready for use, made his stomach turn.

"We have to figure out what their endgame is," Harry muttered, looking up at Draco and Luna. "They didn't just make these for containment. There's something more."

Draco was already poring over a large leather-bound notebook they had taken from the lab. His eyes narrowed as he flipped through the pages, his fingers trailing across the detailed diagrams and notes written in small, precise handwriting. "This is fascinating and disturbing in equal measure. Look here." He slid the notebook across the table, tapping one of the pages.

Harry leaned forward to examine it, and Luna tilted her head to get a better view. The page was filled with sketches of the collars, but alongside them were various magical symbols and what looked like a list of effects.

Draco pointed to one of the symbols. "These collars don't just suppress magic. According to this, they're designed to extract magical energy and transfer it elsewhere. It's like they're siphoning off the wearer's magic—draining them."

Harry frowned. "Draining them for what?"

Luna, who had been studying the sketches, looked up, her soft voice cutting through the tension. "They're probably using the magic to power something. Maybe a weapon."

"A weapon," Harry repeated, the weight of her words sinking in. "So, this is bigger than just controlling wizards. They're harvesting our magic."

Draco's voice was tight. "It looks like it. These collars are a prototype, like the one Hermione had. They haven't perfected them yet, but they're close."

Harry stood, pacing the length of the War Room. "We can't let this happen. If they figure out how to weaponize this—how to take our magic and use it against us—they'll be unstoppable."

Luna remained calm, as she always did, but there was a flicker of worry in her eyes. "We need to find out what they're building with the magic they're stealing. It could be hidden in the research from the mountain lab."

Harry stopped pacing, turning to Draco. "What else does the notebook say?"

Draco flipped through more pages, his brow furrowing as he read. "It's not clear, but there's mention of something called 'Project Chimera.' It looks like they were planning to test it in the mountain lab."

"Project Chimera?" Harry repeated. "What do you think that is?"

Luna's eyes flickered with an idea. "A chimera is a creature made up of different parts—maybe they're experimenting with magical creatures, or even... combining Muggle technology with magic."

Harry's stomach tightened. "So, the collars are just one piece of it."

Before they could delve deeper into the notebooks, the door to the War Room creaked open, and Colin Creevey peeked his head in. The ever-enthusiastic photographer from Harry's earlier years was now older, though still carrying the same boundless energy.

"Hey, Harry!" Colin called, stepping into the room with a large tray. "Thought you might need some lunch, considering you've been in here for hours."

Harry smiled, grateful for the interruption. "Thanks, Colin. I didn't even realize what time it was."

Colin set the tray down on a side table, grinning from ear to ear. "No problem! I brought sandwiches, pumpkin juice, and a few of those custard creams from the kitchen. You've got to keep your strength up, right?"

Draco raised an eyebrow at the sight of Colin, though a small smirk tugged at his lips. "Potter, your fans never cease to amaze me."

Harry chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll take whatever help I can get."

Colin, now looking around the room in awe, noticed the stack of collars. "Wow, are those the things you found in that Muggle lab? What are they?"

Harry's smile faded slightly as he glanced at the pile. "They're control collars, Colin. Dark stuff. We're trying to figure out how they work—and what the Muggles plan to do with them."

Colin's face fell, his usual enthusiasm dampened. "That's awful... But I know you'll stop them, Harry. You always do."

Harry nodded, trying to keep the weight of responsibility from showing on his face. "We're working on it."

As Colin left the room, the mood became somber once again. The reality of what they were up against hung heavy in the air. Harry, now sitting back down, reached for a sandwich, though his appetite was waning.

Draco closed the notebook with a sharp thud. "We'll need to act fast. If the Muggles are gearing up for this Project Chimera, we don't have much time."

Luna took a sip of pumpkin juice, her eyes thoughtful. "We should send a small team to the mountain lab. If they're building something, that's where we'll find it."

Harry agreed. "I'll start organizing the team tonight. We'll need stealth—like last time. We get in, find out what they're building, and shut it down."

Draco smirked. "Don't forget the Fiendfyre. I'd love to burn down another one of their little operations."

"Don't worry," Harry replied. "If we find anything, we're leaving nothing behind."

The Plan Takes Shape

As they continued sifting through the research, Harry, Draco, and Luna found more disturbing details. The Muggles had been experimenting with magical energy extraction for years, refining their process to the point where they could theoretically power entire machines using stolen magic. The notebooks described experiments on magical creatures, too—Thestrals, unicorns, and even house-elves. But the worst part was the mention of wizards and witches.

"They were planning to test the collars on fully grown wizards next," Luna said, her voice barely above a whisper. "That's what Project Chimera is."

Harry's blood ran cold. "They're trying to create a system where they can control entire groups of wizards at once."

Draco scowled. "It's not just control. They want to turn us into batteries—draining our magic to power their machines, while keeping us under their control."

Harry slammed his fist down on the table. "We can't let this happen."

Luna's calm voice cut through the tension. "We won't."

As the day turned into evening, they had gone through most of the research they had recovered, and the plan was beginning to take shape. They had the intelligence they needed to understand the collars, and they had a rough idea of what Project Chimera might entail. The next step was the mountain lab—the key to stopping the Muggles from advancing their plans any further.

As Harry sat back, rubbing his eyes, he looked at Draco and Luna, both still immersed in the work. "Tomorrow, we'll start organizing the team. This time, we're taking them down for good."

Draco glanced up, a determined glint in his eye. "It's about time we finished this."

Luna, always serene, gave a soft smile. "We're ready, Harry. Whenever you are."