Chapter Text
Gotham City, New Jersey, United States of America
June 20th, 2017 13:33
Harry eyed the jewel-encrusted sword. It was no Sword of Gryffindor but Harry supposed it was rather nice.
The museum was much more interesting than Harry thought it was going to be. Not that he thought museums were boring either. Harry hadn’t really known what to expect from a museum. He’d never been to a museum before, not even on a school field trip. His aunt and uncle refused to ever sign his permission slips in order to join his classmates on the occasional outings the class went on. Harry had always been left behind to do work in the library while the rest of his class got to experience things Harry could only see in books.
While the museum was actually interesting anything would have been better than spending more time in an enclosed space with the Dursleys. Even in a completely different country his relatives were unbearable. Or it could just be worse because he had been forced to stay in the same hotel room as them for the past couple of days. Harry was climbing the walls in his desire to get away from them. So while the Dursleys were sequestered in the hotel room in fear of Gotham’s criminals Harry had decided to go out and explore. His relatives were more than happy to see him go. He was certain his Aunt Petunia hoped he’d be blown up by one of the costumed villains that inhabited the city.
Vernon had been the only employee at the drill company willing to take the work assignment in Gotham City. Aunt Petunia had been terrified and hadn’t wanted to go after hearing all of the terrible things about the city. But the bonus Vernon was going to get from the trip was too good for the large man to pass up, and he waved away his wife’s concerns. Harry was certain the only reason they took him with them was they were hoping to leave him there, and the plane ticket for him to go was free.
Harry didn’t have any money so his adventures in Gotham were limited to sightseeing and free things like the museum. Harry was grateful at the chance to see another city and country. He’d never been out of Great Britain before, and it was a great opportunity for Harry to see more of the world. People were terrified of Gotham but Harry liked everything he saw so far.
It helped to ease the sting from the end of his third year. For several short glorious minutes Harry thought he would finally have the chance for a real family. He thought he would finally get the chance to live with an adult who actually wanted him. But like everything else in his life it all went horribly wrong. Peter Pettigrew got away and Sirius was forced to go back on the run. Harry was sent back to the Dursleys.
Harry knew Sirius had it worse being on the run. If Harry’s godfather got caught he’d get Kissed. Sirius would have his soul sucked out and then he’d die. Harry knew he could survive living with his relatives. He didn’t like it but they didn’t bother him like they once had.
The Dursleys had learned they couldn’t push Harry around by the time Harry was nine. That was when the black haired boy became strong enough to fight back and defy them. He refused to do the chores they forced him to do, and there was nothing they could do to make him. The Dursleys hated it but what could they do when Harry was strong enough to lift Vernon’s company car, durable enough to survive getting hit by said car, and fast enough to out pace the clunker?
The Dursleys and Harry never spoke about his physical abilities just like they never spoke about the other odd occurrences that were always happening around him. His aunt and uncle would yell at him and blame him when strange things happened around him but they never actually acknowledged why Harry could do the things he could. Harry just learned how to be more careful as the older he got the stronger and faster he became. The world around him became more breakable the older he got, and the Dursleys had ingrained in him that his abilities were something to hide.
When Harry got his letter to Hogwarts he thought he finally had a reason for all of his abilities. But he was quick to find out wizards didn’t have any of the strength, speed, or durability that Harry did. With that discovery Harry once more decided to hide what he could do. Harry was already different enough being the Boy-Who-Lived he didn’t need to add to the strangeness.
The only people who knew what he was capable of were Ron and Hermione. The truth had come out at the beginning of their first year when Harry knocked out the mountain troll Quirrell had let in to the building with a punch. Sharing his secret with his friends had been nice. They had both been more than accepting of what he could do. In fact they were both enthused by his abilities. Ron because he had no idea such things were possible and thought what Harry could do was awesome, and Hermione because she idolized the super powered heroes of the Justice League.
Harry’s super strength, speed, and durability had certainly come in handy these last couple of years; although, Harry’s durability didn’t seem to extend to magic. It was actually sort of a relief to see that magic affected him the same way it did everyone else. The way spells affected him made him feel normal for once.
The black haired boy left the medieval weapons room, and made his way towards the dinosaur skeletons. Looking at the massive skeletons made him wonder what the basilisk carcass looked like in the Chamber of Secrets. Was it a skeleton yet? The basilisk was certainly bigger than these dinosaurs. Harry had decapitated it using the Sword of Gryffindor.
From the corner of his eye he watched a father with his young son looking at the exhibit. The sight made Harry’s stomach twist. The scene was joyful. The father was obviously attentive, and was playfully teasing the happy little boy. The sight made Harry uncomfortable because it reminded him of how much he wanted the same thing for himself. He thought he’d moved past wanting such a thing but Sirius’s offer brought back all of those dreams.
Harry quickly left the dinosaur exhibit not wanting to see their interactions. He moved on to the Egyptian exhibit. The black haired boy caught a glimpse of his reflection in the glass case containing some hieroglyphics. Harry looked in to his pale blue eyes. His eyes were once a deep emerald green but by the time he was ten they had slowly changed until they were the pale blue he now boasted. He vividly remembered how surprised the adults who had known his parents were when they saw his eye color.
The reaction from adults, and the drastic change in eye color had Harry questioning things. There were also his non-magical powers. Neither of his parents could do what he could. Other wizards couldn’t do the things that he could. So where did his abilities come from if not his parents or his magic? When he was younger Harry hadn’t thought to question his differences from his parents and other wizards but now that he was getting older?
Harry’s powers were only developing more the older he grew. His senses had all grown stronger, and the disaster with dementors at the Quidditch match had him acquiring another new ability. Harry wasn’t going to complain about developing this particular new power. Flying without needing a broom was definitely something Harry would never complain about.
Hermione was always telling Ron and he about the things that the Justice League members could do. Their powers were incredible, and some of them seemed pretty similar to what Harry could do. Not that Harry knew what to do with such a connection to such powerful people.
Harry was interrupted when a massive tremor shook the museum. People screamed and tumbled to the floor from the force of the quake. The thirteen-year-old managed to stay standing thanks to his abilities. Whatever explosion took place caused the lights to start flickering, and the foundation rocked.
A massive roar rent through the air, echoing off the walls of the museum, and causing everyone inside to freeze in terror. Before Harry could even consider his next move a large, heavy object smashed through the wall. Instinct had Harry lifting an arm to block the spray of debris as countless cases were smashed to bits. It pinged off Harry harmlessly even as it pierced through the baggy hand-me-downs from Dudley.
He brushed away the glass and turned to look at the room. The feet of a statue were sticking out of the wall. Four other people were in the Egyptian room with him. The father and son Harry had seen earlier in the dinosaur room were cowering behind a stone slab. There was an older couple on the other side of the room who hadn’t been able to take shelter and had a few scrapes. They looked more than a little stunned. Harry took a step to go and help the older couple up. A snarl had Harry turning towards the large hole in the wall.
A massive gray skinned man stepped in through the hole in the wall that he was most likely responsible for creating. He was nearly nine feet tall. The man, despite rippling with muscle, appeared gaunt and desiccated like a corpse. His clothing, an old suit, was more worn and ripped than Harry’s clothing, which was saying something.
“Grundy wants gold!” the gray man roared.
“Why does this always happen to me? Why couldn’t you have attacked just an hour later when I’ve already left the museum? Or attacked a jewelry store? Don’t they have more gold there?” Harry groaned to himself.
The gray man’s black, filmy eyes locked on Harry. “Grundy wants gold.”
“Okay… Grundy,” Harry nodded. “There’s some right there.”
Harry pointed towards one of the cases full of Egyptian jewelry. He wasn’t sure if it would be considered aiding a robbery but the black haired boy figured it was better than the alternative.
Grundy eyed him suspiciously but the massive being ambled towards the cases. The weight and strength of his steps caused a ripple of vibrations through the floor. Harry’s heart hammered in his chest, and all of his senses felt like they were dialed up to a ten. He glanced to the terrified father and son, and older couple.
“Go,” Harry tilted his head towards the exit.
The man didn’t need further encouragement. The man scooped up his son and made a break for it. They made it safely out without the gray monster even realizing they had gone. The elderly couple wasn’t so lucky. The older man tripped on some debris and tipped over a display case. The sound caused Grundy to whirl around from where he’d been stuffing gold jewelry in his frayed pockets.
The gray man who was really like a small mountain troll whipped around. His gray lips pulled back to reveal crooked and yellow teeth, and he growled. Grundy’s body tensed and prepared to launch himself at the couple.
“No!” Harry snarled.
Harry leapt to the meet the beast and blocked Grundy’s path to the old couple. The two of them collided like boulders slamming together in a rockslide. The impact jarred Harry. But he still managed to shove Grundy back with all of his might. The outcome was better than expected. The gray man flew into the opposite wall and then through it, aided by the fact that the previously thrown statue had already made a hole there.
“Merlin,” Harry gaped at the sight.
It had been some time since he used his full strength. He certainly hadn’t been expecting that he could shove such a large being so far.
Harry turned back to check on the elderly couple but they had taken advantage of the distraction, and gotten out of there. A sigh of relief passed his lips. But he was only given a moment of respite before a large fist connected with the back of his head. The hit sent him flying forward. Harry crashed through a wall. Being sent through a solidly built wall didn’t hurt exactly but it did wind him more than anything non-magical had in a long time.
He groaned and rolled over to stare at the ceiling. The ceiling was quite high, and large models of the planets and stars hung from it.
“Grundy will crush you,” the big gray man snarled, stepping through the Harry-shaped hole in the wall.
His quest for gold had apparently derailed by his new quest to crush Harry. The boy jumped to his feet, and darted away just in time to avoid a double handed fist swing. It left a huge crater in the floor. The young wizard’s gaze darted around to try and find something to help stop the super strong gray man. He wasn’t sure what to do in this situation but then Harry never knew what to do in any of the bizarre situations he found himself in. He normally just winged it.
Grundy was stronger than even his size and muscle mass portrayed. He was also durable since the big gray man had survived Harry’s hit that sent him through a wall. Harry had knocked out a mountain troll at eleven with one punch. He was even stronger now, and his hit should have done more damage than it had.
But Harry had an advantage over Grundy.
With a sharp grin Harry floated up into the air.
Grundy’s eyes widened then narrowed. “Grundy does not like flying men.”
“Sorry?” Harry launched himself at Grundy.
He shot forward fists first and slammed into Grundy’s chest with all his strength and speed. The large gray monster flew across the large astronomy room and through the wall.
“There aren’t going to be any walls left in this place if I’m not careful,” Harry murmured to himself before following after Grundy.
Luckily all of the people in the museum had cleared out. Grundy was roaring incoherently in rage as he dug himself out of the rubble. He looked absolutely murderous when he saw Harry hovering above him. Grundy snarled and launched himself up at Harry. The gray skinned man couldn’t fly but he could jump pretty high and fast.
Quidditch maneuvers helped him roll out of the way of the first hit. A small black projectile interrupted the second attempt. It exploded on Grundy, and a thick white foam spread across the gray man’s right side.
“Bat!” Grundy howled.
A rustling had Harry turning towards rafters. A large man in black and gray body armor crouched above them. His white-lensed gaze narrowed on Harry floating several feet above the floor.
“Hello,” Harry smiled timidly at the dark figure, and sent a small wave.
A growl had him spinning back around. Harry was able to avoid a blow at the last moment, and return a sharp punch to Grundy’s face that had the gray beast stumbling backwards. It left the beast open to attack, and the man in black in the rafters threw several more of the projectiles at Grundy. This time the gray giant was entirely encased in the white foam, which hardened and locked Grundy in place.
The man in the black and gray body suit swung down from the rafters with an expert shot of a grappling hook, his black cape flaring around him. The man in the cowl carefully checked over the encased form of Grundy before turning to stare up at Harry’s floating form. Harry felt his glare like a physical blow.
This man could teach Snape a thing or two about glares.
Harry reluctantly returned to the ground a good distance from the caped man. The black bat symbol on his chest was familiar. Hermione liked to show Harry and Ron pictures of the Justice League from the magazines her parents sent her throughout the year. Ron was vaguely interested but Harry was certain the red head still thought it was all made up. Harry always had other things to worry about to really put much effort in to learning all the little details.
The man in the black suit had been one of the main figures in Hermione’s magazines. Harry knew this man was a leading member of the Justice League, and he was the main hero of Gotham. The black haired boy couldn’t remember what his specific abilities were though.
“Hello. Again,” Harry greeted.
The stare was even more intense now that he was closer. The man was also taller than expected. Harry had grown by leaps and bounds this year with no end in sight. He’d gotten used to being taller than his classmates.
“Who are you?” growled the hero.
“Harry?” Harry wasn’t sure why he said his name like a question.
“Harry…” the caped man said leadingly.
“Just Harry. And you’re Bat…man?” Harry stumbled over the name as he caught sight of the bat symbol on the man’s chest.
“Yes, I’m Batman. Just Harry? No last name?”
“Nope, my parents must have forgotten,” Harry responded cheekily.
“Hmm,” Batman narrowed his eyes on Harry.
The sounds of sirens filled the air and caught both of their attention.
“I have to go. My relatives will be worried about me. Well, less worried and more angry. My Uncle Vernon will probably lock me out of the hotel room if I’m not back in time,” Harry rambled.
“You’re not going anywhere,” Batman growled.
One of the black projectiles he’d thrown at Grundy appeared in the cowl wearing man’s hands. Harry had seen what it had done, and he took off with a burst of speed. Luckily the speed allowed him to avoid the hit, and he was moving so quickly none of the people on the sidewalk got a good look at his face. Still feeling a little panicked Harry took off into the air. He shot up in to the clouds, and rose high above Gotham.
Once there he took a moment to regroup himself. Harry was certain he’d never love anything as much as he loved flying. Up here nothing could touch him. Harry could watch the world from a distance but didn’t have to take part in it. He was able to calm his racing heart.
Harry floated above Gotham City and listened to the sounds of the sirens below.
After several deep breaths Harry sought a hidden place where he could land. After landing he quickly made his way back to the hotel. Luckily his relatives were gone, and he was able to shower and change without his aunt shrieking at him about his dirty clothes.
Harry was almost jittery as he exited the bathroom. He couldn’t believe he’d been in a fight like that. How close he had been to revealing his powers. Harry had revealed his powers to one of the world’s more famous heroes.
He went to flick on the TV but froze when he heard the rustle in the corner. Harry whipped around and was shocked to see Batman standing in the corner of the hotel room.
“How did you find me?” Harry gaped.
“You said your uncle’s name was Vernon. Put that together with your accent and first name, and I was able to track down the correct hotel and room number. Vernon Dursley came to America 3 days ago on a business trip for Grunnings Drill Company with his wife: Petunia, son: Dudley, and nephew: Harry Potter,” Batman looked pointedly at Harry.
“Oh, that’s right. Hermione did say you were the world’s greatest detective. Is that your power?” Harry blurted out.
“Hermione?”
“My friend, she loves heroes and the Justice League in particular especially Wonder Woman. I don’t know really much about them, about you. My aunt and uncle they don’t like anything that’s not normal, which is why they don’t like me. Hermione she’s been trying to teach me about the Justice League and wanted me to try and reach out to you, you know because of what I can do,” Harry rambled.
“And what is it you can do, Harry?” Batman asked.
“Well…” Harry quickly listed everything he could do, barring magic, and explained he no idea where these abilities came from.
He felt comfortable sharing with the hero. The caped hero had already seen what Harry could do. Besides Batman was much more experienced with such things than Harry or probably anyone in the wizarding world was, and perhaps the hero would even be able to help him find the answers he was looking for. This was a good opportunity for him. Harry didn’t want to risk expulsion by telling Batman about wizards and magic in the event he didn’t know.
“Hmm,” Batman hummed after hearing the list.
“Since I’ve run in to you unexpectedly maybe you could find out what’s wrong with me.”
“Wrong with you? I don’t think anything is wrong with you, Harry. You have abilities something that is not uncommon in this world anymore.”
“Meta-humans you mean? I don’t think I’m a meta-human. They got their powers from the Reach, right? I was born with mine. I just get stronger the older I get,” Harry frowned.
Hermione had told him about the Reach’s invasion, and he’d even seen a bit of it on the news when he’d come back from Hogwarts last year. Not even his relatives could hide such a huge event with it playing over and over on the news. Uncle Vernon had been disgusted both by the aliens and the fact that they were trying to turn normal people into freaks.
“Yes, most meta-humans have gotten their powers from the Reach. But not all of them,” Batman nodded.
“I’ve finished the background search, Batman. Harry Potter is the son of James and Lily Potter. Magicals, all of them. James and Lily Potter died when Harry was just a year old. Lily’s parents were non-magical, and Petunia Dursley is her older sister so the Dursleys received custody of him. Harry’s famous for defeating a truly horrible dark wizard when he was just a year old. His parents died fighting the dark wizard he apparently destroyed. I’ll try to dig up more. But the pictures I’ve found match the boy you’ve found except in his elementary school photos his eyes are green not blue,” a soft female voice chimed.
There was no one else in the room, and the source of the voice was coming from Batman, more specifically his head. It must have been a commlink of some sort. Other people wouldn’t have been able to hear anything but Harry’s hearing wasn’t like other people’s.
“Thank you, Oracle. I believe our young friend heard everything you just said,” Batman narrowed his eyes at Harry.
“Oh,” the female voice on the other line gasped.
“You didn’t mention your hearing, Harry.”
“On accident, really. It’s a recent development, along with my eyesight,” Harry apologized.
“Can you see through things?” Batman eyed him shrewdly.
“See through things? No, and I don’t know if I would want to. It sounds awful,” Harry scrunched up his face as he pictured catching the Dursleys in their pants.
“Hmm.”
“So you know about wizards and the magical world?” Harry framed it like a question even though he clearly knew that Batman knew.
“Yes, I do as does the Justice League. As you heard I know about you. You’re famous in the wizarding world, and apparently you have abilities beyond those of other wizards,” Batman gave him a curt nod.
“Yeah, that sounds about right. Was my friend right, can you help me find out why I’m like this?”
“I can, and there’s a test we can do right now that will help me choose the next path for us to take. If you agree?” Batman hands went to one of the pockets on his pale yellow belt.
“All right, if it will help,” Harry nodded.
The hero unbuckled the pocket and removed a green rock. Holding it in his hand the tall, broad hero slowly approached Harry. Almost immediately, a well of nausea formed in Harry’s stomach. Harry shook it off. It must have just been nerves. Harry didn’t get physically sick but he still experienced nerves, which could come in the form of a twisting stomach. But the nausea increased, and Harry’s limbs started to tremble. The closer Batman got the weaker Harry began to feel. Sweat formed along his hairline and realizing what was happening Harry quickly stumbled backwards away from the hero.
For the first time in a long time Harry’s body betrayed him. His legs gave out, and there was no strength left in him to even contemplate getting back up.
“What? What is that?” Harry slurred looking at the dark figure above him, holding the green rock, which was now glowing slightly.
“Proof,” Batman answered grimly.
“Oh,” Harry’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and fell unconscious.