Marvel/HP: A Third Path to the Future

For Charles and the others, flying in an airliner was mundane and boring. For Harry, it was a new experience and one he enjoyed for the first hour or so, until the clouds closed in and they were no longer able to see the ground below them. After that he turned to his fellow travelers. "So tell me more about this school of yours and the students too. Oh, and don't worry about anyone listening in. I've used a notice-me-not spell to cover us all, nothing we say will register on anyone else's senses."

Charles, sitting across the aisle from him, raised an eyebrow at that ability, but gave him a brief description of the school facilities, going into more detail on the Danger Room. Harry listened intently, impressed by what technology could do, but not overly much. After all, the Danger Room sounded like a variation on the Room of Requirement, which he, Padma, and Luna had spent a month figuring out the spells and runic arrays for. "And the students, anything you want to tell me about them?"

Charles smiled a little mischievously. "Actually, I'd rather not tell you anything about them just yet. I'd like to see you using your magic powers against them in a match; that will give us an idea of your fighting skills. Then too, I think the kids have gotten a little too big for their britches lately. Fighting someone such as yourself would be good for them, win or lose."

Harry smirked at him. "Alright, I can do that, but how rough can I be on them?"

Logan answered him from where he was sitting next to Charles. He would have preferred to sit next to Ororo, but the girl snored and they were all going to sleep most of this flight, anyway. "As rough as you like Harry, just don't kill them. We've got a first rate med center and the Danger Room will 'mission kill' you, if you set it to do so, given specific stuff happening."

Harry nodded and leaned back. Ororo looked at him for a moment, then asked, "So what was life like in your home dimension?"

"Hmm, in a word old fashioned. The wizarding world was incredibly backward in many ways, and in others incredibly advanced, but they didn't do anything with their advancements. They had a room much like your danger room at the school I went to, yet, until my New Marauders came around, none of them even realized what it really was. And don't get me started on their government; an edifice that had no purpose any longer but to keep itself going. It was so horribly corrupt, none of them even realized the corruption was bad anymore, it was just the way of things."

Ororo winced. "That sounds horrible."

"You don't know the half of it. In my third year, the Minister of Magic, who really was more of a dictator than an elected official with checks and balances. 'Checks and balances', what are those, dangerous foreign ideas'. Anyway, a man escaped from their prison, which only had one security setting, maximum, and the idiot had the great idea of stationing its guards, soul sucking monsters, around the school. And while people complained about it, no one actually did anything, not even when a few students nearly lost their lives."

"So does that mean you believe in the existence of a soul?" Logan asked. He was pretty skeptical on the idea himself, he'd seen far too much to believe in any kind of eternal afterlife.

"I don't believe in much but the soul is real." Harry replied firmly. "The dementors sucked something out of their victims, something that they needed to live. Without it, the body simply wasted away. Wizards had also developed a spell which killed the soul, a vile thing that the Death Eaters, the group I was fighting, used very often. Just as often as other, even more terrible curses."

Seeing the thousand mile stare he had, Ororo paused in voicing her next question and changed the subject. The quartet talked for about an hour, with all three of the others noticing that Harry really seemed to be extremely spontaneous in what he said, never stopping to think about what was coming out of his mouth until after he said it. Eventually, all three from the institute decided to get some rest. Harry, however, pulled out the laptop Reed had given him and began to study this world's history again.

OOOOOOO

After a long flight and a barely shorter drive in an admittedly comfortable limo, the group arrived at a massive mansion. It looked to be three stories tall, with two wings and a main section. Harry could see an arboretum on the third floor in one of the wings as the limo entered the grounds. "So this is your institute, professor? Nice digs." Charles nodded, happy to be home, as Logan pulled up to the front and they all got out. He sent out a telepathic message to the youngsters, asking them to come down to the foyer. By the time they entered, the students were all there waiting for them.

Scott Summers, a fit, athletic looking teen with ruby tinted glasses over his eyes stepped forward. "Welcome back, Professor." Charles nodded at him but Harry was taking in this first glimpse of the kids that might be his new team. Behind them, the teenagers took in their first sight of this newcomer. Tall, whipcord thin, with the build of a martial artist or track star, and with the greenest eyes any of them had seen. A few of them looked between him and the redhead, trying to figure out if their eyes were the same color, eventually deciding that the newcomers were deeper and darker, more emerald than green.

They looked like normal kids for the most part, well except for the blue demon looking dude. The one who had greeted baldy looked as if he had a stick stuck up his ass but that could be rectified. The blue demon guy looked like a prankster, with mischievous eyes and a warm smile on his face. The last one, who he assumed was Evan, the nephew Ororo had mentioned, looked like a cross between a jock and a skater punk. The girls were a mixed group, too. One looked goth, dressed in black with black lipstick and gloves. The next one looked a little preppy, but her smile was just as welcoming as the pranksters. The last, however was striking. Fit body with C-cup breasts and magnificent legs hinting at what she would look like in a few years, with hair so red it matched the most magnificent sunset he'd ever seen. Eyes almost as green as Harry's own, and something else, something that Harry felt calling out to him. The one thing all the girls had in common was they were all beautiful. "Damn is being hot part of having the mutant gene?" All the girls blushed in various shades at the compliment from the handsome young man while Ororo rolled her eyes. "That's got to be the real reason why people are so worried about mutants. It's not that they're afraid of you, they're just jealous of your good looks."

Ororo shook her head as Kitty and Rogue both blushed further, though Jean had shrugged off her initial embarrassment quickly and was now studying the newcomer intently. "Must you say the first thing that comes into your head?"

"No, I don't, I didn't when we met after all. If I had, I would have told you that seeing you made me think of scented candles, oil, silk ties, and sex wilder than anything I have ever attempted."

He said it so matter-of-factly that it took a moment to register, but when it did Logan burst into laughter and the others all gaped at him, either in surprise or shock, while Spyke began to growl, moving forward angrily. Ororo's reaction however was the most telling. She first blushed rosily, then her eyes narrowed in anger and her hands crackled with lightning.

She turned but Harry was already gone, laughing as he ducked out the door. "You'll never take me alive!"

Ororo snarled and floated off the ground and after him. "I don't want you alive, I want you to fry you irritating man! Stand still and take your punishment!"

Evan blinked in shock as his normally calm and controlled aunt lost it completely. "A-auntie?"

Charles too blinked in surprise. "That was… unexpected."

"Oh please," Logan said, recovering from his laughing fit. "It's just more flirting done differently, the two have been doing it since they met."

Jean got over her shock at the younger man's blatant come on and shook her head. "Either he's got a death wish or he's just insane, which is it professor?"

Charles shrugged. "A bit of both perhaps, though I understand young Harry isn't quite used to being around people again just yet. More than that, you will learn later as it is his story to tell."

"And-er, is he a new recruit sir?" Scott asked. He was a little, okay a lot, leery of having someone that random and uncontrolled on the team.

"That is something that will be decided after a little three part match between all of you and Harry in the Danger Room. Why don't you all get ready. I'm certain that by the time you get your suits on, Ororo will be done with him one way or the other."

Something about that statement freaked Spyke out a little, but he nodded and following the others as they went upstairs to change. Scott paused for a moment before following them. "Can I ask what his powers are professor?"

Charles shook his head. "You all will have to find that out on your own, just as he will with you. Information wise, this is an even field, the better to see how he reacts to things."

Scott frowned, but nodded and walked off. Logan looked down at his boss grinning. "I got fifty bucks says Green Eyes will wipe the floor with them, three out of three, you in?"

Charles shook his head and moved off. "Your faith in our charges abilities is truly touching." Logan shrugged unrepentantly and followed him.

OOOOOOO

Outside, Harry was chuckling as he dodged around, ducking under gusts of wind and lightning blasts as above them the sky darkened and roiled. "Ah, so that's your power, Ororo!"

"Stay still you little rabbit!" Ororo growled from behind him, trying to get close enough to hit him, but failing miserably. Harry had all the speed and agility of a mongoose, and was just as hard to hit. Above her the air condensed, and suddenly she realized her emotions were affecting the local weather patterns. It was a distant thought, however, as right in front of her a massive lightning strike came down out of the clouds to slam into Harry. She gasped in horror; she hadn't actually been aiming to hit him, just scare him.

He stumbled, but twisted as he fell to the ground, hands automatically reaching out to Ororo's behind him and to her surprise he didn't seem injured, and she found herself stumbling forward into his chest, both of them falling to the ground.

They lay there for a moment, then Harry chuckled, sending a rumble through his chest where Ororo was leaning against it. "Well that was fun."

Ororo pushed her upper body off him, shaking her head and regaining control of her emotions. With a thought, she sent the clouds above them away, returning the area to its normal weather pattern. "You have a very odd idea of fun."

"Meh, you'll get used to it." Harry smirked, putting his hands behind his head. "So is that your power, flying and using lightning?"

"Quite a bit more actually. I can control all kinds of weather, which I use to fly, and the lightning blasts are my normal offensive weapon. I haven't met anyone else they didn't work on entirely like you, however. Is that from a spell you cast?" She looked up at the sky above them, making certain that the Ororo she had inadvertently called into being had dispersed.

Harry shook his head. "No, it's more of a family trait. My last name is Potter, you know, as in pottery. My family developed lightning attack spells and so developed an immunity to them at the same time. But having to watch your emotions like that must be bloody awful. Tell you what, I'll see if I can make a ward or something to cut that connection for you, that is, if you want me to?"

Ororo looked down at him, naked hope on her face for a moment. Ever since she had learned of the connection between her emotions and the weather around her, she had to control her emotions lest she create untold destruction. To not have to do that anymore was a dream come true. "That would be wonderful, thank you." Suddenly she realized the position they were in, and she blushed as she felt something stir beneath her. She was no virgin, she knew what was even now reacting to her presence on his lap, and it was both worrying and flattering at the same time. "W-we should get back."

Harry smiled, looking appreciatively up at her gorgeous face past the rise of her D cup breasts in her plain business suit, amazed at how firm they looked. "I don't know I rather like it here."

Ororo pushed down with her hands, getting off of his waist though not before taking a moment to feel his hard muscles appreciatively. "Are you always this forward?"

"No," Harry answered honestly. "I'm usually much less outgoing, but spending five years in the negative Zone, all alone, has removed most of my inhibitions. Don't worry though. If you don't like me flirting with you, just say so and I'll stop."

Ororo paused, looking at his mesmerizing emerald eyes and very decent body, as well as remembering how easily he could make her laugh, and then his offer to make her an amulet that would allow her to express her emotions more freely. Then too he was simply an interesting young man, who, though younger than her by several years had a hidden maturity behind his sense of fun that belied his age. "I wouldn't say I dislike your flirting, just please tone it down a little. Especially around the students please."

"Got it, no mentally scarring your students by treating you like an actual woman rather than a genderless teacher." Harry actually saluted and she laughed shaking her head.

"You are incorrigible, but yes please be careful, especially with my nephew's mind. I don't think Evan could handle that particular revelation." Harry nodded and the two walked back to the mansion, with Harry telling her some stories about the pranks he had played on the Fantastic Four, which had her nearly in stitches despite her habitual control as they reached the front door.

OOOOOOO

Inside the danger room the X-men were already preparing for this. Cyclops took charge as usual and directed them all into position around the cityscape the room had created. "Alright we don't know anything about this guy's powers, so we should prepare for everything. Hide around the center square and as soon as he's in the square, hit him hard."

Spyke nodded, cracking his knuckles, already bringing out his bone spikes, and moving into the ground level of one of the stores around the square. "I get first crack at him, no way can I let him get away with saying stuff like that to auntie O."

"Like, I don't think she needs your help to deal with that," Kitty said. "She seemed to have it well in hand."

Rogue smirked. "It was nice tah see miss calm and collected lose it like that though. Probably good for her too."

Jean smirked a little, but refused to be drawn into the conversation. Instead she took the lookout position, wondering why the older boy's eyes had been so compelling for some reason, before shaking it off.

Nightcrawler waited by Scott in another upper story.

Minutes passed, and they all heard the door to the Danger Room open, then nothing. After a few minutes Spyke growled out. "Where the hell is he?"

Jean looked around from her position on the roof of the tallest building in the simulation but didn't see anything. "I don't see him."

A voice by her ear made her jump. "My names Harry, Red, remember it."

Jean turned quickly lashing out with her power sending several kinetic blasts shaped like knives at where the voice had come from, but suddenly felt the concrete roof below her disappear. She fell forward, and suddenly a bright red light smacked into her forehead. "Stupefy!"

The redhead collapsed comatose and Harry nodded, then jumped off the roof to his next target.

Below Scott was already shouting orders. 'He's circled behind us and taken out Marvel Girl! Regroup on my position!"

This did not help Rogue, however. She had been in the building next to Jean and she found herself in sight of Harry but not close enough to use her own powers. "Sorry Goth chick. Bombarda!" Harry pointed a finger at the ground before her. It exploded, sending asphalt and concrete flying everywhere, smashing into her and flinging her away. Her limp body smashed against another building. Harry shot a Stupefy at her for good measure.

Spyke took this time to get in close, his arms bristling with bone spikes. He hurled several of them at Harry as he closed. Harry waved a hand at the approaching projectiles. "Wingardium Leviosa!" They shot upward and around him, catching Kurt as he teleported behind him. Kurt tried to teleport away, but the projectiles still hit him, slowing him down enough for Harry to grab him with an "Accio", and then hit him with a "Repulso", sending him flying into Spyke.

Scott made his appearance at this point, blasting away with his optic beams from his position at a window of a nearby building. Harry ducked, then ducked again, waving his hands at the buildings foundation. "Bombarda Maxima!" A massive explosion slammed into the building, disintegrating the first floor and tumbling the rest into a heap, taking Scott with it.

Kitty tried to make a stand at that point, but Harry turned to her, head cocked, taking in her see through, not quite there form. "Are you some kind of ghost?" He pointed a finger at her and a web of varicolored energy pinned her to the ground. "Ah, so that does work on you, huh?" Kitty growled but she couldn't escape or even move and was forced to watch as the new guy went around collecting her disabled friends' piling them up next to her before releasing her.

A few silent episkeys and two revivifies brought the kids back to life and a varied amount of health. Harry shook his head. "Alright kiddies, do I need to point out how many ways you fucked up here?"

Scott shook his head, looking a little grim and a lot chagrined. "I don't think that's necessary. We were cocky, we reacted too slowly, we were too spread out to begin with, and, once you attacked, we all reacted like individuals."

Harry smiled, inwardly groaning as the beam user missed the most glaring mistakes. "Those were some of your mistakes, yes, and we'll go over the others later. I was told to fight you lot three times, so let's see if you learned anything from this. You have ten minutes before I attack again." With that he faded away, causing Kitty to gasp and the others to look on in shock.

OOOOOOO

Scott rubbed his face in frustration through his mask. "Does anyone have any idea what his powers are?"

Rogue felt at her ribs for a moment wincing. "Well he can make stuff explode, that's what he did to me, and he can apparently go invisible."

Jean held her head in her hands. "I didn't get to see anything. He snuck up on me and took me out too fast. Kurt, Spyke, you two worked together any ideas?" Other than the fact he handled us with kid gloves the entire time, that's rather humiliating. He didn't even bother 'killing' us; just used this whole episode as a learning experience.

"I think he might be a telekinetic." Spyke said seriously, with Kurt nodding along with him. "That's the only way to explain all the things he can do. He grabbed all the spikes I threw at him and used them to pin Kurt in place, then grabbed him and threw him at me."

"I don't know any way a telekinetic could turn invisible or make things explode," Jean said dubiously.

"Maybe he learned how to bend light around him or something," Scott replied.

Kitty though was still skeptical. "Like, how do you explain the thing he hit me with then? And those sounded awfully like spells he was spouting."

Scott shook his head, taking control of the conversation. "We don't have time for flights of fancy. Alright, if he's a telekinetic, he'll want to keep us at range. This time we stick together, move around and roam the city, hunt him down rather than wait for him to come to us. Kitty, use your powers to pin him in place, Jean, Evan, and I will keep him occupied from range, then Kurt, you get Rogue close enough to use her powers to take him out. Jean, keep us all in contact with your telepathic powers as soon as we set out, that way, he won't know what we're planning." Everyone nodded, though Jean was still worried. For just a moment, she thought she saw something moving out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned to concentrate on it, it was gone. She shrugged and followed the others.

OOOOOOO

Harry shook his head, having observed the entire exchange. Not once had he said he wouldn't be around, they had just assumed it, like this was a game where he had to play by the rules or something. Now he waited on the kids, and that was what they were, just kids playing at heroes. They didn't have the experience or… it was hard to describe, but they didn't think in the right way, nor did they take enough time to do so. Still, at least their formation was decent enough.

Ahead of him the redhead once again turned as if she had noticed something and he made a mental note that notice-me-not and concealment spells didn't seem to work as well as they should on telepaths. So she's a telepath and telekinetic, that's a damn deadly combination if I give her time to get set. Let's not do that.

Harry waved at the front of their column, this time not bothering to verbalize the spells, and an explosion ripped the ground up in front of them. They reacted quickly, and this time as a group, but he concentrated and the debris from the explosions suddenly transformed into a pride of lions that immediately charged them. Another wave and a dozen more charged them from the other end.

"Wh-what the hell!" Spyke yelled in fright, letting loose with several bone spears, which sailed through the ones charging the back of their column. "Hey, these are fake!"

Scott blasted the first few with his eye beams, barking orders. They were just the wrong orders. "The ones at the front are the real threat, Jean with me, everyone else keep an eye out, this is almost certainly a feint. Watch out for him trying to collapse the buildings on us!"

Harry disguised himself as one of the lions and charged forward with the group that was illusory. Jean caught his movement out of the corner of his eye and somehow saw through his illusion but before she could shout a warning, he was right between her and Kitty. A hand lashed out letting loose with "Fulgur!" at the ghost girl, and she shrieked as the lightning struck her before she could phase.

His other hand waved "Repulso!" and Jean braced herself against the ground, not flying away as he had intended. So instead, he got in close, grabbing her arm, and turning her to use her as a shield against Scott's beams as the X-Man turned. Jean cried out in pain, unable to concentrate through the agony to use her powers. Harry raised a shield around them both which took the rest of the beams strength, then, almost gently, applied a choke hold to the redhead. "Sorry," he whispered, as she succumbed to unconsciousness once more.

That done, he let the shield in place but teleported away, then with an summoning spell, grabbed Scott's feet out from under him. He smashed down face first, followed swiftly by a stunner to keep him down.

That left Nightcrawler, Rogue, and Spyke. Harry created even more lions and sent them after Spike, who went down under the pile of them. He then teleported away again, playing tag with Nightcrawler who was carrying Rogue, still trying to stick to the original plan. Harry shook his head, then started to cast spells at the ground, first creating water, then freezing it. The ground became too slick for Nightcrawler to keep his feet the next time he bamfed in close, and Harry took the hesitation this caused to cast a reductor curse at his feet. The resultant blast knocked him off his feet and a follow up stunning spell, put him down for the count.

Rogue however, had jumped free just in time. Harry warded off her attempts to grab him as he set a small explosive spell off behind her, causing her to stumble and cry out in pain before a pointblank stun spell took her out of action, too. Harry sighed, looking around at the wreckage of the team of kids and shook his head. "I know you three are watching this, one more time then these kids are going back to school. This is just sad."

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