A/N: This story came out of nowhere in my mind and honestly I have no idea how it's going to turn out but my mind won't let me leave it alone. Though I promise it will be a finished story. This is my first story. On another note some things are different in this story such as Damian came to Bruce when he was six and lived with him for four years until Bruce is 'killed' by Darkseid and he lives with Dick for a while till Bruce shows up back alive to care for him. The entire Bat family is in harmony and care for another despite their differences.
Warning: There will be violence, language, references to mind rape and torture, along with possible character death. Rating is subject to change.
Anyway hope you enjoy the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or anything from HP that has a copyright to it. All I own is the plot and original characters.
Chapter 1: Birthday Surprises
June 5, 2012
To say he was surprised would have been an understatement. And there wasn't a whole lot that surprised Bruce Wayne, let alone Batman, but what happened this morning had been an exception.
It was about five in the morning when he had woken up to start the day. Things had been slow in Gotham last night so he and Damian had turned in early. Bruce had gotten up to complete his morning routine. Once done he had dressed in pinstripe suit that had been laid out on the bed.
Bruce silently mused how Alfred always seemed to know when he was awake and had everything prepared before he could even ask. Sometimes he wondered if Alfred was psychic.
Pushing the thought aside he got dressed and went down the stairs of the manor heading towards the kitchen where he could smell breakfast. Upon entering he saw that Damian was already seated at a stool eating breakfast with an annoyed expression on his face.
Bruce suspected his mood this morning had a lot to do with the meeting at Wayne Enterprises he had to attend at 8. Thus he couldn't spend as much time with him like they both wanted this summer. Bruce made a note to find a hobby for Damian to entertain himself when he couldn't be with him.
"Good morning Alfred, Damian," Bruce announced, then took a seat besides Damian and picked up the newspaper that sat in front of him.
"Good morning to you too, Master Bruce," replied Alfred as he sat a plate of food in front of Bruce along with a glass of orange juice.
Damian simply nodded in reply and continued eating his breakfast.
After searching through the paper and finding nothing of interest, Bruce set the paper down and went about eating his breakfast. As he ate it occurred to him that Damian's eleventh birthday was tomorrow. He knew Alfred had already prepared to serve a nice dinner and make a cake, even though Damian had insisted he didn't have to do anything.
Taking a sip of his orange juice Bruce decided to ask Damian again if he wanted anything. He had tried before and had received a no in reply. Damian had looked him in the eye and said, "I have everything I need right here." Bruce couldn't help the warmth and happiness he had felt at those words, not that he had wanted to.
Despite this he had decided to give Damian a watch that he had personally customized, his own vehicle to patrol in, a motorcycle, and a couple of books that he thought he might enjoy reading.
He hoped that those gifts would suffice. Bruce hated to admit it, but he and his son had somewhat grown apart since his disappearance. They had only been living together again for six months and things were slowly falling back into a pattern.
Between managing his company and being Batman there wasn't a whole lot of time for bonding with Damian as of late. Though for his birthday he planned to spend the whole day with him to bond more and then they would go patrolling later on in the night.
Though Bruce had to admit that while some things about Damian's attitude and personality hadn't changed, other things had improved. Two examples were that he wasn't as hostile as he used to be and he now called Alfred by first name instead of his last name. Also, he was on good terms with all his brothers. Fortunately, his absence had made all the boys closer instead of apart. Bruce was a proud father at 36 years old.
Setting his utensils down, Bruce turned towards his son.
"Damian." Damian turned to him with curiosity in his eyes.
"Yes, Father?"
Sighing mentally at the formality, Bruce proceeded, "Is there anything you want for your birthday? Anything at all?"
Damian scrunched up his eyebrows for a second and pursed his lips. After a moment he replied, "No, there isn't anything I want."
Bruce held his gaze for a few seconds then nodded his acceptance of the answer.
"Do you have any plans for today?" Bruce inquired he continued to eat his breakfast.
Damian was silent for a moment. "Probably take a walk around the manor, train a bit and play with Caesar." He seemed about to add something else but returned to finishing his breakfast.
Bruce nodded. "That's good."
He watched as Alfred took away Damian's dishes to be washed then turned back to finish his own breakfast. Once done he moved to get up only to notice that Damian hadn't moved since he had finished eating. He seemed to be unusually absorbed watching Alfred move about the kitchen.
Bruce took the opportunity to talk some more to Damian. "I'll be free all tomorrow, so we can spend the day together if that's alright with you." Damian turned to look at him and Bruce could see a flicker of excitement in his eyes before it was gone.
"That would be gr- I mean acceptable," Damian responded, though it was clear he trying to hide the excitement in his voice.
Bruce nodded with a smile and out the corner of his eye he could see a warm smile on Alfred's face.
Pushing his chair back he was getting ready to leave when a sound caught his attention.
Peck. Peck. Peck.
He looked around the kitchen and noticed that Alfred was staring out the window with a puzzled expression on his face. Bruce however, couldn't see what had caught his butler's attention as his view was obscured.
"Alfred what is it?" Bruce asked with concern.
Alfred stepped aside and at the window unbelievably was a tawny owl with a letter in its beak.
At first he simply stared, his mind not comprehending what it was seeing. He looked over to see Damian doing much the same with his brows furrowed.
Frowning but on guard he moved towards the window for a closer look. Looking carefully over the owl, he could see nothing suspicious about it besides it being there and the letter it carried. After a quick sweep of the area behind the owl he opened the window to let it in.
The owl flew into the kitchen to land on the counter in front of Damian. It stuck its neck out as if to offer the letter to him. Damian simply stared while holding himself guard, prepared in case it attacked. Bruce was glad to see that Damian was making sure to stay cautious.
"Do you have any idea what it might be doing here, sir?" spoke Alfred, breaking the silence and staring contest that Bruce and Damian had been having with the owl.
Bruce spoke first, "No, I haven't ever heard of owls being used to deliver messages, at least in this day and age." He moved closer to Damian and looked over the envelope. The envelope was made of expensive paper and had a wax seal on it he didn't recognize.
"Should I take it?" asked Damian as he continued to glare at the owl.
Hesitating for a moment Bruce nodded. "Just be careful."
Keeping his gaze on the owl, Damian quickly reached forward and took the letter from the owl's beak. The owl simply blinked then turned its head to look around the kitchen curiously. Noting that it hadn't taken off immediately Bruce figured it must be waiting for a reply.
"What does it say?" Bruce asked smoothly.
Finally, looking down at the letter Damian read the address: "Damian Wayne, kitchen, Wayne Manor." At this Bruce raised an eyebrow, wondering why they addressed the letter as such, not to mention it was their exact location. Damian simply scowled at the letter and turned it over to examine the crest on it.
"The seal looks official like it might belong to a boarding school," mused Alfred. He had gotten over his shock and was across the counter from the pair looking over the letter also.
Bruce hummed. "It's a possibility, though we won't know until we open it." He gave a nod to Damian to proceed.
Damian immediately broke the seal and took the letter out of its envelope. Unfolding it he moved to set it on the counter so they all could see. As he did this the owl hopped over the side and continued to browse the kitchen as if it hadn't been disturbed.
Once unfolded and laid before them they began to read.
Salem Academy of Magic
Headmaster: Kenneth Leblanc
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Chief Warlock,
International Confederation of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Wayne,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the Salem Academy of Magic. You will find enclosed a list of all the necessary books and equipment you will need for the school year. Term begins August 27. We await your reply no later than August 19. On August 20 orientation will be held for first time students. Attendance is MANDATORY.
Please note this is NOT a joke. Those students with non-magical parents may request a meeting with me with their reply. A reply with the time and date of the meeting will be sent as soon as possible. Also, if you need transportation to the school, ask in your reply and it will be provided.
Yours Sincerely,
Ashley Simmons
Deputy Headmistress
Bruce read and reread the letter again trying to grasp his mind around what it was saying. His mind just wouldn't let him quite believe it. Glancing up he saw much the same going on with Alfred. Damian however, looked almost accepting of what it said.
Breaking the silence, he addressed Damian. "What do you think?" Damian's eyes showed a flicker of surprise before he answered.
"I've never heard of such a thing as Salem Academy of Magic of all things, but considering the use of magic isn't completely unheard of….or unseen," he mused while looking at his father acknowledging his run-ins with magic to which Bruce nodded. He continued, "It is possible for such a place to exist though it could be a complete hoax," Damian finished with a scoff.
"Well, only one way to find out," spoke Alfred.
"And that is," asked Bruce with a raised eyebrow.
"Send a letter of reply to them of course, asking for a meeting as soon as possible."
Bruce contemplated it for a moment. It seemed like the best course of action. As whatever or whoever had sent the letter already knew how to reach them a meeting would the best way to know if this was hoax or not. However, he would do some investigating of his own as soon as possible.
He saw Alfred turn, picking up the plate containing extra bacon and place it in front of the waiting owl. It immediately began eating the bacon with fervor.
Turing towards Damian he saw a curious frown on his face. He had moved on to the next page of the letter and was reading it. Wondering what had roused such an expression on Damian's face he leaned forward to read it.
Salem Academy of Magic
Uniform:
First Year Students Will Require:
Three sets of white collared shirts, a tie(black, dark grey or dark blue), a sweater or vest(black, dark gray or dark blue), black slacks or skirt(for girls; optional),and a pair of black shoes
One pair of protective gloves(dragon hide or similar)
A winter jacket with a hood, preferable black, dark grey or a dark blue
A blazer black, dark grey or a dark blue), optional
Students may bring casual clothes to wear after class hours and on weekends
Set of Books
All students should have a copy of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells(Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
Magical History by Julius Orvin
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllis Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
Understanding Magic: The Light and Dark Forces by Stephen Strange
Other Equipment:
1 wand (optional if judged to be proficient enough at wandless magic)
1 cauldron (pewter standard size 2)
1 set of glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 calculator
4 or more packets of loose-leaf paper
4 or more thick tablets
Students may also bring electronic devices if they can work around magic. However nothing that can't be carried or that is distracting. Devices may not be used in classes unless permission has been giving by a professor.
Students may also bring an owl OR cat OR toad OR any other animal that has been approved by the school to be manageable or safe.
Parents may ask to see what other items may be appropriate for students to bring.
Bruce raised his head after reading the list and turned to look at Damian.
"It seems like too much a hassle write all of this if it was joke, it's too detailed," he assessed.
"Yes, only a moron would go to such lengths," Damian snorted. Bruce nodded in agreement.
It was then that Alfred spoke, "Shall I get some paper and a pen so you can send a reply Master Bruce, Young Master Damian?"
"That would be appreciated Alfred," responded both Bruce and Damian at the same time. They turn to look at each other. Bruce smiled at Damian who smirked with an eyebrow raised.
Chuckling Alfred left kitchen to get the required materials.
"So, do you want to go?" Bruce asked kindly.
Damian seemed to think for a minute before he answered. "Yeah, I mean if what they say is true and I am a wizard, it would be best to learn how to control my magic." He paused and looked into his father eyes, blue meeting blue with intensity in both. "What do you think I should do?"
Bruce hesitated for a moment before answering. He couldn't help but ponder the implications of this new development.
Bruce had had his dealings with magic before and to say the least he hated magic with a passion. He disliked the lack of control and unpredictability that magic presented. So when confronted with a letter with his son Damian's name on it saying he was a wizard and there was an opening for him at the Salem Academy of Magic, his first reaction was of course was disbelief.
He had never heard of such a place as Salem Academy of Magic, where magic was taught nor had he seen Damian display any magical talent. However, if this was all true and not a hoax then Damian needed to educate himself in his ability so it wouldn't become a liability to him and those around him.
Turning his attention back to Damian whom he noticed was anxiously awaiting his reply, he gave a warm smile.
"I think you should go too, to learn about how to control your magic."
Damian nodded and gave a small smile back. Relief shone in his eyes, glad that he had agreed with him. As he was enjoying the small moment between them Bruce realized something right then.
He smirked at Damian. "You do know that now you won't be able to patrol for months at a time, right?"
Damian's eyes widened almost comically as the fact registered itself. He then scowled to cover up his surprise at not realizing this before. "Then that means I will just have to work twice as hard on patrols when I come back home," Damian huffed. Bruce chuckled at this. Scrunching his face up in a frown Damian also commented, "I will also have to keep up my training in school so I'll stay in shape. I hope there's a workout facility at this school."
"Well if everything pans out, we'll know when we go on the school tour," said Bruce seriously.
Damian nodded just as Alfred came back with the pen and paper. He set both on the counter by the letter and left the room to do more chores after they thanked him for the items.
"Should I be the one to write it," asked Damian slowly.
"Well it was addressed to you so go ahead."
Damian nodded and began to write saying he accepted the invitation into the school but he wanted a meeting with the Headmistress as soon as possible. It wasn't so much a letter more like a note but there wasn't much to be said. If a representative for the school came they could ask all the questions they wanted.
Once finished writing, Damian wrapped the letter up and tied it to the owl's leg with a piece of string. The bird looked a little peeved at having to stop eating the bacon Alfred had given it but once the note was tied on it took off through the open window with ease.
Taking a look at his watch Bruce saw he had an hour before his meeting started. Knowing he had to talk to Lucius beforehand, he decided he should get going.
"Damian, I have to get to a meeting right now, but when I get back we'll talk some more about this okay?"
"Okay." Damian got off his stool, hesitated for a moment, then moved forward and gave his father a brief hug. After pulling away he coughed and said, "Have a good meeting."
Bruce smiled. "Thanks." He turned and moved to walk out the kitchen but stopped and looked back to see Damian watching him. "Damian."
They locked eyes with each. "Yes, Father."
"I love you."
"I love you too," Damian responded after a brief pause.
Nodding Bruce left towards the garage to drive to work. Damian stood in the kitchen with a pensive look on his face long after his father had left.
To say he was shocked to receive a letter from Salem would be an overstatement. A little surprised would be a more accurate description.
Damian believed in magic, after all how else did the Lazarus Pit work allowing his grandfather immortality? Not to mention his father was friends with Zatanna and he himself had not only met her but saw her demonstrate magic on several occasions. Like any child he was amazed by what saw, even if he didn't show it.
So when he had seen the owl at the window he was first suspicious. Then when he saw the letter with his name on it he had felt disbelief if not simply because of the fact it proclaimed he himself was a wizard
He would have continued with this line of thought if he hadn't remembered something that had occurred two weeks ago.
*Flashback*
He had been patrolling with his Father on a mission to capture Scarecrow and his thugs. They had been tracking them for about an hour when they came a rundown building in the Narrows.
His Father had scoped out the locations and giving him directions to enter after him from the back entrance to catch any escapees. He had complained about being giving the least amount of action but as his Father explained he had never dealt with Scarecrow and his fear poison. So grudgingly and with a stern glare from Batman he accepted.
Using a grappling hook Batman swung down from an adjacent rooftop and crashed through one of the boarded windows into the room Scarecrow and his thugs occupied, throwing down some smoke pelts as he landed.
Robin jumped down from the rooftop he was on running towards the building where he busted thorough the worn backdoor. It was extremely dark but with the lenses in his mask he could see as clear as if the lights were on. He moved silently and quickly down the hallway and up three flights of stairs before he came into contact with two fleeing thugs.
"Out of the way birdie," shouted a thug with dark hair and a short but bulky frame with thickly muscled arms.
In response Robin launched a kick to the first thug's chest, followed swiftly by a kick to his face knocking him into a wall unconscious. As he moved to dispatch the other criminal he saw he had a gun in his hand.
The tall and lanky man with shaggy hair opened fire with a sawed off shotgun. Damian jumped out the line of fire in time to avoid the spray of gunfire. He saw dust kick up into the air as he landed into a crouch a couple feet away and the spray of bullet lodged into the wall behind him. Robin sneezed as some of the dust went into his nose.
Looking up he cursed as he realized his mistake. The thug had already lined to shoot with the gun aimed at his head and was halfway through the process of pulling the trigger to fire again. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as his body moved to avoid the inevitable. He heard the gun fire. At that moment all Damian could was, 'I wish didn't have that damn gun!'
Tense he waited for the excruciating pain as he looked at what could possibly be his death. To his and the thug's surprise there was a flash as the gun along with the spray of bullets disappeared. To his complete shock the shotgun the man had been holding was gone as if vanished by thing air. He quickly looked down, checking himself for injuries; to be sure he wasn't hallucinating. He looked back at the man who had a fish out of water expression on his face as he looked down at his hands.
Confused, but using the situation to his advantage Robin quickly ran up and punched him in the face. Grabbing the man by his shirt before he fell, Robin kneed him in the stomach which he followed with a punch to the man's jaw effectively knocking him out beside his counterpart.
Robin scanned the area to see if Batman was around but he didn't see him anywhere in site. Knowing that now wasn't the time to ponder what had happened he moved forward, filing away the incident for further analysis later.
As he ran into the run where the criminals had initially been he saw that Batman had all of them, including Scarecrow subdued and tied up.
"I heard gunfire, were you injured?" Batman's gruff voice inquired.
Damian mused whether he should mention what happened but quickly decided to keep it to himself. "No, I'm fine, it wasn't anything I couldn't handle," Damian arrogantly replied with a scowl. Batman nodded then contacted the police. Once they arrived they took off to continue
After an uneventful patrol besides capturing Scarecrow the dynamic duo had come had and retired for the night. Damian had almost gone to sleep when he recalled what had happened. As he pondered the situation all he could think was maybe someone powerful had heard his thoughts and made it come as implausible as that would be it was all he could come up with. Putting the troubling matter aside he had closed his eyes and gone to sleep.
*End Flashback*
Now the whole incident made sense. He had used magic to make the gun disappear using his will. Idly he wondered how powerful he was. Couldn't be much, I mean after all he hadn't done anything magical before as far as he knew.
Inside Damian was excited about the prospect of being a wizard and using magic. He hoped whatever school it was he was going to was legit and had an excellent curriculum.
Though he was a little worried about how he was going to explain to his Father how he had kept the incident with the gun from him. He sure he would see some disapproval not to mention his Father would be upset that he would've been seriously injured, if not dead, if it hadn't been for his magic saving him.
Pushing his thoughts aside Damian went outside to walk around the manor's garden. It was quite a sight to see in late spring. The flowers were in full bloom, especially the roses and begonias. He gently took in the air and relaxed.
After a couple minutes he lifted his fingers to his mouth and whistled. Some moments passed until Caesar his pit bull ran up and sat in front of him as if awaiting command. Damian turned to move out of the garden silently motioning with his hand for the dog to follow.
When his Father had first gotten him the dog then a puppy he had been a little skeptical of having it; after all he preferred cats to dogs. Especially, when Bruce said he would have to train him not only to obey but to guard. At first it was difficult to do as the dog was quite mischievous and playful. Caesar had wreaked havoc all over the manor by chewing on chairs, knocking down things and relieving itself where ever it pleased. Since he was Damian's he was the one to clean up whatever mess was made. Finally, Damian had put his foot down and put all his efforts into making Caesar obedient and disciplined in attacking and defending. The dog was still playful and mischievous but was restrained than before. He couldn't help but feel accomplished when he saw the pride on his Father and Alfred's faces. Though Alfred's maybe have been more one of relief that the house was in order again.
Walking till he was on the front lawn of the manor he took out a tennis ball out of his front jacket pocket. Reaching back he threw it as far as he could, watching as Caesar chased after it. He'd learned that playing with him cut down on some of the bad behavior. After some time he'd come to enjoy playing with Caesar as it a peaceful activity.
As Caesar came bounding back to him with the ball he heard a hooting sound. Looking up he saw the same owl as before coming towards him. Idly, he wondered how far away the school was it couldn't have been more than two hours since he sent his reply.
Taking the ball from Caesar with his right hand he stretched out his left arm for the owl to land on. Caesar upon seeing the bird approach began to growl. Damian snapped his fingers and he stopped just as the bird landed on his outstretched arm. Throwing the tennis ball some distance away he reached out and untied the note attached to the bird's leg. As soon as this was done the bird immediately flew away.
Unfurling the note it read:
Dear Mr. Wayne
I'm glad to have received your reply and that you have decided to accept a place at our school. As to your request to meet I will meet you and your parent tomorrow at noon. From there I can answer any questions you might have.
Sincerely,
Ashley Simmons
Headmistress
Damian stuffed the note in his pocket just as Caesar came back with the tennis ball. He took if from the dog and proceeded to throw it again, lost in his thoughts.
Well the meeting is a lot sooner than I thought it would be but I guess it's fitting that it would take place on my birthday. A whole new list of possibilities could be opened up to me with this. I'm sure dad will be pleased with how soon we'll have answers.
Breaking out his thoughts he whistled to Caesar and motioned for him to follow after him. After disposing of the ball and washing his hand of the dog's saliva, Damian went to his room to take a nap and mentally prepare for not only the upcoming conversation with his father but also for patrol afterwards.
Taking off his shoes and jacket fell onto his bed and stretched out staring up at the ceiling.
How would be a wizard affect his duties as Robin? Would going to this school change things about him? Exactly what would his future hold now?
Sighing Damian relaxed his body and closed his eyes soon falling into a deep and peaceful sleep.