Author's notes: And this is how the life continues in DC Universe, where everyone now knows that magic exists and that there has been wizards and witches living among muggles for millenniums. Mistakes have been made when exposed and they have lead us to the brilliant invention of Lex Luthor, Circle of Magi, a shared school system for wizards to learn how to control their powers and muggles to understand how magic works and it's history.
But even then, you can imagine there are people who will be interested in taking advantage of the Circle.
Furthermore, to people who come across this story and are confused of why everything is as it is, go back and read the previous installments in this series. First you need to read Traveler Among Wizards, then Outsider Beyond Good and Evil and the story that happens just before this one is Arcane War between Gods and Men. Read those three stories and then come back to read this one.
Prologue Act One
Gotham City, rooftop of the GCPD
''It has grown faster than I expected. Maybe that is the magic at work.''
Over the course of just a few months the great tower of the Circle of Magi had risen onto the bay between Gotham and Metropolis, only being accessible by a ferry ride. It was tall with about 52 stories in it's height and in diameter wide enough for 3 football fields. That, and then there were the underwater levels going below the bottom of the sea. In it's height it dwarfed even the tallest buildings in both cities.
''You know what heard?'' Harvey Bullock asked nodding his head at the tower. ''Some guy told me that they have ways to me the insides bigger than it looks on the outside.''
''Time of wonders is never over,'' Commissioner Gordon replied switching on the Bat-signal. ''Although, who the hell are we to talk about wonders anymore?''
''Right,'' Bullock said opening a flask and gulped. ''So, we get to look at that ugly thing ruin the scenery while bunch of kids are taken from their homes and locked in there?''
''Yep, but it isn't illegal, just new school system,'' Commissioner Gordon said joining Bullock by the side of the roof. ''Doesn't mean we have to like the fact it's there.''
BUMP!
''Jim,'' Batman's voice said behind them and turning around they saw his dark figure standing on the Bat-signal.
''Must be new record,'' Bullock said glancing at his watch as Gordon approached Batman.
''Thought you might be interested about the new Intel,'' Gordon said looking up to Batman's obscure silhouette standing over the Bat-signal. ''Going to come down from there?''
Batman's figure looked around before jumping down off he Bat-signal and down to face Gordon, although still keeping in the shadows.
''Right, word is that the Intergang has been moving it's interests over from Metropolis ever since they begun to build that thing,'' Gordon said nodding his head at the tower on the Bay. ''Captain Sawyer has shared Intel on them attempting to upgrade their high tech weapons with... well, magical supplies from the Circle.''
''The potential is there and I would be surprised if they weren't trying,'' Batman replied staying in the shadows. ''However, Intergang is an outside force in Gotham and even with what they already got, they would be met as competition with hostile force from Penguin, Twoface or Black Mask. Even the Joker would jump in just for the sake of it.''
''That would be something,'' Bullock said with a grunt. ''Our usual freaks fighting with magical weapons.''
''LexCorp and the Ministry of Magic are keeping their teaching supplies in secure locations until the tower is ready for moving in,'' Batman said looking at the tower. ''Intergang might not know where they are now, but when it's all transferred in there, it will take well planned raid to storm the place.''
''You think they are prepared for raids in there?'' Gordon asked looking at the tower.
''The fact it's being built on water means they were aiming for isolation and on attacks by sea,'' Batman said walking closer to the edge of the rooftop. ''Security team is being lead by Leonard Snart and the word on the street is that they have more Rogues keeping watch there.''
''With possible room for an inside man,'' Gordon responded.
''Even with those possibilities, we can't act on anything except observe and be ready,'' Batman said before jumping off the building.
''Did he look like had lost weight to you?'' Bullock asked observing his flask. ''Or height?''
''How was my performance?'' Batman said talking to his cowl's comm while gliding through the skyline.
''A little here and there, without the voice modulator though it would have gone- well,'' Oracle's voice spoke in his ear. ''You might need to stick to 'sign language' in hostile situations and not that much on social interactions yet, Dick.''
''It never works when I actually try to act like Bruce,'' Batman grunted dodging a building.
''Try finding a middle ground between making a fun of it and actually thinking you have to be him,'' Oracle suggested before going back to business. ''So how are we going to approach the situation with the Intergang?''
''What they want is currently in an unknown location, but soon it will be in the tower at the bay,'' Batman answered doing a somersault, firing his grappling-gun in midair and pulling himself more altitude before starting a freefall next to the water front. ''I'm going to go do some recon.''
Using the momentum from the freefall and gaining air under his cape, Batman managed to pull himself up to glide just over the water, low enough not to be seen from the shoreline to the tower's pier entrance.
''Oracle, you still there?'' Batman asked observing the tower entrance.
''Where would I have gone?'' Oracle responded with playful sarcasm.
''Right, the door isn't locked so I'm going in,'' Batman said entering the tower and activated the cowl's lenses to act as cameras. ''I'm starting to send you footage of the area to map out.''
''Dick, is this really necessary?'' Oracle asked voicing her concern.
''The Circle itself was originally Lex Luthor's idea, meaning he paid and designed the foundations on this place,'' Batman said looking around the the entrance hall. ''If there is blind spot in here that Intergang or our own crooks can use in attacking here, we need to know about it.''
Batman walked from the entrance hall to a hallway with doors on the right wall and continued, ''It's what Bruce would have done.''
Metropolis, Big Belly Burger
''So, the Circle officially opens tomorrow,'' Clark Kent said sitting opposite to Harry Potter and opened his laptop to the table between them.
''Yep,'' Harry replied deadpan and sarcasm. ''I'm so thrilled.''
''Okay, first question,'' Clark said pushing his glasses up his nose and opened a word file, ''what will be your role in the Circle?''
''Officially, make appearance and rule over curriculum,'' Harry said trying mentally not to compare this interview to to the one he had had with Rita Skeeter on his 4th year in Hogwarts with the Triwizard Tournament. ''Unofficially, sit behind a desk and argue with Captain Cold when some student does something that resembles becoming the next Voldemort. You're a writer, so I assume you can make it sound more interesting than it really is.''
''I'll see what I can do,'' Clark replied said trying to keep a balance between being a professional and a friend. ''Okay, next question, how would you describe an average day in the Circle?''
''I failed Divination in Hogwarts, so I can't tell how it will be,'' Harry said with another deadpan tone. ''Best I can tell you is that I imagine it to be 'wake up, eat breakfast, go to classes and do your homework before going to sleep'. Nothing exiting, unless Captain Cold finds someone practicing Dark Arts.''
''Basic boarding school with cops and robbers,'' Clark said summarizing what Harry told him as he wrote it down. ''How are the students going settled into the Circle? I got the image that Hogwarts and other magical schools have had their students moved there.''
''Not really in long term,'' Harry said crossing his arms. ''The Circle tower built to the bay has room to house 5 Hogwarts worth of students and teachers. The Ministry and LexCorp are also looking new places to build new Circle towers.''
''So there is enough room for all the students transferred from Hogwarts and for new comers?'' Clark asked to clarify.
''Yes,'' was Harry's answer. ''That's all I can say about that right now.''
''What about the teachers?'' Clark asked moving on with the interview. ''Who do have hired for the teachers?''
''Alumni of previous Hogwarts old teachers I studied with, plus some other promises we have found,'' Harry said, looking elsewhere while thinking about them. ''The curriculum will hold the same things as in Hogwarts, I you know what those are, except that Muggle Studies have been extended to also have what muggle schools' teach. Math, Science, Biology, different languages and physical exercise because that's important to growing children.''
''Can you give me any teachers' names?'' Clark asked. ''Off the record or if you agree that I-''
''Ginny has volunteered, you can probably guess why. You also remember Neville Longbottom? He is also stepping in as well as Parvati and Padma Patil, Terry Boot and bunch of former DA members. '' Harry said giving Clark interview answers. ''We were also introduced to a Terrance Thirteen, a squid who says he has studied magical theories.''
''Longbotton, Patils, Boot,'' Clark listed out in referents and asked the follow up question. ''And those theories will serve for the muggle parents who also study in the Circle?''
''It is as Lex Luthor said 'to help the parents control and defend themselves from their kids' magical powers from being abused','' Harry told while making an impression of Lex Luthor's voice, making Clark grunt.
''Right,'' Clark said speed writing up an article and proof read it in the same time it took Harry to blink. ''Do you have anything to add before I send this to my editor.''
''No, I'll just read it from Daily Planet when it's published,'' Harry said rubbing his eyes. ''So, how's the one armed man on the Moon?''
''You know how,'' Clark said using code words. ''He is either there or sent to the bog. Until the owl howls the truth.''
''Sounds fair,'' Harry said looking out the window as their order arrived to their table. ''Or unfair, I'm not sure if I know the difference anymore.''
Oracle's Clocktower
''Okay, Dick, I have enough footage to build a 3D model of the tower,'' Barbara spoke to her console to relay Batman the job was done while setting up the rendering. ''You can leave that place now.''
''I'll leave from the top of the tower,'' Batman's voice said from the console. ''Wait, Barbara, can you see this?''
''What?'' Barbara asked leaning to enlarge the screen showing the feed from Batman's mask.
It was showing that Batman had made his way to the roof and was looking at something that was shining on the stone floor. Or glowing, it looked too obscure to see with all of it's details.
''Dick, what am I looking at?''
''It looks like writing. Graffiti made from some glowing substance,'' Batman's voice said as the feed showed him kneeling to look at it closer and reach towards it. ''This place was built in the last few months, so it can't be old enough to have a curse on it or to have anyone else come here to vandalize it like this.''
''Can you take a sample of the substance so I can run an analysis on it?'' Barbara asked trying to look at the screen and trying to make out what she was looking at.
''Doing it now,'' Batman said as the feed showed him stuck his thumb, which had a needle point out of it, into the glow. ''Barb... It's... looks... Barb-''
''Dick?'' Barbara asked as the feed suddenly started spinning and show Batman loosing hs balance. ''Dick, what is happening!?''
No response, but the connection stood online showing Batman fall to the floor, the feed showing the glow spreading up his hand.
''Dick? DICK!?'' Barbara yelled to her console's comm link without getting any response on the feed, leading her to open more communication channels. ''Everybody listen up, we have a situation! Repeat, WE HAVE A SITUATION!''
Amusement Mile, abandoned disco
''My Brothers and Sisters, we live in a time when foul servants of Satan are allowed to walk among us,'' Hermione heard the charismatic voice of the religious preacher addressing a crowd. ''For years under our noses these devils have managed to hide from us, but now we know where they are! They have been revealed to us and we are expected to allow them to live in the ivory tower built to the bay, BEING CLOSER TO GOD THAN US!''
The crowd booed to what the preacher had told them, probably to signal that they agreed with him.
''EXACTLY! We are not bowing down to these witches, WE WILL SEND THEM OUR MESSAGE OF OPPOSING!'' the preacher continued his preaching and pulled the tarp off from covering Hermione being tied to a stake, revealing her to the preacher's followers and to her what she was in for. ''This is but one of those witches we are supposed to tolerate and seduce us to the foul teachings of Satan. I SAY WE DECLINE AND FIGHT AGAINST THEM!''
''This is what women had to put up with in the 1600s?'' Hermione though to ask turning to look at the preacher, a tall, fit older man with balding long hair and beard, wearing a grey suit with shirt buttoned open to reveal tribal tattoos on his chest. ''Also, aliens with superpowers and humans with high technology are okay, but you draw the line to me, because..?''
''YOU HAVE HEARD HER CONFESSION!'' the preacher yelled pointing his hand at the witch. ''She doesn't even deny what she is! You all know what we do with this bride of Satan!?''
''BURN HER!'' was yelled from one side of the crowd.
''BURNED AT THE STAKE!'' was yelled from the same direction.
''SEND HER TO HELL!'' was yelled and for a second Hermione was tempted to apparate away.
''TURN UP THE MUSIC ALREADY, ASSHOLE!'' a more familiar voice yelled, signaling Hermione that the cavalry had arrived.
''Who dares to-'' the preacher demanded to know who had defined his ceremony, until he was cut in mid-sentence by a high pinched
''SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!''
that made the followers fall on their knees to cover their ears, but didn't manage to put down the preacher, who moved to hold a ceremonial knife by Hermione's throat.
The high pinched scream was still being screamed so he couldn't yell orders to his followers or threats in form of demands to the assailants taking out his followers. Only when all of them had been taken down, the screaming halted and he was faced by the two who had been supposed to follow Hermione after she was taken, the other pointing a handgun at the preacher and the other a crossbow.
''Deacon Blackfire, it has been a long time,'' Red Hood said pointing his gun at the preacher. ''Huntress, you're new to Gotham, so this is Deacon Blackfire, a preacher who tried to take over Gotham by brainwashing an army for himself and was then torn apart by his followers after that wore off.''
''He was torn apart?'' Huntress asked glancing at Red Hood.
''Yeah, he tried to dare Batman into killing him to prove his worth in those bullshit preachings, but ended up being beaten up to the point he just begged Batman to stop,'' Red Hood said sounding like he was grinning under his helmet. ''Imagine how his followers must have thought before they ganged up on him.''
''Servants of Hell, you stand between this witch and the righteous will of God-''
POKS!
Hermione apparated away from Blackfire's holding, not giving him the the chance to react before
''SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!'' Black Canary screamed using her Canary Cry to weaken Blackfire for
SMACK-KAPOW!
Red Hood and Hunterss to take him out by both giving him a combined punch.
''So how is he still alive if his previous followers ripped him to pieces?'' Hermione asked conjuring binds around the preacher.
''Magic, black magic, Blood Magic, something that makes him a hypocrite I guess,'' Red Hood said as everyone got a call to their comms.
''Everybody listen up, we have a situation! Repeat, WE HAVE A SITUATION!'' Oracle's voice spoke. ''The Black Bird is down! Repeat, THE BLACK BIRD IS DOWN!''
TO BE CONTINUED IN ACT TWO...
Author's notes: I was originally going to have all three acts be combined together as a one-shot first, but then it got too large and I thought it better to divide it to these three acts. Once they are all over, that's when Life in the Circle of Magi will officially start. If the story picks up interest.