This is a story wherein the wizarding world of the Harry Potter series exists in the DC Universe. Harry Potter himself doesn't exist in this story. The main character is Billy Batson, also known as the hero Shazam!

The Harry Potter timeline has been moved up to better fit into the DC Universe. The year is 2011—the same year Harry would have started school had he been in this story (which he is not).


Champion of Magic

I—The Invitation


Fawcett City, July 25th.

A loud, obnoxious beeping woke Billy up from his peaceful slumber. Groggily, the ten-year-old sat up in his bed, heavy eyes half-lidded. He looked to his right, where his cellphone sat on his bedside table, charging.

He sighed softly, leaning over and looking at the flashing text across the touch screen.

'Batman'

Billy groaned when he read the word, and groaned again when he saw the time.

"It's two in the morning…?" He was exhausted, but got up anyway. If Batman was calling this late on a school night, it had to be serious.

He clicked the green 'Answer' button and brought the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"A plane is about to crash into my city—I need your assistance." The voice on the other end clearly belonged to Batman. Despite the urgent words, the Dark Knight spoke them so calmly it'd be easy to miss the gravity of the situation. A plane crashing head on into Gotham City would be catastrophic. The damage to the infrastructure alone would be crippling, never mind the loss of life it would surely cause.

"I'm on it," he said, ending the call immediately. There wasn't any time to waste.

Billy rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned, walking towards the window of his room. The city lights illuminated the dark space just enough that he didn't need to turn on his lamp. Without too much hassle, he unlocked the window and opened it wide, shivering at the cool night breeze that assaulted him from outside.

The cold air managed to wake him up a bit, and he took in a deep breath before jumping right out of the window. His room was on the eighth floor, but for William—it's Billy!—Batson, that was nothing. The cold air whipped through his black hair and made it hard to keep his eyes open, but that wouldn't be a problem in a second.

"Shazam!" he shouted on the way down, his voice preternaturally loud, seemingly echoing off the buildings around him. From the starry sky above, a single, massive lightning bolt shot down right on top of Billy, enveloping his body in a blinding, blue-white light.

When the light faded, the ten-year-old was gone, replaced by an older, very muscular version of Billy. As if he aged to his absolute prime years, Billy was now fully grown, and no longer wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and plain black T-shirt. Now, he was garbed in a form-fitting, red bodysuit. Golden wrist guards and boots matched the sparking lightning-shaped symbol emblazoned on his chest. A golden belt and long white cape with a golden trim finished his new look, making him completely recognizable to all.

The hero Shazam!

Mid fall, Shazam stopped, floating two stories above the ground.

"Alright, then. To Gotham we go!" Shazam said, turning towards where he knew the sinister city was located before flying up and away at speeds that would make a jet blush.


|Champion of Magic|


Gotham City.

He was in Gotham in minutes, thanks to the Speed of Mercury. He was by no means as fast as the Flash (no one was. They didn't call him the "fastest man alive" without a reason), but he was certainly one of the fastest heroes on Earth.

He arrived just in time to see a burning airplane about to fall nose-first into a large skyscraper. He didn't know why the plane was on fire, or how Batman knew it would crash before it actually did—probably had something to do with the whole "detective" thing.

What Shazam did know was that if he didn't act quickly, a lot of people would die.

Rushing forwards through the sky, Shazam put himself between the skyscraper and the plane, arms wide. Then, with the Strength of Hercules, he caught the plane mid dive, making sure to cushion the force of the catch enough so as to not harm the people inside.

The plane was heavy, but not one of the heaviest things he'd lifted, for sure. Grunting slightly, he pushed forwards, leading the plane away from the building it was about to impact. When he was far enough away from any tall buildings, he maneuvered himself underneath the plane's belly, enhancing his grip.

"Gotta put this bird down somewhere safe…" he said, scanning his surrounding for the best possible landing zone. He had no idea where the airport was, and even if he did, he had no idea where to put the plane where it wouldn't be in the way. All he needed was to save one plane only to doom another.

"Guess I'll put it in the water," he said, looking at the harbor to the East. It was the only place he could see that was safe and easy enough to plop a plane down in. And it would also help with the flames, a win-win.

Four minutes later, he was completely soaked from head to toe, and the plane was safely in the water. He was glad that his invulnerability included a complete resistance to the elements, otherwise he'd be freezing his butt off.

In seconds, he had the emergency doors open and was helping everyone off the plane. He noticed that, while shaken and slightly bruised, no one was severely injured. Nearly everyone thanked him as they were led to safety, receiving a kind smile in return. He was used to the praise heroes received after being one for two years.

Once the last person-in-need was off the plane—the pilot—Shazam saw the person who had called him here in the first place. Standing at the end of a dock, he saw the Dark Knight himself.

"Hey, Batman!" Shazam greeted, landing on the dock next to his fellow Leaguer. "Just finished."

"You did exceptional work," Batman said, his tone as grim as always.

"Thanks," Shazam said, rubbing the back of his head. "But why'd you call me? You never call this late on a school night."

Batman was one of the few members of the Justice League, and indeed one of the handful of people in the world, that knew Shazam's true identity—the nearly eleven-year-old Billy Batson.

"Unfortunately, it was necessary," Batman said, eyes examining the plane in the water. "Superman is off-world with both Lanterns, Diana is busy on Themyscira, and J'onn's been visiting family on Mars. You were the only Leaguer with the efficient speed and strength required to help."

Shazam nodded, understanding. There were plenty more members—they totaled around seventeen the last time he'd checked—but not just anybody could catch a crashing plane out of the sky.

"So, what's up with the crashing and burning?" Shazam asked, curious.

"It's being taken care of," Batman said secretly. "You should go back home, get some rest."

Shazam rolled his eyes. Sometimes, he wondered if Bats purposefully tried to be as mysterious as possible, or if it was just his actual personality.

"Whatever," he said, unfazed. While not tired at all currently, he'd be exhausted in human form if he didn't get to bed soon. Middle school was no joke. "See ya."

With a small wave and his trademark grin, Shazam rose into the air and flew away, back to Fawcett City and his bed. If Batman didn't want his help, then he wasn't going to force it on him.


|Champion of Magic|


Fawcett City, July 27th.

Billy sighed, looking up at the shabby little apartment building he lived in. He was thankful that he had a place to live—he was on the street just a few years ago. He was very appreciative of Bruce "Batman" Wayne's help. Without the monthly allowance, he'd either still be on the streets or worse…

A foster home…

Still, the place looked especially decrepit today.

Happy eleventh birthday, Billy, he thought sarcastically, scowling as he entered the building. At least school got out early today, he thought, trying to find the positive in the situation.

Billy was very independent. He had to be, otherwise, he wouldn't have made it this long. "Street smarts", they called it. But no one wanted to be all alone on their birthday. No one at school even remembered—not even the teachers. It was a little depressing, actually.

It was at times like this that Billy wished his parents were still alive. Truth be told, he wished his parents were alive all the time.

Lazily, he climbed the stairs to his floor and found the door to his room. He fished the key out of his pants pocket and a few seconds later, had unlocked the door. He closed the door behind him when he entered the apartment and flung his black backpack onto the kitchen counter where he'd do his homework later.

Immediately, Billy went to the T.V. and turned it on. The news channel was already on and he left it there, placing the remote back on the coffee table and heading back to the kitchen. He liked to keep the news channel on just in case something urgent came up that needed his attention. He couldn't rely on the League to call him whenever there was an issue. Shazam was responsible for Fawcett City, which meant Billy needed to stay alert.

Once in the kitchen, he opened the fridge, looking for something to eat. There wasn't much as far as snacks went, but he smiled happily enough when he found a chocolate pudding cup. His treat in hand, a spoon in the other, Billy plopped down on the couch, swinging his feet onto the coffee table. It wasn't a cake, but the pudding was still good.

A few minutes passed like this, the officially eleven-year-old relaxing after a boring day at school. He eventually threw his empty pudding cup away and washed the spoon, but he was right back on the couch afterwards. He had pulled his phone out and was currently scrolling through YouTube videos of the League. It seemed like people were recording them wherever they were, despite the obvious danger.

His boredom-induced, social media lurking ended when there was a knock at the door.

Billy hardly ever had guests at his apartment, so he was unsure who it could be. Bruce usually sent his allowance with Alfred during one of the two monthly check-ins (he didn't look it, but Batman really did care about him), and this wasn't one of their scheduled days.

Billy hopped up off the couch and walked to the door. Carefully, he unlocked and opened it, greeted by… an old man.

"Hello?" Billy said, unsure. The man had an impressively long, white beard that was obviously immaculately well kept. His hair was equally long and just as snowy white as his beard. Blue eyes laid behind half-mooned glasses and, strangely enough, he wore an ankle-long, purple cloak. He reminded Billy of the Wizard in more ways than a few.

"Hello, Mr. Batson," the well-aged man greeted, surprising Billy. He didn't know how this stranger knew his name. "May I come in?" he asked politely, a gentle, genuine smile upon his face.

Billy only paused for a few seconds before he nodded, turning to the side to allow the man entry. While it wasn't smart for anyone of any age to so easily invite strangers into their house, and even more so for an eleven-year-old, Billy felt like he was reasonably safe enough. After all, a single word was all he'd have to say, and the elderly man would be face-to-face with the same hero who had fought Superman once and held his ground supremely well.

Once the stranger was inside and the door was shut, Billy finally asked the big question.

"Um, who are you?"

The stranger offered another kind smile. "My name is Albus Dumbledore," he said. "I'm the Headmaster of a school in Europe."

Billy's brow furrowed in confusion. He'd heard the accent immediately, but didn't think much of it. Alfred spoke with an English accent, too, yet he'd lived in the U.S. for years.

"In Europe?" he asked. "You're kinda far away from home, aren't you? What're you doing in Fawcett City?"

"I'm here to meet you, Mr. Batson," Albus explained. "May I sit?" he asked, gesturing for the couch.

Billy nodded. "Go ahead," he said. "And call me Billy, please. Mr. Batson was my father."

"Thank you, Billy," Albus said. "You may call me Albus, if you'd like."

Billy nodded. "So, Albus, why'd you come all the way from Europe to meet me for?" he asked. If the man wasn't so kind-looking, Billy would be a bit on edge. He, strangely enough, felt like he could trust this person.

"The school I run is… special," Albus started. "And, to my understanding, you are a very special young man."

Billy's eyes narrowed. Just how much did this person know about him?

"At Hogwarts, we teach gifted young people how to harness their talents in a safe, productive environment, surrounded by others like themselves," Albus continued.

"Hogwarts?" Billy said the word experimentally. It sounded strange, like it was made up on the spot.

"Ah, yes," Albus said. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Billy blinked.

"Huh?"

"Did I not mention that I teach at a school for witches and wizards?" Albus asked innocently.

This guy's nuts… Billy thought.

"We've never had a Muggle attend, but your circumstances are quite rare," Albus continued, his tone as light as if he were discussing the weather. "That is, if you're willing to attend."

If he were a normal person, he would have dismissed the man's odd behavior from the start. However, Billy was constantly surrounded by men and women who dressed up in skin tight costumes and ran around saving people with their superpowers. An old man who claimed he taught at a magic school for magical kids was pretty ordinary.

"Well, I'm not a wizard, so…" Billy started, much to the Headmaster's amusement.

"That fact isn't always true, now is it, Billy?" Albus said, a knowing twinkle in his eye.

Billy remained silent.

"There's no need to be alarmed," Albus stated. "Your predicament is quite detailed in the wizarding world."

"Wizarding world?" Billy asked. He hadn't ever heard of a "wizarding world" before, and he'd been in the hero business for a while now.

"The magical population in the world split from the non-magical in 1692—you'll actually learn about this if you decide to attend," Albus explained. "We've kept ourselves hidden and separate from our Muggle counterparts for centuries."

"Then why are you here?" Billy asked. He was almost positive that this person knew he was Shazam, but he wouldn't just admit it outright yet.

"I am here to invite the Champion of Magic to my school," Albus finally said, shattering all doubt if he knew who Billy was or not. "Your exploits as Shazam are famous, even among our sheltered world. And while you've proven yourself an exceptional hero in the Muggle world, it's very apparent that you haven't learned how to use magic."

Billy wasn't sold quite yet. "Show me," he said, staring intensely at the elderly man, ready to say the magic word. "Show me that you're really a wizard."

Dumbledore smiled a knowing smile. Billy felt, for some reason, that Albus seemingly knew his every response.

"Of course," the "wizard" said, carefully pulling out a grey, wooden wand from his robes. Then, he pointed the wand at the chair that sat at the kitchen table, waving it fluidly. Before Billy's crystal blue eyes, the chair twisted and shifted, transforming into a large tan dog. A living, breathing, blinking… dog.

The dark barked once before trotting over to Billy's side, licking his proffered hand.

"Will that suffice?" Albus asked.

Billy nodded. "Yeah…" he said, staring at the dog. He'd seen a lot as Shazam, but this was… different, to say the least. "So… Hogwarts, huh?"

Albus nodded. "At Hogwarts, you'd learn how to harness the magic of Shazam—not to mention a proper introduction to the wizarding world."

Billy was silent once again, before he decided to ask another question. "You said you're the Headmaster of the school, right?" he asked, receiving a nod from said Headmaster. "Is it normal for you to visit people like this? Aren't you, like, super busy running your school?"

Albus nodded. "Indeed," he started. "I am very busy, even during holidays. However, you are a… special case, to say the least." He chuckled. "And I can't deny the fact that I was incredibly curious to meet you, the individual chosen by magic itself to serve as Shazam."

Billy accepted the elderly man's excitement, before asking another question that was on his mind. "How'd you find me?" he asked.

Again, Albus smiled. "Magic," was all he said, elaborating no further. "Now, I really must be going, but before I do," he handed Billy an envelope, "this is for you. It's your Hogwarts letter. Inside, you'll find your formal invitation and a list of materials required for the year, and directions to the place where they can all be found."

Billy accepted the letter, opening it up and reading the contents of the obvious parchment. His face scrunched as he read something that sounded even stranger than "Hogwarts".

"What's a… Supreme Mugwump…?" Billy asked, pronouncing the word on his tongue like it belonged to a foreign language.

"Come to Hogwarts and find out," Albus said unhelpfully, smiling. And then he pointed his wand at the dog again and it turned back into a chair.

"Goodbye, Billy," he finished with a wave. "I hope to see you soon. Oh, and one more thing," he said, looking at Billy with an innocent smirk. "Happy birthday." He stood up from the couch and nodded his head towards Billy before vanishing before his eyes in a strange swirl—as if he was sucked into himself, somehow—and a soft crack.

Billy blinked at the place where the wizard had been seconds before and was silent for a long moment.

Then, he sighed.

"Of course," he said, shaking his head.

Of course there was a secret magical population. Of course that secret magical population knew his secret. And, of course he'd learn all of this on his birthday.

At least someone remembered, he thought, smiling.

Billy looked back down at the invitation and read through its contents again.

He really needed to talk to someone about all of this, and there was really only one person he could think of who could give him the kind of advice he needed.


|Champion of Magic|


This is my first real attempt to write in the Harry Potter fandom, and my very first time playing around with the DCU, even though I'm a huge fan of both. This idea has been rattling in my head for years but I've never seriously thought about doing anything with it until after seeing the Shazam live action movie trailer. I really want to see that movie.

So here it is. I'd appreciate some constructive criticism and maybe a few ideas to add to my own, as I'm not entirely sure about the events of this story or how they're going to happen (I started with only the concept of Billy going to Hogwarts).

hyvnn.