Mount Olympus was ablaze. Not literally, although half a dozen pissed off gods would probably be able to do so. The protectors of the Amazons just had found out what their champion and her daughter had endured over the course of the last year and they were as angry as the furies could get. The enraged goddesses had taken the main hall in holding and were shouting insults at the pool in the middle of the hall that showed the mortal world. This was something none of the male gods was pleased to see besides Hephaestus, the smith could expect angry sex at that evening but he was smart enough to hide the fact. As the male gods feared for their bits being ripped off if going in and saying something wrong they were unable to come to a solution for their dilemma, which was because they wanted to use the main hall for their own agenda. Despite the myths and stories most were on good terms with each other and to ensure it stayed that way they met regularly to do some family bonding. Each of them took turns suggesting something they could do together. Reflecting the cliché of Dionysus, his suggestion was to drink, a lot. Next pick had been Apollo with testing something some of his protégées had once been using. So Apollo was thinking of the incense the oracle of Delphi had benefitted from and he recommended using said incense to see if they were able to reproduce the effect and gain knowledge of the future. They were not able to experience their fate, it just had the result of intoxicating them more. The last pick of the evening was made by Zeus and in his uninhibited state he suggested watching College-Cheerleaders' practice by using the pool. That led to their dilemma. So they did what every group of intoxicated males would do in such case, they played rock paper scissors. After half a dozen rounds and a dozen discussions if the stone really sharpens the scissors - which were finally decided by Hephaestus' superior but dulled knowledge - the loser who had to go in and ask the females to abandon the pool was Hades. As he entered the hallowed hall he firstly went unnoticed due to the rage the goddesses had talked themselves into, but that advantage was negated as Zeus had the brilliant idea to roar out loud how long it would take. Suddenly being targeted by five in his eyes very scary women he instantly sobered up and worked his charm.
"What may I ask has enraged the most well balanced goddesses this realm holds?"
"You may ask as you should be worried at least as much as we are."The goddess of wisdom answered.
"Pardon me. Why does it have to concern me? What is it?" Asked the befuddled god of the underworld.
"You don't know?" Said Aphrodite throwing a questioning glance at her uncle.
"That path of questions gets frustrating very fast so why not just tell me?" Asked the now annoyed and alarmed god.
"Well if you want it that way. Diana has a daughter."Said Hera as she was disrupted.
"Of course, I know, I already gave the child my blessing and some of my powers the day little Martha was born. Why are you so enraged by that?"
"That's probably the reason why she didn't cry as she was in that cupboard. Why should someone with the powers of the god of the underworld fear the darkness."Said Athena lost in thought just to be grabbed by Hades and spun to face him.
Enraged the god asked. "Why is my granddaughter in a cupboard? Diana would never do something like this. She is a being full of love. Never would she let such a cruelty happen to her child." The god clearly was distressed so Hera intervened.
"Your granddaughter was abducted from her parents and placed under magical wards fueled by your granddaughter´s own blood. We were only currently able to find her location. Our blessing and her heritage made the wards that way that they couldn't be pierced by us."
That day the fate of an old coot was sealed.
The protections put up around the House were formidable. That's when you consider a shield, draining magical energy from your own blood and a pair of deranged guardians that, when looked at carefully, would probably turn up to be equipped with about a quarter of a rabbits brain, a formidable defense. In fairness they would do good against magic made by mortals and human gods, but Doctor Fate´s magic was of a quite different kind. The only serious defense around he had to consider a slight challenge was a charm forcing everybody to forget the existence of the child hidden inside the house. The strike force found that out as Captain Atom flew above the perimeter and immediately forgot why he was there, but this defense was easily dispelled by Doctor Fate. The Lord of Order wasn't some fluke of a wizard. He belonged to the most powerful magicians in existence and therefore had no real problem in eliminating the charm and granting entrance for the team.
Originally the plan had been to scout the area extensively first, but in a rather unusual emotional outburst Batman decided to do only the minimal of reconnaissance and went directly to the front door of the rather plain building whose address the Batcomputer had provided.
So it happened that in a mild November evening the front door and half of the entry hall of number 4, Privet Drive became a mess consistent of splinters of various sizes and a mixture of drywall dust and pieces. Courtesy of a colorful mix of fists and feet of the more dangerous and in this case also more aggressive members of the Justice League, who seemingly picked this moment to synchronize their outbursts. This of course attracted the attention of numerous people.
Firstly the whole neighborhood of Little Whinging. Therefore Supergirl and Captain Atom were posted outside as guards and crowd control.
Secondly the inhabitants of number 4, Privet Drive. Their reaction was a grab in the quite various. The man resembling a hippopotamus did now not just possess this animal's stature but also the its skin colour. Additionally to the men's unbelievable talent in mimicry he also started to utter sentences who either where the product of pure misunderstanding or where a completely unknown language based on the concept of sounding like a complete idiot.
Unfamiliar to the now present people a rather well known and famous specialist in the fields of formerly unidentified magical animals, presented with the data collected that evening, theorized twenty years later that the man was infected by a kind of spore only known in direct vicinity of a species called Crumple-Horned Snorkack and therefore reacted like a moron. After further investigation however the specialist changed her opinion due to the fact that the Crumple-Horned Snorkack would never live in a household not infected with Nargles and came to the conclusion that the man really was a complete idiot.
The man was silenced quite fast as he was pinned into the wall by one of the few men on earth who would not have a problem to hold such weight upwards for a longer duration of time. The woman, who also seemed to have the extreme talent in mimicry the man possessed, just not the same degree and not the same species, was viciously attacked by a number of toys belonging to the boy sitting on the floor in front of the blaring television. The quite traumatizing experience of being surrounded by fifty Playmobil figures who apprehended her and even getting some of them stuck in nose, ears and mouth was a courtesy of Zatanna. The woman, who could win a look like a horse competition even against a horse, was obviously unsure if she should just faint and get it over with or should lose control over her bladder. After a short visual examination a bystander was able to see that she had first chosen option B and right afterwards option A.
The rather rotund boy was - despite the ruckus around him - still constrained by the television program and was therefore ignored by all.
This exact moment was the point in time where the considerably limited mental abilities of the man started to catch up with his surroundings and so he chooses to scream some quite hurt and spiteful expressions along the line of. "What are you freaks doing here?" His efforts to put himself in charge of the situation were followed by words similar to. "Do you know who you´re talking to?" Both of his quite pitiful attempts to take control were silenced by two tiny but still intimidating burn marks only inches besides his eyes in the drywall. Those were of course created by Kryptonian heat rays.
As the opposition - if you want to call that pathetic bunch of wasted cellular mass opposition - was neutralized the League started searching the house for the missing child. The ground and first floor were quickly checked and the absenteeism of the baby was quite obvious so the agitated parents explored the attic and the basement. As even those searches did not yield satisfactory results Batman really wished for an easy access to a clocktower so he could interrogate the delinquents properly. As such wasn't available he had to resort to other means. So the Dark Knight took the hippopotamus out of the not so caring hands of the Man of Steel and growled in his deepest voice. "Where is the girl?" As the answers the man gave were disappointing Batman´s brain reacted by calculating an equation that described the intersection of his elbow and the man's cheekbone and let the muscles perform the conclusion. Afterwards the stammering of the man was still unpleasant and did not contain the information Batman and Diana wanted but was at least not obvious lies. Though the interrogation itself did not bring forward any results the noise did, more exactly the in our genes inscribed unease at the sound of snapping bones. This sound awoke the children in the house.
The enraged heroes thought it was only the rotund child in front of the television and chose to ignore it for the child's safety, because even with all their self control they would probably have reacted inappropriate. But then the super senses of Clark, who stood in the back row of the scenery, were able to discern and pinpoint another sound which was far quieter. It was more a whimper then it was crying. A short check with the X-Ray vision later Clark sped to the cupboard under the stairs, bend open the hinges and saw his goddaughter, still wrapped in a blanket. He slowly picked her up and carefully went back into the living room. Martha made a gurgling sound loud enough to alert the group and instantly all turned around and looked at the small package in the Kryptonian's hands. "Why was she in the cupboard like a coat?" Said the Man of Steel with such anger in his voice that it oozed with it. That was the last twine that held the restraint the Bat had together. Without the chance to breath right the man was knocked out within seconds. While the Bat punished the jailor of his daughter, Diana took the child out of Clark´s hands and made sounds that where half cooing and half weeping in the attempt to calm down the child. To measure her joy was a futile attempt. To be perfectly clear: If she knew what the Lion King was, she would probably reenact the scene where Simba was presented to the inhabitants of his father´s kingdom. As the hippopotamus was taken down but still alive Batman went to his child and cradled her in his arms. Over the next few minutes the girl was passed from one Leaguer to another and as the child was again in the mother´s arms they prepared to leave.
The thing that woke Dumb-as-a doorknob up was the falling of the wards. That by itself was threatening and dangerous as the only thing that could explain the failure of the wards was someone stronger than him had taken them down. The only one he knew who was strong enough to do so was Voldemort, though his reincorporation happened far too fast and his whole plan was again in peril. In his fear he called together the members of the Order of the Phoenix (aka fried turkey club) and led them all to Privet Drive in hope to beat Voldemort with mass. They appeared right the moment when the members of the Justice League left the building number 4 and grouped up to be teleported back to the Watchtower. Without a warning Dumbledork fired a bonebreaker at the group not caring whom he hit. Just seeing someone leave with a pawn essential for his masterplan.
Doctor Fate saw the Hex coming and without any stress shielded the group from the spell. In a casual tone the Lord of Order said to the approaching group. "So you are the imbeciles who tried to hide the child behind such a pathetic charm."
"Hand over the child. She is not yours." Was the probably worst thing Dumbledork could say in that moment but in his idiocy he did. Diana, who till now was unseen due to her position behind Clark and Bruce, made a step to her lover and placed their daughter in his hands with the words. "Take her to the watchtower, I will be back in a moment. I just have to take care of the trash." This was said with hardly concealed rage in her voice. Not a second later the members of the League who were weak or unarmed to magic had disappeared in a white flash signaling a teleport, leaving only Zatanna, Doctor Fate and a severely pissed Wonder Woman behind. Who seconds later proved to be enough to take down the fried turkey club.
It only took seconds for the Lord of Order and Zatanna to take out the members of the order, only the peg legged man who looked like he was attacked by a bulldog fired more than two spells as most of the order were taken out after the first one.
Diana on the other hand took her time with the man she recognized as the abductor of her daughter. Now knowing what powers the man possessed she was easily able to evade the attacks or protect herself from them with her Hephaestus forged shield. During the pauses between each spell he threw at her she came a step closer to him grinning menacing and madly. As she was at arm's length she plucked the wand out of the old coot´s hand snapping it in half. That wasn´t exactly the second Dumbledork was sure he was screwed, that came as she grabbed him at his collar and pulled him up. This moment also was quite important for her as she fought an inner battle if she should break him like she broke his wand. Finally her more rational side won. She spat him right between the eyes to dishonor him further and snarled. "Come close to my daughter again and it will be the last mistake you make in your life." Afterwards she picked him up and hurled him in a 60 foot wide arc with pinpoint accuracy into a trash bin. After a short contemplation she was able to think clearly again and started to interrogate the group of people who came with the incapacitated old coot. Clearly none of them were able to withstand the power of her lasso.
The immobilized Dumbledork was forced to watch his plans start to crumble as he was unable to move without severe pain.
When Diana started interrogating the group she found discrepancies she firstly was unable to explain. Incomprehensibly each of those people thought that the League was abducting their savior in form of a little girl. What did those idiots think her daughter was? Piece by piece she was able to find out what the people saw in her: A child fighting and killing a man worthy of Amazonkinds worst prejudices. A being that only finds satisfaction in murder, bloodshed and violence. Truly the girl did a great deed to humankind, but even if she did she still was her daughter and she should never have to face such abhorrence. Then Diana interrogated a man who if kindly described would be called tattered. As soon as the lasso touched his skin he started rocking in his confinement and growled in obvious agony. Shortly after that the man´s pain soothed in his own and he was ready for questioning. In reality she didn't even need to ask questions. The man willingly spilled his beans. The story she heard then showed her that even if this people were idiots to follow someone without questioning, they still cared for the child. Most of them in a sick hero worshipping way but the tattered man really loved her daughter like his own and was willing to die for her. The story she was told was unbelievable. Compelled by the lasso he spoke in a monotonous way.
"Lily Potter was impregnated by James Potter. After eight and a half months Lily had a miscarriage and the midwife was unable to safe the child. So Harry Potter left this world before he entered it. This destroyed Lily and James. They didn't come out of their house day in, day out. After two weeks in this mess they were visited by Dumbledore who held a small child in his arms. He told them that the child was an orphan and needed a good home. Lily sprang into accepting, James soon afterwards followed. They adopted the child and made her heir to the house of Potter, one of the oldest magical lines in Britain. Dumbledore erased our memories of the miscarriage and the adoption. He said it was for security measurements. The three Potters lived a happy and love filled life till the day before yesterday. Sirius Black betrayed their location to Voldemort. Lily and James got killed by the Dark Lord but surprisingly the child survived and defeated the enemy. The child was brought to Lily´s only living relatives, the Dursleys."
"Why do you protect the child?" Asked the bewildered Amazon.
"She is the only remnant of my friends and family. Everyone else has either been killed in this war or has betrayed me. She is the daughter of two of my best friends who both considered me a brother. Therefore I have to protect her."
"So you would pledge yourself and your life to protect her? No matter what cost? Just to ensure that she has a good and safe live?" Asked the Amazon part skeptical part hopeful, a plan forming in her mind.
"I already swore a magical oath on my life to protect her to the best of my knowledge. James and Lily asked me and Sirius to take these oaths in case something happened to them."
"Didn´t Sirius Black betray them to Voldemort? How is this oath worth anything if someone can circumvent it that easily?" Asked Diana skeptical.
"That shouldn't be possible. He must be innocent otherwise he would be dead."
"I have an idea that is potentially risky for me so I must ask you will you attack me when I loosen the lasso?"
"As long as you pose a threat to the child I will fight you."
"I expected that. Dr Fate, Zatanna subdue him as soon as I release the lasso." Ordered Diana her colleagues, which then threateningly moved closer. "You have seen the power of the lasso to force you to speak the truth. I will now use it on me to ensure you that I don't pose a threat to the child."
"How do I know that you can´t trick the lasso."
"Unlike you who has attacked a group holding an unprotected child I have a warriors honor and cherish this honor as high as my own life. Additionally all of our attacks were merely made to incapacitate. You and the others used attacks that cut and blast open solid concrete. And finally the protections around this house were made in a way that they siphon off the magic of its inhabitants, thus harming them by casting these wards. So actually you are the evil ones in that case."
"I can´t argue with that." He said with a resigned tone. "I, Remus Lupin, swear on my life and magic that I will not attack you when you remove your lasso. So mote it be." This was accompanied with a rather bright flash of light. Diana was befuddled at this action. "What was that?"
"This was an unbreakable oath. When I break it my magic will kill me instantly."
Diana, knowing the power of the lasso, removed it and wrapped it around her right forearm. "The child you just have seen taken away is my own flesh and blood. She is my daughter. For the last year the child´s father, our friends and I have searched the globe to find her and bring her back to us. She was forcefully taken away from us by that old man over there and we went mad with grief. Only yesterday we were able to locate her as she experienced as much grief and loss as a mind that young could experience. We will do our best to take care of her and make sure she is safe and no one will stop us from doing so."
The man broke down as he recognized what atrocities he helped commit. It took him time to pull himself together enough to follow the speech of the Amazon again.
"Now I have to ask you a question. How you answer it will change your life and it will be irreversible as I won´t accept you backing out of the deal. Is that clear?"
"Ask."
"As I won´t let my daughter have any connections with this man and his associates I ask you now: Will you forswear each contact to them and their society besides those we allow you? In return I will allow you a part in my daughter´s life as teacher in her magical skills and in the etiquette this society has, as she will certainly want to play a role to change that society, so that something like what happened to her will never happen to anyone again. If you prove trustworthy I will allow you to be there for her as one of the many uncles she will undoubtedly have."
After nearly breaking down trough relief he answered. "I have one warning to give beforehand and two pleas I would like to ask."
"You know that you are in no position to ask for either of this, but humor me."
"I am a werewolf."
"The problem with that is?"
"Once a month I turn into a beast that wants to rip apart everything around it. Do you really want something like that around your child?"
"I suspect you take precautions? Like incarcerating yourself every time it happens."
"Of course I do. I am not a monster. I do everything I can to protect the ones around me."
"Have the precautions you now take ever failed, ever came close to failing or will they fail?"
"No in all three instances."
"As long as you continue to do so I have no objections. That was the warning. Tell me now what the pleas are." Answered Diana affected by the man´s care.
"Please also interrogate Sirius Black, the one I thought to be James and Lily´s betrayer, and offer him the same deal."
"It shall be done. Doctor Fate can you bring the man here?"
"Consider it done."
A yellow flash formed like an ankh disposed a black haired man in front of her feet. The man reacted spectacular as he recognized the tattered man. He started clutching Lupin´s feet and muttered incoherently.
"It wasn´t me. I didn't betray them. It was Wormtail. Framed me."
"Zeus, where did they put this man? His arrest can´t be longer than a day ago and he already is a nervous wreck."
"They put me into the highest security area in Azkaban. There are Dementors around you the whole day. They leave you no respite." Muttered the man, now no longer clinging to Remus feet like a child which was previously lost in a mall, but looking at the woman in front of him.
"Dementors are near-dead demons which live from the suffering around them. To do so they suck out every good memory and emotion from their subjects. They are foul creations of an insane mind." Explained Doctor Fate as he saw that Diana did not recognize the name.
"We will now find out if your claims of innocence are correct." Said the Amazon in hardened tone disgusted at the idea of such creatures existing.
She asked Sirius the same questions as Remus and got nearly the same answers. As he was able to shed light on the real betrayer of the Potters, his telling took a little longer than the tale of Remus. At the end she offered him the same deal as his friend. Like the werewolf he accepted and likewise swore a magical oath.
Dumb-as-a-doorknob had listened to the whole of this and noted he screwed up. He had to get out of here otherwise he would probably lose everything. He moved his hand inch by inch to his emergency portkey and ported right into the sickbay of Hogwarts. Here he could rest and start damage control. He did not know that half a dozen pairs of immortal eyes followed him and started to plan.
As the old coot portkeyed away Remus and Sirius wanted to run after him to make him pay dearly but they were stopped by Diana asking them if they already wanted to abandon the oaths they swore. Ashamed they followed Diana´s orders and all of them teleported away.