Chapter VIII: The Black Mirror (part one)
"Evil is unspectacular and always human, and shares our bed and eats at our own table."
-W. H, Auden
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Harry limped out of her apartment. Harry clutched an old wooden cane with an ivory grip lie his life depended on it, Zatanna had mentioned that it had belonged to her grandfather. It was bit too long for him to walk around comfortably but it just seemed utterly disrespectful to use magic on it.
Besides the limp Harry had left Zatanna's apartment with little trouble. A quick hug goodbye and a promise to at least consider siting this mission out was enough for the older Sorceress to allow him to leave.
'Not much older.' He thought semi frantically. 'In fact let it be forgotten that I, Harry, Lord Black, have ever used the word old to describe Zatanna.'
She had called a taxi for to make his day easier. The cabbie was a rather large man with a clean shave and a nice enough smile, his eyes were tired though as if the only thing keeping him awake was the cold coffee in his cup holder. The radio chatted on indistinguishably as Harry entered. The inside of the cab smelled of old coffee and air freshener and the seats were worn.
Harry was quick to make himself comfortable in the cab's rear seat. "Hotel Avalon." He ordered.
"You got it."
For all the horror Harry had witnessed since arriving in New York he had to admit that the day was rather nice. The sun was high and there were no clouds. Now if only his muscles didn't sting he could at least enjoy the cities beautiful scenery without wanting to hex the muggle taxi driver every time the car accelerated.
Briefly he wondered how long it would take to arrive to the hotel, before forcing his mind to recall everything he knew about the Inquisitor. True they had never met but word spread quickly between agents. She had joined the department about a year after he did. She had gained the nickname Inquisitor after a brush with the League of Shadows, she had pried the location of their next attack. From what he'd heard the two assassins were still being held in the Pit's medical ward, catatonic if the rumors were to be believed.
Like him, she was what some in the department called Nomads, sent from one branch to another depending where they were needed most. Though traffic had slowed in the past year and so nomads had started to become more stationary.
Blake was well known for her ferocity and dedication. Which meant that he could trust her to an extent, but still…
'How does she know me?' He thought to himself. Chase wasn't prone to exaggerations, she liked to keep her reports short and to the point, to mimic someone meant she had been watching him for a while.
"Must have been some party." The cabbie stated off handedly. Harry blinked as he was dragged away from his thoughts
That being said Harry had needed a cane to which she gladly conjured. The suit put an incredible strain on on the users body and mind, every time he put it on he felt this rampant need to keep it on, clearly it showed.
"Yeah, something like that." Was Harry's tired reply.
The cabbie laughed for some reason… maybe to humor him. "Yah, yeah, my cousin Michael is pretty much the same, parties all night at the end of the week and needs a healthy cup of Joe." The man shook his head in mirth. "I always say kids like you should enjoy your lives before you can't. Cause once you hit forty or get hitched, things start looking bleaker. Take my cousin Frankie as an example, bookworm all his life, never put himself out there till he met this broad, real Broadway type, kid falls head over heels for this woman…" Harry smiled and nodded his head while doing his level best drone the man out.
What else could he do? Practicing magic on muggles without sufficient provocation was grounds for the Morrigan to suspend him for an indefinite amount of time. He could deprive himself of his hearing, but that had its own set of problems. Either way it would be easier to simply deal with it as he had done with professor Binns.
Back to the Inquisitor. 'How is she spying on me?' he thought to himself. A Spyglass wasn't entirely out of the question, they were rare but not entirely restricted by the ICW. The owning of a Spyglass was frowned upon by polite society, but when has that ever stopped anyone? The Malfoys had one, the Zabinis had one; basically if you had money and were a sphere of influence you could get away with anything.
For all he knew about Blake, she could be both but it was rather unlikely.
Security feeds were the more likely answer, but they were highly restricted. The analyst guarded feeds zealously. Harry had yet to hear of an agent whose managed to access it without a department heads approval. A sudden turn jolted Harry against the restrains keeping him in place.
"You heard about Quinn?"
"No."
"That's odd." The cabbie said, scratching his chin. "I thought you Grim Reaper types would have been all over this."
"Grim reaper type?" Harry asked.
"You know like a spook, my uncle Johnny was a spook and you two pretty much have the same vibe"
"Right, so tell me about Quinn."
"Not much to tell," He said. "Some ass hat in Washington decided to move Quinn to a meta prison and they lost track of her. Bitch, even started a riot from what heard."
In other words, Harley Quinn was free to cause chaos and destruction at her pace. Dr. Harleen Quinzel was a genius when it came to abnormal psychology, her works before entering Arkham once there discrepancies in her profile started popping up. He needed to research the woman he owed a favor to. Hopefully her breakout didn't have anything to do with Joker's plans for Halloween.
Harry could already feel a headache coming on.
"And it ain't over, my cousin Michael he's working for the GCPD, I told you about him, says that they found the clown's face three weeks ago." The taxi ran a red light and swerved to avoid upcoming traffic.
"His face?" Why wasn't he told about this.
"Yeah, looks like he ran into another freak and pissed 'em off." He shook his head, mournfully. "The sheer amount of body parts they found numbered above a hundred people, but the sicko was tying the pieces together."
So, the GCPD was keeping the news of their deadliest villain's demise quiet to the delay the inevitable power struggle it would create in Gotham's underworld. Great for a short term plan, not so much for the long.
Harry had a feeling that they would soon figure out the mess they had unknowingly unleashed.
The driver sped past the numerous city blocks until abruptly stopping at the entrance to hotel Avalon. Even from the cab Hary could feel the magical energy coming from the high-class hotel.
Avalon was one of the most exclusive hotels run by Papa Midnite and for good reason, it stood atop one of few the entrances to the Underworld. There were all manner of creature staying at the hotel, some light other as dark as pitch but like Time in a Bottle it had the same powerful spells that kept its guests from fighting.
Without even looking Harry handed a wad of pounds into the cabbie's hand and offered the man a good-day before he could ask for the fare.
A rather impish looking man in a screeching red suit pulled the door open and helped Harry out of the cab. "Lord Black, your double said to expect you yesterday." He greeted in a posh tone, but that didn't' matter to Harry as he looked around the room, the floor was made from black marble with stone arches supporting the roof, and marveled at the two birds, a Phoenix and an Augurey, chasing each other around the room. At the back of the lobby was a club area, with a bar and a dance floor,
Harry was about to reply when the heavy scent of summer peaches hit him, normally the smell of peaches wouldn't do much for him but for some reason it sparked something he had buried. He looked around the lobby searching for the source of the desirable scent, until he found it at the bar. A woman with short black hair, skin as pale smoke, and dusky eyes. She turned her head and seemed to stare right at him with seductive yellow eyes. For an instant, Harry swore she had two shadows but he convinced himself it was jus a trick of the light.
If it weren't for the impish man standing to his left, Harry would have walked to the bar. "Your double has also instructed me to direct you to room two-oh-five as soon as you arrived." The impish man extended his arm to him. "Lord Black, it is a very long walk to the room, sir." There were six hundred rooms in Avalon, making it the second largest magical hotel in North America, or so he'd heard.
Harry took one last look at the woman before turning to him. "Side-along, then?"
"Yes, sir."
"You have my permission." Harry accepted the offer and clasped the man's hand, just as his hand made contact they disapparareted. In a blink of an eye the two men stood outside of room Two hundred and five. Before Harry could even recover, the impish looking had apparated away and left in his hand a sleek black key card.
The hall followed the same color scheme as the lobby, black marble floor with oak covered walls, and dim light coming from floating chandeliers. It was then that he felt that terrible cold that had snapped him out of paradise run up his spine,
For the longest time Harry just stood stark still, watching the far off darkness at the end of the hall. As if the very darkness was hiding a presence from him. Harry readied his wand but knew that he was in no real danger, it had only been a dream after all.
"It is never just a dream, Harry Black." A voice said from the shadows. "Here less than other places…" With that said the presence faded away and Harry entered the room.
To no ones surprise, the room was luxurious. There were no walls, only glass windows charmed toshow the cosmos. Black infinity surrounded them as they circled a red sun, it being the only light in the room did nothing for his mood. He walked across the dark space towards the black hole that he assumed was the bedroom.
The room was pitch black except for the light of a glistening computer screen.
Curiosity quickly got the better of him, he peeked and was truly shocked.
In the computer was the frozen image him shooting electricity from his hands onto an unsuspecting Killer Croc during the Small World incident… after Croc had put him through a wall. It wasn't his proudest moment, he could admit that, he'd let his anger get the best of him and zap!
Half his arm is burnt.
That's why wizards tend to use wands, they help direct the power without risking damage to the practitioner. A quick to the esc button shrunk the picture and revealed a number of folders, each one with a different operation that he had been involved in.
"Aren't you a curious thing?" A woman said with a like Irish accent. Harry was quick to turn and pinned the voice's owner to the wall with his weight and pressing his wand to her temple. The woman had a dark feel about her, not surprising when referring to a woman known as the Inquisitor.
There was something undoubtedly dangerous about her, something he thought he saw before her features seemed to shift, but that could have been because of the polijuice. She had thick eyelid and dark black hair that framed her face, her eyes were a striking violet color that seemed to glow in the darkness "Come on, little Harry, there's no need for wands till after the second date." She said in a taunting voice.
Harry was not having it. "Where did you get my file?" He hissed out.
"Our boss, of course."
"The Morrigan?" He took a step back and lowered his wand as he felt the wards start to kick in. "She gave another nomad my file?"
"She couldn't exactly ask a one of her regulars to spy on you, now could she?" She tried for disarming smile but came out predatory. "Why don't we start over? Try to be friends, after all you and I will be seeing each other a lot."
"I really doubt that."
"Didn't the boss tell you? I'm gonna be yer partner."
"Well shit."
"So, what does the Hound do when he's alone in New York?"
"Many personal things."
"Like hunting, I get'cha." She giggled. "but what kind of hunting I wonder? I hear Zatanna has some very fine legs."
"You don't know me but for the sake of our future partnership, I would prefer if you'd stayed the hell away from my friends."
"Oh, don't worry little Harry, I won't go near them, but before I forget…" She scrambled to the dresser and handed Harry a silver fountain pen. "the boss wants to se you."
"Wha-
o0o0o0o0o
-at?"He asked as he suddenly fund himself in the Morrigans office.
"Good evening, Agent Black." The Morrigan greeted in her usual tone. She was dressed in her usual black robes.
"Good evening, ma'am." He replied in as much of respectable tone as he could manage after coming out a portkey.
"It appears you ran into trouble in New York."
Harry saw an opportunity to see just how closely she had him watched. "Nothing that I couldn't handle, ma'am." He lied.
Bait set.
"Is that so?" She asked with a measure of sarcasm. She pulled a single file from the bottom right drawer "Well, if you're sure, then I see no reason to give you this."
"And this is?"
"Secondary target for tomorrow's operation."
"What does this have to do with New York?"
"Mister Bones informed me that you entered into heavy combat with a meta. That same meta was detected entering Surrey by our sensors. Agent Blake mentioned sensing you in a snare."
"You're having me watched?"
"Of course." She said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I needed to be certain you were preparing for tomorrow's operation and not gallivanting with your fishnet stocking friend." There was a bit of bite detectable at the end.
"The supplies are safely stored in my satchel."
"Yes, but that wouldn't matter if we lost you." She said in a low voice. "Without you we lose our ticket into the mirror house; if we don't enter the auction we do not get the Dream Ruby and it disappears for years before someone uses like John Dee did four years ago." 'The will of Dee.' Harry realized.
"Let me guess," Harry said reaching for the file. "Dee is the one in the file."
"Yes. If you encounter him, and I do mean if, take him down."
Harry forced a smile and nodded. Ruby, Ayesha, and, if the opportunity presents itself, defeat Doctor Destiny. "It'll be my pleasure ma'am." Still, it was slightly unnerving that she had him watched. Who was he kidding? He was ticked.
"What are your thoughts on agent Blake?"
"Haven't known her long enough to make a solid opinion, but if you think we'll be an effective team I trust in your judgement."
"Good, I expect to have the ruby in our possession tomorrow agent Black. The money has been wired to your account."
"Thank you, Ma'am."
"Don't disappoint me." Harry took the dismissal for what it was and stuffed the manila envelope in his satchel before exiting the office. Harry walked straight passed the bullpen and into the elevator
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A short walk later had him standing in the middle of Tower Bridge.
It was a rather cloudy evening in London, with October finally passed the days promised to only get cloudier. Harry took a deep breath of air as he took in the river Thames, watching the water ripple sporadically.
He liked the few moment of peace afforded to him when he watched the water. If closed his eyes he could just imagine his younger-self flying with Sirius under and over bridges like the one he was standing on, but he didn't close his eyes.
He had enough of dreams and their like.
Harry rested his elbows on the cool, stone barrier that separated him and the water, and sighed once again. Things felt so much more complicated than they were just a few short weeks ago. Back then the Morrigan pointed him at a target and let him loose, now he was rescuing people and gathering information. He knew now that the old hawk was having him watched, but why?
Whatever the reason he was damn well sure that she hadn't told him the truth.
He'd been both loyal and effective as agent, he'd done his job and would continue to do so. Harry kept his personal life and professional life as separate as circumstances allowed him to.
'It's all very frustrating.' He thought to himself almost jokingly.
Harry rested his head in his and stared at the dark water.
"There are wrackspurts floating near your left ear, Harry." A dreamy voice said from behind him. Harry didn't have to turn around to know whom the voice belonged to. Luna Lovegood had always been a space oddity, present but never truly there.
At least she was until she became part of Charles' cabal at which point she was rather active. Mostly she hovered around him just far enough to be noted but other wise ignored. Harry had at one point wanted to befriend the girl but her association with Ginerva Weasley made impossible for the longest time. As it stood Luna probably knew more about him than he would ever learn from her.
Harry looked over his shoulder letting Lovegood have a nice view of the silvery scars that Greyback had so kindly impartedon him show. "Evening, miss Lovegood." Harry greeted lamely.
"It is evening isn't it?" She commented absently. "Other wise, Barnabas would have had a chance to tinkle on Rolf's papers and I would have been exceedingly pleased."
Honestly Harry had no way to respond without digging himself deeper into someone's personal life. So, Harry turned to look at the odd woman who stood behind him.
Luna dressed in a rainbow of colors, none that were actually on the rainbow, and a pair of odd-looking spectacles. But what really caught his eye was the rather large black and brown German Shepard cross, who sat calmly watching him with intelligent, black eyes. At first he thought that the dog was an Animagus, but it felt different. His inner fox hissed and yowled in the back of his brain.
"Where did you get him?" He asked crouching down to the dogs level. Harry's hand slowly drifted onto the dog's head and began scratch his long ear.
For some reason, Luna's smile grew even more mysterious, in his opinion. "I'm taking care of him for a friend."
Harry nodded once and rose. "I think the polite thing to do would be to ask how you've been doing, but for some reason, I believe you'd prefer to know how I've been." He said, leaning back on the railing.
"That would more than acceptable."
"I've been fine, busy but fine."
"That's good, Barnabas has been keeping me company while Rolf has been off researching quintapeds. Did you hear about Charlie? "
"That he was arrested? Yes, yes did."
"Oh, he never mentioned an arrest I was going to tell you that it's a boy. "
For the second time in the last twenty four, Harry forced smile onto his face and cursed that he couldn't make it to the Bottle till after he'd done the mission. "That's nice." Sirius had taught him that it was rather rude scowl when given good news, even if he honestly couldn't care less one way or the other.
Luna smiled, taking his words at face value. "Yeah and your mom's having a girl. Must be strange having a sister after twenty-seven years of having a brother, but I wouldn't know. Daddy never had any other kids… it was so lonely."
Once more, Harry found himself without a way to respond. When he was nine, Harry would have given anything for a family, but life had taught him that it wasn't all that nice, but that was honestly just his experience.
"I think Rolf is going to break up with me." Luna said after a pause. "he's been going to on trips more and more of often, I don't know what to do."
"Luna, I honestly don't think that I'm the best guy to talk about relationships with."
"I know, but Barnabas wasn't much help either."
Harry didn't know if it was luck or destiny that Lennox made his appearance when he did. The hulking blonde rushed at Harry, threw him, over his shoulder and ran faster than Harry though a man of his muscle mass could manage.
"The wind is calling, mate, no time to explain." He shouted as they ran across the bridge, leaving a confused and slightly flustered Luna alone with her friend's dog.
"What an odd man." The dog said, tugging on his leash. "Best be off then, dinner will get cold."
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A/N: All right, I decided to split this chapter for a number of reasons: One for dramatic effect, and two I want to write the mirror house perfectly.
Now to answer some questions asked by coldblue:
The first question: The poll ended last chapter, the love triangle is on. And I wasn't exactly favoring Harley in my description, I was just stating the facts.
Two: Lily, James and Charles will get their own chapters. Lily is probably going to be chapter ten.
Three: Harry can do wandless magic, but it comes with a cost. Lightning scorches, fire burns, ect.
Now clue to the Old Man's identity: he made his first appearance in DC 1942 and has been a recurring character ever since.
Hope you liked Miranda Blake( now officially an OC after reading the Cursed Child.)
As always feel free to review and PM with whatever questions you might have.
Be sure to check out my other stories.
Happy trails,
Until we meet again.
