Author's notes: I realized that If this version of The Deathly Hollows co-exists in DC Universe, Voldemort must have taken a few extra steps to make sure some powerful magical entities won't interfere with his plans. That is where Batman and Zatanna have a legit reason to be here working behind the scenes while Clark is with our the Boy Who Lived.
The Symbol
The return of Ron and Clark had been the best thing that had happened to Harry in the long time they during the search for horcruxes. With the locket destroyed, they were one more step towards their victory against Voldemort. On their way back to the campsite, Harry was afraid that they wouldn't be able to find back due to Hermione's protective enchantments, but surprisingly they found back quickly and easily. As they approached the tent, Hermione's head peaked out scouting for the arrivals. Clark and Ron didn't know why, but it was due to Harry having Hermione's wand and Harry's wand having been destroyed.
''Hey, great to see you too,'' Clark said waving to Hermione as she walked outside, marching towards Ron. ''Oh, it's gonna be like that.''
''YOU! RONALD WEASLEY!'' Hermione screamed enraged as she barged at Ron. ''YOU LEAVE US FOR WEEKS AND JUST COME BACK LIKE-''
BOOOOM!
A loud sonic boom from a single clap of hands by Clark and Hermione went silent. She did still have a furious look on her face, but that was also taken down by Clark's burning red eyes. Those however didn't stay on for long due to black tar surrounding them.
''Argh, that's hurts,'' Clark said rubbing his eyes and turned to talk to Hermione. ''One, you have every right to be angry. Two, blame the bad guy and not him. He has already done enough to redeem himself. Three, you have any of that healing potion you used to heal Ron after we raided the Ministry? My eyes are-''
''And what happened to your eyes exactly?'' Hermione asked, with her voice signaling that she was still upset at Ron, to who she still kept on glancing over Clark's shoulder.
''This thing happened to him,'' Ron said showing Hermione the remains of the locket. ''We destroyed the horcrux. And found the sword of Gryffindor.''
Catching up to all that had happened to both parties took time, which was spent inside the tent. As Clark explained to Harry and Hermione how he and Ron had stayed on his parents' farm in Smallville, Harry told how he and Hermione had been passing from one place to another looking for clues, before trying their luck at Godric's Hollow. The place where Harry's parents had died and where his wand had also been destroyed in a trap Voldemort had left waiting for him.
''Sorry to hear about that,'' Clark said rubbing the Essence of Dittany to his eyes and pointed his jacket. ''You can take one from those I have taken from snatchers and some Deatheaters when saving muggleborns.''
''Have you been running around, fighting Deatheaters and saving muggleborns while wearing that thing?'' Hermione asked pointing at the white S-symbol in Clark's shirt.
''Yes, it seemed like a good idea,'' Clark said as Hermione pulled out a book. ''Why?''
''It reminded me of this,'' Hermione said showing her book, The Tales of Beetle and the Bard, specifically the part where there was the owner's signature. ''See how Dumbledore wrote his name. He didn't use a normal A in Albus, but this strange symbol.''
''What is it?'' Clark asked looking it. ''I don't know, but we found it in a gravestone in Godric's Hollow,'' Hermione said putting the book open on the table between them. ''It was in the grave of Ignitus Pewerell, I have been doing research on the name but only found the story in this book.''
''Wasn't Luna's father wearing that at Bill's and Fleur's wedding?'' Ron said looking at the symbol.
''The wedding that was attacked and you escaped from before meeting me?'' Clark asked to clarify.
''Yes, I remember Krum's anger towards Mr. Lovegood for wearing it,'' Harry said taking a closer look at it. ''Krum said it was Grindewald's mark.''
''So it's either very old mark of Pewerell Family or some old dark wizard's mark?'' Clark said telling how he had understood the whole symbol thing. ''Would it be a bad idea to go ask Mr. Lovegood what it really is?''
A car with black tinted windows and fake license plates drove into the cave. The driver parked the car to its designated area and began to walk towards his work place in another side of the cave. His lair was still under construction as some machinery wasn't properly installed yet and his workplace still needed to be connected to the computers and other forensic devices. As he was about to pull off his cowl as he was about to enter his work place, he was confronted by his house guest.
''I don't recall authorizing Alfred into letting you in here,'' he said walking past her and laid the evidence he had collected to the desks.
''And I don't recall agreeing to play house with someone who goes out every night dressed like that,'' she said with her hands crossed. ''And doing God knows what.''
''More of those cult members tonight,'' he said not turning back to her, but showed bunch of wands in his hand. ''I managed to disarm them and learnt why they're here.''
''Oh, really?'' she said realizing what he had just said. ''And why is that for?''
''They're a scouting party, like the first ones I fought before Christmas,'' he said, still not looking at her. ''The more I take out, the more they keep sending. Unless they find what they are looking for-''
''Okay, I got it. Now- OH GOD!'' she said walking next to him and saw his grim appearance in lamp's light. ''Please take that thing off.''
''As I was saying,'' he said pulling his cowl off his head, ''the scouting party is here looking for something. Unless I find it first, I can stop them from coming here at all and stop more of them from coming.''
''And how will you do that it you don't even know what that is?'' said a strange, unfamiliar voice and a stranger walked out from the shadows.
''I don't think this stuff works correctly,'' Clark said rubbing his eyes as they climbed up the hill. ''My sight is not getting any better and I think my hearing is also getting worse.''
The next plan was to find out what the symbol Dumbledore had left in Hermione's book by visiting Xenofilius Lovegood. If it was a clue, it was worth investigating. And frankly, they had no idea what to do next. Also, they were facing some setbacks as the destruction of the locket had left its mark in Clark. His eyes had begun to show loss of his vision powers and now his hearing was also getting worse. The Essence of Dittany did help at some amount, but as the Sun had not come out in the cold winter weather, Clark had not gotten a chance to get healed from his condition.
Harry knocked the door of the weird looking house Ron had pointed out. The house was really strangely designed compared to the other houses, especially Ron's family house that they had walked past after apparating. Only Harry, Ron and Hermione were going to enter and talk to Mr. Lovegood as explaining Clark would take too much time. He would just wait and keep watch outside with a DA token coin.
''Whose there?'' Clark still managed to hear from inside.
''Jehovah's Witnesses,'' Clark chuckled under his breath as he backed out and watched the others get inside.
Clark pulled out his token coin and kept watch over it time to time to see if any of the three wizards had any messages to him. Nothing so far and with his hearing down, the token coin was Clark's only connection to his friends. Too bad it didn't work as two-way phone.
The stranger didn't look like the cultists that the vigilante had faced off earlier. His eyes were white under a dark blue fedora hat and he was wearing as same colored cloak over a suit. From his neck there was hanging a necklace made from silvery pieces. The sight of the stranger in his home made the vigilante step between him and the female magician and throws his custom made projectiles at the stranger.
''WHO ARE YOU!? HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE!'' the vigilante yelled furiously at the stranger as the projectiles phased through him.
''I have walked this world for long time and I have visited this cave continuously during it,'' the stranger said cryptically. ''And who I am, is not important, for to everyone I am only merely… a Stranger.''
''Why are you here?'' the magician asked peaking behind the vigilante's covering.
''A great evil is fighting the last phases of his war,'' the stranger spoke approaching the two. ''There are forces opposing him, but even so, Voldemort has begun to send scouts to expand his reign after the Kingdom has fallen.''
''Volde-'' the vigilante was about to ask, but the stranger silenced him.
''That name has been tabooed,'' the stranger spoke. ''Speak his name as a mortal, like you, and his forces will find you.''
The vigilante and the magician exchanged glances as the stranger walked to the computers and using some of his forces to bring images to the screens.
''The man on the left is who has sent the scouts here and the object on the right is what he is seeking to find here.'' The magician immediately recognized the object.
''The Helmet of Nabu.''
''Who's Nabu?'' the vigilante asked.
''One of the Lords of Order,'' the magician said, ''and one of the most powerful magical entities in the world. It is said that Nabu's spirit lives inside the helmet and whoever wears it gets to possess Nabu's powers.''
The vigilante gave her a glare.
''Dad told me.''
''Lord of Order,'' the vigilante said looking at the images. ''Could Nabu be able stop the head of the snake here or could the head of the snake use Nabu's Helmet to make himself even more powerful?''
''Kent Nelson,'' the stranger said before beginning to fade away. ''He was the last person to possess the Helmet. Find his friends, find Kent Nelson, find the Helmet before Voldemort does.''
The vigilante pulled his cowl back on and begun to walk back to his car.
''You coming?'' he asked for the magician stopping to hear a response.
''SEHOLCGNIKROW RAEPPA!'' was heard behind him and soon both of them were driving out of the cave and towards the city.
Clark grabbed snow from the ground and rubbed it in his face. He felt weak, like all his powers were being drained away from him. Also no Sun for weeks after destroying the locket had given him the feeling like there literally was a black hole inside him. Couple of times, Clark had felt like he was about to faint, but the he was no good to Harry or his friends out cold.
Then he saw dark clad characters in skull masks advancing the house.
''Boy Scout to Bookworm,'' Clark spoke to the token coin. ''KKK possibly heading your way.''
Clark looked up to the token coin for response.
''Bookworm to Boy Scout, we need an extraction. Jump in when it explodes.''
''When what explodes?'' Clark said looking at the token coin.
BOOOOOOOM!
The upper floor of the house exploded and then Clark understood. That was the distraction for the Deatheaters where Clark was supposed to snatch and escape with his friends. He speeded to the middle of the explosion and found Harry, Ron and Hermione getting up on their feet.
''Brief me when were clear,'' Clark said, oddly out of breath after running. ''Hermione… jump on my back. Harry, Ron, to my sides… get ready to… jump…''
''Hurry, mate!'' Ron said looking back as Deatheaters were coming.
''Up, up and-''
Clark boosted down and jumped up in the air.
Hermione screamed out of fear, Ron shouted of excitement and Harry was silent, but his face told he had adrenaline going through him too. But then suddenly, Clark began to feel worse again and lost his control of the jump.
''APPARATE US ELSEWHERE!'' Clark yelled before letting go and felt the apparating happen. Then he felt his body hit the ground.
''Well, well,'' unfamiliar, gleeful voice said over Clark and he felt a wand poking his back. ''What do we have here?''
Author's notes: I followed the pattern from the movie here. The snatchers caught up with our heroes right after visiting Xenophilius Lovegood. Next stop is the Malfoy Manor. How do you suppose Clark can make it there in his condition?
Replies to reviews:
Wonderbee31: Batman and Zatanna. As Batman is in his Year Zero phase, he needs consultation on that field and I like those stories where they work together. Yeah, that was why I put Luthor there. As the Deatheaters have snake-styled S-tattoos, he might confuse them for Superman's S-shield in the future and the rest writes itself. And anything can happen with the condition Clark is in now.
JasonDragon64: Ron is okay. Clark made sure of that. Thought it might take the Malfoy Manor experience to totally fix their relationship. Jor-El will be heard of again.
NothernLights25: I hope I can do as good or better in the future.
southern-reader: ENOUGH WITH THAT THING ALREADY! IT'S FIXED! IT'S TORNADO NOW!
Scott: Thanks. Not gonna happen and not gonna happen. But that third thing is gonna happen in the next chapter with one of the most intimidating demons of the whole DC Universe.
Guest: Luthor was a cameo. That's it. We won't hear from him again. Bruce however has B-plot involvement of working behind the scenes with Zatanna.