AN: And here's the next one. Enjoy and thanks for the reviews and adds as always.
Chapter 12: Magic Revelations
Bruce Wayne had been friends with Zatana Zatara ever since they were children. He had pretty much known she could do magic since meeting her. However, he until a few days ago he had no idea that there was an entire magical world out there which was why he and his friend were having a little chat.
"They have their own laws, Bruce." Zatana said as she made herself at home in the cave, "I couldn't tell you that they existed."
He gave her a look as he frowned at her fishnet stockings. Seriously, how she managed to wear those things without getting a hole in them confounded him. Although, thinking about sustainable hosiery wasn't the most important issue at large.
"Well, I wouldn't want to break their precious statute of secrecy." She said, "Even though if they paid any attention to the rest of the world they'd realize it has been obsolete for a good while."
Zatana and him had always gotten along. She was probably one of the few friends he actually had. Nothing had ever developed between them romantically, though there had been times he had wondered…However, as he was thinking about this he thought about Selina.
Their relationship was complicated to say the least. Was there even a relationship? He had thought there was something the other night, but he hadn't exactly talked to Selina about it. It didn't help that she didn't want to talk about it either. She had one focus and that was her nephew: Bruce's son.
He still couldn't believe that he had a son he didn't know about, a son that was dying.
Bruce had been so focused on Harry's illness that he still hadn't fully rationalized that he had a child.
No one else knew the truth except Leslie, he hadn't even told Alfred yet. The butler hadn't asked either. He knew the man wanted to know that, but was giving Bruce time to say something or tell Harry.
No, that wasn't going to happen.
It wasn't that he didn't want his son to know who he was, it just wasn't safe. Besides, he wanted Harry to have an idolize view of his parents. He didn't want him knowing that his mother was a criminal.
Lily Potter.
It was weird having a name to call her besides Catwoman. And it was even more surprising to find out that she had been a witch of all things.
And a very powerful witch.
He didn't remember her using magic once when she was in Gotham, or suspecting she had used magic. Although, it did explain how she able to disappear the way she did.
"What, no cutting remark about the wizarding world?" Zatana asked throwing him out of his thoughts.
"Sorry," Bruce said, "I'm off my game today. I never really thought you would've hide secrets from me."
"I'm a woman of surprises," Zatana countered. "But again, didn't want to risk you being obliviated. And they would do that, Bruce."
"Obliviated?"
"Wipe your memory," She said, "The wizarding world is big on that. Not so much in the US, but some of the European countries have very stringent rules. Especially Britain where Harry's from."
"Selina did mention that their society is quite flawed." Bruce said.
"You have no idea," Zatana said, "And I still can't believe your latest girlfriend's nephew is Harry Potter of all people."
"You say Harry's name like he's a big deal."
"That's because he is," Zatana said. "He is the savior of the wizarding world in Britain."
And that was when the whole story, the stuff that Harry omitted in his explanation of fighting a giant snake.
The real reason why Catwoman had died.
She had died protecting their son.
He always knew the woman would die a grisly death, but hearing how Catwoman—no, Lily—had died had upset him more than he thought it would. She had died for their son.
Somehow he was starting to wonder if he really even knew Catwoman.
"So, the wizarding world holds him out as a savior because of something his mother did." He finally summarized when Zatana finished.
"Pretty much," The magician said. "I really feel for the kid, idolized over the worst thing that ever happened to him. And Harry's seems like the type who doesn't like fame."
He didn't.
That was one of the few reasons why Bruce was so reluctant to tell the boy that he was his biological father. He had a feeling the boy would hate the limelight that was involved in being a Wayne, hearing that the boy was already experiencing that in the wizarding world made him shudder.
"You know," Zatana continued, "I heard things about Harry the past few years, but I just thought it was the usual wizarding world gossip. However, after hearing that the rumors around the Chamber of Secrets are true I have to wonder."
"Tell me."
Zatana proceeded to tell him about the Philosopher's Stone incident. When she was finished his blood was boiling.
"Seriously, no one cared to investigate that school or at lest their headmaster?"
"We've already established the wizarding world is running about two hundred years behind, Bruce." Zatana said as he twirled a piece of her long hair with her fingers. "Besides, Albus Dumbledore, is adored by their world."
"That's his name, Albus Dumbledore?"
Zatana nodded, "Would it surprise you if I told you he sort of looks like a very sparkly version of Gandalf the White."
Bruce closed his eyes for a second, "At this point, no it would not."
He had a son who was a wizard. A son who was a wizard and had defeated the evil dark wizard intent on world domination, and apparently his cat burglar of a mother had sacrificed herself to protect him.
Bruce needed to get some stronger whisky.
It hadn't helped that Zatana seemed confused about the basilisk bite as much as he did.
"To be honest, Harry should be dead." She said.
"I know." Bruce said, "I did some preliminary research about the basilisk myself. He said something about phoenix tears healing him?"
"It might be keeping his blood from becoming completely toxic, but it didn't heal him based on these results of Leslie's." Zatana said.
"Do you think there's anything you can do to help him."
She frowned, "There might be. I'll need to work with Leslie on some sort of regime. It's not going to be an easy process though, Bruce."
"I know," He said, "But he can pull through this, won't he?"
Zatana gave him a grim look, "I can't make any guarantees, but I'll try."
What she and Leslie had ended up doing was a hybrid treatment of magical and science treatment. Right now, Harry was being given pills that would allow him to build up his strength before a regime of dialysis and blood replenishing potions would be given while an antidote was brewed to hopefully rid the poison for the system. The pills were being given mainly to stabilize his system before treatment could begin.
"I don't want to start him on the potions until he is more stable, especially since it's going to affect his magical core." Zatana had told him and Leslie agreed stating that right now Harry needed to get over the pneumonia that he had contracted over the summer.
Bruce could see how much his son hated being in bed. God, he could just see bits and pieces of Harry in himself whenever he looked at him, he was surprised he hadn't pieced it together.
The thought that he felt like Dudley Dursley was his son made him laughed. He frowned though as he thought of Harry's cousin. The trail on Joker had gone cold. What was he up to? The quietness was unlike the clown.
Calm before the storm…which was one of the reasons he had argued with Selina when she had talked about leaving earlier.
He was worried about them, both of them.
Bruce was sort of surprised how much he enjoyed both Selina and Harry's presence in his house. He always knew Selina was special. She was different than the women he would usually dated, smart a bit pricklier, but he never thought whatever they had would be something serious. And after she nipped it in the bud—
He actually wanted her.
It was hard to admit that to himself. Let alone Selina.
Not that it would likely be possible either with the complication of Harry.
He was finding it more and more difficult to keep the charade alive, to not admit the boy was his. He wanted to be a father to Harry, whatever that meant.
Which was probably one of the reasons he had been so willing to help Selina with throwing Harry a birthday party of all things.
Parties never really were his thing, and he bet they wouldn't be Harry's either yet Selina had insisted they do something.
"I'm pretty sure the Dursleys didn't even make him a cake," Selina said when discussing the idea with Bruce.
The way she looked at him would've been enough for him to throw a birthday party for the kid. The fact that it was his own kid…
Rage.
Pure rage.
He had sort of wished Joker wouldn't have finished off Petunia and Vernon so he could rectify what they did to his son. The Clown was too good for them, he thought. And he wished that neither Selina nor Harry would've been traumatized by what Joker did.
His son had grown up unloved because Petunia's pettiness of magic. He hadn't even had a birthday before.
Which was one of the reasons he might've went overboard with the party a bit. Even Alfred was surprised.
"Really, you want to rent out the entire amusement park, Master Bruce?"
"It will be safer that way," Bruce said.
Alfred rolled his eyes, "You still haven't told me the results of the tests Dr. Thompkins took on young Master Harry."
Bruce closed his eyes, "Clearly, you can deduce the results."
"I'd like to hear it from you." The butler said.
Bruce sighed, he hadn't wanted to tell anyone the truth, and that included Alfred. He knew what the butler would do, try to pressure him into having a relationship with his son. Which Bruce wanted in an ideal world, but the world was anything but perfect.
"Well?" Alfred asked.
"The DNA test was a match," Bruce said, "Not that it matters."
"Not that it matters?" Alfred said, "He's your son, Master Bruce."
"I'm not telling him," Bruce said.
Obviously, this was not what Alfred was expecting. "And why not?"
"Because it's not safe," Bruce mustered.
The look Alfred shot him was one that Bruce had never seen before. It was a look of disgust, "Excuse me!"
"I'm not telling him Alfred, it's not for discussion. He'll be better off not knowing the truth."
"He thinks his parents are dead," Alfred said.
"He's correct," Bruce said.
"No, you're alive." Alfred said, "He could have a father."
"And I'd ruin the ideal he has of his mother." Bruce snapped.
Lily Potter sounded like the perfect mother, not a thief who had a rather gray moral code. And that wasn't including Harry's conception.
"We could figure something out," Alfred said. "We always do Master Bruce."
"We're not discussing this further."
Alfred had been giving him the cold shoulder after that, but had seemed to have doted more on Harry—if possible. He also seemed to take to the idea of planning the boy's birthday with Selina and made a pointed effort of having Bruce hear them talk about Harry.
There was a conversation about treacle tart of all things that had Bruce inwardly rolling his eyes.
"Harry said treacle tart is his favorite. Do you have a recipe for that, Alfred?"
"I do, Ms. Kyle. It's one of Mr. Wayne's favorites too."
"You enjoy treacle tart?" Selina asked
"I do," Bruce said. "And Alfred makes a wonderful one."
"Isn't that a coincidence?" Alfred said
Bruce glared at him.
He guessed if Alfred was going to be passive aggressive towards him, there were worst ways to do it than helping him prepare for his son's birthday. He had even offered to pick up Harry's friend from the airport earlier that morning.
Hermione Granger.
It had actually taken some work to get the girl's parents to agree to let her come over more than he initially thought, usually he'd throw out his name and snap his fingers and people would be at his beck and call but the Grangers seemed concerned about their daughter.
His son wasn't the only victim of Hogwarts.
Bruce was having a hard time finding that there wasn't some lawsuit or at the very least a grievance filed against the school. However, when he asked Zatana about that she laughed.
"They wouldn't dare," She said, "You're forgetting they idolize Albus Dumbledore, Bruce."
But why?
Yes, he heard the things Zatana told him about how the headmaster was revered amongst most of the wizarding community, yet it still seemed odd to him that parents could be so nonchalant about the things that went on in that school.
God knows, he wasn't going to be nonchalant about it.
But he wasn't a parent.
Not officially at least.
As far as everyone (save for Alfred and Leslie) the boy was just the son of a friend. Though, Selina would probably argue acquaintance at best. He frowned at the thought.
"You look pensive."
Speak of the devil, he thought, as Selina seemingly appeared behind him. She had away of sneaking up like that. It was something she shared with her sister…
He frowned as he thought of Lily Potter. Finding out about the woman behind the mask of his nemesis, had been an eye opener for him.
Lily was complex. The woman was practically viewed as a martyr in the wizarding world per Zatana.
"She sacrificed herself for Harry," The witch said. "I really don't think she's given enough credit for what she did. I blame prejudice."
"Prejudice?"
"Lily came from a non-magical background, the magicals in those community don't look fondly on non-magicals. It explains why Voldemort was able to rise the way he was."
It still disgusted him the blatant prejudice that the wizarding world showed, it also explained why Lily had to turn towards a life of crime to support herself. What piece of the puzzle didn't fit was James Potter.
By all accounts, James Potter was fairly well off in the wizard world. His father had invented a series of cosmetic potions that made the already well off family, substantially wealthier. The family was also apparently a part of the pureblood elite, whatever that meant.
James's relationship to Lily would've been considered scandalous amongst parts of the wizarding community.
She always did have a way of seducing anyone…
He frowned at that thought, "Bruce?"
He turned to look at Selina.
She had changed from the bathrobe she was wearing earlier that morning and was now dressed simply in a plain t-shirt and jeans. Oddly enough, he preferred it when she dressed down.
"Ready to go?" He said forcing a smile.
They were headed towards Wish and Wonder. It was apparently the "it" amusement park in the tri-state area. Bruce had almost flown everyone out to Disney World, but given Harry's condition that might've been pushing it. He was weary enough about letting him leave the house, especially given the fact Joker was on the loose.
The park would be secure though. He had even gotten the League involved much to his displeasure.
Clark had seemed bemused at the request, "You want detail at an amusement park?"
"Selina and Harry have been threatened," He said, "Surely, you know Joker's still on the loose for what he did to the bridge and the Dursleys."
"Oh, I know he's on the loose and is a danger to society. But don't you think you seem awfully protective of them?"
"You heard what he did to Petunia Dursley."
"Your letting them stay in your house don't you think that's already a lot of protection?"
Bruce glared at him.
"I'm just wondering what your connection is to all of this?" Clark asked sounding very much like the nosey reporter that he was.
"No connection, just trying to save lives."
He had gotten Clark to agree to send a security team there. A small team but still a security team. It should be enough backup should the worst happen.
Not that he expected it too if things went planned.
Though, nothing ever did seem to go planned in Gotham.
"Bruce, this is way too much." Selina said. "I don't even know how to begin to thank you."
He shrugged. "It's really nothing, Selina.."
She shook her head, "It's everything. Especially to Harry."
Were there tears in her eyes?
God, what did he do to get her to cry?
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"I'm fine," She said, "I just, I just never thought I'd get to celebrate his birthday again."
He kept forgetting that Selina had thought that her nephew had died for all those years. She had bought the lie that the magicals had set up to make it look like her sister and brother in-law had died in a gas station.
"It's my pleasure," He said, "I care about you and Harry a lot."
It was more than just caring, not that he told her that.
She smiled when he said that. She had a gorgeous smile. "You really mean that don't you?"
He was caught off guard.
"I have trust issues." Selina explained, "Clearly, you have realized that."
He laughed, "Maybe a little."
"You didn't help them either with that disappearing act early this year when we were seeing each other."
Of course she still blamed him for his disappearing event at that event where she was held hostage, he couldn't exactly blame her for it either. "You don't know how sorry I am for that."
"I know," She said in a softer tone as she grabbed his hand, "And I do think you are trying to make up for it. You have been good to both Harry and I. I think I may rethink your offer."
He raised an eyebrow, "You really mean it?"
He had asked her out the other night, it had gone miserably to say the least.
"I don't want labels or terms," Selina said, "I want whatever this is to develop naturally, but I don't want to hold back at the same time."
He nodded, he could work with that, "I really like you, Selina."
"I like you too Bruce, and thank you."
If she knew he wasn't being so damn altruistic she wouldn't be smiling.
Chapter 13 Preview: I haven't written it and am playing around with whose POV I want to feature. So I really don't have that much in terms of previews. I am toying with the following view points: Hermione, Dick, and possibly a character who is keeping company with the Joker.
