This will be a milestone chapter for one simple reason as you'll see. Happy reading.
Chapter 14: Portal.
Everything was calm and quiet. Up in the Fortress known as the Watchtower, Harry and Kara walked around to do their monthly assessment of how it was running . They checked everything out inside, not overlooking anything.
The headquarters of the Justice League seemed to be running very smoothly, which made them rather happy. There was a lot of time, and energy put into getting it up and running. The team was a work in progress, but that was another story. They did achieve some triumphs and some of them without Harry and Kara helping them.
That was fine for Harry; he did not have time to bail out the Justice League at every given turn. It would defeat the entire purpose of the team to begin with. They were slowly molding into a group of heroes who worked together out of necessity, to an actual team. Opinions were divided on them, and if they could end up serving their purpose without falling apart.
However, Harry found everything that occurred to be very satisfactory so far. He hoped that the Watchtower running smoothly would be a reflection of the team running smoothly as well. He turned to his beautiful blonde Kryptonian wife, who did her own surveying of the Watchtower.
Superman popped up at that moment and walked over towards Harry and Kara. The Man of Steel looked at the couple, and nodded at them with a smile on his face.
"So what brings you two up here?" Superman asked them
"Just making sure the Watchtower is running up to standards," Harry said, giving a subtle reminder of whom, well partially at least, put them up here in this flying fortress. "So far, so good, the entire team looks to be in good shape."
"Well, we do try," Superman offered with a smile.
"Well, you've turned your share of heads," Kara replied to him, and she looked at the monitors where Batman was sitting. He observed everything before him, like a hawk. "Is he always on monitor duty?"
"No, there are times where he switches out," Superman said, and he looked out the windows into space. He took a moment to appreciate the view. "It took a while to get used to having help, but the threats are more and more dangerous out there. "
"There are more dangerous people out there, the world seemed a lot simpler a few years ago," Harry said.
The Flash showed up, at the speed of light at that point. He nodded to acknowledge the presence of Harry and Kara. "I'll give an amen to that."
"Things have been pretty quiet lately," Hawkgirl said, also popping in from the other room. "There was the incident on War World, but really nothing more than that over the past couple of weeks."
"Oh, so that's where you were," Kara said, and Superman nodded.
"Yeah, this dictator, Mogul, drafted me into gladiatorial combat," Superman said. "He seemed to be rather excited to have a living breathing Kryptonian at his beck and call. Almost too excited, it was kind of scary."
"So, did you do well in your forced gladiatorial combat?" Kara asked her cousin.
"Well, I think I held my own," Superman said calmly.
"You better have kicked ass, or I'm going to kick yours," Kara said, half joking, and Superman just smiled. "That's what I thought."
"I'm apparently not the only Kryptonian who stepped through those doors," Superman said, remembering what he learned. "It seems like General Zod once fought in War World, only voluntarily."
"Given his bloodlust, that's not surprising," Kara replied darkly, thinking of the man who murdered countless, and the massacre he left behind even when he was banished to the Phantom Zone.
"Tales of Zod's brutality did reach through the universe, and he's almost respected, worshipped by some of my people," Hawkgirl said, and Kara looked at her. "A minority of them, but Zod did appeal to the more war like nature of a majority of the Thanagarian race."
"Yeah, I could see that, you guys seem to be very brutal," Flash said, with a shudder. He had fought with Hawkgirl in battle, and found himself glad that they were on the same side.
"Well, we're nothing on Zod," Hawkgirl said shaking her head.
"It'd take a lot of work to reach that standard," Kara said.
"What ever happened to Zod, anyway?" Superman asked.
"He was banished to the Phantom Zone, but not just any place in the Phantom Zone," Kara said seriously, and she took a deep breath. "Zod was banished to a high security cell, in solitary confinement in the Phantom Zone. It was designed in part by your father. It was almost like a Phantom Zone within the Phantom Zone. It was a purple crystal that was created to hold the most dangerous prisoners. It was more than Zod deserved."
Kara turned around, to regain her bearings. Zod was not a fun subject for her, and Superman almost looked like he regretted he brought it up.
"Although he took his share of responsibility for the demise of Krypton," Kara said. "Even after he was banished to Argo, he left his mark. He helped create Brainiac, both him and Jor-El."
"You're kidding me," Superman said, a bit surprised that the machine that killed Krypton had been partially created by his father and a blood thirsty Kryptonian general.
"So, I guess that would make you half-brothers with Brainiac, huh Big Blue?" Flash asked, and Superman turned to him, giving him a look that would have made Batman proud. Flash shuddered.
Flash and Hawkgirl remained silent, and Harry decided to break said silence.
"Whatever happened to Zod's prison crystal anyway?" Harry asked Kara.
Kara wished she could answer that question right away.
"That's a good question," Kara said, and she was in deep thought. "I'm sure it got lost in the destruction of Argo. Unless, you didn't notice anything when you picked me up from my little containment unit, did you, Kal?"
"No, but I was distracted by getting you out of there safely," Superman said.
Kara nodded with a slight pained smile. "Right, you couldn't have known about Zod. I'm hoping the crystal is still there, hopefully buried in the snow. That's one thing that we're going to have to find out about when we stop by Argo."
Harry grabbed her hand firmly, and nodded.
"Wait, you're heading to Argo?" Superman asked the pair of them, and Harry and Kara nodded. "The flight there, well it was kind of rough. It tore my ship up a little bit, not that it was worth it of course."
"Yeah, it was," Kara agreed, for if her cousin did not risk the flight, she would not be here to have this conversation. "But we're not going by ship."
Green Lantern stood in the background, having half listened to the conversation. He could not risk putting his two cents in.
"Yeah, that sector's rather hard to travel in," Green Lantern informed them. "Even with the rings, and their targeting capabilities, it's rather hard to not get thrown off course."
Harry and Kara exchanged a knowing smile. The fact the Justice League really had no idea the huge project that had undertaken made them feel rather good.
"We have a plan, it's not the rings, it's not a ship, even if we can use them to travel rather well," Kara said to both of them. "Don't worry; we've got it well under control."
Both had sheer determination on their face. They were confident in their ability to navigate through any place with their Interstellar Portal Device.
"Okay, I'm not about to argue with you," Hawkgirl said.
"Me either," Flash said, and the Martian Manhunter walked by to relive Batman of monitor duty. He offered them a nod, and they all said their hellos.
Harry just hummed and took another brief look.
"Everything on the Watchtower looks to be running smoothly," Harry said.
"What about the team?" Superman asked him.
Harry just smiled, choosing his next words rather carefully.
"Take it one step at a time guys, Rome was not built in a day, and neither are teams that can save the world," Harry said to them, and Kara nodded by his side in support. "You guys could do a bit better, but just give it time. Things could be much worse/"
Green Lantern opened his mouth to protest, but then he stopped. The Justice League was raw still at points, and there are times where certain team members deviated to actions more geared towards a solo hero. The team work was not something that was completely fluid, and there were many times where a mission did not go smoothly. It was a mixed bag.
"Fair enough," Superman said. "And you know…"
"We know, but the answer is still no," Kara said, in a tone that left no room for argument. "Everyone take care guys. Harry and I have a lot on our plate; the school's opening up in a few days."
"Oh, that's right, Tonks said that she's helping with the security detail," Flash said, with a nod.
"Yeah, and it's going to be a tight fit, but everything should be opened in a few days," Harry said. "We'll be in touch, everyone take care."
Harry and Kara stepped forward to the loading bay area. The javelin was dinged from the latest mission, and not quite repaired yet. Harry grimaced, it seemed to take a bit of a beating, but that was nothing new. The pair took several steps forward.
"Watchtower's running smoothly," Kara offered.
"I'm very happy with that," Harry said, and they locked hands, before their rings activated. They used the rings to amplify their powers so they could apparate from the Watchtower back to Earth. That was something that was not possible without the rings. It was just one of the many benefits, to be able to apparate interstellar lengths. "I've kept an eye on some of their missions. And we got sucked into a couple of them as you well know."
Kara laughed. "And I'm sure we'll be sucked into a few more of them."
"Yeah, that's the nature of the beast," Harry said, and they made their way to the main lab. The Interstellar Portal Device sat in the heart of the laboratory. "There it is our greatest creation."
"Providing it works," Kara said, and she looked over at it, a smile on her face. "The simulations worked out well. The two field tests we did worked like a charm, but traveling across the world is way different than traveling interstellar lengths."
"Well, we won't know unless we try," Harry said. "Monday's going to be a fun day, the opening of the school, and the opening of the first three branches of Patronus Incorporated outside of Metropolis. Then after all of that's done, it's off to Argo. And the bank's going well."
"Well, we can't say we're not productive," Kara said. "Anyone who says you're lazy and don't work hard, I'll punch them in the mouth."
Both Potters laughed, and Harry put an arm around her waist.
"And there's the ship, which still is an exercise of frustration," Harry commented once again, and Kara just offered him a slight smile.
"Patience, my husband, patience," Kara said, playfully ruffling his hair. "We don't even know what the other two keys might be, or where they are. No one else knows about the ship, that hasn't been sworn to a confidentiality oath. And breaking it would mean harsh consequences."
Harry had to agree with that. Especially given the fact that it was Hermione who helped come up with the terms of the confidentiality oath, and she could be rather harsh. Especially against those who were less than loyal with Harry. Then how harsh she was got amplified by several times.
"Hermione's now at the island with Diana, isn't she?" Kara asked.
"Yeah, she is," Harry agreed.
"We should stop by," Kara said to Harry. "Queen Hippolyta did essentially give you special permission to visit the island."
"Yeah, I'd imagine that didn't go over too well," Harry said, remembering the looks of some of the faces of those Amazons at the mere mention of men. Living is such isolation likely was not that healthy to one's sanity.
"Hey, she's the queen, so they're just going to have to deal with it," Kara said, and she locked arms with Harry. "It should be a nice flight to Themsyscria."
Harry would have to concur. It was a beautiful day outside, so the duo wasted little time locking hands. They opened the windows, holding hands, and took flight outside.
After all of these months together, it was still the most magical and liberating feeling on Earth. Not to mention it was Harry's favorite method to travel. Then again, the fact his beautiful wife was beside him made flying all that much more enjoyable.
"Race you!" Kara yelled letting go of her husband's hand.
Kara took off at faster than a speeding bullet. Harry chased after his wife. The breeze blew through the air, with the couple chasing each other in mid-air.
"Catch me if you can!" Kara called.
"Oh, I'll catch you," Harry said to her, but there was a smile on his face. He managed to gain a lot of speed, and willed himself through the air towards her.
Kara continued to fly forward, but Harry used his momentum to propel himself in front of her. He caught her in his arms in mid-air.
"Hey, that's cheating!" Kara said, but Harry held her into place, and trailed a series of kisses down the side of her neck. She moaned, as Harry continued to trail kisses down her neck, and stroked the exposed flesh on her back. Kara tilted her head, allowing her husband better access to her neck. "Although, even if I lost the race, still feel like a winner."
"You're always a winner in my book, Kara," Harry said, pulling away and he looked into her lovely blue eyes. "Ready for your prize?"
Kara nodded her head, and Harry tilted her back in the air. He planted a huge kiss on her moist lips, which Kara returned heatedly.
Smut/Lemon Begins.
-PROFILE LINK.
Smut/Lemon Concluded.
Harry cradled his wife in his arms, with a grin on her face as they both basked in the afterglow. She took a couple of minutes to get her bearings. Harry not holding back was a wonderful thing, and she always felt content when they were done. Her stamina was tested to the limits.
"Never gets old," Kara whispered to him, looking at Harry with loving eyes. "I think I'll be ready to do that on our way back."
"Of course," Harry said with a smile.
They managed to find the clothes that they had dropped, before putting on a fresh change, and continued off to the island.
Hermione gritted her teeth in frustration as she tried to charge Diana yet again. Diana had hurled her to the ground, to counter her attack. Nothing was injured, unless one counted her pride. Hermione rolled over, rubbing her back and wincing.
"Remember what you learned in training?" Diana asked, and Hermione nodded.
"I know, I know, don't let your emotions control you," Hermione said to her sister. "Control them, and use them as a blunt weapon to take down your opponent. And if you can control your opponent's emotions, it is even better."
Hermione gave her sister a determined look, and tried to charge her with the sword again. Diana blocked it with a shield, and pushed Hermione back. Hermione tried again, but Diana blocked. Again, and again they circled each other.
"You aren't getting enough momentum, Donna," Diana said. "You're allowing yourself to be distracted in battle, and not focusing on everything."
"Yeah, I know, block the distractions, I got it," Hermione said, and never one to admit defeat, she charged toward Diana once again.
She was determined; she was not going to be taken out easily. Hermione tried to slam the sword into Diana's shield, but her sister blocked it. The Princess of the Amazons pushed Hermione back. Hermione tried a different tactic, but Diana blocked it once again.
"The problem is I think that you taught me everything I know know," Hermione said, and Diana shoved her back immediately. "But not everything you know."
"Which is why you need to think outside the box," Diana told her, and Hermione was taken down with a legsweep. Hermione popped up once again and Diana blocked her attack again. The two Amazons continued to circle each other. "Conventional tactics are good, but if it's something your opponent can study, they can create a counter. The best warriors think on their feet. You'll never know everything a truly wicked opponent can do."
Hermione was knocked down again. Harry and Kara showed up at this point, hovering in mid-air. They watched Hermione, an amused expression on their faces. Diana and Hermione continue to spar for a moment.
"Your strength levels are not quite up to full Amazon levels, given that you're half human," Diana said. "But that's not a weakness. Some of the best fighters in the world are human. Look at Batman for instance."
"I'm sure you do," Hermione said casually, and Diana just paused, allowing Hermione to get a couple of shots in.
"What are you trying to imply?" Diana asked, with a raised eyebrow.
"Imply, me, surely not," Hermione asked with a smirk. "Got a guilty conscience, my sister?"
The sparring session continued for another moment, with Harry and Kara both watching up in the air. Hermione continued to keep an even pace with her older sister, but was knocked around just a little bit.
"And that's it for today," Diana said, and she took a sigh. "Got to meet with some diplomats in about an hour, let's just hope they are a bit more respectful than the one's last time."
"Well remember, punching them in the face will set back relations by a few years," Hermione said.
"I didn't say I punched them in the face, I just said I thought about doing so," Diana said, but she doubted few would blame her. Some of those politicians did tend to drip utter sleaze the way they acted. There were some good people out there in the political spectrum, but there were also a more than a few bad people. She brought herself out of those thoughts to notice the newest arrivals. "Harry, Kara, it's good to see you."
"Good to see you too, Diana," Kara said. "We wanted to be here a little bit earlier."
"Yeah, but we got sidetracked on our way here," Harry added with a smile.
Hermione said nothing, but she knew how these two got sidetracked.
"You didn't have any problems with the royal guards, did you?" Diana asked.
"Me, no, I think they're mostly at ease with me now," Harry said. "At least at ease enough not to nearly run a spear through my head, like they did the first couple of times."
"Mother had a stern word with them about their heavy handed actions," Diana replied, but she paused. "I really hate to run, just when you got here, but duties call."
"Alright, knock them dead," Harry said.
"But, not literally," Kara said.
"Yeah, they wouldn't stand a chance," Hermione said, and Diana bid her goodbyes, before she made her way off of the island.
Harry, Kara, and Hermione walked off to the side, and sat down off to benches off of the side. Behind them, sat a handsome library, a place Harry made a mental note to check out when he had the opportunity.
"So, what have you two been up to?" Hermione asked them. "Find out anything about our little adventure in Albania a couple of weeks ago?"
"No, nothing," Harry said.
"Yes, and we have no idea about the disappearing temple either, or anything else," Kara said.
"And Astoria's still out there," Hermione said darkly. She scowled briefly at this thought. "Did you find anything more about the symbol or the…"
"No, we haven't, but I swear it's something that we should be able to find," Harry said. "All of those advanced magical text books I have, and there's been nothing, not even a hint about that accursed symbol."
"Well if it's ancient Kryptonian, then we might not find out anything in any Earthly textbooks," Hermione said, and Harry and Kara nodded. "I've done some digging around here, but so far I've found nothing myself. We're kind of grasping around at straws."
"I'm not too concerned, the ship's secure, and we got plenty of time," Kara said. "The real question is how did a Kryptonian ship end up in Brazil in the first place? And did anyone else even get a hint about it before we did?"
"We might never know," Harry mused.
The three friends sat, making some small talk as they enjoyed the beauty of the island. It was nice for the three of them to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
"It seems weird, but this would be the time of year where we'd be going back to Hogwarts normally," Hermione said, but she looked at them both. "And Hogwarts is no more."
"Well the Shining Light School of Magic should hopefully be the next level in magical education," Harry said. "Do you miss Hogwarts?"
"With the near death experiences, biased teachers, and petty infighting because of the house system you mean?" Hermione asked.
"I take that as a no," Kara said.
"You took it right," Hermione said with a weak smile. "I've learned more about magic helping you shift through those books that we uncovered in the Department of Mysteries in a few weeks then I did during the first five years of Hogwarts. I guess that just goes to show you that anyone of any talent really did learn their magic through independent studies."
Harry would have to concur. He thought he made a lot of headway just by learning about magic, and what it offered, by forgetting every little thing he learned at Hogwarts.
"I'm going to get my teachers to encourage the students that the books are only a guide, but they are not the be all and end all of magical education," Harry said.
Hermione looked on with an approving smile. That was a lesson that the Hermione part of her wished she would have learned. Then again, the echoes of Donna Troy in her mind would not have been unlocked if she had not been so stupid in the Department of Mysteries. Dealing with what was essentially a duel personality was challenging, but there was a benefit to the Wonder Girl formula.
She got to learn from the blunders that she made in the past of two people, instead of one.
"Ever think about teaching?" Kara asked her.
"No," Hermione said dismissively. "I know a lot, but conveying it to others is a different matter. I'd just get impatient when people don't get what I'm trying to tell them. I think that's part of Snape's problem, he knew his potions. It was just hard for him to fathom that people would not get the subtle science just like he did."
"That's the problem in any society," Kara said. "The smartest of us might not be the best teachers, or leaders. The Krypton Science Council is proof of it. They knew everything, by the book. But when their conventional wisdom failed them, it was all over. Sometimes a creatively smart mind is better than a book smart mind."
Hermione nodded. That's why she thought that Kara and Harry were far smarter than she was, in a sense. They were not stupid by any means, but they were more able to think outside the box. Hermione could memorize an entire book, and spit it back to someone within a day. However, that was only a small part of the battle.
Creativity sadly was not a skill that could be taught.
"Open the school, announce the branches of Patronus opening," Harry said.
Kara picked off where he left off. "And then head into the portal, and off to Argo we go, or whatever's left of it."
"You two seem to always have a full schedule, and remain utterly calm about it," Hermione said. The few months she was put in charge of Patronus, it was an exercise of frustration to keep her patience.
Harry and Kara just smiled. That was part of running a large corporation. It was all about patience, and how to exhibit it properly. They continued to hang out on the island for most of the rest of the day, enjoying the beauty of nature, and the company.
In the press room at Patronus Incorporated, several news reporters from newspapers and television moved around. Lois Lane and Clark Kent got to their VIP seats. Knowing the owners did have certain perks in getting access to press conferences. The two reporters were among the three dozen that had been privileged enough to get invited to this press conference. It was a mad scramble to get in.
"And just when I didn't think the press could act any more like vultures," Lois said, and she peered at them. "Those two must have been working hard at what they're doing."
"They are, believe me," Clark said.
"So, yesterday the Justice League stopped a group of super powered smugglers from liberating an explosive device that could blow up half of the Eastern Sea Board," Lois said to Clark. "It seems as if Superman just narrowly got in in the nick of time."
"You would know, you were there," Clark said.
"Hey, no one said a reporter's job is safe," Lois said, and she took out her notepad. "Sometimes you got to get a little blood on your hands to get a story up close and personal."
"Just as long as that blood isn't your own," Clark said.
Lois just offered a smile, and held up her hands that were slightly taped up. "I think we should continue this conversation after this press conference, over lunch. Perhaps we can compare notes."
Clark smiled his Kansas Farm Boy smile. Lois just looked at him, a small smile of her own appearing on her face.
"Endearing and utterly cheesy at the same time," Lois said, shaking her head. "That's what I like about you, Smallville. You're the best of both worlds."
The members of the press chattered, but the two leaders behind the rise of Patronus Incorporated stepped forward on a stage behind a podium. While the success could not be completely attributed to them, Harry and Kara Potter were the driving force behind the company's rise up the business world.
"Hello, everyone, and I'd like to thank you all for coming out today," Harry said. "Lois Lane's in the audience today, so let's hope she doesn't attract any utterly dangerous people to this event."
There were more than a few laughs. Lois was infamous for attracting more than her fair share of trouble. Although to be fair, most of the time she went looking for it.
"Oh, you're a real laugh riot, you know that, Potter," Lois said, but she was unable to hide the slight grin on her face.
"He does have you pegged," Clark said in undertone.
"All kidding aside, Patronus Incorporated has nearly been in business for the past year," Harry said. "Despite all the previous owner of the company did, the past is in fact the past. Lex Luthor ran LexCorp into the ground, but thanks to the hard working and dedicated team here at Patronus, we have raised our company's profile. Dozens of new jobs have been created, with more to come. "
"And our expansion nationally, and eventually worldwide will benefit Metropolis even more," Kara said. "This might seem like cliched talk around the business community, but we can assure you that we have the needs of our customers and the people of this city in mind. The expansion outwards will benefit both Metropolis and the satellite locations. As you know from previous press conferences, we always have new projects on the table."
"Worlds are revolutionized beginning with a single step," Harry said, picking off where Kara left off. "Patronus Incorporated is brand new, and fresh. We are taking that single step to help revolutionize the world. We hope to bring everyone closer, and the world will be made a better place through our work."
"I'm sure those are words you have heard often," Kara added. "But for us, they are words that we plan on following through over the next several years."
The press conference continued, and Harry and Kara announced the locations that would be opening in the next week, along with the locations that would be hopefully opening within the next six months. They had their share of critics, but critics asked the tough questions and kept them on their toes. In many ways, those people who were hard to please gave them something to fight for.
Harry walked through the hallways of the Shining Light School of Magic. It was a former American high school that had undergone some renovations over the past several months. The Patronus Inc. magic team worked under the wire, but they managed to get everything ready to go before the start date of the first semester. Harry walked through the hallways, and took a look at everything. The school was three stories high.
Unlike Hogwarts, Harry would not be implementing a house system. The Hogwarts founders were geniuses in their time, but the house system tended to typecast people into a certain mode. McGonagall once said the houses were a family, but the house system led to family feuds. The dark haired wizard wondered what would have happened if there had not been any houses in Hogwarts. It was some interesting food for thought.
Harry stepped forward. There were different teachers for different subjects, depending on the grade level. The building down the street had the students being orientated by the staff as he walked. He spotted Kara down at the other end of the hallway. She held a clipboard in her hand, and she took a few steps forward to meet Harry.
"So, what do you think?" Harry asked her.
Kara double checked her clipboard. "Everything we need, books, staff, a building, it's here. And it's ready to go by the time classes officially start tomorrow."
"Good, I'm glad, setting up a school is easier said than done," Harry said.
"It's not like we're strapped for funding," Kara replied with a shrug, and she stepped forward with Harry. "Patronus is up for its third profitable quarter this year."
Harry smiled at Kara. "I never get tired of hearing that for some reason."
"Me either," Kara said returning his smile, and they held hands. All decisions made by the administrative staff that they had set up would have to be okayed between the two of them.
They spotted Remus standing at the end of the hall.
"Hey, Remus, is orientation over?" Harry asked him.
"Wrapping up right now," Remus said. "You've got your share of skeptics out there, that this school will actually work. It's going to be hard sell with the Hogwarts alumni."
"Time to prove them wrong," Harry said.
"Time to knock them dead," Kara said. "Things change. Hogwarts is done, the Ministry is…"
Sirius popped up to join Remus at this point. "Yeah, about the Ministry, the International Confederation of Wizards are going to try and reestablish it."
"As bad as that country was, it did have untapped resources," Harry said. Granted, he cleared out most of those resources from the Department of Mysteries. There were still some resources that he had been unable to discover. Whether they were lost or not, that remained to be seen. "Are they going to elect a new Minister?"
"Scrimgeour won't be up for it, I'll tell you that much," Sirius said grimly. "He's being lambasted by the International Press for causing the ruin of a country. And then there are those less than family friendly rumors about Rufus and Dolores Umbridge, if you get what I'm saying."
Harry and Kara looked each other with abject horror at the thought that Sirius put in their heads.
"Yeah, thanks for that Sirius," Kara said dryly with a shudder.
"Padfoot, what's the matter with you?" Harry asked. "There are some things that I won't be able to unsee."
Sirius just offered a grin, and Remus shook his head.
"The point is there will be a new Minister, by next spring once they get the interim government established," Sirius said. "And you'll never guess who is going to run for Minister."
Harry and Kara both had an idea that they were not going to like this.
"Here's a hint, he uses way too much hair gel, and carries a pimp cane," Sirius said.
"Lucius Malfoy, that's not a surprise," Harry said dryly.
"I'm not sure if the International Confederation of Wizards would stand for that given Malfoy's past," Remus said. "They're going to have their own candidate, and they're going to do their best to make sure they win. The Ministry is going to be a puppet government for other countries."
Harry had another feeling of dread. "There's just something about the International Confederation of Wizards that I can't completely trust. They waited until the Ministry was down and vulnerable before they stepped in and took any control. Years and years of injustice, and the Ministry didn't even get a slap on the wrist."
"I know, tell me about it," Sirius said. "They got me my freedom, but that wasn't out of some measure of justice."
"Politicians the universe over seldom do anything out of the goodness of their heart," Kara said cryptically. "Hey, Sirius, maybe you can run for Minister, make your little delusion a reality."
Sirius was absolutely gobsmacked, and Remus looked a bit mortified at that.
"Me, run for Minister?" Sirius asked, sounding confused.
"Sirius, run for Minister?" Remus asked at about the same time, sounding horrified.
"I don't know," Sirius said, even though the possibility did tempt him. "I don't know anything about politics."
"Neither did Fudge," Harry told him.
"Point well taken," Sirius said, but he just sat down. He looked at Harry. "Maybe you should…"
"NO!" Harry and Kara shouted in unison, knowing what Sirius was about to suggest.
"So you want me to run for Minister, but you don't want the job yourself," Sirius said, but he pondered everything. He could prevent the government from falling into the hands of less than desirable parties. "Well that's interesting; let me think about that one."
"It's just a thought, take it as seriously as you want to," Kara replied to Sirius, but Sirius had his hand on his chin.
"So if orientation went smoothly, then I think we're done here," Harry replied.
"No, no big problems," Remus said.
"I'd offer you your old job back, if you weren't so adamant about giving someone else a chance," Harry said. "Can I at least count on you to give a guest lecture or two about magical creatures?"
"No problem Harry," Remus replied, feeling that he owed Harry that much. Harry and Kara were tirelessly working on a cure for his affliction, but the problem was that this was a riddle that many had been trying to crack for years.
Their latest theory was that if they could find the origins of the first werewolf and how he or she got infected, then they could reverse engineer a cure from there. The problem was that particular quest was easier said than done. The records had long since been lost in time. The disease had been mutated, and almost evolved for lack of a better term, with magic shoving it on.
"I know what we're thinking Remus, and we're working on it," Harry said. "It's slow, but…"
"I've grown used to my little monthly problem," Remus said. "Plus, you have the Wolfsbane brewed for me every month, so the transformations are less scarring."
"It's amazing how easy it is to find a capable potions brewer once you venture outside of the UK," Harry offered, but Sirius snorted.
"Knowing Snape, he sabotaged his competition with his teaching methods," Sirius said bitterly. The man might be dead, but the animosity would always be there. Especially because of the way that Snape treated Harry, Sirius would never forgive that. Everything Snape did at Hogwarts, when they were students, he long since let it go. He was sure that Snape didn't, and that bitterness led down a dangerous road.
Sirius remained silent, before he spoke to Remus.
"But hey, you're getting the potions from someone who you know won't poison you once his leash gets loosened."
Remus just nodded. Snape could have done something nasty to him, but he didn't do anything. Of course, that was likely because of Dumbledore's invention. A puppet is no good if he's dead.
Harry checked his watch. It was almost lunch time.
"If you don't have anything else for me, we'll be going," Harry said, and Kara nodded, noticing the time as well.
"No, nothing else," Remus said. "Here are the notes from the orientation, if you want to take a look at them."
"We will, thanks," Kara said.
They said their goodbyes, and Harry and Kara walked off. After a quick lunch, it would be time to launch the Interstellar Portal Device for its maiden voyage.
Inside the main lab at Patronus Inc, the Interstellar Portal Device stood before them. Harry and Kara stood in front of the device. They made a few more calibrations, a few more calculations, double checking everything.
"A tiny calibration here, and a tweak here," Kara said, and she checked the portal device.
"Okay, that's in working order, that's in working order, and that's in working order," Harry said, and he clicked through every bit of the maintenance list.
The Interstellar Portal Device was a handsome bit of architecture. It was a modified version of one of the inventions in the database of the Fortress of Solitude. A fair bit of Earth technology had to be modified, or tweaked, but thanks to the Fortress, the Potters managed to get everything working. Pretty much all they had to do right now was to punch in the coordinates, and head through the portal to Argo.
"It's been a long time since I actually saw it," Kara said to Harry, with a far off look in her eyes. "It was beautiful in its prime, before Zod rolled through."
"I know, it was your home for years," Harry said.
Kara smiled about the memories. There were many good ones, but the past was the past. She had plenty of new memories that were being created, with her husband. Those were going to be just as wonderful, if not more so. Still the beauty of her old world could not be denied, and there were many great memories.
"Both that and Krypton, two worlds that were beautiful, not that Earth doesn't have its own beauty," Kara said. "I've been privileged to live on three rather beautiful planets. Let's just hope this one sticks."
Harry nodded. He hoped so too. He hoped to live with Kara for years, decades, centuries to come, and just enjoy spending every single moment of his life. He pulled out the console of the portal, and began to type in the coordinates as he has written them down.
"Those are right Harry," Kara said, checking her husband's calculations with a smile and a nod. "Don't forget we need to look for the purple crystal."
"Of course, I haven't forgotten," Harry said.
While he had never had the pleasure of encountering General Zod, Kara's stories about the man painted a rather grim picture. He deserved far worse than the Phantom Zone.
"Would you like to do the honors, my love?" Harry asked.
"I'll be delighted," Kara said with a grin.
She pulled the switch of the portal. Both Potters were dressed in winter clothing, with a couple of extra changes of clothing, food, and supplies in their bag. A swirling vortex of energy erupted around in the portal screen.
"Ready?" Harry asked.
"Let's do this," Kara said firmly.
Harry made sure the recall device on his wrist was fastened. Harry and Kara stepped through the portal. The vortex engulfed them as they were transported through time and space. They had no idea what treasure they would find when they stepped through that portal. It was a mysterious journey from here on out.
They both looked forward to what they would find.
Little did they know what they were about to encounter.
There were many worlds through a vast multiverse. Some worlds were similar to the one that was familiar. Other worlds had a few differences, and many other worlds had rather drastic differences.
A lab not too un-similar to the one at Patronus Incorporated sat an Interstellar Portal Device, once again very similar to the one that was currently operational on Earth-1. This one was located in what might be referred to as Earth-2.
A young woman pushed open the doors, and entered the lab. She was twenty four years old. Blonde hair reached down to her shoulders. Her blue eyes simmered with determination, behind a pair of glasses that rested on her cute little nose. Her high cheek bones accentuated her beautiful face, with luscious rosy lips. She currently wore a white lab coat, with a tight button up red blouse, and a short red skirt that reached down to shortly above her knees.
The young woman slipped off her lab coat, due to the heat of the summer day in this lab. Her curvy body was on display. Her blouse strained against her sizeable bust. Her breasts were huge and firm, and very real. Had it not been for her heritage, the sheer weight of them would have permanently damaged her back. There was no bra that was made on Earth that could hold their sheer size.
Her body curved down like an hour glass, with a slender waist, toned tummy and nice wide hips, with firm and toned buttocks. Her long beautiful legs were something that many men would drool over; providing they could tear their eyes away from her top half long enough. Her legs were strong enough to crush a car.
She was born Kara Zor-L of Krypton of this alternate reality. She had adopted the alias of Karen Starr when she was sent to Earth, but she was known to many as the heroine called Power Girl.
Seven years she had been on Earth. The siege of Zod on Krypton had affected everyone, both on Krypton and its satellite planet, Argo. Zod had killed many good people in his reign of terror, when he tried to take hold of Krypton through a violent coup. The death toll included her father, uncle, and aunt. Her aunt and uncle had been trying to have a child, and Karen felt a pang in her heart about the cousin that she never knew.
Zod had been killed in his attempts to take complete control by a ragtag group of rebels, but the damage was already done. The civil war tore apart the already unstable planet known as Krypton. And what was worse, a disease infected Argo, killing many of the inhabitants until a cure was found.
It left many dead, and she fashioned together what she could to start a new life on Earth. Although she did create this Interstellar Portal Device to go and visit the remaining inhabitants of Argo, but many had gone on to other worlds much like she had. Her mother had passed away just a few months ago.
Karen was lost in thought, and looked out the window. Earth seemed to be going through a rough patch, thanks in part to Lex Luthor and his obsessive plans to destroy her. They fought on two levels. One in the world of business, with Karen using her own company, Starrwave, to try and make sure LexCorp did not monopolize too much of Metropolis. On the other level it was as Power Girl, with Lex coming up with new and psychotic ways to try and kill her every other week.
She personally thought that Lex needed to get laid, or at least get a hobby that did not involve trying to kill her. She half thought this was because of the fact she turned him down in the most brutal way. The fact he made this indecent proposition after trying to kill her did not win him any brownie points.
Another seismic tremor caused Karen to jump up. The blonde Kryptonian woman looked out the window. The earthquakes and natural disasters picked up in the past year. It was almost like the Earth was sick. It was another one of Lex's sick plans to defeat her, and it ended up killing most of the heroes in the Justice League. It was a sad day, with many lives lost.
Not that Karen was on particularly good terms with the League when that happened. She was a part of them for a couple of years, but they had suspended her for her brutal actions against a criminal. Toyman had kidnapped an entire bus full of school children to be his "playmates", and three of them died. She felt perfectly justified in the fact that she pummeled the sick little shit until his skull was crushed.
The founding members of the League disagreed, and decided to bench her indefinitely. It was almost like she was expected to apologize and fall into line, but she refused to back down from her principles.
'Apparently, I'm supposed to tuck the psycho killers into bed, read them a bedtime story, and leave them to some cardboard prison that they're going to escape to kill more people," she thought bitterly.
The young woman turned around, and looked at the Interstellar Portal Device before her. She managed to get everything working, thankfully.
"Just about got that fixed, at least I didn't get degraded to ordering my spare parts off of EBay," Karen commented to herself with mirth. It struck her now that she was the only person in this lab "Then again, Kara, talking yourself is the first sign of madness. It's not like there is anyone out there that's listening to you."
She peaked around her lab, almost mockingly checking for any listening devices.
"As far as I can tell anyway," Karen said, shifting her eyes and she tried to check the calibrations and make sure the parts were up to specifications.
Although the getting laid part was something that many people felt was something that she should do, now that she thought about it. Her sex life had been pretty nonexistent. The problem was that most men on Earth, they would break like a twig before she could even finish. And the men that wouldn't, well they weren't the type she had any bit of interest in.
So, in an attempt to keep herself sane, she threw herself into both her work and her heroics. It was a pretty lonesome existence, but punching bad guys did tend to have her work out a lot of her many issues.
'Try not think about that, Power Girl,' Karen though to herself. 'It's not like the right guy is going to be flying through some window or something.'
With the final calibration made, Karen punched in the coordinates to Argo. She was only going back there mostly out of habit every few months, but there were still technology there that she might be able to use.
She turned herself towards the window, and pulled the switch. A swirling vortex of energy popped up.
There was one fundamental flaw with all Interstellar Portal Devices that was about to be discovered.
The fact was that if two portals in two adjacent worlds were activated simultaneously to the same location, there was a chance that they would be knocked offline, and cause a disturbance. The chance was less than one percent, but it was known to happen.
Karen was about to step through the portal, but she heard a loud crack from the other side.
"That's not good," Karen said to herself, and she stepped back. She saw two objects hurling at her.
Immediately, she stepped back, ready to heat vision whatever came through in case it attacked her.
Two figures flew out of the portal. One was a young man with dark hair and green eyes. The other resembled a younger version of her with longer hair and blue eyes. Karen was taken off guard by these two new arrivals.
She had barely any time to formulate a thought or response, before both new arrivals smacked into her. They knocked her off balance, and knocked the wind completely out of her. Karen fell down onto the ground, and the two new arrivals landed face first on her large chest.
To Be Continued in the Next Arc "Power Girl."