Author's notes: Phew! Now were here at the end. Five months of writing and it is closing time. Enjoy this and stay to read the afterword and my replies to your reviews.
About what people wear; Bruce Wayne's civil clothes are those what Ben Affleck wore in The Town, Zatanna what she wore in Justice League Dark issue #1, Alfred's attire is the Beware the Batman variant with Jeremy Irons' face and in the end, Clark wears his clothes from Man Of Steel, when he was on the road.
You Are Not Alone
Harry's and Voldemort's battle took place in multiple spots of Hogwarts. They fired spells and curses at one another, exchanged blows when in close contact. But there was only one outcome that was predetermined long ago. Even as the dual between the Boy Who Lived and the Dark Lord was witnessed by Doctor Fate, Nabu knew which of the two was going to live through it. If only the Council of Eternity had seen this and done something about it when they could have.
''Hey, you were right,'' Harry told Voldemort leading him across Hogwarts. ''When you told Professor Snape that wand was failing you, it will always fail you.''
''I killed Snape!'' firing a curse at Harry with the Elder Wand.
''But what if that wand never belonged to Snape?'' Harry said dodging the curse. ''What if it's loyalties were always to someone else?''
Voldemort didn't respond to this in any way, but kept on pursuing Harry. When they got to the edge of the chasm under the viaduct bridge, Harry grabbed Voldemort.
''Come on, Tom, let's finish this the way it started; TOGETHER!''
Where the railing had been destroyed, Harry pulled both him and Voldemort to fall down, to magically appearing strange shaped portal. Falling through the strange dimensions, they still kept on fighting by punching and hitting one another in close combat. Eventually another portal brought them back to Hogwarts courtyard.
Harry and Voldemort hit the ground near Clark and Neville, who had just killed Voldemort's snake. Immediately seeing them, Clark used his speed to get Harry further away from Voldemort, who fired the killing curse at them when he could. Harry responded to it with the Expeliarmus charm and caused his and Voldemort's wands to create Priori Incantatem. As the streams of magic fought their way against each other, Doctor Fate descended next to Harry with the a sphere of familiar blackness with some of the former horcruxes orbiting it.
Chanting something unrecognizable, Doctor Fate threw the blackness to the stream between wands and pushed it to hit Voldemort. On impact there was a small explosion that made the former horcruxes fly off, the Resurrection Stone particularly back to Doctor Fate, who walked to Voldemort trying to get back up.
''Tom Marlevo Riddle, you have been unnaturally lucky,'' Doctor Fate spoke approaching Voldemort as everyone watched. ''You took good measures to make sure the Council of Eternity wouldn't find and stop you. But no more.''
''Nabu,'' Voldemort shuttered as his features morphed, ''what are you doing to me? How is this possible? The Elder Wand-''
Doctor Fate sent golden energy to snatch the Elder Wand off Voldemort's hands and broke it in two with one hand with Harry and the others watching disbelieved.
''Spear of Destiny, Orb of Ra, Eternity Book. All exiting magical artefacts, which reputations were overshadowed by this stick. And it was made for human violence.''
''What's happening to Voldemort?'' Clark asked as people came out to the courtyard.
Voldemort's features had begun to morph from pale skinned, bald and noseless being to grow actual hair, skin getting color and nose growing back.
''And that is your undoing,'' Doctor Fate said as Spectre materialized out as green smoke and to a gigantic form.
''Tom Marlevo Riddle,'' Spectre spoke to Voldemort, who had almost turned back to human form due to Doctor Fate reverse-engineering the horcrux effect on him. ''You have committed sins that would outshine those of the Trinity of Sin. You will be judged''.
Spectre turned into green smoke again, similar to those smoke forms that the Deatheaters had used to travel, and lunged at Voldemort in fashion of a tornado. As Voldemort was swallowed by the Spectre's whirlpool, Doctor Fate raised his arm and golden glow shined inside there. After the wind calmed down, Voldemort was gone.
''Your work here is done. Leave until the Voice tells you otherwise,'' Doctor Fate told Spectre before he left and turned to face the rest of the wizards and Clark.
''How did this happen?'' Harry asked stepping out. ''The prophesy-''
''Was fulfilled in the Forbidden Forest when Lord Voldemort purged you of his soul, Harry Potter,'' Doctor Fate said rising up the Resurrection Stone. ''Sometimes your fate can be written in stone, but there is an infinite number of ways to fulfill it. Now, closure.''
As Doctor Fate lifted up the Resurrection Stone, ghosts of those who had died in Hogwarts appeared before their loved ones. Fred Weasley appeared to his family, Lavender Brown appeared to her best friend Parvati Patil and they weren't the only ones. Those who had died to this war also appeared, fallen members of Dumbledore's Army and fallen members of the Order of Phoenix, among them was, as a reward to Martha's bravery against Voldemort, Jonathan Kent.
''Jonathan?'' Martha almost cried seeing her late husband. ''Jonathan?''
''It's Dad, Mom'' Clark told his mother. ''Go to him.''
Clark watched his mother embracing with the ghost of her husband with Harry and Hermione, and Ron who had given Fred's ghost proper goodbyes.
''How come you never mentioned that guy?'' Clark asked Hermione watching Doctor Fate who was faced with a ghost of a woman he called Inza.
''I never knew he existed,'' Hermione answered looking at everyone. ''There were mentions on the entity of Nabu in the History of Magic, but it never mentioned that he was man in a helmet.''
''And he destroyed Voldemort for us,'' Clark said looking up in the sky where Spectre had vanished. ''What about that spirit of Vengeance? Or that guy?''
''What guy?'' Ron asked and Clark pointed at the Stranger attempting to leave unnoticed.
''I have no honest idea who that man is,'' was Hermione's response as the Phantom Stranger disappeared around the corner.
Wherever Doctor Fate had left, the Justice Society thought it to be better if they left the Ministry of Magic before anyone came there and found them. Their mission there was complete any way. Kent Nelson and Madame Xanadu had been located and gotten to safety. As Doctor Fate had left to fight Riddle, all there was to do was to get Madame Xanadu to medical care.
''Penny-One, we're done here,'' Batman spoke to his earpiece while walking back to the fireplaces. ''Is it safe to come out?''
''Just one moment, sir,'' Alfred's voice answered with shots being fired in the background. ''And there. You can come out now.''
Batman went ahead through the fireplace back to the men's room with Wildcat, Atom and Zatanna. Opening the stall doors and stepping out, they heard noise above the stairs to exit. Everyone got ready to fight, before punches and a metallic click was heard and two men in Deatheater robes fell down, followed by an old English gentleman in tuxedo, driving gloves and bowlers hat, carrying a long range tranquilizer rifle and a telescope stick.
''My apologies, sir,'' Alfred said holstering his weapons, ''apparently they were smarter than they looked and these two managed to drop on me.''
''No offense taken, Alfred,'' Batman said nodding to his servant. ''Are the streets above secured for us to move?''
''They have been arriving in waves,'' Alfred said pointing the Deatheaters and then looked at his watch. ''First ones in fifteen minute windows, but the last wave came only 7 minutes after the previous one. Then these two-''
''Al, go first,'' Wildcat told Atom. ''Your radiation immunity makes their spells ineffective if there is an ambush waiting up there.''
''I'm going,'' Atom said going up as Batman lifted his hand to his secondary earpiece.
''Mr. Terrific, get up here now!'' Batman said glancing at Zatanna and Alfred. ''Send Flash and Green Lantern up first.''
''No need!'' Atom called above the stairs. ''It's clear, but you might wanna change first!''
With a backwards spoken spell from Zatanna, JSA and Batman turned in to civilians and walked out of the men's room, seldom and few at the time. As this was the goodbye for now, Ted Grant told Bruce Wayne and Zatanna Zatara that they were with his blessing made honorary members of the Justice Society, before leaving with Alan Scott's Green Lantern ring made construct.
Watching as the disappeared into the sky, Bruce gave them all a cocky saluting while holding Zatanna around his arm, like the playboy he pretended to be, and walked with her towards the limousine waiting in the alley, with Alfred holding the door for them.
''We're not leaving with them?'' Zatanna asked as she got in to the limo.
''Bruce Wayne arrived in London with a date,'' Bruce said with his playboy image sounding in his voice. ''He wouldn't be a gentleman if he left without her.''
Zatanna smiled hearing that as Alfred started the limo and begun driving.
The Phantom Stranger walked out of the courtyard while pulling his fedora hat over his eyes. His mission, as an agent of the Voice was over and he had no reason to stay here any longer. Then, he saw a ghost of a man he had known two millenniums ago in his previous life. Or when he had been a living human and not a phantom.
''I have nothing to say to say to you,'' the Stranger said, shocked, but kept on walking past the ghost, only to see him before himself again with another man he had known. ''Leave me alone.''
Phantom Stranger fastened his pace crossing the viaduct bridge, only to have the ghosts' number increase as he passed them. Seeing these men brought fear and guilt to the psyche of the Phantom Stranger and by the time he had gotten to the other side of the bridge, he was confronted by the total of eleven ghosts blocking his way.
''LEAVE ME ALONE! WE HAVE NOTHING TO SPEAK OF!'' Stranger yelled at the ghost, nervous, frightened and other mixed feelings. Even thought he was no longer alive, Stranger could feel as if his heart rate had elevated due to being confronted by these men.
''I can't ask for your forgiveness for what I did, because I know you wouldn't give it to me. My Sin was unforgivable,'' Stranger told at the ghosts and pulled his necklace, made from pieces of silver, out under his collar, to show it was burnt into the skin of his neck. ''Look! I am still sentenced for my crime and my greed was turned into my chains. I am working my sentence to undo my Sin, SO WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?''
The ghosts stood before the Phantom Stranger without saying a word and kept on looking at him with angry, disappointed and disgusted glances that made the Stranger feel guiltier. Ultimately he couldn't look at them any more and turned his back to them. Then, Phantom Stranger was confronted by a ghost of twelfth man, with holes in palms of his hands. The sight of his former teacher and friend caused the Stranger to break down and fall on his knees.
''I... I know that... what I did was wrong and... not a day has gone by without me regretting it,'' Stranger cried taking his hat off in front of the man he had betrayed. ''And I know shouldn't be forgiven, not even by You. The Council wouldn't allow it and neither would-''
''Everyone is worthy of redemption,'' twelfth ghost said sympathetically kneeling in front the Stranger and took a hold of a piece of his necklace, ''even if yours takes longer than others. This day has been one more step towards it for you.''
Piece from the necklace fell off and dissolved in the air. It wasn't the first time it had happened, but this experience with his past, made it appear as a surprise to the Stranger when he saw it. As he got back up on his feet, Phantom Stranger counted the pieces of silver on his neclace and as the ghosts disappeared, he felt relieved knowing their number had declined once again. Putting his fedora hat back on his head, Phantom Stranger turned away from Hogwarts castle and resumed to walk the Earth, until the Voice would call him again.
Doctor Fate's work in Hogwarts was done. As he had summoned the ghosts, he was gone with them. Within a few hours after that, Hogwarts had begun to rebuild. Not just with magic, Clark had also done enough in his share and had been given the promise that his mother would be taken back to Smallville in America, with her memory intact. But now that Voldemort had been taken care of, it was time for Clark to resume what he had been doing in the beginning.
After Martha had been sent back to Kent Farm with a one-time portkey made from the remains of the Elder Wand, Clark had packed his belongings and was on his way to the viaduct bridge where he found Harry, Ron and Hermione waiting for him. Ron was the first one to speak.
''You're leaving now?''
''I said I'd help you,'' Clark said looking at the friends he had made over the last year. ''Now I have, but you also helped me.''
''Where are you going to go?'' Hermione asked, prompting Clark to pull out his pendant under his shirt.
''Yesterday morning before we left to break into Gringotts, you told me that me that my father,'' Clark said showing the pendant, ''my real father lives somehow in here. And that I need to find a way to communicate with him. I going to look for it.''
''How long do you assume that takes?'' Harry asked. ''Are you ever coming back?''
''I don't know,'' Clark said, taking his backpack of and took something out. ''But you know I'll be around and wizards will know I'm on their side. I'm on everyone's side and for that, I these should stay here.''
Clark handed the items he had taken out to Harry and let them see they were the t-shirt and cape he had worn during his visit.
''They technically belong here, since I got them from the Room of Requirements,'' Clark continued. ''You can put them somewhere on display or something.''
The three wizards looked at the S-symbol in Clark's shirt and cape, the symbol that had given hope in the fight and redetermined the letter. The good deeds that Clark had done wearing this symbol were where that hope had came from and that was why Clark had to go. To find his hope of learning who he was.
''Good luck, mate,'' Ron told Clark smiling and holding Hermione's hand. ''Just remember that you are not alone. You have friends here.''
Clark smiled back to them and there was one last group hug. After that, Clark jumped up in the air over the mountains.
16 years later...
September 1st was the day. On that magical day, it was when eleven years old children from magical and non-magical families, who had gotten their invitations, were to be sent to study magic in Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry from King's Cross train-station. It was, of course, a nervous experience.
''Dad, what if I am put in Slytherin?'' a small boy asked his father on the platform 9 3/4 next to a bright red train.
''Albus Severus Potter, you were named after two headmasters of Hogwarts'' the father told his son. ''One of them was a Slytherin and he was the bravest man I've ever known.''
''But just say that I am.''
''Then Slytherin House will have gained a wonderful, young wizard,'' the father said reaffirming his son. ''But, listen, if it really means that much to you, you can choose Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat takes your choice into account.''
''Really?'' the son asked.
''It did for me,'' the father said as the train whisle blew. ''Ready?''
''Ready.''
Albus Severus Potter got on to the train and waved to his parents from the window. Harry Potter waved back to his son with his friends waving to theirs. Ron and Hermione had their children going to Hogwarts too. Not all their children were going to Hogwarts this year and some just watched their older siblings going now, knowing their turn was in the years to come.
Nostalgia got to the adults. They had experience this so many years ago and watching their children go to that magical place without having to fear anything bad to happen. Harry Potter lifted his hand to his lightning shaped scar. It had not hurt him for 16 years. Everything was well.
TSAAAP!
But then the lights went out. Every light, magical and technological. Everyone on the platform 9 3/4 left and went outside to see total blackout. As it was 11 AM, it wasn't that dark, but suddenly the televisions, phones, plasma screens on buildings and even the the token coins the wizards had used in Dumbledore's Army begun to broadcast a silhouette of a man made of static, repeating the same message:
''You are not alone...''
''Who is that?'' Hermione asked shocked. ''He sound familiar.''
''You are not... alone...''
''What magic is this?'' Ron asked looking at the static on the screens. ''Who's doing this?''
''You... are not... alone...''
''I don't think that's magic,'' Harry said as the voice from the screens became more adjusted.
''My name is General Zod,'' the voice said, with Hermione recoiling to the name. ''I come from a world far from yours. I have journeyed across an ocean of stars to reach you. For some time, your world has sheltered one of my citizens.I request that you return this individual to my custody. For reasons unknown, he has chosen to keep his existence a secret from you. He will have made efforts to blend in. He will look like you, but he is not one of you. To those of you who may know of his current location: the fate of your planet rests in your hands. To Kal-El, I say this: surrender within 24 hours, or watch this world suffer the consequences...''
TO BE CONTINUE AS IT DID... IN MAN OF STEEL...
Author's notes: Well, here we are. This was the end. I know that the original time length from the book was 19 years, but in order for this to have worked, I had to cut off a few years. So, this was it.
And now that I'm done with this story, I will resume writing the Hereafter story. I hope that writing this has earned me some readers for that story. It will and won't be a sequel to this one. If you remember the meeting with Lobo from the Bank Robbery chapter, it means that this story was a tie-in to that one. And that Superman and Batman in Hereafter are the same ones as from this story. EDIT: Hereafter will only have 4 people from this story: Superman, Batman, Lobo and that mysterious voice Batman heard in chapter 16. There will be no Harry Potter characters in it.
Replies to reviews:
JasonDragon64: Thanks for sharing. And following me to the end.
Scott: I had a similar problem with my laptop's software. I was two weeks on desktop and had to install Windows 8.1 to make it work after two weeks of it being just a big paper weight. How did you like the ending?
NothernLights25: True, she is a prime example that strong women exist. My mother is one of them too.
Miss Singing in the Rain: Yes, and that is why it came as a surprise to everyone. And Doctor Fate is called nicknamed the ''Sorcerer Supreme of the Justice Society'' for reason. Were these endings for everyone satisfactory?
ww1990ww: As Doctor Fate shot the pieces of Voldemort's soul back to him, he was in a way made, briefly, feel guilty for his deeds. That is something I understood Hermione saying in the book in the early chapters when they were researching the horcruxes in Burrow. And as Spectre said, his crimes would outshine those of the Trinity of Sin.
ZILLAFAN: You have nothing to be sorry of.
soulblazing: You liked it so far, so I hope the ending was good too.
The reviews for this chapter will be replied in the first chapter of Hereafter.