Chapter 15:
The rest of the summer slipped by in a lazy and relaxed manner after his and his mom's confrontation with Batman ended in the destruction of poor Gladys. Harry was disappointed. He had really liked her. But he supposed it was better to stop while they were ahead.
Harry caught up on his non-magical education with Mr. Fries and Eddie. His twelfth birthday came and went with each of his families holding a small party for him to celebrate the occasion.
His mom made plans for them to go shopping at Diagon Alley with Mrs. Longbottom and Neville so they wouldn't have to portkey across the country more than absolutely necessary. Harry kept in contact with Hermione while she was off on vacation with her parents. She'd tried to convince her parents to vacation in Gotham but her parents had been more than a little terrified at the prospect.
Harry understood. Gotham wasn't often people's first choice to take a holiday.
But that was all right. Harry would see his Hogwarts friends again soon enough.
Harry and Dick spent a lot of time together as summer passed. They always had a lot of fun. The two of them ran around the manor playing childish games of tag, and hide and seek. They watched movies, read comics, and played video games.
"This rug is surprisingly comfortable," Harry commented.
The two of them were sprawled across the rug at the bottom of the manor's largest and grandest staircase. They had just finished a very intense game of tag that had ended with the two of them sliding down the banister and tumbling to the ground. Neither of them had the energy to get back up at the moment so the two of them were simply lying on the rug.
"Yeah, who would have thought? I could sleep on this rug," Dick snuggled deeper into the rug.
"Are you nervous about going to Gotham Academy this fall?" Harry asked.
Dick shrugged. "A little I guess. But I'm also kind of excited. It's my first time going to an actual school. No matter what it should be interesting."
"Yeah, I felt the same way before I went to Hogwarts. I'm really glad I went, though. Hermione and Neville are pretty awesome, and Hogwarts was a lot of fun. I'm sure you'll make friends at Gotham Academy. I mean you're not that weird."
"Ha-ha, you're so funny," Dick swatted at him.
Harry squirmed away chuckling. "I'm hilarious. You made friends with Wally pretty quickly. You've been spending a lot of time in Central City with him."
Harry was quite curious about Dick's new friend but he couldn't exactly meet Wally West just yet when his existence was still a secret from the general public. Not because his dad was ashamed of him or anything it was just that neither of them wanted to deal with the media craze that was bound to come from it.
"Yeah, Wally is pretty cool. I can't wait to introduce the two of you. I think you'd really get along," Dick looked wistful.
"I know I want you to meet Hermione and Neville, too."
"Maybe next summer we could throw a party or something?" Dick twisted onto his side.
"Would Dad let us have a party?" Harry couldn't picture it. Despite all the articles about it, Harry's dad really wasn't the partying type. He went to social functions only when absolutely necessary to keep up appearances.
"We have a year to convince him, and between the two of us we should be able to get Bruce to agree," Dick grinned.
"Sounds good to me," Harry grinned back.
"Do the two of you plan to stay on the floor all day or would you like some lunch?"
The two of them twisted around to see Alfred looking down at them with an arched brow.
They burst into laughter at the butler's world-weary expression but they did scramble off the comfortable rug to go and eat the lunch Alfred had prepared for the two of them.
It was easier said than done trying to get his dad to agree to a party. After a week of trying to convince the billionaire to have a party Dick and Harry hadn't made any progress. Luckily they still had a year to wear him down.
Dick was once more in Central City for the weekend. Harry would be spending the weekend on his own with just Bruce and Alfred. Not that he minded. Alfred and he enjoyed some of the same shows on the BBC, and sometimes it was nice to have his dad all to himself.
His dad even said he wanted the two of them to spend some quality time together that weekend. Bruce had cancelled all of his meetings, and was actually planning to spend the weekend in the manor.
The two of them spent Saturday night watching an old movie together.
"The movie was good," Harry commented as they picked up the bowl of popcorn and their empty cans of soda.
It was late and they didn't want to disturb Alfred to clean up after them.
"It was one of my mother's favorites," Bruce's smile was wistful.
Harry was instantly intrigued. His dad hardly ever shared anything about his parents, Harry's grandparents.
"What was she like?" Harry dared to ask.
A soft small smile curled his mouth, "She—"
Bruce cut himself off when they both heard the sound of a small pop.
"What was that?" Harry glanced towards the door.
"It sounded like it came from the parlor," Bruce's features were set into an intense mask of concentration. His body was taut and looked like it could spring into action at any moment.
There was something familiar in the way he was standing but Harry couldn't quite place where he'd seen it before.
"Maybe Alfred got up?" Harry shrugged.
"I don't think so. Stay here," his dad ordered.
"What? You think someone broke in?" Harry frowned.
"Just stay here, Harry. Lock the door behind me," Bruce didn't pause to see if Harry obeyed. He strode from the room.
Harry did as he was told even though he didn't like it. Most likely it was just Alfred and his dad would be back in a moment.
But that wasn't what happened. The door to the media room burst open shortly after Bruce left. On the other side was a crazed man brandishing a wand. Harry was so stunned for a moment all of his training failed him, and he froze in shock and fear at the unexpected intrusion.
"Harry Potter, or rather Wayne isn't it? After all you aren't the son of a Pureblood. You're the son of some filthy muggle," the man, wizard, spat as he stepped further into the room. The wizard was tall and blonde with dark blue eyes and he had British accent but Harry didn't recognize him in the slightest.
"Who are you?" Harry demanded.
Where was his dad? Was he all right?
"My name is Thorfinn Rowle, and I have been given the honor from my Lord to capture you and deliver you to him," Rowle's dark eyes were alight with manic glee.
"I don't think so," Harry's eyes narrowed on the wizard.
"You think you can stop me, mudblood? You don't have a wand," Rowle guffawed.
"I may not have a wand. But I have a bowl."
Rowle's face was a wonderful picture of confusion. Harry had learned this lesson from Harley. Sometimes doing the expected or bizarre was enough to confound your opponent long enough to provide you with all the opportunity you needed to defeat them.
Harry chucked the popcorn bowl at Rowle's head with expert precision. Predictably, the wizard dodged and Harry took that moment of distraction to attack. He shot forward and delivered a sharp punch to the wizard's kidneys. Harry followed the punch up with a sharp kick to Rowle's knee. It was all done in quick secession, not allowing the wizard enough time to react.
Rowle staggered back trying to put some space between them as he attempted to regain his bearings. Harry let him, taking the moment to rip off the inhibitor cuff. Harry had only been wearing it because he hadn't wanted to accidentally poison his dad while they shared a bowl of popcorn.
"What in Merlin's name?" Rowle looked even more baffled when he got his first good look of what Harry actually looked like.
"Surprise," Harry smirked and shot towards the wizard once more.
Rowle was prepared this time and put up a shield. Harry bounced off and then used his momentum to roll out of the way of an oncoming purple spell. Now, that Rowle was prepared he kept firing off spells. The wizard was obviously quite talented if he could keep up this barrage of spells. But Harry was resourceful, and his years around the Gotham Rogues had given him the ability to think quickly on his feet.
Harry took cover behind various pieces of furniture while chucking any object he could find at Rowle. Soda cans, the remote control, and a shoe all went flying at the wizard. Harry only needed to distract Rowle long enough to touch the wizard and then this unexpected attack would all be over.
Seeing an opening when Rowle paused for a breath after tossing a couch against the wall Harry lunged for the blonde wizard. But Rowle was faster and an orange spell struck him square in the chest. Instantly it felt like all the air had been squeezed from his lungs, and he dropped to the floor gasping for breath.
"You filthy little mudblood, you'll pay for that," Rowle was still clutching his kidneys with his free hand, and limping slightly. It was pleasing to see it was the leg that Harry had kicked him in the knee.
Harry fought to get oxygen back into his lungs, and tried in vain to struggle back to his feet. But he couldn't. Air was slowly rushing back into his lungs but the sudden loss had left him disoriented.
Before Harry could gather himself Rowle was above him. The blonde wizard leered down at him and slashed his wand. "Crucio."
The red spell struck Harry, and pain like nothing he had ever felt before consumed him. Every single one of his nerves was being raked by a hot needle. He was being dragged over hot coals. He felt like he was dying but he was feeling every single moment of it in excruciating detail.
Harry screamed.
He tried to stop so he wouldn't give Rowle the satisfaction of hearing his pain. He ended up biting his tongue, and blood quickly filled his mouth. Harry had no choice but to unclench his jaw or else bite off the tip of his tongue. This meant he started screaming in anguish once more.
As if from a distance he could hear Rowle laughing as Harry writhed on the floor in agony.
But Rowle's laughter was abruptly cut off. When his laugh cut off so did the spell. The blinding pain stopped but Harry was left trembling on the floor from the aftereffects. He lifted his head enough to spit out the blood that had pooled in his mouth from his tongue.
Rowle was staring towards the doorway. Harry's dad was standing there. A yellow belt slung over one of his shoulders, and he wore an expression of such rage in his ice blue eyes that it chilled even Harry.
"Muggle," Rowle sneered.
"Step away from my son," Bruce growled darkly.
The growled voice sparked a sense of recognition in Harry.
"As if you could make me, you filthy muggle," Rowle snorted, lifting his wand towards Bruce.
Before Rowle could fire off a spell Harry's dad tossed a slim black projectile at Rowle's wand hand with speed and precision. The wizard wasn't quick enough to avoid it or counteract it. Rowle hissed in pain as the black object struck his hand and sliced it open. Rowle's wand clattered to the floor, a stunned expression on his face as he moved to clutch his bleeding hand. In the next instance Harry's dad was on him. Bruce slammed one hard, perfect punch into the side of Rowle's head. The wizard dropped to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, instantly unconscious.
"Harry?" Bruce quickly moved to his side.
His dad acquired a blanket and swiftly wrapped him up in the blanket to provide a layer of protection to allow Bruce to cradle him in his arms. Harry's limbs were shaking uncontrollably, and aftershocks of pain were racing through his body.
"Dad," Harry managed to croak, and to his mortification a sob broke past his lips.
"It's okay, you're okay. I've got you. You're safe," his dad whispered, rocking him gently.
Bruce used the corner of the blanket to carefully wipe away the blood that had spilled past Harry's lips, and the tears that had slipped from his eyes. Harry fumbled to grab ahold of his dad's shirt in a death grip, and stared into his dad's eyes. He needed something solid to hold onto and reassure himself that he was safe.
"You're safe," Bruce repeated, his arms strong and comforting around him.
A slight movement out of the corner of his eye had Harry's eyes darting to the side to see Alfred tightly tying up Rowle. There was a look of deep rage in the normally placid butler's expression as he efficiently hogtied the wizard. Beside Rowle and Alfred was the black projectile that had cut the wizard's hand. The sharp blade had embedded itself in the floor.
Harry recognized it. He had seen batarangs plenty of times in his life. Harry's mind was racing at the sight of the batarang. He remembered the yellow belt his dad had over one shoulder. The belt was familiar too. It was Batman's belt.
Harry's mind quickly began connecting the dots. Batman being so concerned about Bruce Wayne's DNA being stolen by Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn. Batman insisting he go with Bruce, and being so certain that his father would accept him. The way Bruce had been willing and able to come pick him up so quickly after his encounter with Batman on the roof. Bruce's business trips aligning with times the Justice League had been called away on some mission or other. Bruce's meeting with LexCorp right before Harry went to Hogwarts coincided with some disastrous event in Metropolis between the Justice League and some monster.
Harry's heart was racing in his chest. He couldn't believe he hadn't figured it out it before now. He felt like an idiot.
"You're Batman," Harry whispered, almost wishing he was wrong but knowing he wasn't.
"I am," Bruce replied, staring steadily into his eyes.
Harry had no idea how to respond to the confirmation, and his dad didn't seem inclined to say anything at the moment either. The two of them continued to stare at one another until they were interrupted.
"Bruce!"
Still holding Harry tightly his dad turned towards the door. A black haired man Harry didn't recognize burst through the door. His light green eyes quickly swept over the disaster zone the media room had become, and came to settle on Harry.
"Giovanni, thank you for coming on such short notice," Bruce murmured sounding only the slightest bit strained.
"What's happened here?" Giovanni moved to kneel beside where they were huddled on the floor.
"Harry this is a close friend of mine, Giovanni. He's well informed about the wizarding world. Giovanni, this is my son, Harry," Bruce introduced.
"Hello, Harry. It is a pleasure to meet you, though I certainly wish it were under better circumstances," Giovanni's eyes darted over to Rowle's unconscious and drooling form.
"Hi," Harry managed to croak. His throat felt raw from screaming and his tongue was beginning to swell from where he'd bitten it.
"I'll get Master Harry something to soothe his throat, and to clean himself up with," Alfred announced primly, and quickly left the room.
"We had an unexpected guest," Bruce answered.
"I can see that. Who is he? What did he want?" Giovanni questioned.
Bruce looked to Harry for an answer.
"He said his name was Thorfinn Rowle. He wanted to take me to his Lord," Harry rasped.
"Thorfinn Rowle, he was suspected to be one of Voldemort's followers; although, it was never officially proven so he was never convicted. Rowle wouldn't call someone else Lord would he?" Bruce's eyes darted questioningly to Giovanni.
"No, I wouldn't think he would have called another Lord. Yet, Voldemort is gone, dead. Rowle must have meant someone else," Giovanni frowned.
"Not exactly. Voldemort's alive," Harry mumbled glancing away.
"What?" his dad demanded.
"Impossible," Giovanni murmured.
Harry quickly explained what happened in the Forbidden Forest.
"I didn't tell you earlier because I didn't want to worry you when there wasn't anything you could do about it. Or at least I thought you couldn't," Harry mumbled.
His mind was a jumbled mess from the attack, and from the discovery his dad was the guy who routinely locked up his mom and friends.
"I know. We've both been keeping secrets, and I think it's well passed time we shared them," his dad rubbed Harry's back as another tremor raced through Harry.
"What happened with Rowle?" Giovanni asked softly, carefully steering the conversation back to the matter at hand.
Harry told them both the short sequence of events. He and his dad would talk about Batman later when they were alone. It definitely wasn't a conversation to have in front of someone else, and Harry wanted to be in a better state of mind when they had it.
"He used the Cruciatus on you?" Giovanni looked aghast.
"The incantation was Crucio, and it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt before," Harry shivered at the memory.
"What's the Cruciatus?" Bruce shifted Harry even closer.
"One of the three Unforgiveable curses. It is the torture curse. It is meant for nothing more than to cause unimaginable pain to those struck with the curse. Being held under the Cruciatus for longer than several minutes can cause one to go insane for the pain is so excruciating," Giovanni carefully explained.
Bruce's face paled almost instantly.
"Is Harry going to be all right?" Bruce demanded, rage simmering beneath the surface.
Giovanni muttered something under his breath that Harry didn't quite catch. A tingling sensation spread through Harry's limbs, and he could only assume that Giovanni had cast some sort of diagnostic spell over him.
"There will be a few lingering effects for a couple of hours or so but nothing that a little rest won't cure. Harry was not held under the curse long enough for him to have acquired any long-term damage. He will make a full recovery," Giovanni assured.
"What are you going to do with Rowle?" Harry glanced over at the drooling, insensate wizard.
"We will have to call the Aurors to take him in. This very may well cause an international incident. A British wizarding citizen carrying out an attack in the home of a prominent American no-maj, it's going to be a mess," Giovanni sighed.
"The wizarding authorities can have him after we question him," Bruce stated firmly.
"Yes, after we question him," Giovanni agreed.
"Take him to the Cave. I'll meet you there after I get Harry settled in bed," Bruce easily swept Harry up into his arms, and got to his feet.
"No, I want to go with you," Harry struggled weakly in his dad's arms.
"Harry," Bruce sighed.
"He hurt me, planned to kidnap me, and I want to know why. I want to know what Voldemort is planning," Harry insisted.
"And I will tell you what we find out, I promise. But you need to rest. You're trembling, and I doubt you would even be able to sit up on your own at the moment," Bruce reminded him bluntly.
Harry considered arguing further but realized he wasn't in a position to do so. He was barely keeping it together as it was. The only reason Harry was as alert as he was, was because Bruce was holding him and keeping him grounded.
Harry's shoulders slumped. "Fine, okay."
Bruce carried him back to his room. Alfred brought him in some tea for his throat, an ibuprofen for the pain, and a warm washcloth to clean the blood from his face. His dad patiently sat with him while he drank his tea. Bruce waited until he was tucked securely under the covers before slipping from the room.
Harry thought about sneaking out to follow him but apparently his dad was Batman, and could easily catch him. Harry was also utterly exhausted. Bruce had been right; his limbs were still trembling every so often. The warm tea also didn't help. Alfred must have spiked it with something to help him sleep. Harry quickly found himself drifting off to sleep despite himself.
/
Bruce took his time heading down to the Cave. He needed to calm his mind and gather some measure of control before he faced the wizard who had joyfully tortured his son. Bruce had no idea what he was liable to do if he didn't.
He had gone to investigate the unexpected sound knowing something wasn't right. Bruce hadn't found anything but he had heard a crash sound from the media room. He had grabbed a spare belt he kept upstairs to be prepared for events such as these, and quickly made his way towards his son.
Then he heard Harry scream.
Bruce never wanted to hear his son scream like that again.
He couldn't remember the last time he had been so terrified or so enraged as he had been when he saw that maniac standing over his son, laughing as he tortured him.
The entire summer he had been working towards finally sitting down with Harry, and explaining everything to him. Bruce wanted to have an honest conversation with his son about his villainous activities, and was hopeful that they would be able to reach an agreement. He had been planning on doing so that very weekend. But he had waited too long, and now the secret was out of the bag. Harry had to find out the truth about him in one of the worst ways possible.
He pushed the thought from his mind.
His son was safely tucked into bed. Harry was all right, and in time he would recover from what had happened here tonight. They would have the opportunity to figure things out with one another. At the moment he needed to be Batman. He needed to get information from this Thorfinn Rowle. It's what needed to be done if he wanted to protect his son.
Batman left Bruce Wayne behind as he descended the steps to the Bat Cave.
Giovanni was waiting for him in one of the smaller, nondescript rooms Batman kept in the Cave. Rowle was securely tied to a chair in the middle of the empty room with faintly glowing, magical restraints wrapped all around him.
The Dark Knight gave Zatara a small nod.
"Nekawa," Zatara intoned.
Rowle jerked and his eyes shot open as the wizard was forcibly awakened. The wizard's eyes rolled as he tried to take in his surroundings. His eyes landed on Batman and a sneer stretched across his features.
"Filthy—"
The Dark Knight backhanded the wizard.
Rowle spat blood, and glared hatefully at Batman. But thankfully he took the hint and shut up.
"You're going to tell us everything you know," Batman growled.
"I won't tell you anything, muggle," Rowle hissed.
"I think you'll find it quite impossible to resist, Mr. Rowle," Zatara smirked. "Yltesnoh snoitseuq ruo lla rewsna."
Rowle's eyes shot wide as Zatara's spell took hold. "Hidden One."
"Close enough," Zatara dipped his head in acknowledgement.
"Who sent you?" the Dark Knight demanded.
"The Dark Lord," Rowle unwillingly answered.
"Is this Dark Lord Voldemort?" Zatara pushed to clarify.
"Yes."
"How is he still alive?" Zatara continued.
"I don't know. He has not shared such privileged information with his followers."
"What does he want with Harry?" Batman stepped in.
"His death," Rowle grinned savagely.
Batman felt a surge of panic swell inside him. Voldemort wanted his son dead. It was one thing to suspect it but another to hear it. "Why does Voldemort want Harry dead?"
"You do not deserve to speak His name, muggle," Rowle hissed, sweat dripped down his brow as he attempted to resist the spell Zatara had woven over him.
"Why does Voldemort want Harry dead?" Batman demanded more forcefully.
Rowle wasn't strong enough to resist again. "The Dark Lord wants to prove once and for all that the incident that occurred between them was nothing more than a magical fluke. There's nothing special about the mudblood boy. He doesn't possess any significant magical ability. Harry Potter couldn't truly destroy someone as powerful as the Dark Lord. He will dispose of the boy in manner befitting the little runt, and no one will question the Dark Lord's might again."
The Dark Knight trembled with rage.
"How long has Voldemort been back?" Zatara glanced to Batman in concern.
"He never left. The Dark Lord has been alive since his supposed defeat at the mudblood boy's hands. However, he only called for his faithful Death Eaters again at the beginning of this summer."
"What are his plans?" Batman demanded.
"Unfortunately, the Dark Lord is currently without a physical form. The Halloween night did destroy his body, and left him momentarily weakened. At the moment the Dark Lord must possess the body of another. Killing Harry Potter and regaining a body are his two most pressing goals at the moment. Of course his final goal is to gain control of the Ministry, and eventually rule the wizarding world. Once he rules the wizarding world the muggle one will fall easily to him"
"Such grand ambitions," Zatara muttered.
"Hmm," Batman wholeheartedly agreed. "He might find the 'muggle' world more of a challenge than he realizes."
"How does he plan to regain his body?" Zatara stared the wizard down.
"I do not know. The Dark Lord has not shared such valuable information with his followers. It is not our place to require such knowledge. He gives us orders and it is our privilege to see them completed."
Zatara turned to Batman. "Regaining a body isn't an easy task even for magic. I can only think of a handful ways, and none of them are pleasant. They all require some amount of sacrifice."
"Fantastic," the Caped Crusader muttered.
Zatara and Batman spent a little longer trying to extract information from Rowle. Unfortunately, the wizard didn't know anything more useful. Rowle didn't even know his master's current location. Voldemort was being surprisingly cautious, which didn't exactly seem to be in character, and wasn't giving away the intricate details of his plans to his followers.
The Dark Knight had carefully examined his previous movements. There had been a lot more illogical, and in his opinion, stupid attacks than any real strategy. Voldemort's movements had been erratic at best a decade ago. Why the change?
Zatara erased the wizard's memories of the night to ensure he wouldn't draw any connections between Bruce Wayne and Batman, and sent him back into unconsciousness.
"I'll take Rowle to the Aurors. Do you want me to tell them what took place?"
"Tell them he was caught before he could carry out his plan. I don't want wizards coming here, trampling through the manor, and prying into things. I don't need them questioning Harry. Rowle will be enough of a reason for the Aurors to get in touch with the British wizards, and they can start investigating Voldemort," Batman would start using his own resources to search for the dark wizard but it couldn't hurt to get the wizards onboard as well.
The more people searching the better especially when the magical world wasn't Batman's forte.
"I will get in touch with my sources in the wizarding world to find out what I can about the situation. The Ministry of Magic can't be aware that Voldemort is still alive or at least they haven't made the knowledge public. I'll try conducting my own search. I don't know if I will be successful," Zatara warned. "I am certain Voldemort will be hiding behind powerful wards. He may be a mad man but from what I have heard of him he was a powerful and cunning mad man before he became completely insane in the last few years of the war."
Batman nodded. "I understand. The crazy ones are often the most dangerous ones."
The Dark Knight had ample experience with crazy and how dangerous it could be.
"I will let you know my findings as soon as possible," Zatara promised.
"Thank you for all your help, Giovanni," Batman was truly grateful to have someone he trusted to help him navigate a world he wasn't entirely familiar with.
"My pleasure, Bruce. Please let me know if there's anything else I can to help you and your son," Zatara magically lifted the unconscious wizard.
"I will," Batman agreed.
They said their goodbyes.
Batman turned his attention back to the manor. Harry would be sleeping for a while yet if Alfred gave him the tea blend Batman thought he did. It gave him time to update his files, and pull up all of the information he had on Voldemort and his followers.
The Caped Crusader needed some time to formulate a plan and prepare for another attack. It seemed inevitable if Voldemort truly wanted his son's death.
He was also going to have to contact Albus Dumbledore. The headmaster was already aware of Voldemort's return. Batman wanted to know everything the older wizard knew.
Batman wouldn't be caught unaware again.
But first he would have to talk to Harry. As soon as his son woke up the two of them were going to have to have a very difficult conversation.