Hi! This is my first story on this site. If you want to read it on AO3, I also posted under the same username. And just a disclaimer, I'm not as knowledgeable about Joker, Harley Quinn, etc., as I am with Harry Potter and it will probably show. If you have any suggestions later on when I'm getting more into the story, please let me know.
This is inspired by CrazyJanaCat and her work Prince of Clowns. I loved that book so much. You should check it out if you're into that kinda thing. :)
Petunia liked that Vernon held a very high position in his job. The higher position, the more money, the better her life could look on the outside. An advantage was a better lifestyle for her Dudders. She would make sure he grew up with only the best. Because that's what he deserved. Unlike the Boy. Petunia knew that they had more than enough money to make sure Boy could have everything that Dudley had. It wasn't that, really. But she couldn't bring herself to care about that. He was the one that single-handedly ruined her life. Why would she care?
Since he was the bane of her existence, then she could make it seem like he was the bane of everyone's existence. That she was only doing a public service taking in her dead sister's troubled baby. To help him, of course. She would never do that, though. He didn't deserve their help. When Boy was dropped on their doorstep six years ago, she had been terrified. Terrified that monster of a man that killed Lily would find her family and kill them. The letter stated that if they kept the boy that wouldn't happen, so of course they kept him. But, Petunia was getting tired of him, not that she wasn't tired of him from the beginning. Never doing what he was told, cutting her flowers, and wreaking general havoc, Boy was a handful.
Vernon thought he could beat some sense into the boy, but alas, nothing worked. He couldn't focus on beating the boy when he was giggling and trying to scrub his blood off the floor at the same time. Even worse, the next morning he would be completely healed liked nothing happened. Petunia hated that. When it happened she would bash his head with the frying pan and yell at him to go back to his cupboard. She couldn't stand freaks.
Petunia knew that they weren't supposed to treat a child like that. That it was considered child abuse. But Boy wasn't really a child. He wasn't even human. And in her books, that made them exempt from the rule. If anyone found out, which wouldn't happen, she would tell them the truth. They would understand, surely.
Petunia was packing a bag for herself and Vernon. She had already packed her Dudley's bag an hour before, making sure to sneak some chocolate bars just in case he got hungry. Since Vernon was so high up in his work, he was chosen to go promote his business overseas in America. The great thing about this was that it was free of charge and he was allowed to bring his whole family along. The bad thing about it was that they had to bring Boy. When she told him that they were going, and to start packing his measly belongings, she saw a light in his eyes, excitement, and promptly slapped him before going to pack Dudder's bag. She couldn't let him think that this trip was going to be fun for him. Because it wasn't. She would make sure of that.
Going to America has always been a dream of Petunia's. There was no way in heaven or hell that she would let Boy ruin that. Since she got that letter six years ago and was forced to take the Boy, nothing went her way and she wanted to change that. A few words with Vernon and a few internet searches and she had a plan set. She wasn't scared anymore. Six years of nothing only brought up her confidence on the issue. And this trip to America was the perfect time to get rid of him. They're not going to find him in America, that's for sure. And after the trip, since Vernon is a shoo-in for that new promotion, they would move their family to Cheshire. Although it was less populated, they would still fit into the background, unseen by any freak. They would never have to see the Boy again.
Harry Potter liked to play. Putting on a different face for everyone he met was a game to him. It kept him interested; it kept him on his feet. In front of Petunia, he was a delinquent that didn't know how to act. In front of Vernon, he was a freak who liked pain, especially when Vernon beat him. (How else was Harry going to weird Vernon out of beating him?) In front of Dudley, he took every opportunity he could to make him look like an idiot. He didn't know how he did it, but sometimes when Harry wanted Dudley to trip and fall, he would trip and fall. It was easy and gave him something to laugh about later. It was like superpowers.
Of course, in front of everyone else, he acted like a prince that could do no wrong. But only to mess with the Dursley's reputation. Why else would it be any fun? He liked watching people slowly start to hate the Dursley's, even if it isn't as much as he does. Not that he was saying it happened a lot, because it didn't, but so far, three people had fallen for it. He was only in Year 2 (first grade?), so he had a lot more opportunities.
Although there were many reasons for a person to hate the Dursley's, Harry found an intense satisfaction that they had no control over how Harry portrayed them. Like he said, it was game. A game he was very good at. And since he was so very good at this game, it was no setback at all when Petunia told him that they were taking a trip to America. Looking into Petunia's eyes, he knew she had a plan for him, even if he didn't know what it was.
He didn't really care about it anyways. They weren't allowed to kill him. He knew that. It was against the law and would put them in big trouble. He read about that in the school library. Harry wondered how he could get them in trouble over in America. Maybe he could frame them for his murder? That would be funny, Harry thought. He knew how to hide. It was a game he was made to be really good at from the time he could walk. How does one frame someone for a murder, though? Hmm. Maybe he'll just run away and when they come back with no kid, they'll get in trouble. He really wants them to get in trouble. Though, Harry shook his head, that could backfire. Harry wished he knew more about America and its laws. Knowing even a tiny bit of information could help him in the end.
Stepping outside to clip the flowers, Harry breathed in the fresh air, not lingering in case Vernon saw him standing about. Settling down in front of the flower bed, he stuck his hands in the dirt and started messing with it, giving the illusion of him working to anyone that passed and didn't look all that close. Feeling bored, he thought more about America. This was going to be his first trip. Whenever the Dursley's went on a trip somewhere far away, they never took him, opting to leave him with Mrs. Figg, that crazy cat lady that lived a street over. He liked being overly nice and pure around her because she always gave him food. And when she didn't, he would go back the next day when she wasn't around and kill one of her cats. She couldn't possibly remember all of them anyways, so no one could ever try to blame him. Just knowing that she wouldn't realize that one of her cats was gone made him laugh. She sure loved them, didn't she.
Harry had no idea why he was being made to go, but he didn't really care. He thought it would be fun. All new people to manipulate. He found that word when he was reading a dictionary one day. He thought it described him very well and decided to use it in his mind as often as possible. Speaking of manipulating, Harry thought, glancing over at the elderly couple that thought he was an angel. Taking one of his hands out of the dirt and turning towards them, willing a dark bruise to appear on his right eye, he waved over at them, a shy smile on his face. The woman gasped when she saw his face, and the old man glared at the house, using some of those cool words that Vernon liked to use.
The woman glanced inside the house, making sure they weren't looking, before making her way over to Harry. Harry smiled at her, not saying anything, not remembering her name. She knelt down, her knees cracking with their old age.
"Dear, are you alright? Where'd you get that bruise?" She asked, her voice gentle. Inside Harry was laughing hysterically. However, he willed tears to form in his eyes, and he looked up at her. Harry found it hilarious that her face grew sadder.
"Dudley's been hitting me again, Miss," he whispered, his voice filled with fear. The woman pursed her lips and glared to the house. "Miss, I told Aunt Petunia, but she didn't care," cracking his voice, he spoke. "Dudley gets away with everything and I'm left to deal with the garden. Is that right, Miss? Do I really deserve this?" Harry had no idea where he was pulling this crap from, but it definitely wasn't his heart. The woman seemed to break right there, knowing that there wasn't anything she could do. Harry knew that her and her husband had called Child Services on the Dursley's multiple times, but the cases never went anywhere.
"Of course not, my child. You deserve the world," she smiled sadly, "I just hope to God that one day you get it." And with that, she leaned over and kissed his bruise, a stray tear falling on his face, standing and walking back to her husband. Taking one last glance at Harry, the couple continued on their walk, not in high spirits any longer. Of course I deserve the world, Harry thought chuckling at the nameless old woman.
Harry's bruise disappeared and he snorted. How could anyone fall for that? He guessed his super powers helped a bit, but really the woman was a bit over dramatic. He wondered if Americans were as easily manipulated. Probably, he thought, tilting his head and putting his hands back in the dirt. A light bulb went off in his head, making him cease movement in his hands. Americans would believe whatever crap he came up with. He was only a child. A beautiful child, in fact. People tended to believe attractive people over unattractive people more. He had no idea why, but he didn't care because it totally benefited him. All he would have to do is find an important person, come up with some silly sob story and viola! Arrested Dursleys. Perfect plan, Harry thought to himself, perfect plan.
Harry looked around the airport. The plane ride wasn't as long as he was expecting, crossing a whole ocean and all. The good thing about Vernon being chosen for this trip is that they got the best of everything. The first class plane ride was something to remember. Harry didn't have to sit anywhere near the Dursley's. On top of that, the flight attendant was obviously taken with him. She doted on him and was always asking him questions. She thought he was adorable.
Harry had fun manipulating her into thinking all kinds of crazy things about the Dursley's. After all, nice people only want something and when they get it, they go back to being their true self. Just like the Dursley's. By the end of the flight she thought that Petunia and Vernon were using money that they found in their parents house to run away to America and elope. She also told her that Dudley had terminal cancer that made him fall into a depression that caused him to eat so much. That he used those excuses to bully him, showing her his bruises to prove it. It was rather funny to see how much one person could believe before they stopped. It hadn't happened yet, so he was still waiting.
The airport was very crowded. It would have been easy to get lost had it not been that Petunia had a tight grip on his wrist to the point of bruising. He would be sure to get back at her later. Vernon and Dudley had wandered off to find some food before leaving towards their destination, even though they would probably eat there again. Harry rolled his eyes at that. He couldn't stand them being so fat and eating everything in sight when he was barely considered to be average weight. Hell, even Petunia was barely passing for a healthy weight.
Gotham City wasn't that far from the New York airport that they landed in. He didn't know why they just didn't go to the Gotham International Airport that he found when researching it on the plane. He supposed this was a more fancy airport. He didn't really care otherwise, but it was still just a thought. Harry had heard Petunia and Vernon talking about how they were staying at a rich man's mansion. That the man is the one that Vernon is promoting his business to. Harry wondered if he'll ever see the man. Maybe slip a few details about Vernon and make sure that he doesn't fund Grunnings.
Vernon and Dudley finally made it back to the seating area that they were in and Vernon handed Petunia a tiny sandwich and barely glanced over at Harry. Dudley had a chocolate ice cream cone in his hand, the ice cream steadily dripping onto his shirt and all over his face. Harry face made a short look of disgust before going back to his people watching.
"My boss made arrangements for this man to pick us up and to stay at his house," Vernon started, staring at Harry, his tone dangerous. "You will be out of sight and out of mind. You will only talk when talked to and you will not touch anything. It will be like you were never even there. Do you understand me?" Harry giggled at Vernon trying to intimidate him.
"Oh, but of course, Uncle." Petunia glared at him, her grip tightening on his wrist. He just smirked at her and looked around them. He raised an eyebrow at her when she glanced around before loosening the grip once more. He totally had her in his back pocket, he thought joyously. Petunia looked down at her fancy wrist watch and checked the time, glancing into the sea of people.
"It's almost time for us to be there."
"What was his name again, Pet? I can never remember," Vernon grumbled, throwing away his trash. Petunia discreetly rolled her eyes, only Harry noticing.
"Wayne. His name is Bruce Wayne."
Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed!