Title: The Hogwarts Effect
Author: Knife Hand
Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated
Spoilers: Nothing Specific. Mass Effect 1 I suppose.
Rating: MA
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Mass Effect... I would buy them all but I am broke.
Summary: Harry Potter is not raised by his Aunt, instead he is raised by his Mother's Cousin and his friends on a little ship called the Normandy. Harry Potter Mass Effect Crossover
A/N: This Fic ignores the Storylines of Mass Effect 2 and 3. Don't get me wrong, I love the games, but Harry is raised by the crew of the original SSV Normandy SR1, so no Collectors and no Reaper invasion… at least not on the timeframe of the Games.
A/N2: I have had some reviews about how the Wizarding World can be besides the ME Timeline. The Wizarding World is so isolated and ignorant of the Muggle World you can basically pick it up and put it down at any time from the early 1920's to a few hundred years in the future.
Harry and Leanna were uncomfortable but excited as they waited for Reli to be fitted with her first Environmental Suit. As per Quarian Law, they had spent the entire last week in their Hardsuits, just as they had every time they visited the Migrant Fleet, but their fascination with the Quarians and their friendship with Reli relegated the discomfort of the Hardsuits to a minor inconvenience. Leanna even seemed to enjoy the concentrated food paste that they ate through their Hardsuit's systems, as Quarian food was inedible to Humans and Asari. Harry figured that his sister would get over her enjoyment of the food paste before the end of their stay.
The airlock to the cleanroom where Reli had transferred from her bubble to her Environmental Suit opened and both Tel and Reli emerged, Tel holding her daughter's hand as they walked through the airlock. Leanna ran forward as soon as she saw Reli's small suit but, conscious of how monumental and terrifying this moment could be thanks to Tali's stories, she stopped short of the young Quarian and let the older girl initiate the hug. As soon as Leanna stepped back, Reli walked over and hugged Harry. Both Harry and Reli relishing in the feel of hugging their best and oldest friends.
Tel'Herra nar Rayya Vas Neema was Tali's best friend from childhood, despite being more than five years older than Tali, when the pair use to watch and occasionally act out scenes from 'Fleet and Flotilla'. Harry and Reli had met when Tali had returned to the Flotilla after her pilgrimage with her Gift, vital data on the Geth that the Normandy Crew had discovered. Then Tali had done the unthinkable and, instead of giving the Pilgrimage Gift to the Captain of the ship she wanted to serve on, she had presented it to the Admiralty Board and requested to be allowed to permanently serve on the Normandy under Captain Shepard Vas Normandy. The Admiralty Board had reluctantly agreed, after seeing how passionately Shepard had defended Tali's right to choose the ship she served on and how Quarian Law never stated it had to be a Quarian ship.
Kreel'Reehna, the Captain of the Neema, was impressed with Shepard's defence of one of 'his people' and had Tel's glowing recommendation of Tali that had him convinced before she showed to accept her to the Neema if she asked even if her Pilgrimage Gift was nothing special, though the Geth Data would have had every Captain in the Migrant Fleet, except Kar'Danna Vas Rayya, clamouring for Tali. No Quarian could serve as an adult on the ship they were born and grew up on, making Kar'Danna the only neutral party in the entire discussion.
It had been Kar'Danna that had suggested that the Board accept Tali's request as long as one of the Captains of the Migrant Fleet was willing to stand for Tali and allow her to stay on their vessel whenever she visited the Migrant Fleet, which Tali had expressed her intention to do whenever possible, with Shepard's support. Kreel'Reehna had volunteered himself and the Neema almost before Kar'Danna had finished making the suggestion.
"Are you three going to be ok?" Tali asked.
"Yes, Aunty Tali." Reli, Harry and Leanna said almost in unison.
"Ok." Tali replied. "I have to be going soon, so…"
"Aunty, can I give it to her now?" Harry asked.
"Of course." Tali replied with a smile in her voice.
Harry retrieved an item from behind a table out of Reli's view and handed it to her.
"What is it?" Reli asked, as she looked at the squat cylindrical item.
"It's Duct Tape." Harry replied, then added haistly. "And it is a gift. Is that ok, Tel'Herra. It's only a gift."
"My own Duct Tape?" Reli asked in awe.
"As long as it's a gift, that's fine." Tel replied.
Reli pulled Harry and Leanna into a group hug in her excitement. Tali chuckled before she left to take a look at the fluid recycling system that had been operating at less than peak efficiency. Even though she was technically a guest, no adult Quarian could afford to be idle on the Flotilla. It was not just part of their culture, it was an integral part of who they were. You all pulled together or you all died.
When the original Normandy, now renamed the Zorah in Tali's honour and to avoid confusion with the active Normandy that Tali served on, had been 'sold' to the Migrant Fleet one of the Alliance Engineers had accidently left a half-used roll of Duct Tape on the ship. The resourceful Quarians had quickly discovered the myriad uses of the Tape and had opened formal diplomatic overtures to the Alliance in order to trade for Duct Tape. While the Alliance would not make a formal treaty for the supply of Duct Tape, try getting that one past Parliament without being made a laughing stock, they did formally open Alliance Boarders to the Quarians, on Pilgrimage or not, with legal protection even though Humanity never saw the Quarians with the same stigma as the other Council races did.
What had resulted is a secondary economy between Humans and Quarians where the technically adept race could be paid for their work in Duct Tape rather than credits. In the last eighteen months, since the deal was made, sixty percent of Quarians on Pilgrimage were heading to Alliance Space, with the percentage still rising; Duct Tape production and sale had almost tripled and Alliance technology jumped forward by at least two decades thanks to Quarian genius and resourcefulness. No less than seven borderline Human Colonies that had been about to fail were now flourishing thanks to Quarian Pilgrims.
The trio went off to play in the supervised older children's area. Tel accompanied them as she was on rotation to watch over the older children's area today. A few of the other Quarian children were either jealous or in awe that Reli had her very own Duct Tape, but any tension was soon forgotten by Leanna's wide-eyed innocence and fascinated questions to the 'play' that some of the children were doing. 'Play' that on Earth would be considered part of an Advanced Engineering University Degree at the very least.
Tali, Harry and Leanna walked back onto the Normandy from the Quarian Shuttle that had transported them from the Neema, to be met by Shepard, Liara, Garrus and Wrex.
"Welcome back aboard." Shepard said.
"How was your stay, darling?" Liara asked.
"We had fun." Leanna replied. "Reli got her Environmental Suit. We prevented everyone starving. And I think Harry wants Reli as his girlfriend."
"Knock it off, Smurf." Harry shot back. "You only think that because I gave Reli Duct Tape as a First Suit present."
"Tali? Prevented everyone starving?" Shepard asked.
"There was an issue with the Hydroponics system, Shepard. We use two different substances to grow the food." Tali said, wringing her hands nervously. "One of them will kill all the plants without the other and the mixing valve was broken and we could not shut off the feeds."
Shepard and Liara were looking at Tali, making her nervous. Garrus looked amused and Wrex looked bored.
"All we did was erect a small Biotic Barrier inside one of the pipes at a viewing port to stop the flow while Tali and the others fixed the valve." Harry said. "Smurf, you can't just throw things out like that."
Leanna looked between Tali and Harry before she realised what her brother meant.
"Oh, Aunty Tali. I am so sorry." Leanna said, giving Tali a hug. "Please don't hate me."
"I could never hate you, little one." Tali replied, wrapping her arm around the little Asari while glaring at Shepard and Liara.
"Yeah, whatever." Wrex said. "Now the kids are back, all three of them, can we get on with… whatever."
"Watch it, you Bosh'tet." Tali warned. "Or I'll knock you down from a Quad to a Trio."
"Heh." Wrex laughed. "You got a Quad, Tali."
"Not yet." She shot back.
Wrex chuckled as he walked off. Tali, with one arm still around Leanna, put her other around Harry and they made their way to the elevator. Garrus just smirked at Shepard and Liara.
"Dismissed." Shepard said ruefully.
"Come on, honey." Liara said. "Let's go spend some time with the kids."
TBC…