MoP

Harry Potter and the Myriad of Possibilities: Prologue

Chapter 27: Deception, Part 12.

Disclaimer: This is solely a not-for-profit fan activity and does not intend to infringe on copyrights held by Time Warner, DC Comics, Bloomsbury et al, and JK Rowling. Any characters that are original to this work remain the property of the author.

A/N: The Myriad of Possibilities Series primarily uses the background from the Harry Potter books but some elements and scenes have been borrowed from other sources – including the movies, Pottermore and my own headcanon – that will be covered where they fit into the narrative. The timeline of the DC Comics elements borrows heavily from Young Justice (2011) and may adapt elements and characters from the comics and several additional other media instalments – including but not limited to Smallville (2001) and Superman and Lois (2021) – and relocates events of Young Justice to the Eighties and early Nineties rather than the New Tens as screened and includes several 'legacy' and original characters as a result. Any other recognisable characters belong to their copyright holders.

A/N: Thanks to Dragon97 and 6f5e4d for their help on this chapter.

Mount Justice.
November 5, 19:16 EDT

"Recognized, Arrowette B-Zero-Seven," declared the computer as Artemis appeared in the Mission Room. When she looked around, only Red Tornado was present. "Where are the others?"

"Aqualad is dining with his parents," replied the android. "Miss Martian and Superboy have gone on a supply run, they will be back shortly. I except that Kid Flash and Robin will join us around the same time."

"I'll be in the library."

"Understood."

19:32 EDT.

"Artemis… are you here?" asked a familiar voice.

Artemis looked up from a book on Northern European folklore and smiled at her newest friend. "Over here, Zatanna!"

A moment later, the teenage sorceress – who was dressed in her usual capri pants, camisole and trainers – appeared around the side of one of the stacks and sat down opposite her. "Hi, Artemis."

"Hi," replied Artemis. "I've been trying to find some more about the Sword of Beowulf…"

Zatanna nodded. "I've been doing the same. I don't think there's anything to worry about there. I doubt anyone else will be able to use it."

"I agree," concurred Artemis, closing the book that she was reading. "I might be a little more concerned it was in Gotham, but New York's heavier on the regular type of criminal than that sort of freak show."

Zatanna nodded. "Want to give me that tour that you guys have been promising me for weeks now?"

"Sure," agreed Artemis, then rose to her feet with her book in hand. "Let me just put this back."

"Allow me," said Zatanna. "Nruter siht koob ot sti flehs!"

The book on folklore slipped out of Artemis' hand and flew toward a nearby stack, tucking itself into the gap in the shelf.

"Are you joining us officially?" Artemis asked as they left the elevator and stepped back out into the Mission Room.

"I don't know." Zatanna sighed as she watched her father and Red Tornado carrying three boxes across the room. "My dad's so overprotective. I mean, just getting him to let me visit takes a full day wheedling. I wish he'd just give me a little space!"

At that moment, both Leaguers – plus Batman who had also been present – disappeared in an instant, causing their boxes to crash to the ground.

"Dad!" Zatanna gasped in shock, drawing the attention of the other members of the Team to them.

Kaldur reacted first, striding into the centre of the training ring and summoning a holo-window. "The Cave to any Justice League member… respond," he barked. "Priority Red!"

The holo-window stayed silent.

"Robin, can you?" he asked, turning to the Team's youngest member.

Robin summoned his own window and keyed in a few commands. "I'm not picking up Batman or Red Red Tornado's locator beacons."

"What about the others?" asked Artemis. "Captain Marvel, Black Canary…"

"Not sure," Robin replied.

"We also need to ascertain whether only Justice League members have affected or whether it's a wider phenomenon," asserted Kaldur grimly, then paused as one of the Zeta Tubes began to spin up.

"Recognised, Hank Lang A03… Recognised, Sarah Brookes A05," declared the computer.

"Who are you?" asked Artemis as they began to materialise.

"The bearer of bad news," replied the younger blonde girl, as grim as Kaldur in her own way. "According to my sources, adults worldwide have disappeared instantly without explanation."

Thomas Wayne Memorial Clinic.
20:16 EDT.

Artemis was securing a sling on the broken arm of a little girl who she'd found in the clinic when she'd arrived, when the girl's friend Tim ducked his head into the cubicle. "Aqualad, Robin and Kid Flash are on the TV!" he announced and disappeared again.

The two girls followed him into the nurses' break room, where the nine-year-old had been using his laptop to stay busy.

"Attention, children and teenagers of Earth I am Aqualad," announced the Atlantean. "These are my friends, Robin and Kid Flash…"

"We are using Justice League's tech to cast and stream to every TV, radio, computer, and smartphone on the planet," explained Robin.

"We know you must be scared and angry," continued Wally. "We know with your parents missing, there's a temptation to run wild. But please… stay calm."

In Happy Harbor High all the kids are watching the TV.

"We will find a way to bring the adults back," promised Kaldur. "But for now, the oldest among you must step up."

"Take care of your younger siblings," requested Robin.

"Please, help in any way you can," begged Kaldur.

Artemis' phone beeped a message. She turned her back to the younger kids and opened the message:

Zatanna is getting ready to cast a locator spell to find the source of the spell, return to the Cave.

She turned back to the other kids. "I need to go, I'm needed elsewhere," she told him.

"What about us?" asked Tim.

"There's a refugee centre at Gotham Academy," Artemis replied. "It's a bit of a walk without the trains but you should be safe there.

The brunette nodded agreement.

The Cave.
23:16 EDT.

The Team, Zatanna and Sarah were standing in the middle of the training ring facing a large holo-globe.

Zatanna stepped forward and raises her hands, a wand clutched in her left hand. "Etacol retnecipe fo yrecros!" she demanded, speaking carefully but firmly.

A breath later, a red dot popped up on the globe.

"Coordinates locked," reported Sarah as she typed on her holo-keyboard. "It's Roanoke Island!"

"You did it!" exclaimed Robin, beaming at the teen sorceress.

Before she could respond, a pre-teen boy appeared in a flash of lightning. "It works!" he declared, turning towards them with a grin.

"Where did you come from?" asked Kaldur, quickly, leading the Team towards him. "Who are you?"

The boy turned to look directly at M'gann. "Quick, read my mind!"

"He's Captain Marvel," she reported a moment later

To Artemis' ears she didn't sound entirely convinced or convincing.

"Yeah, and I'm Speedy Gonzales," countered Wally sarcastically, echoing her own thoughts. "Look, just because he believes he's Cap…"

"Gee, Wally," said the boy, raising his left eyebrow and shrugging. "Do I really have to bring you nachos and pineapple juice to get on your good side?"

The rest of the Team stared at him for a moment, then as one they turned to M'gann who smiled. "Apparently, the adults have been moved to an alternate dimension thanks a spell. When he transforms, the Captain… Billy… moves between the worlds."

"I'm convinced," said Wally.

"As am I," agreed Kaldur. "Captain, the Team stands ready to act."

"I'll go tell Batman… SHAZAM!" replied Billy. He disappeared and returned a moment later. "Batman says that there will be threats in both dimensions, and we might not be familiar with our opponents."

"Agreed," replied Kaldur. "With that in mind, I believe that the key to this mission is a coordinated simultaneous attack."

"That's what Batman said," confirmed Billy. "We should strike fast and disrupt their efforts…"

"And hope the two dimensions merge naturally back into one."

"That's Zatara's theory."

Out of the corner of her eye, Artemis noticed Zatanna nervously hugging herself, but decided to give her some space.

"We move out in five minutes," declared Kaldur, then turned to Sarah. "Unfortunately, Zatanna's presence is likely to be essential to the success of the mission, but I would prefer that you either remain here or go to the high school to be with your charge."

Sarah held his gaze for a moment, then nodded and began to shut down her holo-displays. "I'll go and check on Hank and the rest of the kids over at the high school. Good luck."

"I fear we will need it," replied the Atlantean.

00:16 EDT.

The Team and Zatanna were gathered in the hanger bay. Sphere rolled up to them, then made a series of beeps and transformed into her Super-Cycle form.

"I think she wants to come along," suggested Conner.

Sphere revved her engine, almost sounding like she agreed.

Kaldur paused to consider it. "The extra firepower could be useful," he conceded. "She can come."

Sphere revved her engine again.

"Miss Martian, Kid Flash, Zatanna and I will take the lead in Bio-Ship," decided Kaldur. "Her stealth system is still more likely to preserve the advantage of surprise long enough to score a first strike."

"One strike isn't going to finish him off though," Wally pointed out.

"It will not," Kaldur agreed. "Therefore, Miss Martian will bring Bio-Ship into land immediately after her strike regardless of effect, and the Super-Cycle will provide covering fire as we disembark and begin the second phase of the operation."

"Are we bringing 'Plan B' this time?" asked Wally warily.

Kaldur sighed. "As much I would prefer to avoid doing so, I do not believe that we can the risk of needing it and not having it this time."

Wally sighed, then growled. "Agreed."

North Carolina.

Currituck Sound.
00:50 EDT.

(We're entering North Carolina airspace,) reported M'gann. (Engaging camouflage and changing course for Roanoke Island.)

As the Martian vessel faded out of sight, Super-Cycle dropped down to sea level, drawing up waves as it approached the coast.

(Sixteen seconds to target,) reported Conner as they hurtled over the highway and across the Roanoke Sound.

Artemis nervously checked her weapons and then glanced to the side at Robin who sat on the bench seat beside her, his expression confidently impassive.

Seconds later, they entered a clearing just in time to see Bio-Ship shimmer back into view, a crimson sphere of energy blossoming in between the two prongs of the nose, which erupted into a searing laser beam a split second later and sped towards Klarion, who stood in the middle of some sort of magical circle.

The beam hit him straight in the chest, but to Artemis' shock it didn't appear to faze him and he returned fire by spitting a stream of fire at the Martian vessel, barely missing her as she dropped down for a landing.

(M'gann are you okay?) asked Conner, worried.

(I'm fine,) the Martian girl replied, as Super-Cycle reconfigured her engine pods to produce two large cannons, which quickly began to belch balls of blue light at the sorcerer. Unfortunately, these blasts had no more effect than Bio-Ship's.

"Is that the best you can do?!" crowed Klarion as Kaldur and Wally ran towards him, then he summoned a red dome around the edges of the magical circle, knocking them back.

"Etativel mih ffo eht margtnep!" cried Zatanna as she moved into view, her arms raised and pointed towards the sorcerer.

A sigil flared briefly on the surface of the dome, then fizzled out as Super-Cycle came in for a landing.

"Baby magic," scoffed Klarion, and then lazily pointed his hand at her. "Fi ehs stnaw ot etativel os yldab, tel reh."

Zatanna, caught by surprise, flew backwards and Conner leapt from his seat to break her fall.

(Anyone got any ideas?) asked Robin as he threw a pair of birdarangs in the sorcerer's direction.

(Maybe...) said Wally as he climbed to his feet and glanced towards Teekl, who was sitting outside the magical dome, nonchalantly licking a paw. (When Nabu possessed my body, he defeated Klarion by attacking the cat.)

As if sensing that she had their attention, the cat turned in their direction and hissed.

(I never liked cats anyway,) declared Artemis as she drew an arrow from her quiver, nocking and loosing it almost in a single fluid motion.

The arrow flew through the air, but before it can reach the cat, her master gestured and it turned into a green ball of yarn, then dropped to the ground and rolled to a stop between the cat's paws.

Drat, thought Artemis. This is not going well.

"Show 'em what a familiar to a Lord of Chaos can do, Teekl!" Klarion commanded with a chuckle, then his eyes turned red, and he gestured towards her. Seconds later, the feline began to grow until she had turned from a small tiger-striped house cat into a bear-sized sabretooth tiger.

Okay… that's worse, Artemis commented to herself. Not sure I've got enough arrows for that.

From behind her, Wolf let out a blood-curdling howl, leapt from his seat at the front of Super-Cycle and bounded past her to collide with the massive creature.

A musical chime from the crystal at the centre of the magical circle drew Artemis' attention away from the two battling animals and back towards the sorcerer.

"So, you teamed up with the grups," sneered Klarion. "Teamwork is so overrated."

With a sweep of a long-fingered hand, he conjured a hail of lightning and sent it towards the Team.

Conner and Wally dodged the barrage and Kaldur blocked the bolt aimed at him, his tattoos glowing in a bright electric blue in the process, but eventually dropped to his knees overwhelmed.

"Temleh fo Etaf, laever flesruoy!" cried Zatanna as a bolt of lightning burst from the clouds overhead and struck the ground.

"It's the...!" declared Billy, but stopped when M'gann covered his mouth with a gloved hand.

(Don't shout, Billy,) she told him. (I've linked you telepathically to the others.)

(That is so cool,) exclaimed Billy, geeking out for a moment. (I mean… it's the gem, at the center of the pentagram, destroy it and we win.)

Kaldur turned to look in Zatanna's direction, immediately noticing that she had the Helmet in hand. (Zatanna!)

(Stop!) cried Wally, trying to pushing himself up on his broken arm.

But the teenage sorceress ignored him and raised the Helmet over her head, then lowered it onto her head.

Her eyes began to glow through the eyeholes and then as she rose into the air, the costume of Doctor Fate appeared over her costume.

"Klarion!" declared Doctor Fate, Nabu and Zatanna's voice echoing around each other. "This ends now!"

Klarion stared for a moment, then gritted his teeth.

(Billy, tell Zatara!) ordered M'gann.

(R-right, yeah,) he said shakily. "SHAZAM!" Then disappeared in a flash of electric blue light.

Klarion moved outside his dome and sent a blast of crimson energy at the Lord of Order, who countered with a golden beam of their own which met in mid-air.

He quickly tired of the stalemate and broke away, then conjured a series of explosive balls of magic and threw them at his nemesis, who dodged them easily.

(We must penetrate that dome while Klarion is distracted,) Kaldur commanded, shifting his water-bearers into hammers and then lead the charge as Wally sped away from the battle.

Where's he going? Artemis wondered as she fired at the magical dome.

"There, see?" sneered Klarion. Following his gaze, Artemis noticed to her horror that Doctor Fate's costume was fading in and out of existence around Zatanna. "When the world's divided… the Helmet split too. You're not all here, Nabu! You're losing your hold on that poor, soon-to-be-dead girl… She gave herself for nothing…!"

"No, Witch Boy," replied Doctor Fate. "Fate decrees her sacrifice will not be in vain!" A powerful bolt of golden magic slammed into the dome, causing Klarion to take cover while the Team continue their assault.

"No… No, no, no, no, no!" Klarion shouted as the barrier began to fail, knocking him to his knees. "No!"

Doctor Fate shot another beam of golden magic at Klarion, imprisoning him inside a golden ankh.

(Now, Kid!) ordered Kaldur.

Wally sped back into view, snagged the gem from centre of the magical circle and threw towards the Lord of Order. "Doc, catch!"

Doctor Fate caught the jewel and declared. "Yam eht owt emoceb eno ecno erom!"

Before Artemis could take a breath, the dimensions merged again and Klarion's allies appeared around the edge of the circle and collapsed.

Klarion glared, then looked up in faux-innocence at his nemesis, whose form had now stabilised. "Boy, they sure don't make evil immortal sorcerers like they used to… oh, well," he said nonchalantly, then broke his containment with click of his fingers and stood. "It was fun while it lasted… Teekl!"

The cat broke away from her fight with Wolf and bounded back towards her master. She shed mass as she ran and by the time she jumped into the sorcerer's arms she was back in her usual form.

Before either the Team or the League can react, Klarion summoned a large red portal and turned towards them. "See you later, armadillos!" he cried and then jumped through the portal. "Unless I see you first!"

Kid sped up to the Lord of Order as the portal closed behind Klarion. "Aren't you gonna stop him?!"

"To what end?" asked Doctor Fate. "Klarion is Chaos personified... he cannot be contained."

As Batman and Robin began to tie up the other sorcerers, Zatanna stepped towards the Team, collecting them around him as he walked over to the Lord of Order. "Fate! Great Nabu, release my daughter."

"No!" insisted Doctor Fate, Zatanna's voice buried almost completely under Nabu's. "Witness the havoc wrought in these hours… the world needs Doctor Fate, and the girl's natural affinities for the Mystic Arts makes her the perfect candidate."

"You can't do that!" snapped Artemis, enraged.

"She has her own life to live!" added Robin.

"Kent would never allow you…" snarled Wally.

Nabu cut him off. "Kent Nelson did object… strenuously." he admitted. "So, I released his spirit to the afterlife. He is gone."

For once, Wally was lost for words as he exchanged wide-eyed looks with the rest of the Team.

"Take me, instead," demanded Zatara. "My skills are already at their peak. My body is physically stronger, better able to withstand the strength of your power."

"All true," agreed Nabu. "But if I remove the helmet, what guarantee have I that you will don it?"

"My word," declared Zatara, then he raised to the Lord of Order. "Ekat em daetsni."

Apparently satisfied, Nabu drifted to a landing within arm's length of the other sorcerer, then began to remove the Helmet.

As their costume disappeared, Zatanna came back to herself. Her gaze brightened, apparently obvious to her father's bargain. "Dad!"

Her father reached out and pulled her into a hug. "Zatanna!" he cried and held her for a moment. When they separated, he looked at her sadly, then kissed her on the forehead. "Remember, I love you."

Before she could react, he took the Helmet from her grasp, and turned back towards the assembled heroes. "Take care of my girl."

"You have my word," agreed Batman grimly.

Zatara lifted the helmet. At that moment, Zatanna realised what was going on, "No, please!" she begged as Robin moved to hold her back. "This was my fault… Dad, don't! Dad!"

But her father ignored her, and a second later, Doctor Fate was back and turned away from her.

"Leave these to Fate," he said, levitating Klarion's allies and then disappearing in a gold flash.

Zatanna dropped to her knees as Robin cradled her and Artemis joined Wally in the rush to her side.