Standard Disclaimer: I own nothing in regards to Harry Potter or the MCU. All properties therein are those of their creators. I am just a simple writer working on my skills with worlds and characters that I love.

Note: I heard some concerns about MCU events that got skipped in the time jump. Those are valid, but honestly, there are a little too many over that many movies to get them all. Also, there were some storylines that plainly annoyed me. I'll go over some of them with flashbacks, but others will not make an appearance. I'm sorry if the ones not mentioned are favorites of yours, but I'm working on telling the story I want to tell.

Note: The Hydra storyline will be one of the ones dropped. I firmly believe that Peggy would have been a much more effective Captain America and that she would have succeeded where Steve failed in stamping it out completely.

Note: Shuri always struck me as a very headstrong individual. One that worked towards the completion of her goals with a single minded focus. Weather they be the completion of her newest creation or something more personal. I've also tweaked her age just a bit. She's now the same age as Luna.

Part Six - A Royal Dinner

"Ugh." Harry closed yet another file and plopped it on top of the others on his desk as he reclined back on his chair. It was a move reflected by all of the others present with him in the oval office. They had similar piles to his own. But now, finally, after four hours of continuous reading, they'd finished reading them all.

A fresh weight in his lap quickly took the young prince's mind off of the dossiers as he quickly focused on the blond that had decided to wriggle her way onto his chair. "L-Luna, what are you doing?" He questioned nervously. Six years had done wonders for Luna Lovegood's confidence and body. At 5/4 she was the shortest of their little group, but constant combat training with Laura had given her whipcord muscle and the lean body of an elf.

She just looked up at him with that curious expression he'd grown to love so much. "Sitting in a chair with my boyfriend. Is that not apparent?" To emphasize her point the girl wiggled deliciously on his lap. It was enough to make a man groan.

A fresh sigh and shock of red hair announced Jean as she came up to stand beside his chair, looking down at her romantic partners. "I think he means, why now of all times? We're supposed to be working." For her part, Jean matched Harry's height at six feet, and her 'assets' were downright killer.

Luna pouted as she spoke, "Reading up on the potential dinner guests for London isn't work, it's torture. We should be out swimming or walking around. Not reading up on facts we could just learn in conversation when we get there."

"We only have a couple more days to learn this, Luna." Laura called from the couch she'd been sharing with the others before two of them had decided to get up. "Es muy importante. Would you want to embarrass our Harry with a lack of knowledge when we talk to these people?"

It had been a little over a week since Harry had confronted them all with his feelings, and they'd reciprocated. It had been a little awkward for the first few days between them all, but then they sat down together, without Harry, and after a whole tub of ice cream was devoured they'd come to a real understanding. They were friends, they wanted to be with Harry, and they wanted each other to be happy. Finally, they realized there was no reason any of those things needed to be mutually exclusive. They'd ended the night snuggling together and gossiping about their shared boyfriend into the early hours of the next day.

Luna's pout grew more pronounced, "That's just mean." She leaned up and kissed her new boyfriend on the cheek, "You don't think we need to keep reading these boring papers do you, Harry?"

Seeing his friend's purple blushed cheeks and lack of immediate answer, Kurt just had to say, "Mein friend, you are, how zey say… vhipped." for emphasis he waved his hand like a lasso and make a 'shah' sound with his mouth.

Jean took exception to that. "That's quite the opinion, Kurt." She began. "Should I give Wanda a call and ask what she thinks about the prospect of a whipped boyfriend?"

Kurt's spine shot ramrod straight and he shakily responded, "Nein, fraulein. I take it back." After Harry had gone to the mansion to explain to his best male friend that he was going to be asking out Jean and Luna, Kurt had immediately declared he wasn't going to be the only single person in their group before running off with crazed confidence to ask Wanda Maximoff out on a date. He suspected she had just said yes to humor him, but they'd really hit it off. The two of them had hung out every night since and they were now hesitantly calling themselves a couple. It was nice.

"I wasn't saying anything, Kurt, because I just finished the last file. We're done with the research." Harry smirked and pulled Luna into a tight cuddle. Two could play at that game.

"So I wasted my feminine whiles for nothing?" Luna pouted even more.

"Nonsense, Luna, you were quite adorable." Jean smiled down at her year younger friend. Out of all of them the blonde was the most innocent and everyone around her always worked their hardest to make her smile if they could. Which is why it was rather unfortunate that the blonde mutant had chosen that day to try smoking. She'd seen Wanda doing it a week prior and thought it looked neat, so she'd bummed a few from the punk-rock-looking girl and brought them with her just in case. She'd lit up once and decided she didn't like them, but sadly, the rest of her ill gotten death sticks had fallen out of her pocket in Harry's room, and who should find them but….

The office door burst open and an enraged looking Peggy stood in plain view. Luna's cigarettes were poking out of her fist and her military grade steel toe boot was just coming back down to the floor as she stomped into the office.

"Harry. Steve. Carter!" She snarled and held out the death-sticks, "What were these doing in your room?"

Harry knew Luna had tried one earlier. She'd brought it up in random conversation, as she did most things, and he could guess how his absent-minded girlfriend had lost them too. Seeing the girl in his lap about to admit they were hers, Harry cut in, "I just wanted to try it, mom. Only to see what it was like. I swear I'll never do it again. I meant to throw the rest out." Luna might have been alright, but there was always a chance Peggy would alert Professor Xavier about the possession. The man had a strict no alcohol or tobacco rule in his mansion.

Peggy was clearly seething for several seconds as she glanced at everyone present before a strange look entered her eye. Her posture relaxed, and in a more reasonable voice she said, "Well, you still can't lie to me, son." She moved over to another vacant couch and sat down. "Sorry about that, I thought you were hiding something like this from me and I freaked a bit. Even though I know with your physiology you won't suffer the side effects. Old habits, ugh. I thought you were going to ruin your palate with bad tobacco." Seeing their looks she added, "Oh don't worry, I won't tell on Luna."

"How did you know?" Harry stared.

"You're a terrible liar and Luna looks guilty as sin." She responded evenly.

Something else was bothering Harry though. "What was that you said about me 'Ruining my palate'?"

"Oh, well, my father, your grandfather, was something of a tobacco connoisseur. He picked up the habit during the great war. Why, some of my fondest memories of him are when he would sit in his chair with a pipe and listen to me play the piano or read aloud." A new look came into the woman's eyes as she looked her son up and down. "Sometimes I forget how old you've gotten, Harry. My god, you're almost a man grown now." She looked at the others present, "All of you too. Hold on a second." With a new bounce in her step, the formerly pissed off woman left the room.

Everyone left behind gave each other odd looks and started to ask what they thought was going on, but before any meaningful conversation could begin, Peggy came back with two boxes under her arms and a small tray with glasses.

She set them down on a nearby coffee table and said, "I was actually coming here for a different reason before and the cigarettes threw me through a loop." She set one box aside and retrieved the other and the glasses.

"Ah, mom? What are you doing?" Harry asked as as the woman removed a bottle of red wine from the second box, uncorked it, and started to pour.

"Simple, son. In two days you'll be going to a royal banquet. Now if these are anything similar to the high class military functions I attended, or the balls my father was invited to, then wine will be served. You are all about at the age where choosing not to partake of at least one glass would be considered rude, so I decided that you should all have your first drinks here, in a safe environment under my watch. That way you can get used to the taste, and figure out your alcohol tolerance level. We wouldn't want you all to get embarrassingly drunk over the pond now would we? I've already cleared this with Professor Xavier, and Frigga has provided me with anti-hangover potions for the morning. You don't need to get drunk if you do not want to, but I firmly believe it is a parent's duty to teach their children what to expect in matters of drink."

Surprising everyone, Kurt poofed from the couch to Peggy's side before grabbing a glass. "I am ready to drink, Ms. Carter."

Everyone else took a glass as well, except for Harry. Luna still refused to move and the two of them had to have glasses handed to them by Laura and Jean. Everyone clinked their glasses together, and took a sip.

For the next couple hours, everyone talked together, reclined on the comfy furniture, and partook of the wine that Peggy had procured. She said it was a good vintage, but the teenagers, having nothing to compare it to, just thought it was okay, if a bit bitter. After a while, the alcohol seemed to take effect, and several of them started drooping and slurring their words until the only ones still cognizant were Peggy, Harry, and Laura. Healing factors and alien DNA had their uses apparently.

"Laura, would you take these three to their rooms to sleep it off? I'll have the maids bring them their potions in the morning. I want to have a talk with my son."

The mutant girl nodded her understanding and went around the room grabbing her friends and mainly just dragging them along the floor by their shirts. Harry stealthily managed to get an eye-full from Jean and Luna in the process as those very same shirts rode up in the process.

When everyone else was finally out of the room, Peggy retrieved the first box she'd brought from the table and placed it on Harry's desk. "I know we already celebrated your birthday over the summer, but I don't think giving you another gift will hurt too much." She opened the lid and inside was a bone white half-bent-billiard tobacco pipe, and a pouch that smelled rather sweet.

"I was saving this for your eighteenth birthday next summer, but now, well, those cigarettes weren't yours but you did look interested in the prospect of smoking. I'd rather you try the good stuff than that mass produced drivel. When I introduce you to whiskey I'll do the same with good scotch."

"Why? I mean, why were you going to give me a pipe for my birthday? Aren't parents supposed to want their kids to stay away from smoking?" Harry asked with confusion.

A sad look passed across Peggy's face. "I've been talking to your father, and upon reaching the age of manhood, an Asgardian warrior is typically gifted with a family heirloom by his or her mother. That… that pipe was my father's. He carried it with him for forty years before he died. It's one of the only things I have left of him. After so long spent between dimensions… A lot of things were lost, and I think your grandfather would want you to have it. As for the smoking, when I mentioned this as a potential gift Loki made sure to tell me that frost giants can't get cancer, lung or otherwise. So you'll be fine. And I mean, even if you did get it, we could cure it anyway. You don't have to use it if you don't want to," she made sure to assure him, "but it's yours nonetheless."

Harry quickly stood up from his chair and gave his mom a hug. He was the same height as her now. When had that happened? Then he turned back to the box and picked the piece of smooth wood up, admiring it in his hands for several seconds before asking, "How do I use this?"

Peggy chuckled and calmly helped him figure out how to fill the pipe bowl with tobacco leaves and press them down until it was 3/4 full, then she instructed him to light it and start puffing. He did, and almost immediately started choking. Peggy slapped him on the back a couple times and instructed him to keep going, so he did, and the more he puffed and breathed the easier it became, until finally… the sweet and calming smoke filled his lungs easily. It was a bit of a process to get used to, but once he had, the young man found he actually rather liked the taste of the tobacco leaves and the feeling of the wooden pipe on his lips.

"What do you think, Harry?" Peggy asked.

"I think I see why grandfather liked this so much." He replied.

"Well, I've officially raised a smoker." Peggy mused, "If my mother could only see me now."

"She'd say you are an amazing mom, and that you care enough about your son to honor his people's traditions?" Harry mused, earning a fresh chuckle from the woman.

"Perhaps. I mainly wanted to give you something since I won't be able to go with you to London. Frigga will be taking my place."

Harry frowned as he continued to smoke the pipe, "Is something wrong?"

"No, but Doctor Strange has requested my assistance with something. He wouldn't say what but I can't imagine it's anything too crazy."

"Alright then. So it'll be me, grandmother, Yuriko, Jean, Laura, Luna, and Kurt?"

"Yes. Remember, the goal is to maintain friendship with England. Let their queen and prime minister know that although the government has changed, we still seek amicable relations. Once you open a dialogue we can work from there to build your deal."

"Yes mother." Harry removed the pipe from his mouth and with a quick whisper of icy cold breath snuffed out the embers in the bowl. "I think I'm going to call it a night."

"Alright then. I love you, Harry."

"Love you too, mom." They gave each other a quick good night hug and exited the office to go their separate ways.

Two Days Later

Buckingham Palace

Evening

State Dinner

A loud crack announced the arrival of the wizarding party as all four heads of the Hogwarts houses, their chosen students, Albus Dumbledore, and Amelia Bones arrived outside the castle. It was still strange to be suddenly allowed to perform magic in public, but they were making do.

Everyone seemed to be in high spirits, except for one deputy headmistress. For her part, McGonagoll was incredibly worried. At the last instant Anthony Goldstein had fallen ill and been unable to attend, so Flitwick had instead chosen Padma Patil to accompany them and in place of dress robes she'd donned a bright orange, elegant, sari. This was not what had her worried however, that came from the fact that the girl hadn't had as much time to prepare something to display. That and having the Malfoy heir amongst their number. In seven years of instruction she had never known him to hold his tongue in public.

Pushing her worries to the side, Minerva led her group up to the gate where they were stopped by a pair of red coated guards. "You must be the party from Hogwarts." One of them noted. "Surrender your wands to us and you may enter."

Before anyone else could comment, the snide voice of Draco spoke up, "I'm not giving my wand to you or any other filthy muggle here. You'll dirty it with a touch."

An ugly look came over the guard's face, and the other spoke up for him, "Those wands are considered deadly weapons. They will be returned for your performances tonight and when you leave, but by law we cannot let you enter Buckingham Palace with them."

"A sensible rule, that." Amelia agreed as she handed hers over to the man before crossing the threshold. It was an act that Minerva, the children, Flitwick and Pomona all copied. This still left Draco, Severus, and Dumbledore waiting on the outside.

"Whatever are you waiting for, Albus?" Minerva demanded.

The older man stared at the pile of wands already gathered, "Surely there must be a compromise we can reach gentlemen? I can swear to you that I will not lift my wand against anyone present."

"Orders are orders sir. After all, we 'filthy muggles' have to take our precautions seriously with your lot don't we?" The first guard spoke up, his glare never leaving the Malfoy scion.

Eventually, the desire to hold out disappeared under the glare of the rest of his faculty and Dumbledore handed over his wand.

"And the two others, sir." The second guard spoke, earning a look of shock from the headmaster. "Our intelligence network is very thorough."

His face still holding a look of surprise, Albus gave them over and joined the others. Severus and Draco hesitatingly following. From there they made their way to the front gate where a greeter was waiting with some kind of tablet in his hands. He quickly swept his finger along it and inquired, "Your names?" Minerva cleared her throat and gave them. A few seconds later the greeter nodded and gestured for them to enter. They were quickly moved over to clear the entryway and over to a side hall.

A well dressed man proclaiming himself to be the head butler explained to them there, "You are here at her majesty's pleasure but you are not full guests. As such you may peruse the greeting gallery, eat of the snack plates and drinks, even dance in the music hall, but you will not have seats at the tables when the dinner officially begins. When it is time for your performance you will be called. If you have any questions while you wait, feel free to ask any of the porters, butlers, or other staff present. We have been alerted that your society was rather insular and you might be lost here."

"No seat at the table?" Draco raged, his face burning red. "Do you simple lot not know who I am?"

The porter gave the boy a dead stare. "Yes… Malfoy. We were rather surprised that you were chosen to appear here tonight. Given the state of the investigation of course."

Draco paled, "What investigation?"

"You didn't hear? The queen has received quite a few unnerving reports of murderers, rapists, and death eaters escaping justice through bribery and subterfuge. Now that she has officially lifted the veil of secrecy she can send in her own investigators to find out the truth. As I understand it, your father has a mountain of evidence building against him."

"M-My father was under the imperius curse. There is no evidence he willingly did anything illegal."

"Then the investigation will show those facts." The butler gave the boy a disdainful sniff and turned to the others, "Did you all understand the instructions as I've given them?" At their nods he finished, "Then carry on with your evening. I have other duties to attend to." Without another word he took off, and everyone present shot Draco incredibly hard looks. The message was clear, 'keep your mouth shut'. Sadly, none of them believed he'd get it.

By mutual decision they split up into groups. Severus and Draco went one way, Albus another, the teachers went to the bar, and the other students wandered over to the greeting gallery. This was the first time many of them had seen such high ranking or famous people, and it was quite the sight to say the least. There were people in suits, outlandish costumes, sari's like Padma's, and even a few in what looked to be decorative kimonos. It looked like half the dignitaries of the world were present.

And more were coming, as was shown by the greeter announcing to the room at large, "Now introducing, King T'Challa of Wakanda and his sister, Princess Shuri!" Everyone around them stopped to clap for the pair as they descended, and the Hogwarts crowd simultaneously got a good look at them, and realized that Draco would be seething at not getting announced himself.

The man, T'Challa appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties, and was dressed in a fine suit with some kind of clearly tribal cloth wrapped around his neck and shoulders. (What he wore at the end of Black Panther to address the world). His sister however seemed to be about their age. She was clothed in a dark purple strapless dress that displayed her fine shoulders in detail, and her black hair was done up in an intricate braided bun. There appeared to be objects imbedded in it, but from that distance none of them could figure out what they were. Her eyes and forehead were emphasized by a series of white dots placed strategically on her skin.

"Wow!" Hermione nearly squealed in excitement. I heard all about Wakanda last summer when I was home. I never thought I'd get the chance to see its king in person, though."

Padma nudged her shoulder gently, "Then for those of us not equally informed, could you explain what has you so excited?"

"Oh, right, of course. I'd forgotten that those in the wizarding world pay no attention to anything outside its borders." At those words, Padma and Susan groaned. There went Hermione again. The girl had no filter when it came to unconscious passive aggression. She was full of snark, and very open with her views on how backwards their society was. Regardless, they'd still befriended her. It was an odd camaraderie to be sure, but when they were all eleven and Padma and Susan had heard that the other girl had been injured in a troll attack and no one was there to see her after, they'd gone themselves. What they found was a scared, bullied, and lost girl that needed a friend, and they were happy to fill that void. Now, six years later, they were incredibly close, but the bushy haired girl could definitely be challenging. She'd replaced her fear and loneliness with an attitude that clearly implied she believed herself to always be the smartest person in the room. To be fair, she often was.

"Well, Wakanda was thought to be just this small out of the way country in Africa for centuries, but then, just a few years ago, King T'challa addressed the United Nations and announced that they'd been hiding their true strength and wealth since the beginning of their nation to survive the rise of colonialism and slavery. It turns out that they are one of the richest nations on the planet, and their military might is nothing to sneeze at either."

"How rich exactly?" Susan inquired.

A calculating look came over Hermione's face before she said, "They could probably buy or at least make a reasonable offer for, most other countries on this planet. The rarest and strongest metal on Earth is only found within their domain and the demand for it is incredibly high."

"Truer words have not been said yet tonight." An accented African voice spoke from over their shoulders. The girls whipped around and saw none other than Princess Shuri ladling herself a glass from the nearby punch bowl. "I am sorry to intrude, but I heard you speaking about my country. I am Shuri."

"Your grace!" Hermione rushed to curtsy, an act made difficult by her dress robes bunching around her legs. Her friends merely bowed.

Shuri chuckled, "None of that. Until the dinner officially begins you may call me Shuri. Also, you made a mistake in your assessment. While the demand for vibranium is indeed quite high, we do not sell it unless under the strictest of conditions. The metal is too important to our culture and way of life."

"Huh." Padma said, her curiosity peaked. "Was fixing our friend's assumption the only reason you approached us… Shuri?"

"Oh, by the ancestors, no." The princess laughed before taking a sip of her punch. "You just happen to be in the place that has the best line of sight for the entrance. There is a guest coming that I have been dying to see in person."

Padma gasped, "Really? Who?"

"Have you heard of what happened to America six years ago?" She inquired, and seemed quite shocked when only one of them nodded. Regardless she carried on, "Well, I have it on good authority that Prince Harry of Asgard is going to be attending."

Hermione gasped even louder than when the Wakandan royalty had been announced. "Really? He's never been to an official event before. Only done interviews for J. Jonah Jameson."

"I know." Shuri chuckled. "It's why I want to see him here when he arrives. I want to know if he is as attractive in person as he is on the screen."

"Really?" Hermione questioned. "I thought he wasn't human. Isn't that strange for you?"

Shuri gave the bushy haired girl a confused look. "Why should it be? From what I've heard he shares half of his DNA with humanity. Oh," realization came to her then, "are you uncomfortable around those that look different than you? I can leave."

She turned to go but Padma quickly moved up to stop her as Susan confronted a horrified looking Hermione. "I'm sorry, Princess Shuri. My friend meant no offense. Her mouth just runs ahead of her brain sometimes."

The princess nodded, "My brother has that problem on occasion. I take no issue with your friend."

"Thank you." Padma breathed a sigh of relief as she fingered the edge of her sari. "Our society, until recently, was rather insular and we are not informed of much that has happened in the wider world. As you heard we had not even heard of Wakanda until this very evening."

"Such a strange way to live, but my people would not judge." Shuri nodded.

"Right, well, what did my friend mean when she said the prince wasn't human?"

Back at the entrance the greeter proclaimed, "Now introducing, Prince Harry of Asgard, Ruling sovereign of America! His retinue! And Queen Frigga of Asgard!"

Shuri smiled at the Indian girl, "I think you're about to find out." As she spoke the doors opened and a new group entered.

Padma and Susan could only gasp in wonder at what they saw. The prince, for who else would wear a silver band around their head, was leading the party. They could see what Hermione had meant about him not being human now. Prince Harry's skin was light blue in color, with raised lines about his forehead, cheeks, and chin. His eyes were deep crimson orbs that stared out at everyone present with open curiosity. He was wearing a crisp, black, three piece suit, with an incredibly dark-green long-coat with a puffed white fur collar hanging on his shoulders. In his right hand was an ornate walking stick.

Next to him strode an elegant woman, perhaps in her forties, wearing a stunning silk gown of gold. The train of which followed behind her smoothly for several feet. They were both followed in turn by several others. A busty redhead in an emerald backless number, a blonde in what appeared to be a yellow sundress of all things, and a brunette in a vaguely Spanish looking dress with frills, her shoulders bared like Shuri's. Then, of all things, they too were followed by a dark haired Japanese woman in an intricately detailed blue kimono. They made quite the entrance.

The poised and dramatic moment however was broken by a single voice bursting out into ecstatic, ugly, laughter and proclaiming, "You can't be serious! There's no such thing as a dark creature prince!"

Every member of the Hogwarts contingent shot to look at the source of the voice and with mounting horror realized it was coming from Draco Malfoy. The boy was bent over laughing, yet still pointing right at the new prince making it very clear what the source of his humor was. Snape and Dumbledore hurriedly ran over to him from their corners of the room, but failed to reach the student before he loudly proclaimed, "This is a joke right? What kind of 'noble' gathering would let filth like him inside?"

Everyone present that wasn't already covering their mouths in shock at his antics gasped at his words. Just as the professor and headmaster reached the laughing teenager, an elderly voice called out, "Guards! Remove that man from the premises and place his name on the national blacklist. He is not to be allowed at any government function, school, or event for the rest of his life! I don't even want to hear of him attending an office christmas party!" Then, as if it was an afterthought, she added "And snap his wand!"

As two men in black hurriedly pushed through the objecting professor's to manhandle the violently objecting Slytherin, Padma's group looked to the voice that had spoken and saw a regal old woman in a crown striding over to, presumably, apologize to the dignitary for the very public insult.

Almost as if reading her thoughts, Shuri said, "This is a bad start for England. Just imagine, a queen having to apologize to a guest she herself invited for racist remarks proclaimed in public the moment he enters the building. I would really hate to be the one that brought that blonde ferret to this event. They're bound to get an earful from the Prime Minister for it."

Hermione winced. "He actually came with our group." At Shuri's shocked stare she elaborated. "Each teacher was asked to select a student to attend. We all objected to Draco's admission to this party but the teacher that chose him was his godfather. We had no say in the matter."

"All I can say is yikes." The princess noted. "Though at least I got to have a good look at the hot prince before your 'friend' ruined the moment."

"He was rather dashing wasn't he?" Padma spoke up. "That skin with that coat, and the way he held himself…" She fanned herself lightly. "I see what you meant before, Shuri. He certainly looks like quite the snack."

"Padma!" Hermione exclaimed, appalled that her friend would use such terminology, and in front of royalty no less.

"What?" The Indian girl responded, raising a single eyebrow. "He does."

"Indeed." Shuri nodded before wrapping her arm through the sari clad girl's own. "I think I like you, Padma. Come, and let us introduce ourselves to this, 'snack'."

As the new duo sped off into the crowd, Hermione and Susan were left behind wondering what exactly had just occurred.

Meanwhile

Harry had been rather excited about the chance to actually travel and represent his people from the moment his father had first brought it up. Loki had been of the opinion for a while now that Harry should start taking a more active role in ruling now that he was coming of age, and the feeling was shared quite ecstatically by his progeny.

Things had been going so well too. Though he complained about the tailoring process, he rather enjoyed dressing in suits. There was just something about donning a three piece design that made a man feel more refined. An extra benefit came from getting to see how beautiful his girlfriends looked in their dresses. He knew it sounded cheesy, but when they had all posed for him in their outfits earlier in the evening he'd felt like he was witnessing true beauty for the first time in his life. It was amazing the feelings that that fabric, on the right person, could create for him.

Then things had really taken a down turn. They'd arrived at Buckingham palace, been received warmly enough, and announced as he was told was proper. Then one of the guests had decided to take issue with his appearance. Calling him a 'dark creature', whatever that was though from the tone it was surely a slur, and demanding to know why 'filth' such as him was present. Though it hurt him to hear those words, the reaction on his girls was even greater. Rage, like none he had ever seen crossed their faces, and Harry had been forced to wrap his arms around Luna's shoulder's to stop her forward march toward the speaker. The curl of her fists made it clear what she had intended.

His Luna. She was the sweetest of his girls, but also the quickest to fury where he was concerned. Laura hadn't been far behind her, but Yuriko had stopped her by taking hold of her elbow. It was a good thing too, as much as the words had hurt, attacking a guest of this party could lead to an international incident of mountainous proportions. Every guest present was supposed to be incredibly important after all.

Frigga took charge of the group and physically shoved them all down the stairs and over to a mostly empty room where they could wait together for the apology she as a ruler knew was coming. One did not let their guests be insulted like that without responding of course. She wasn't disappointed, as not even sixty seconds later a petite, older, woman and a middle aged man in a tuxedo quickly followed them inside. From their dossiers they knew them to be Queen Elizabeth and her prime minister, Roger Morcouth.

"Prince Harry, please accept our most sincere of apologies." The queen began the moment she saw she had their attention. "What that young man said is not a view shared by ourselves or anyone else gathered here tonight."

Frigga spoke for all of them, "Yet he did speak, and to be here he must have been invited."

"Actually," It was Roger that spoke this time, "He was not. You see, our country and many others host small societies of magic wielders. They have lived in secret for fear of persecution up till now, but your nation's open use of magic has allowed us to open the curtain so to speak on their world. That young man, and a few other guests here tonight were summoned from Hogwarts, England's primary school for magic, and were meant to perform displays of arcane skill for the guests. We wanted to display for you what other forms of magic exist in this world."

The Asgardian woman gave the man a knowing look, "And let us know that other nations have access to magic too. I understand."

"Just so." The PM saw no need to beat around that particular bush at the moment. "That being said, we had no idea that the teachers would allow someone as clearly bigoted as him to attend. For the insult he provided you have our country's deepest apologies."

The man gave a bow, while behind him the queen merely looked contrite. It would not do for one such as her to bow to anyone. It was an act that Frigga once more understood as she would have undoubtedly done the same.

"What is being done about the speaker? If he is still attending this event after saying what he did then we will be leaving."

The queen spoke once more, "There is no need to worry. I have already expelled him from the building and ordered his magical focus snapped. He will never be allowed to a government function again, and even if he replaces his wand, it will never be as good as his original. His political future is destroyed and his personal abilities are crippled. His embarrassment to this country will forever be remembered and felt."

"Good." Frigga nodded before moving over to stand beside the older woman and held out her arm for the shorter ruler to take. "The children can go back in and mingle. As for you, I have been told of your years of rule and would like to hear some of these stories from your own lips."

Elizabeth stared at the statuesque woman and asked, "Just like that? No forced concessions or groveling to return?"

Frigga gave the queen a confused look. "Why would we require anything of the sort? You have apologized personally, removed the source of the problem, and punished him accordingly. Nothing else needs doing."

As the two monarchs left Elizabeth could be heard muttering under her breath, "The last time your people were insulted you conquered an entire country."

Then they were out of earshot. The prime minister made a point to apologize once more before taking his own leave as well. Leaving Harry alone with his women. He was still holding Luna around the shoulders, but she'd turned to melt more comfortably into his side.

Jean took one look at them and decided that looked rather delightful, and immediately moved to claim his other side. Sliding under his arms and wrapping the left one around her waist. He gave her a curious look, but she merely smiled. Laura was slightly put out to not be on his arm like the others, but contented herself by moving over to stand in front of him. She decided it couldn't hurt to give the man she loved a constant view of her ass. She'd caught him staring enough times to learn how much he liked the sight of it.

The prince was just starting to wonder what to do with his walking stick when Yuriko stepped forward, retrieved it from his hand, and stepped back into her usual place behind him. The message was clear, she had his back in all things. Even cuddle walking with his women.

"Well, girls?" Harry asked. "Are you ready to face the gentry of England with me?"

"Of course." They all chirped, earning a warm smile from the blue skinned man. For the millionth time in his life he began to wonder how he could be so lucky as to have these people near him.

With his women once more content, they all returned to the greeting hall. The scenery was grand, as was to be expected of Buckingham palace. With grand tapestries, richly ornate furniture along the walls, and marble flooring so recently cleaned that it shone in the lamplight. On a raised dais across the room, just visible through the door to the music hall, a string quintet played a lively tune that several couples were dancing to with elegance and abandon both.

As they made their way into the crowd, they inevitably became the center of attention. Harry lost track of the number of dignitaries, royals, and other guests he greeted, nodded at, or in any other way acknowledged. It was a grand affair to be sure, but it did get rather boring after a while, what with everyone giving the same general greetings and thinly veiled requests for one on one time later in the evening. Then something new happened.

"Prince Harry, my name is Minerva McGonagoll. Might I have a moment of your time to apologize for the hateful speech of one of my students?"

Harry looked up and came face to face with a tall, thin, stern looking woman. Based on her words and the fact that she was wearing billowing robes and a pointed hat, he assumed she was one of the faculty for that magic school the PM had mentioned. He halted his progress and turned his ladies so they could all face the woman fully.

"But of course, Ms. McGonagoll. Though I of course do not hold you personally responsible for what someone else says."

The scotswoman frowned at the boy's strange accent. He sounded British, yet off somehow. "You are English?"

"No, well, I was born here. Though I have spent the majority of my life in the States. I understand that my accent can be confusing, so it's no trouble."

"R-Right. And who are these young ladies?" McGonagoll couldn't help noticing the way these girls were glaring at her, as if they were preparing for any slight or attack she might make on the young man. Rather strange that. Also that he had his arms around two of them. At once! that just wasn't proper.

Harry smiled wryly at the woman. Her thoughts were rather easy to read on her face, and he knew their relationship was unconventional to say the least. "These are my girlfriends." He nodded his head at each in turn, "Jean Grey, Laura Kinney, and Luna Lovegood." The woman jumped at the last name.

"Lovegood?" The deputy head's mind flashed back to that horrible day five years ago. The day yet a second name she called received no answer. The day she'd gone to the home of the child and found the father dead and daughter missing. Now, she found herself looking at this girl that had the same name and realized that she was the spitting image of her mother. "W-Would your father's name have happened to be Xenophilius?" She inquired, trying like hell to keep the waver out of her voice. She didn't entirely succeed.

The girl, along with her coterie, were all giving her strange looks. "Yes." She answered. "I'm sorry if you knew him. He passed away several years ago."

"Yes," Minerva swallowed the lump in her throat, "I knew him well. Your mother too. They had you on the student roster for Hogwarts, our school for witchcraft and wizardry, from the moment you were born. When you didn't arrive for your house sorting after turning eleven we discovered you missing." A single tear fell from her eyes at having found one of her wayward youths, "You don't know how happy I am to find you alive and well."

Luna clearly didn't know what to do with a crying older woman, so she simply extricated herself form her man and gave the woman a hug. "There, there." She smiled, rubbing the witch's back. "It's alright. I don't know you, but I guess it's a good thing to have people that care." She stepped back and took Harry's hand in her own. Then, with a bright smile she said, "Is there anything else you need from Harry?"

Minerva gasped, "From Prince Harry? No, I merely wished to apologize for young Draco Malfoy's words and attitude while promising that our institution as a whole does not share his views. But now… You… You need to come with me now. We must have you sorted and educated in how to use your magic!"

Confronted with such impassioned speech, Luna hid behind Harry and with a burst of will summoned a small wall of stone between them all. It was a small thing that would likely dissipate in but a few minutes, but for now it was enough to halt the woman's tirade. She only stared with wide eyes at the wandless and wordless conjuration. Her stunned silence was broken however by the steely voice of an irate prince.

"I took no offense to you for the actions of your student because his words were merely against myself. But you have personally earned my ire now by insinuating you have any sort of right to dictate how one of my friends spends her time or life. You say she must come with you, why? She does not know you or this purported school you claim to represent. You say she must be educated in the use of her magic. As you can see that is a moot cause. My grandmother herself saw to Luna's education the moment she saw my friend had magical potential. She does not need you, your school, or your lessons. Now good evening, madam." Without another word the prince pulled Luna back into his side and marched his group away. As he did, every other woman with him, including a rather severe Japanese lady, gave her looks that under any other circumstance would most definitely have killed.

For her part, all Minerva could do was stare after them and wonder just what had gone so wrong. She went over their conversation in her head three times before it finally clicked for her, and when it did she gave an audible gasp. She had just acted like Dumbledore!

A short time later Harry had managed to calm Luna down, cool off his other ladies, and head over to the music hall. With his group looking all dressed up he thought it would be a crime to not dance with each of them and let them flaunt their outfits to the crowd. So flaunt they did. As he twirled his ladies around, one by one, onlookers gawked, as they slow danced, they awed, and when he finished every dance with a kiss they gasped. He had a feeling the news stations of the world would soon be getting anonymous tips that one of the most powerful men in the world was in a polyamorous relationship. How quaint.

He'd just finished his last dance with Luna, a hop-skipping number of her own design, and given her her own kiss when he felt a delicate hand gracing his shoulder. "Excuse me, Prince Harry," a distinctly feminine African voice inquired, "but might I trouble you for a dance?"

The man turned, and came face to face with a figure he knew well from his work studying the dossiers in his office. Princess Shuri of Wakanda.

"Go on, Harry." Luna patted his cheek lightly. "The others and I will be at the snack table." Having said her piece, the blonde moved off to return to their small group, leaving Harry alone with the princess on the dance floor. Seeing no harm in the act, he took one of Shuri's hands in his own and placed his other on her hip. When the music started up again they began to move to its rhythm.

"You move very well." the princess smiled up at her partner, earning a small grin in return.

"Thank you. Both my mother and grandmother insisted that, 'a prince must know how to dance in polite company', whatever that meant, so they made sure to teach me personally. I'm sure they'll both be pleased to hear they were correct."

"Mother's and matriarch's normally are." Shuri laughed, and the sound was a tinkling melody in Harry's ears.

Deciding to change the subject, the prince asked, "How has your evening been so far? Are you having a good time?"

"Better than yours I imagine. That outburst when you entered was just shameful. But hey, the night is young, the music is good, and I am dancing with a very, very, handsome man."

It was only with a superhuman burst of will that Harry kept himself from blushing at the girl's words. Even after all these years he wasn't good at accepting compliments. "I appreciate the compliment, Princess Shuri."

"Just Shuri please, I find you far too fascinating to waist time on an honorific should we speak more."

"That is rather forward." Harry noted. His grandmother had made it very clear what the implications could be for a fellow royal to demand one drop their title in conversation.

Shuri smiled, and for a moment her teeth showed through with a predatory gleam. "Yes, it is. I like to make my interest known when it is there. Beating around the bush is not the way of my people, and I would like to get to know you better."

This time Harry did blush, but only slightly. "While I appreciate that interest, I am already involved with three others. It would not be fair to you to-"

"I do not mind the others." Shuri cut in. "In Wakanda such situations are not exactly out of the ordinary. "Why, in times past multiple members of the Dora Milaje used to marry the king at once. It was seen as an honor as they were able to both secure his bloodline and watch over him even at his most vulnerable moments."

"W-Well that is certainly fascinating, but we have only just met and-"

Once more Shuri cut him off. "That does not matter either for royalty, and you fascinate me. Do your realize how hard that is to do? I fully intend to pursue you and drag you back to Wakanda if I have to. If a lack of familiarity is your hang-up then I will put my number in your phone. Don't worry about remembering it, it will simply be there the next time you look. If you need a more political reason to allow this, then consider it an offer of formal alliance with Wakanda by way of marriage, or in this case betrothal. My country has been looking into ways to increase our ties to America since your family took over anyway. I can assure you that my mother has already approved of this option."

One last time Harry tried to speak, and again he was interrupted, this time by a feather light finger being placed on his lips as the song ended. "Take some time to think this over and then get back to me. I look forward to the response." Then with a fresh giggle, Shuri leaned up on her tiptoes, kissed his cheek, and strutted back into the crowd.

Harry merely stood there, holding his cheek and wondering what the hell had just happened as Jean and the others came back to him.

"What was that all about?" The redhead asked.

Harry swallowed thickly for a moment to clear his suddenly dry throat as he answered, "I-I think I just got proposed to." His girls gasped as one, "And damn if she wasn't offering a good deal for it. Especially with what we have planned for later tonight."

Yuriko cleared her throat gently, and gestured for them all to follow her off of the dance floor as people were starting to stare. When they were finally out of the closest person's earshot she said, "You knew this could be a possibility, Harry. Odin himself said a marriage alliance could have been a requirement of the deal you desire."

"Yes, I know that, Yuriko. But I didn't expect to get flirted with and then proposed to on the dance floor of all places. It was a bit of a shock."

"Did she say if she would be alright with us being with you?" Laura asked quietly from beside him.

"Don't worry, mi corazón. On that topic I believe we are safe. she even made note of how relatively common such a practice is in her country."

"Then there is no problem." Yuriko intoned firmly. "If it happens it happens. But we are still not entirely sure it will. After all, her brother would still need to agree. So let's just wait and see, eh?"

They all nodded their agreement and went about their evening. As a group they danced some more, spoke to some interested parties about the new way of life in America, and enjoyed the snacks and punch being offered. All the while Harry couldn't help but notice Shuri and a tan skinned girl in a sari whispering back and forth to each other and giggling behind their hands. Strange that. This pattern continued for the next hour or so until a bell gonged loudly in the open air of the floor plan.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The greeter intoned, "Dinner is ready to be served! Please make your way to your seats!"

Ten minutes later Harry found himself seated at the right hand of the queen of England. Frigga sat at her left with the prime minister next to her, and T'Challa was at Harry's right. Their personal entourages were all seated at individual tables behind them. Ahead of them were three longer tables that the rest of the guests were relegated to.

As the queen rose, every voice disappeared and all attention came to her. "Friends, family, foreign guests," she began, "I am honored to have you all here tonight. Especially the representatives of America and Wakanda. It is our hope that this evening of fine dining, revelry, and entertainment will help to increase the bonds of friendship we share. Though the past several years have shaken the balance of this world, it pleases me to say that we are all united in our goals of peaceful coexistence and prosperity. As you eat and drink tonight remember where we came from and where we still can go." She reached down to the table and deftly raised her wine glass into the air, "To the future."

"To the future!" Her guests intoned after raising their own drinks. As everyone took fresh sips of the fine wine, the queen turned to the young frost giant and asked, "Have you enjoyed the dinner so far? Aside from the horrible entrance, which again you have our apologies for."

Harry waved that last part off and said, "Indeed I have, your majesty. I got to meet some interesting people, show off my beautiful girlfriends, and dance with them all. This has been a fine evening."

"I am glad." Elizabeth internally let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. That Malfoy brat had royally fucked with her plans for continued peace by creating that outburst and she was terrified the foreign prince would take offense.

That raised an issue however. If a citizen of her wizarding state felt comfortable enough in his hatred and bigotry to openly insult a guest in her home, then perhaps the outbreak of blood purist propaganda was even worse than her experts feared. It was high time her government took a more active role in the governing of her magicals. If Draco Malfoy was the example of one of their best as she'd requested be brought, then strong action needed to be initiated. She'd start by disbanding their wizengamont and delegating those responsibilities to parliament. Then she'd install muggle protections and safeguards at Hogwarts while also working to revamp and update their curriculum. Ever since she'd torn the statute of secrecy to shreds her education board had been hounding her. Apparently they'd gotten one look at the required and available courses at the institution and blown a collective gasket at the absurdity of it.

Honestly, if she could, she'd have Albus Dumbledore removed as the head of the school right now for allowing things to get this bad. But as things stood he was too integral to the functioning of the upcoming tri-wizard tournament that he'd seen fit to endorse and enact on English soil without asking for governmental approval. Oh how that rankled quite a few people including her. They couldn't cancel it now though, as the French and Bulgarian governments thought televising the event would be an ideal way to show the world some of the finer points of magic. And upon further consideration she agreed. Albus might not like it, but the choosing of champions, wand weighing ceremony, and tasks of the tournament were set to be televised worldwide. She'd just fire him after it was done.

"Excuse me your majesty." The young prince's voice woke her from her musings. A look in his direction showed he was talking to both her and her guest from Wakanda. "But would you and King T'Challa be willing to meet with me in private after this dinner is concluded? I have a matter of the greatest importance to discuss with you both."

"I see no problem with that." Elizabeth replied.

"I too agree. I am curious what you would discuss." T'Challa nodded. "Though I am curious what you discussed with my sister earlier. She has been… giddier than usual."

Harry winced. "Yeah, that might come up in the discussion."

"Consider me intrigued, Prince Harry."

The dinner went well after that. Light conversation was shared, camera's flashed to deliver photos to the local news, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. All too soon it was over, but there was still one event on the docket.

This time it was the prime minister who spoke. "Honored guests, we have a special treat for you tonight. As we all now know, magic exists, and it is not just the Asgardians that wield it. Almost every country in the world has a society of magic users within its borders, and we have brought a few here tonight to demonstrate some of their abilities for you. Please join me in welcoming Susan Bones, Hermione Granger, and Padma Patil from Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

As the gathered guests broke out into fresh applause, the three seventh years in question made their way between the tables to stand in the center of the room. By apparent mutual agreement they staggered themselves in a line with Hermione at the front, Susan following her, and Padma bringing up the rear. It seemed that they were going to be displaying their skills individually.

Hermione spent a good twenty minutes transfiguring tables, chairs, and even several remaining food platters into different objects and creatures before sending a beam of light into the air that transformed the ceiling buttresses into a perfect image of the night's starry sky. Then she bowed and moved off to stand by the wall.

Susan created an intensive light show that reacted with alternating glows, designs, and formations with her conjured drum set to create a near psychedelic tableau of light and sound. She finished her performance with a large burst of fireworks that exploded into the shape of an eastern dragon before bowing and joining Hermione. The still sparking beast remained behind, swimming through the starlight of the new ceiling.

Finally, Padma stepped forth. She gave Shuri a friendly wave and then began levitating everything in sight into the air. With practiced ease she created a swirling vortex of cutlery and plates before waving her wand again and transfiguring the lot into a thirteen foot tall statue of Queen Elizabeth. When that was done she faced the head table and suddenly her body began to shift and morph, growing taller, and wider, and a few seconds later they all found themselves staring at a massive elephant with tusks ornamented by giant golden bands. The beast leaned forward on one gigantic leg and bowed its head low to the ground before standing back up and reverting to its human form and disappearing back to her seat. She received the greatest applause of the three for her performance.

After that display the rest of the evening seemed dull in comparison until the guests started to leave. It wasn't long after that that Harry and T'Challa followed their host down a series of side halls to a cozy looking office with a lit fireplace. She told them to sit in a pair of chairs next to the flames as she sat behind the only desk.

"Now, Prince Harry, what is it you wished to speak about?"

Taking a moment to organize his thoughts, Harry reached into the inner lining of his long coat and retrieved his pipe and bag of tobacco. "Would either of you mind if I smoked while I talk? I've recently picked up the habit and I find it helps to organize my thoughts."

"Go ahead."

"My father had a similar habit," T'Challa nodded, "I am fine with it as well."

Harry packed his pipe as his mother had shown him before gesturing to the flames with his hand. As his fellow rulers watched a small tongue of fire reached out to kiss the lip of his pipe's bowl for a few seconds before retreating. The prince puffed on the stem a couple times before inhaling a cloud of delicious smoke and releasing it into the air. As the others watched, that smoke expanded to fill the roof of their small room, much as that witch had done earlier. Only this image was not of the night sky. No, what was displayed now was a silver gauntlet with three distinctly colored stones on the knuckles.

"What is that?" The king asked.

"That, is a functioning copy of the infinity gauntlet. It currently holds three infinity stones. The space stone, the mind stone, and the reality stone."

"Are you going to explain what any of that means?" Elizabeth questioned with an impatient tone.

"Sorry." Harry took another puff of his grandfather's pipe. "You see long ago, our galaxy and many others were created by the greatest of beings, the celestials. To do this they employed mighty weapons known as the reality stones. There are six in total. Space, mind, reality, power, soul, and time. Any one of these, in the hands of someone capable of wielding them, would be enough to make someone a virtual god."

Elizabeth stared at her guest in utter horror, "And you have three of them?"

To head off any potential violent response to his words, Harry raised a hand, focused his power and declared, "I, Harry Steven Carter, do hereby swear by my name, power, and life, that I do not intend to use these stones against any of the nations of Earth unless my nation is directly attacked. And only shall it be a last resort. So mote it be." A bright flash lit up the room and when it was done, the prince was revealed holding a flame in one hand while he smoked in the other.

"Rather dramatic was that not?" T'Challa noticed. "Dramatic tends to work the best in stressful situations. The Space stone was actually in human hands for a while, but it was retrieved for Asgard after my father was brainwashed and sent to conquer this world. Obviously we broke his compulsion and hid the stone away. The mind stone was hidden in a scepter he was given to complete this task. I can only guess that the monster that gave it to him didn't know what he was giving away, otherwise he would surely have kept it. It was later used to create the hero known as Vision, but with a mixture of science and Asgardian magic we managed to safely remove it and replace it with a separate power source."

"And the reality stone?" Elizabeth asked.

"That is a sticky subject. You see, three years ago there was a convergence of the dimensions. Hundreds of worlds were connected at once and armies moved to conquer ours. It was a bloody affair, a nightmare of epic proportions but we eventually succeeded in driving the invaders back. In the process my uncle Thor's girlfriend Jane Foster was infested with what we thought was a parasite, but it turned out to be the liquid form of the reality stone. It too was safely removed and added to the gauntlet."

"Why don't we remember such an incursion?" Asked the queen of England.

"That's the sticky part. As I said these stones can only be wielded by the greatest of beings, and the cost has the potential to be fatal for even a few seconds of use. That being said, my grandfather thought the vast loss of life enough to warrant the use of the reality stone. "He took it himself and willed a reality into being where the convergence was halted before it could begin. Where the gateways would not intersect here, but an empty point in space. In that one act he saved billions."

T'Challa stared at him, "What was the cost?"

"He fell into a deep coma over a year. Nothing could wake him. He'd expended all of his available energy in an instant." My grandmother ruled in his stead for the duration."

"Such a power… why would you tell us of it and not keep it in shadow as a potential weapon?" The Wakandan asked.

"Simple. I do not seek war or violence. Merely peace. I have not intention or desire to ever touch them if I can avoid it. We did not search out these stones, but they did find their way to us. I am telling you this because this much power centered around one world is going to attract attention."

"What kind of attention?"

"More than I can name, but my greatest fear now is the monster that took over my father's mind and sent him to attack our home. The one that owns the original version of this gauntlet. He wants those stones desperately and if he finds out they are here, he will come for them. He would decimate our entire world for just one, let alone three."

The others grew silent for a moment before Elizabeth asked, "What do you suggest then, Prince Harry?"

Harry exhaled another cloud of smoke and said, "I wish to propose an alliance between our three nations to create an orbital fleet and defense network. My country would provide the funding and infrastructure as we have the greatest treasury amongst us, England would supply the manpower, as you have one of the most experienced naval forces in the world, and Wakanda the technology to create the craft themselves."

"Could not your military do this already?" T'Challa asked.

"No. We have the ability to traverse worlds via the bifrost, and any ground and air war would see our supremacy, but space faring technology is not something we are particularly skilled with. However, we know for a fact that your country has a very advanced space program." he said as he looked T'Challa straight in the eyes. The man didn't flinch or look away.

"Make no mistake, this threat is real. We must be prepared to counter it." Harry finished.

"What assurance would we have of this alliance holding long-term?" Elizabeth asked. "Normally I'd insist on a marriage, but I have no daughters or granddaughters of the right age."

T'Challa suddenly groaned and said, "That is why Shuri was uppity."

"Yes, your sister is… very forward."

"So I have seen. No doubt my mother has already agreed to such a match should an alliance be mentioned."

The queen was looking back and forth between them, "Could one of you explain please."

T'Challa elaborated, "My sister has been… smitten, with our young prince here for a while. What is being suggested is that they would enter a betrothal and eventually marry. In this way tying our nations together. Considering that bond, and the fact that your country would control who was on the ships, I would say the assurance is strong."

Elizabeth was silent for several moments as she considered these facts. Then she asked, "This monster you fear coming, what does he want with the stones?"

"To destroy half of all life in existence."

The queen shuddered, "I will join this alliance."

Harry nodded and turned to the other royal present, "King T'Challa?"

The man grumbled for a moment before answering, "I do not like the idea of a foreign prince marrying my sister. But this is more than likely her desire so who am I to intervene. Very well. I see the threat represented. You have the support of Wakanda. We shall also join this alliance."

Harry smiled and held out his pipe to the man. "It's a pleasure to have you. Would you like a puff? It's Asgardian stock so I can guarantee you won't find it anywhere else."

T'Challa smiled and accepted the offer in the spirit that it was given. He took the pipe and said, "I think I will."

The three spoke long into the night.