It seemed to take forever, but also no time at all, for them to arrive at the North Pole and float in through the skylight. Harry couldn't help but take the time to look around the room, taking in the large globe covered in small lights (a globe of belief Sandy had called it, if he remembered correctly from so long ago). It was quite the sight to see, but it couldn't really keep his attention considering why they were there. Thankfully a large, furry creature that Harry could only assume was a yeti, noticed them as soon as they arrived and said something in a garbled language Harry had never heard before. Sandy clearly understood though because he nodded and formed the various sand symbols that he had for the other Guardians. The yeti frowned in what Harry was fairly sure was concern before nodding and hurrying off.
"Is he going to get Santa Clause then?" he asked the small golden man, gaining a small smile and nod in reply. It wasn't long later that a large, buff, Russian looking man hurried into the room. Harry probably would have been shocked by the man's appearance (that wasn't how most people pictured Santa Clause after all), but Sandy had shown him sand images of the Guardians years back.
"Sandy?" the man called with a small tint of concern and confusion as he came closer "What is it? Is everything alright? Who is your friend?" Harry leaned back on the sand cloud as he watched the Sandman form several symbols in reply. A check mark. A display that looked like the Northern Lights. Jack. And then an image of Harry himself next to the lightning bolt symbol that seemed to be his sand name. Santa blinked and looked between the two of them before refocusing on his colleague.
"You want me to call the others? So Jack will come?" Sandy grinned and nodded before Santa refocused on Harry "And this is..." he trailed off, uncertain and Harry could only smile, getting to his feet.
"Harry Potter. I was Jack's first believer. And the one that Sandy told you about that you all couldn't reach." He knew now that there were many kids that they couldn't reach, but he could only assume that they didn't know that. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Jack and Sandy told me a great deal about you, and the other Guardians, when I was younger." He could only watch as the man's eyes grew slightly wider in shock.
"You are Jack's first believer?" He repeated, "But Jack felt-?"
"Me die, yeah," Harry shrugged with a wry smile "What can I say. It didn't stick. Though if I'd known that Jack felt it I would have tried to find him before now." Santa blinked at that before grinning.
"So you are spirit now?" he guessed and Harry grimaced slightly, shaking his head.
"Not quite. Though I wouldn't say I'm completely human anymore either. It's complicated. And I'd rather not explain it a bunch of times." Thankfully the larger man took the hint and beamed, nodding.
"Of course! Of course. I call the others." With that, he turned and made his way over to a button near his globe and pressed it, causing a bright display of colorful lights to fill the sky. And, from what Harry could feel, a blaze of warm magic to fill the air. Closing his eyes Harry let his mind immerse into the feel of the magic flowing out. It was a...call of sorts. And a beacon of hope that he would guess that echoed through the planet itself, possibly to the children? Though they wouldn't be able to consciously feel it. How fascinating. Immersed as he was he didn't notice as the other Guardians began arriving. He didn't notice much of anything at all until a small hand tapped him on the arm. Carefully pulling his senses back he opened his eyes to find Sandy peering at him with a slightly concerned frown and tilted head. Behind him Harry could see two new beings that he recognized from Sandy's sand images of the Easter Bunny and The Tooth Fairy. No Jack yet, but that was probably good. It wouldn't do for him to be out of it when Jack arrived. Refocusing back on Sandy he gave a small, reassuring smile.
"I'm fine. Sorry. Just a little distracted." Sandy frowned slightly, but nodded, accepting his answer without any extra questions. Which was nice. Sandy calmed for now Harry turned his attention to the newcomers in the room and dipped his head in greeting.
"Hello," he said with a small, somewhat embarrassed smile "Sorry about that. My name is Harry, Harry Potter. It's a pleasure to finally meet you both. Jack and Sandy told me so much about you." He watched in interest as the Tooth Fairy's feathers puffed out slightly in what he would guess was interest before she darted closer to him, eyes slightly wide.
"You're Jack's first believer right? The one Sandy said we couldn't reach?" Harry gave an easy mile at that and nodded.
"Yeah. Jack and I go a good ways back. Unfortunately, my own magic kept you guys from reaching me, though I'm not completely sure why." Yet. It was something he intended to look into. It wasn't fair that the magical children of the world were kept from such things. They deserved and could use the same protection the non-magical kids got. And he was going to figure out how to get it to them. The feathered woman perked up slightly at that.
"You have magic?" she asked, intrigued. Noting how the others were all peering at him in interest at that Harry could only laugh quietly.
"Yeah. Me and a good number of other people. But I'll explain more later. It's kind of a long story." He could see that they were somewhat disappointed at that, but before any of them could say anything further there was a cool burst of air that swept down into the room and circled around him moments before a tall, lean figure flew down in as well. Harry's breath caught in his chest as he took in the familiar messy white hair and clear blue eyes of the immortal youth that dropped down to crouch on the railing next to the globe. It really was him. Though from the confused, and somewhat concerned gaze on the winter spirit's face Harry was pretty sure that Jack didn't recognize him. Which made sense. Harry had been ten years old last time they'd met. And Jack thought he was dead.
Jack glancing around before his curious gaze settled on Harry. He seemed to take a long time to study Harry, looking a bit unsettled. "Hey guys. What's up? Everything ok?"
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Jack had been working on a mild snowstorm in the southern hemisphere when the summons came. He couldn't help but frown at that. What could the others need this time of year? It was nowhere near Easter or Christmas. And the yearly meeting had happened only a short while ago. Was Pitch trying to cause trouble again? A final glance at the storm told him that it could finish itself off without his care so he turned and called to the wind, which slingshot him up into the upper atmosphere, where the cold winds shot around the Earth at speeds he couldn't compete with in flight. He hoped everything was alright.
Using the speed of the winds or not it still took Jack a good while to reach the North Pole, and he was very aware that he was likely the last one there. So he didn't bother to pause as he shot down into the building through the skylight. Surprisingly the rest of the Guardians were just inside, in the Globe Room, standing somewhat around a newcomer that he didn't recognize. It certainly wasn't Pitch. He had black hair, but his build and stance were all wrong. And the others didn't seem defensive at all. Confused, and a little concerned he flitted down to land on the railing that circled the globe, looking over his family to try and see if he could figure out what was going on. Strangely enough, they almost seemed, happy? Giddy? Not sure what that was about, he let himself take in the stranger. The young man looked pretty close to his own physical age. Sixteen to eighteen if he were to wager a guess. Messy black hair that seemed to stick out in different directions in sheer defiance of order and reason. A somewhat muscled build, but lean muscles. Nothing bulky. And a set of somewhat nice, if strange clothes. They didn't look quite right for anything he'd seen before. Some new style perhaps? Then he finally settled on the man's eyes (or perhaps let himself register them?). Bright emerald green stared back at him. A color that was both achingly familiar and almost alien. The color was the same as his Harry, and caused a bit of an ache to see, but they held a strange amount of wisdom and power. Far more than he'd caught in any other being, even many ancient spirits he'd come into contact with.
"Hey guys." He glanced around at them again "What's up? Everything ok?" Hopefully one of them would explain what was going on. Strangely enough, this brought about bright smiles from all four of them, though Bunny's was more of a smirk as the large rabbit crossed his arms and shook his head.
"Everything is great," North informed him with a wide smile "Sandy found someone. And felt he should call us all to let us know." Jack blinked in confusion and glanced at Sandy, who grinned brighter and nodded, eyes alight and happy as he gestured at the stranger again. Ok. Jack was officially lost. But it didn't look like his family was going to be explaining anytime soon. So he turned his attention to the green-eyed man again.
"Um...hi?" The man laughed at that, warm and amused, but somehow Jack couldn't find it in himself to be offended. He got the impression that he wasn't being laughed at, more invited to share a joke he didn't understand yet. Then the man smiled, green eyes lighting up with fond warmth.
"Hello Jack. It's been a while." Jack felt his (unnecessary) breath catch in his throat. That voice. It wasn't quite right. Older, more mature. But it sounded so very similar to the one he'd been missing for seventeen years. But that wasn't possible. He was dead. Gone. He'd felt it. And he'd spent the next several years searching for him as a spirit and found nothing. This couldn't be him.