MoP

Harry Potter and the Myriad of Possibilities: Contagion

Chapter 1: Happy Birthday

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 Greg Parsons, Jon and 6f5e4d for their help on this chapter.

Smallville.
June 29, 07:16 CDT
Team Year Nine.

"Hank are you ready to go?!" called his mother from the bottom of the stairs.

Hank gave his hair a last sweep, then – giving it up as its typical bad job – he gave a sigh, then put down his brush and left the bathroom. "On my way, Mom!"

"You don't want to keep your girlfriends waiting," teased his mother as she handed him his shoulder bag.

"Mom!" exclaimed Hank. "Anissa and Traya are not my girlfriends!"

His mother shrugged and didn't comment as he headed out the door.

He had just got his bike out and was about to mount it when a lean black-and-white mongrel appeared and looked at him enquiringly. "Sorry, Melo. I haven't got time to play… it's Traya's birthday so we're off to the zoo."

The three-year-old Border Collie mix gave him a hang-dog expression and settled down for a nap instead as he moved off.

Metropolis.
08:22 EDT.

"Recognized, Hank Lang A-Zero-Four," declared the League's computer as he appeared in an old newsstand near the Daily Planet and looked around, quickly spotting a middle-aged black woman in a t-shirt and jogging pants – Anissa's mother and Justice League Chairman Black Lightning's ex-wife – standing outside the family minivan.

"Sorry I'm late, Mrs Pierce."

"That's okay," she assured him. "We're still waiting for Artur."

At that moment, the Zeta booth spun up again. "Recognized, Mera Nereus A-Two-Three," it announced as a tall red-headed woman in a shirt and leggings appeared inside. Once she was clear of the booth, it spun up again, then deposited a small blond boy – dressed as Hank was in a t-shirt and jeans – into the booth and announced. "Artur Orin, A-Two-Seven."

"I'm glad you were able to join us, Mera," said Mrs Pierce warmly.

"Thank you," replied the Atlantean as she and her son joined them . "I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long?"

"It's still pretty early," Mrs Pierce assured her as Hank slid opened the side-door and got in. "If we get lucky on the traffic, we might even get there before it opens."

He was a little surprised that there were three girls already inside instead of two: The birthday girl – who Hank suspected was wearing her usual t-shirt and khaki shorts – and their friend Traya Smith – Red Tornado's Quraci adoptive daughter who was wearing a tank top and denim skirt – were expected, but the third girl – a short-haired black girl who scowled at him and it deepened as Artur got in after him was not.

"Who invited them?" asked the strange girl scornfully.

"I did, Chenoa," said Anissa frostily. "Hank is one of my oldest friends and Artur and I go back several years… there is no way I would celebrate my birthday without them."

Chenoa snorted and relaxed back into the rear corner of the vehicle, her arms folded.

"Everybody ready to go?" asked Mrs Pierce as she slid into the driver's seat.

"Ready here!" replied Traya brightly.

Mrs Pierce glanced back at them to check for herself, then turned back again and started the car, smoothly manoeuvring the bulky vehicle into the early morning traffic a moment later.

Gotham City.
09:16 EDT.

Well, I guess her initial bad mood was due to being stuck on the third row, Hank thought graciously as he watched the new girl – who was dressed a little more smartly than the rest of the group in a t-shirt and slip dress – chatting freely with Anissa, Traya and their mothers as they walked north-east towards the first set of exhibits inside the zoo. I might offer to sit back there on the way back, it'll be a lot more comfortable back there for someone of my height than her five-foot-three… he thought as he dodged around a small quail which had wandered across the path almost in front of him.

The Far-Eastern felines were impressively menacing, as were the alligators and the various hawks and other birds of prey, he but the petting zoo was boring and he'd only learned a few new scraps of information about wolves at their Observation and Learning Facility, so he was happy enough when the mothers called a halt for lunch at the zoo's canteen, even if that was where he first encountered the family group that would lead to the expected bit of bad luck that experience had taught him was inevitable when visiting the home of the Dark Knight, when his attention was drawn to the son – a portly dark-haired boy about his own age – caused a fuss over his sundae being 'too small' and demanded another one. Hank thought that Chenoa's comment that the 'whale' didn't need even the first one was a little harsh and uncharitable, if somewhat accurate.

13:16 EDT.

After lunch, they headed over to the final indoor exhibit – South American fauna – that sat between the canteen and the petting zoo.

Hank was drawn to a medium-sized bright-green snake which was hanging wrapped around a tree branch. He was slightly disappointed to see that it was asleep.

The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Hank's.

It winked.

Hank stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.

The snake jerked its head toward the portly father and son who were currently banging on the glass of one of the reptile enclosures. (I get that all the time.)

(It must be really annoying,) Hank suggested.

The snake nodded vigorously.

(Where do you come from, anyway?)

The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Hank peered at it.

Emerald tree boa, Brazil.

(Was it nice there?)

The tree boa jabbed its tail at the sign again:

This specimen was bred in the zoo.

(Oh, I see…) said Hank. (So, you've never been to Brazil?)

As the snake shook its head, then Hank's attention was broken by a hard punch to the ribs, that brought him to his knees. "Out of the way, you," snarled the fat boy, then leaned right up close to the glass for a moment before rearing backwards in shock and horror.

His chest still aching and dizzy with pain, Hank looked up to check what was going on, and noticed that the glass had disappeared.

The tree boa quickly uncoiled itself from its branch and slithered out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits. (Brazil, here I come...) it hissed as it swept past him. (Thanksss, friend.)

16:16 EDT.

"Well, I think that's everything," declared Josie Mac as she lowered her cellphone which she'd been using to take notes. "You can go now."

"Thanks," Hank said and got up from the bench that they had been sharing, then watched as the tall black woman strode over the clutch of GCPD uniforms and detectives that had gathered on the edge of the picnic area.

The elephantine, moustached man – who the detective had referred to as Cameron Vernon – wasn't particularly happy when the detectives gave him their report. "AN ACCIDENT!" he roared. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! I DEMAND THAT SOMEONE BE PUNISHED FOR THIS OUTRAGE!"

"If he wanted to avoid weirdness he shouldn't have come to Gotham," commented Chenoa from a few feet away. "It's not like anyone was injured or anything."

"Yeah, pretty much your regular Saturday for this city," Hank agreed as the rest of their group began to gather around them.

"Hank, could I have a word?" asked Queen Mera.

"Of course, ma'am," Hank agreed.

"I sensed a brief burst of magic when the glass disappeared…"

"I told Detective MacDonald that I didn't do anything and that's true as far as I know," Hank replied to the implied question, then paused to consider it. "I might have done something accidently… the tree boa and I were talking when that boy nearly broke my ribs."

"You were talkin' to the snake?!" exclaimed Chenoa.

Hank nodded. "I'm a meta," he explained. "Normally I can do people languages beyond a few vague impressions but snakes are apparently an exception."

"That's cool."

"How many languages can you speak now?" Anissa asked.

Hank shrugged again. "Depends on how you define it… I'm fully fluent in at least sixteen but I've never found a language that couldn't translate in face-to-face conversation."

"Very well," said the queen. "I would ask that you discuss the situation further with your mentor at the earliest opportunity."

"She's away at the moment," Hank observed. "But I'll talk with her when she gets back. I'll also mention it to Traci if I see her in the meantime in case she has any suggestions."

The queen nodded, and Hank relaxed, glad that she was content to leave the topic for the moment.

Star City.
June 30, 04:16 PDT.

A ringing phone roused Artemis out of her slumber. I was hoping that the end of term would mean a few less late night phone calls… Artemis thought as she reached out from under her bedding and grabbed her cellphone of the nightstand and answered it. "Artemis Crock."

"This is Lieutenant Olga Cruces with the NYPD," said a vaguely familiar voice over the phone. "I'm sorry to disturb you so early, Miss Crock."

"That's right, Lieutenant," Artemis assured her. "I'm a assistant professor, it's not the first time someone's phoned me in the middle of the night."

"That's not why I'm calling,"said the lieutenant. "I'm calling because of your 'extra-curriculars'."

Extra-curriculars… does she? Artemis thought, then remembered when she'd heard the name Olga Cruces before. Halloween, nineteen eight-one. She questioned Zee and I after we took down Harm. "What can I do for you, Lieutenant?"

"I have a situation, possibly meta-trafficking or possibly something even worse, and the Commissioner would appreciate if was handed sensitively and discretely."

"And you think I might be able to help?"

"I do."

"Send me anything you've got and I'll see what I can do," said Artemis without confirming anything.

Hall of Justice.
June 30, 16:16 EDT.

"Recognized, Tigress B-Zero-Seven; Sphere C-Zero-One," declared the Computer as she materialized, then the security door slid open and she was able to walk into the library with the New Genesisian rolling on her heels.

The whirring sound of shutters coming down for the viewing windows briefly caught her attention as she rounded the corner to face the main computer terminal. She logged in and started to download the files as the Zeta Tube spun into life again.

"Recognised, Mal Duncan A-One-Zero."

Artemis glanced over at the new arrival, briefly surprised again at the man's bald head and beard. "Thanks for coming, Mal."

"Not a problem," declared the tall, muscular man. "What do you need?"

"I just downloaded a NYPD case file to the mainframe," Artemis told him. "Take a look at them and see what you think."

"Will do."

"Recognized Arrowette B-Two-Six; Thirteen B-Two-Eight; Citizen Steel B-Two-Nine; Halo B-Three-One," declared the computer as an athletic white-blond teenage girl in a t-shirt and jeans; a steel-skinned boy in a t-shirt and combat trousers; an Asian-American girl in jeans, a short-sleeved shirt and a pink baseball cap; and an olive-skinned teenage girl in a long-sleeved top, leggings and a hijab appeared inside the Zeta Tube.

"Thanks for coming guys," said Artemis as the group moved out of the tunnel and towards the middle of the room.

"Where's everyone else?" asked Citizen Steel as he slipped into one of the seats and shed his metallic skin, reverting to the dark blond-haired form of Nate Heywood, heir of former hero and industrialist Henry Heywood, the 'Bruce Wayne of Detroit'.

"The Bats are busy in Gotham and M'gann is attending La'gann's wedding in Atlantis," replied Artemis. "I'd rather not call them in unless absolutely necessary."

The amateur historian and shapeshifter nodded.

"I've got the file," declared Mal. "Nothing's standing out at the moment…"

"We'll go over it in a minute," Artemis declared. "First, a little background… Nine years ago, at Halloween, Zatanna and I clashed with a fratricidal killer called Harm."

"Fratricidal?" asked the olive-skinned girl – Human-Motherbox hybrid Violet Harper – confused.

"Someone who killed a sibling," replied the second girl – Cissie King-Jones, her successor to the Arrowette mantle – replied grimly.

"His sister, Greta," Artemis confirmed. "During the encounter we… well I to be honest… ended up blowing up the kitchen of the Hayes family's abandoned apartment which lead to us briefly arrested by the NYPD. We were vouched for and released, but the detective who questioned us – Olga Cruces – remembered us. Early this morning she phoned me to ask for some discrete support on a case. I agreed."

"What are we dealing with?" asked the last member of their group, Asian-American sorceress Traci Thurston, who – courtesy of her luck magic – was often known as Thirteen.

"The best option is a murder-kidnapper."

"That's the best option?" said Traci incredulously.

"It is," Artemis confirmed. "Professor Alvin Lang and his wife were found dead by their babysitter in suspicious circumstances last night, but Lieutenant Cruces is concerned that there might be more to it than that."

"She's probably right," declared Mal. "NYPD just posted an update."

"What sort of update?"

"Two of Lieutenant Cruces' team went to the apartment of his research assistant, Burt Belker…"

"Makes sense," said Artemis. "He'd either be the lead suspect or the best source of information about the family."

Mal nodded. "The place was booby-trapped with some sort of firebomb."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"Fortunately not," he reported. "But the fire gutted half of the building."

"That's good news."

"Hang on," said Nate. "You said it was a baby-sitter that found the bodies…"

"Yeah."

"And the suspect is also a kidnapper…?"

"We think so," Artemis agreed. "The professor and wife were going out to a charity function at the university and the baby-sitter was going to stay with their ten-year-old daughter Linda, who is now missing."

"So, what do we do?" asked Nate.

"Mal, does the research assistant have a vehicle?" Artemis asked.

"He does," Mal confirmed. "Oracle has a search running for it. She'll let us know if it turns up."

Artemis considered her options for a moment, glancing over the group as she considered the question, before answering the Detroiter. "I'd you to stay here work with Mal and try and figure out where he might be going…"

Nate nodded his agreement and rose to join the other man at the main console.

"Traci, Violet.. can you head over to the campus and see if you can get any out of their students?"

"We're on it," agreed Traci and stood. Violet followed her and the two girls returned to the Zeta Tube.

"Recognized Thirteen B-Two-Eight, Halo B-Three-One," announced the computer as they Zeta'd away.
"What about us?" asked Cissie.

"I want to talk to the baby-sitter," Artemis replied. "She might know more than she thinks she does…"

"Although she's attends classes in Manhattan, she's staying in dorms out in the Bronx," Mal reported. "I've sent the address to your Darkwear lenses."

A notification popped up at the corner of her eye. "I've got it," Artemis agreed. "Let's go."

"Right behind you," confirmed Cissie as the two archers rose and headed for the Zeta-Tube.

The Bronx.
17:52 EDT.

"Rachel Felps?" asked Artemis uncertainly as a curly-haired Japanese American opened the door of the baby-sitter's dorm room.

"No, I'm Renata Takamori," replied the woman, "Rachel's my room-mate."

"Have you seen her recently?"

"I've been out on assignment for the Observer all weekend," replied the younger woman. "I think she said she was staying at the Lang's for a couple of days."

"That's her last known location," Artemis confirmed. "But she disappeared after calling the police to report that she'd found her employers dead."

"The Langs are dead?!"

"Professor and Mrs Lang are dead," Artemis clarified. "The daughter, Linda, is missing as is your room-mate and the professor's graduate assistant. My partner and I are working with Lieutenant Cruces at the Sixteenth to try and find them."

"What can I do to help?"

"Do you know Miss Felps well? Can you think of anywhere that she would go?"

"Not really," admitted the younger woman. "We don't share any classes or spend much time together."

"Can we come in and have a look around?" Artemis asked.

Renata paused. "You can come in. But I'm not sure if I like the idea of you pawing through her stuff without a warrant…"

"Okay, we can work with that," Artemis agreed as Renata opened the door wider and stepped aside to let them enter, then started showing them around.

18:16 EDT.

"Thanks for your help, Miss Takamori," said Artemis as the younger woman showed them back into the corridor.

"I'm not sure how much help I was," Renata admitted regretfully. "I hope you find the kid okay."

"So do we," agreed Artemis. Once Renata had closed her door and was out of earshot, she turned to her partner. "Did you manage to get a dongle on Felp's computer?"

Cissie nodded.

"Tigress to the Hall of Justice…"

"Citizen Steel here."

"Oracle on-line."

"Can you access Felp's computer?"

"Working on it," replied Oracle.

"Thirteen to Tigress."

"Go ahead."

"We didn't get much, but a couple of students linked Dr Belker to Die Geiergesellschaft, an old magical 'secret society'."

"What do we know about them?"

"Not much," admitted the Asian-American sorceress. "But Halo and I are heading over to Shadowcrest House to check Zatanna's library… I think I saw a reference in one of her books a while back."

"We'll meet you there."

Greenwich Village.
19:32 EDT.

"Any luck?" Artemis asked when Violet answered the front door of the Zatara apartment and ushered them inside.

"Very limited," she admitted as she led the group towards the library. "Traci is still sorting through possible texts, but without more information it is difficult."

"Maybe the NYPD will find something?" suggested Cissie.

At that moment, Artemis' cellphone rang, she pulled it out of her pocket and answered it. "Artemis Crock."

"This is Lieutenant Cruces."

"Good evening, Lieutenant," replied Artemis. "I haven't got any conclusive to report yet, but we are chasing one lead… a society called Die Geiergeshellschaft…""Sounds German," suggested the lieutenant.

"Agreed."

"Do we know what it's about?"

"Something to do with magic, we think… Thirteen's checking out Zatanna's library for more information."

"I'm not sure if it'll help but I called in favours from detectives in several of the surrounding areas. Dr Belker's car was spotted going through a toll booth on the Dulles Greenway."

Traci looked up as the group entered the library.

"Does Loundon County, Virginia mean anything to you?" Artemis asked.

The Asian-American girl paused to consider the question. "Maybe… yeah," she marked her placed in the book she was reading, then closed it and set it aside. Then she ran a slim finger down the stack of book next to her and carefully extracted a slim, leather-bound volume.

"Unfortunately, because it wasn't an official BOLO by the time my contact could get deputies from the LCSO to respond and investigate there was no sign of him."

"That's okay, Lieutenant," Artemis assured her. "Thirteen thinks she might have something…"

"I do," interjected the teen. "I know where he's headed."

"That's good, right?" asked Cissie.

"Normally, it probably would be," Traci agreed. "But he's heading for Leesburg."

"Did you hear that, Lieutenant?" Artemis asked.

"I did," confirmed the officer. "It might take me a while to get any help out there."

"What's the problem with Leesburg?" asked Cissie.

"It could be a coincidence…" said Traci, doubtfully. "But according to this book, Leesburg is where the nearest chaos stream runs closest to the surface."

"Chaos, as in Klarion…?" asked Artemis.

"I'm not sure," Traci admitted. "Maybe."

"And if not?"

"Then it's probably something worse."