A/N ahead of time, I know in last chapter I said the mentioning and use of Agent 86 would be done, I had to throw him in here as well. Try to picture him with the voice and try not to laugh (not the remake, the original voice)
James Castle
Chapter 14: Harry James Potter
Sirius Black looked at the card in his hand, then at the door in front of him, making sure it was the same address. "Here goes nothing," he shrugged, knocking on the door.
The door opened and an ordinary looking man with a nasally voice greeted him. "Yes, can I help you?" he asked as Sirius flashed the card he got from James back in England.
"Maxwell Smart?" Sirius asked as the man took the card and ushered him in. "Nice place," he commented as he stepped past the man into a spacious living room.
"Forgive my distrust, but how did you get this?" Max asked as he moved to the kitchen and poured a couple glasses of scotch on the rocks. "The only people who have these cards are…rather difficult to get along with," he handed the glass to Sirius.
"My name is Sirius Black, I got it from James Castle," Sirius shrugged, relaxing onto the couch after his long portkey ride from Gringott's.
"Oh, of course you did, how wonderful," Max sighed, banging his head against the bar between the kitchen and the living room. "Does the boy know you are wanted for murder?" he asked, taking a long drink from his glass.
"Your information is a bit out of date, wait, let me find it," Sirius frowned, putting down the glass and digging around his pockets until he found the Daily Prophet that explained his circumstances.
"Interesting, you don't look like much of a Goblin," Max commented as he read the paper.
"It was either defect to them or be under the rule of the Ministry, not a hard choice," Sirius shrugged. "The goblins hired me as a mercenary, to track down some people they want to speak with," Sirius explained, drawing the other man's attention. "I need a new identity so I can track him here, the American Wizarding government is a bit more strict on what you can or cannot do than over in England. They wouldn't take kindly for me to be walking around causing trouble," Sirius smiled.
"Interesting story Mr. Black, you will be okay to stay here for a couple days as I prepare you a new identity?" Max replied, cursing James Castle in his head.
"Sure, no problem, but while you're out, I need some information," Sirius handed him a piece of paper. "I can pay quite handsomely for information on these people," he smirked when Max's eyes widened and he finished his drink.
"I'll see what I can do Mr. Black," Max replied, headed off into the house, returning with some sheets, pillow, and blankets for the couch. "No magic here please, my home is watched by several agencies, and it would be best to not attract more than the usual amount of attention," he explained to Sirius.
"Can't they hear us talking, if they are watching you so closely?" Sirius questioned nervously.
"You aren't the only one James gives presents to, he put up some wards around my apartment," Max explained. "I am the secret keeper, those blasted cards hold the location, that's why I am bound to help you," he sighed. "I'll see what I can do about these people," he scowled at the paper. "I should be able to get you a new identity set up by the end of the week. Try not to destroy my home in the meantime," he shook his head again, using every curse word in his vocabulary against James Castle before going to bed.
He arrived back the next night, finding Sirius Black watching the television intently. "This is the best thing I have ever seen," Sirius said numbly, watching the TV, that was stuck on the History Channel.
"Okay, enough of that, come here," Max complained, leading Sirius to the open table. "Here are your new identification documents, Mr. Dark," he handed Sirius a folder full of paper.
"Mr. Dark, that's the best you had?" Sirius complained, looking over the paperwork.
"Beggars can't be choosers," Max replied, pulling another envelope from the inside pocket of his suit-jacket. "This," he pushed the envelope along the table. "Does not exist," he sighed as Sirius opened the envelope. "I did not get this information for you, we never met, and you are leaving tomorrow, got it?" he asked Sirius, watching as the man examined the information that was passed to him.
"Met who? Where am I?" Sirius smirked over the top of the papers.
Sirius Black whistled as he walked along a sidewalk, discreetly looking toward the inside of his coat where he had a location charm working. He stopped in front of a brick building, noticing the charm directing him upwards. "Great, like this isn't a trap," he muttered, pulling his wand and opening the lock. He moved silently, having learned how to do magic without setting off wizarding wards from the Goblins he was now employed by. It was the second week of December, he had been tracking his different targets for months now, finally getting within range of the one the Goblins wanted him to handle.
He closed in on the edge of a door, hearing voices from the other side. He paused, not being able to understand what was being said, quickly scanning the door to discover a charm distorting what was being said inside. "Here goes nothing," he grinned, resting his wand against his head. "Hello," he grinned after kicking the door open, causing the three men inside to turn on him quickly. "Castle? Kakaroff?" he growled, moving his wand between the two men and his target.
"Black?" Igor Kakaroff stared at the wizard, moving his wand to point at the door.
"Well, isn't this interesting?" the third man replied, holding a pistol on each hand. One was pointed at Kakaroff, the other at the fourth man in the room.
"What the hell are you doing here Black?" Frank Castle asked, holding his pistols on Kakaroff and the other man. The men shifted their wands and guns between the others for a few moments, before settling, Castle pointed at Kakaroff and the fourth man, Kakaroff at Black, Black at the fourth man, and the fourth man at Castle and Black.
"Oh, thought it would be a fun vacation," Sirius laughed. "The Goblins want words with him," he pointed his wand at the fourth man. "They say he is interfering with their business too much, and I have my own questions for him, if he is who they say he is," Sirius glared at the Muggle.
"Black, the Dark Lord will reward me for killing you here today," Kakaroff snarled before Castle and the other man hit him in the back of the head, knocking him out.
"Shut up you idiot," Frank kicked at Kakaroff, knocking his wand into the corner. He and the other man kept their guns trained on each other and Sirius the whole while. "Black, you need to leave now," Frank stared down the barrel at the other man.
"Who's he?" Sirius asked, keeping his wand trained on Kakaroff. "Why is he so important for the Goblins?"
"My name is Dmitri," the man bowed slightly. "They want me because I, as a Squib, have taken a shine to killing wizards when paid by other wizards," he smiled before Sirius's wand was aimed between his eyes.
"You," Sirius stepped toward the man. "You, you took my life," Sirius glared, the end of his wand glowing green as the Muggle pointed his pistols back at Sirius.
"I've never seen you before in my life you fool, and I never forget a target," Dmitri glared back, quickly swinging his left hand out so that he had Sirius and Castle in his sights. "Who did I kill, who did you love" he smirked. "My memory is a bit short as the list is so long," he laughed.
"You killed my godson you son of a bitch!" Sirius cried out, ducking between the guns, lifting Dmitri against the wall with his left hand. "Harry James Potter, he lived with Vernon Dursley, you killed him a little over a decade ago," Sirius threatened as the man laughed, dropping his guns.
"The boy under the stairs?" he said with all his breath, looking at Frank. "What have you been hiding Frankie-boy," he laughed, eyes rolling into the back of his head as his air was cut off. "The boy never died," he gasped before he passed out.
Hermione grinned as Hedwig flew into the Great Hall, the day before Christmas break. She had begged James to borrow the much faster owl to talk to her grandparents before the school break. She opened the letter cheerfully, ignoring James who was recovering from a hangover after another scouting mission on Gringott's Bank, followed some drinking with Kingsley Shacklebolt the night before. She did not like how he treated himself when on his missions, but had learned to go with it at this point.
"What you got?" he grimaced, sipping strong coffee between bites of his breakfast. He had been scouting Diagon Alley and Gringott's for the last week, trying to find a new target, and had not been sleeping well as a result.
"Uh, I just talked to Grandma and Grandpa," Hermione smiled, wiping tears from her eyes, reading the letter. "They want us to come home for Christmas," she said softly.
"Us?" he froze.
"Yes, us James, they want us to take the Express back tomorrow night, then we will have a family Christmas," Hermione smiled, grabbing him by the arm. "Please James, you really need to go," she pleaded, holding him tight.
"Fine," he surrendered. "Anything to make you happy," he muttered into her hair as he hugged her tight.
"Hello Mr. Granger," James shook the hand of the man with graying hair after he finished hugging Hermione.
"You can call me Matthew, young man," he grabbed James by the hand and pulled him into a tight hug as well. "Hermione has told me so much about you," he smirked after releasing the boy, causing both youngsters to blush.
"Grandpa…" she frowned at him, grabbing James by the hand. "Don't embarrass James," she warned him, as they loaded their trunks into the car, shrinking them as needed.
"I wouldn't dream of it H," Matthew replied, getting into the front of the car alone as the two of them got in behind him in the back.
"H?" James laughed as Hermione glared at him.
"Gave her the nickname when she was six, she didn't much like her name, thought it was too stuffy," the older man laughed as he started the car, pulling away.
"Where's Grandma?" Hermione asked, trying desperately to change the subject.
"Aggie is back home, preparing the rooms, we have a bit more dropping by this year than before," he replied, turning on the radio. "You kids take it easy, I'll get us home," he frowned as Hermione relaxed and the boy kept looking around. After half an hour of driving, Hermione was sleeping, and he and the boy locked eyes. "You take care of her, got it?" he looked over his shoulder while driving.
"Yes sir," James nodded, swallowing loudly.
"I mean it, she worked hard for this Christmas, don't do anything stupid," he threatened the boy before taking the exit to the cottage the Granger family spent Christmases at.
"You'll love it James!" Hermione drug James along, insisting they leave their trunks until later, letting Matthew park the car under a rustic carport.
"Hermione," James gritted his teeth, feeling something wrong with the situation. "I think something is wrong… I can feel it," he stopped her before she reached to open the door. "Hermione, please, something is wrong," he panicked, pulling his wand, scanning the woods.
"James, please, for me, just go with it," she cried into the back of his shirt as she wrapped her arms around him. "Please," she wiped her tears as he relaxed, turning and looking into her eyes.
"Not going to like this, am I?" he relaxed into her arms.
"Probably not," Hermione bit her lip, looking up at him.
"How bad?" he rested his chin on her head as he spoke.
"Oh….about one step away from a bad as it can be," she frowned, crying again.
"Wonderful, shall we get it over with then?" he asked as he reached for the door.
"Please, don't be mad," she whispered as they opened the door to a crowd of people laughing around a fireplace.
"Oh hell," a familiar voice swore as James reacted to the people in the room. A second later James had hid Hermione behind himself and had his pistol pulled out pointed at the group. While James was doing this, the group had scattered and one of them had pointed a gun back at James, both of them pointed between the others' eyes. "Calm down there James," the older man ordered, releasing his safety.
"Explain, now," James was shaking as his wand responded from his wrist holster and he covered the room. "Now, god damn it!" he screamed, glaring at the room.
"Sorry James," he heard Hermione whisper from behind him before he felt the stunning spell hit him in the back. "James, please, just relax, and let us explain," she pleaded as he slid to the ground, fighting the spell before someone stunned him a second time.
He awoke later, in the dark. He felt around, not restrained, but he could not move, due to the witch wrapped around his body, sharing his bed. "Hermione," he muttered as he shook her to wake her up.
"You're up already?" she gasped, checking her watch. "I'm so sorry James, we needed to get you here, and this was the safest way, you never would have agreed if you knew ahead of time," her eyes welled up as she looked into his cold gaze.
"Want me to list reasons why I would not have agreed to this?" he frowned at her. "One, it puts your grandparents in danger. Two through seven, I don't want Lupin, Tonks, Black, Shacklebolt, Frank, and Max knowing what I am doing! It's for their own safety!" he glared at her, pushing her away, sitting alone on the edge of the bed.
"James, they're here because of the advance copy we got of the Daily Prophet for tomorrow," she slid next to him. "It was supposed to be only me, you, grandma, and grandpa, I swear," she explained and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Things came up," she muttered, gripping him tight.
"What the hell could come up that would justify this?" he looked out the window, massaging her back. "Really Hermione, the only thing…" he froze again, spotting the paper on the nightstand and diving at it.
Daily Prophet
The-Boy-Who-Still-Lives!
Reporters learned today from reliable sources today, that Harry James Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, was not killed with his relatives years ago. He was from the attack on his family and raised by none other than Public Enemy #1: The Punisher. It is unknown at this point if the boy knows of his true heritage, as it is likely he has been brainwashed by the killer, Frank Castle.
The Ministry has issued an order to arrest and bring in Harry Potter, aka James Castle, as to determine the extent of his mental damage during his time with the Muggles. He is to be brought to St. Mungo's immediately to begin evaluation.
Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore was shocked by the information, breaking off the interview to attempt to catch up with the boy before he left for Christmas holiday to parts unknown. Any more information on The-Boy-Who-Still-Lives should be directed to the Ministry of Magic so the damage done by his upbringing can be rectified.
"GOD DAMN IT!" the cabin shook as the boy yelled and his magic made the building shake.
Back in the living room with the roaring fireplace, Matthew had felt the tremor and pulled the trunks inside. "I felt that outside, you had best bet someone else did as well," he frowned.
"Anything Shack?" Frank asked as he pulled apart the blinds to look outside.
"Nothing yet, maybe they missed it," the Auror mused as he watched a set of runes on the wall nearest to him. "Scratch that, here they come, get on it you two," he jerked his head at Sirius and Remus who started tracing runes along the walls. "How long?" he asked as he took a position at another window and the others copied him, wands and guns hanging at their sides.
"Need another minute, this is fairly complex work," Remus snarled as Sirius continued chanting and tracing runes. "Just keep in the walls, otherwise you'll be locked out of the spell," he ordered as a light appeared on the south wall. "Down!" he screamed, tackling the pink-haired Auror as a blast destroyed the wall, pelting everyone with debris. "Hey there," he blushed, embarrassed at how he now straddled the Auror.
"Hey yourself," she smirked before pushing him off and taking her position at the side of the wall. "The hell…" she muttered as she snuck her head along the hole in the wall to look outside. "These aren't Aurors, these are bloody Death Eaters!" she screamed across the room.
"How long Black!?" Frank shouted as he tracked a target in his sights.
"Thirty seconds, maybe forty-five," Sirius screamed back as the room where they had stashed James in burst open.
"Suppressing fire!" James screamed as he stormed through the door, pistol in one hand, wand in the other. "Get that damn charm up!" he frowned at Sirius as he emptied his gun out one window and fired multiple reductos out another.
The walls of the cabin erupted outwards, spell and gunfire tearing out a good portion of each wall as the two sides traded blows. Frank smiled as he pulled the trigger, after having followed his target since the fighting began. He grinned as he saw blood fly, but swore when he saw a shield spell had protected his target from most of the hit. "Damn it, missed my mark," he grumbled as the charm surrounded the cabin and he felt disoriented.
Everyone quickly removed the piece of paper Sirius had wrote the secret on ahead of time, memorizing the location of the cabin, and regaining their bearings. "Well, that was fun," Sirius laughed as he collapsed from the spellcasting.
Frank examined the broken walls with the Aurors, helping direct them where to reinforce them as they rebuilt them. Grandma and Grandpa Granger fussed over Hermione once James released her and the fighting was finished. Remus laughed as he levitated Sirius to a free bedroom.
Max felt very out of place, seeing the interaction between the other parties. "You okay there James?" he asked, helping support the boy as he staggered from the spellcasting.
"Why are you here Max?" James glared at him.
"Well, she figured you'd need some support when it all came out," he shrugged as the boy tensed.
"They all know?" James sighed in disbelief, almost collapsing.
"Miss Granger, a little help," Max staggered as he caught James.
"James!" Hermione cried out, running over and using her magic to take James into the room where he had rested earlier. "You," pointed between the gathered Muggles and wizards, make this presentable by morning," she ordered before going into the room and closing the door behind them.
A/N: Dun Dun duuuuuuuuuuun.
Explanation on how the Prophet got the story and the reaction in next chapter.
In regards to my next planned story, I think Capt. America is the early leader, between the review votes and my own plot points in my head. Coming up 2nd and 3rd would be Iron Man, and Green Lantern. My ideas are less developed for them, but I got a whole plan on how to deal with Cap., Bucky, etc., in my head in regards to a Capt. America / HP crossover.
Still accepting write ins btw, if you have a concept and want me to run with it, got nuts, send me a PM. (I think they are active, if not, leave a note in a review, I check them) I do not plan on doing a X-Men/Buffy/Stargate X-over though, so don't bother. Buffy has been done to death, Hybrid Theory and that other series that escapes my memory….(one where they fight Apocalypse, magneto, etc, and Sabertooth is an elder Weasley) have made me not want to bother with an X-men X-over. Stargate-wise, I seen some good ones, some good comedies, Sorcery UNITed being the king.
Anyway, til next time, keep on reviewing and voting.