Soo...it's been more than a year. I've probably alienated any readers I had but *shrug* what can you do?

Sorry life happened, guys.

Anyway, this is just a meeting between two green-eyed heroes. I have more written that I might post if anyone likes this.

Thanks for reading!

Charmed Season - post finale

Character(s) - Chris Halliwell, Piper, Leo, Mel

Harry Potter - set sometime in Goblet of Fire, probably

Character(s) - Harry Potter

Disclaimer - I own nothing, not even pride

It's a kid. A teen, who can't possibly be much older than Harry, standing there in jeans and a leather jacket looking for all the world like he'd apparated here straight from the normal world.

He stares at Harry with eyes the color of ivy.

"We don't normally do this, you know." He says, accent terribly American, but...more specific.

Harry can't recall the right state name.

He looks back at the stranger and wonders if this man – teen, really – is talking to him, wonders if he's really supposed to be here. Harry had needed a moment alone before his next class, before more accusations and lies about himself, so he'd found this deserted alcove and sat down, only to realize it wasn't deserted and jump back up.

"Er...sorry?" Harry says politely.

"You're an exception. They excused the rules for you."

Like that clears everything up.

"See, normally, Wizards don't get whitelighters. It wouldn't be fair, you know? You already have no consequences for personal gain, what would you need us for?"

"What's a whitelighter?" Harry asks, curious despite himself.

The bloke sighs at him, running a hand through dark brown hair.

"Me. Kinda like a guardian angel, only no wings. No literal wings. Usually we just protect witches – "

Harry is getting confused with this possibly insane person.

"You protect witches but not wizards?"

"No – witchy witches Like, like wiccans. Magical people who don't need wands to do magic."

"Ah." Harry makes an agreeable noise as though he understands now. All of this is going right over his head – just like arithmetic class.

"But like I said, you're special."

Well that's nothing new. He's been 'special' for quite some time now – it's really starting to irk him.

"Apparently you're someone who merits a little rule bending, and so...here I am. It's my job to protect you and guide your way. And stuff." The guy rubs at his nose, shrugging apathetically at Harry as he speaks as though he offers to protect people as often as he breathes.

Harry doesn't quite think he wants anything from this man.

"Erm. Who are you, exactly?"

The guy shrugs again. Harry can honestly say the man has conquered the cool and flippant approach to social situations.

"Chris Halliwell." Chris Halliwell says. "I'm your new whitelighter. Nice to meet you." And he holds out his hand to shake, which Harry does with some hesitation and bewilderment.

It's only ten shakes later that he realizes, blinking at Chris's raised eyebrow and refusal to let go of his hand, that Chris is waiting for a name. Usually even crazy people know his name.

"Uh, I'm Harry Potter."

Immediately he releases Harry.

"Great. Okay Harry, if you ever need any help – taking down bad guys, healing your wounds, quick teleportation, er, therapy –" Chris shudders involuntarily at the last of these. "–just call for me and I'll be there."

"I don't have a telephone." Harry points out. "And I don't have your number."

"Damn, wizards are old fashioned." The self proclaimed 'whitelighter' mutters under his breath. "But no, that's not what I mean. Literally. Just – just shout my name. I'll hear you, wherever I am. Promise."

Chris stands there, blinking and scowling impatiently down at him for a minute.

There doesn't seem to be any harm in telling the strange man yes, so Harry nods agreeably and says,

"Sure. Yes. Thank you. Er, I'm sort of late for History of Magic, though, so if you don't mind –"

He is not actually late – and he doesn't think he'd care if he were – but there's already too many weird things going on in his life.

He doesn't need another.

Chris rolls his eyes at him, replies with heavy sarcasm,

"You're welcome, kid."

As Harry is making his escape, he hears Chris grumble something about 'skipping school for school'.

The boy who lived makes it all the way to the end of the corridor when the bright blue lights catch his eye.

His head swivels around, searching for Mr. Halliwell.

He finds only a swarm of sky blue orbs, and watches, amazed, as they rise and vanish into nothing.

Huh.

Chris fails his physics test.

For some kid named Harry.

His life is not going how he pictured it.

Why the elders had to pick that afternoon to ruin by dumping a strange wizard charge into his lap, Seers can only hope to guess – but Chris is nothing if not adaptable.

He does extra credit; he studies; his life continues on as normal. Well. Halliwell normal.

The next time his new charge comes up is at dinner a few nights later, when his father asks why the elders wanted to see him.

He explains to his family about Harry Potter.

"Wait. Chris." His dad is making that pained face that means he's trying not to say 'you screwed up'. "You didn't really talk to him? You just...left him your card?"

"Dad." Chris scoffs. "I don't have cards. Though I'm beginning to think all whitelighters should – it would really streamline the whole process."

Piper bites into her bread to keep from laughing – when Leo raises an eyebrow at her, she turns and frowns appropriately at Chris.

It's half-hearted at best, because she's the cool parent more often than you would think. She winks at him when Leo's not looking.

Chris grins back.

A disappointed, if not surprised, sigh echoes throughout the table.

"Really, Chris. This kid could be going through all manner of trials and difficulties. How will you know how to help if you don't talk to him?"

"Nobody says 'manner' anymore, Dad." He points out.

Leo just looks at him.

"It's times like these I miss Wyatt." Leo sighs. "At least he speaks your logic."

Wyatt is fluent in both optimist and pragmatist (though he tends mostly towards the former), but at the moment is away at college, getting some serious knowledge and switching majors weekly like a crazy person.

Chris kinda misses Wy too. Even though his brother is but one orb away.

Really, when you live a room away from a person for sixteen and a half years, any distance after that – from two miles to two thousand miles – feels like a world away.

"Hey, Chris." Mel breaks in after a moment. "This kid, you said he goes to school? A magic school?"

Chris thinks about it.

"Well the staircases were moving around. And everyone there wore wizard robes. And the kid said he was late for History of Magic, or whatever."

"So that's a yes on 'magic school'." Mel eyes him thoughtfully. "You think I could tour it?"

Piper and Leo both look up from their dinners.

"No." They say in unison.

"But – I just wanna tour!" His baby sitter pouts.

Piper sighs, setting her fork down to glare at her daughter across the table.

"Mel, you need to learn real world skills, like math and science. Not – not history of magic. You can't expect to get a job in the real world..."

The rest is tuned out by Chris. He knows how this argument will end – Elders know he's heard it enough.

Their conversation about Harry Potter is dropped, and Chris's new charge is all but forgotten for several more months.

Frankly, Chris doesn't even recall he has a current charge until it happens.

All whitelighters feel their charges. All the time. Eventually, it becomes like a toe or an ear – something you know is there, but you barely consider anymore.

Until.

Until the pain comes.

Chris is walking home from school when it happens (he can orb, sure, but he's not that lazy) and it leaves him crumpled roughly on the sidewalk, clutching at his chest.

"Damn it." He says tightly, the breath punched from his lungs. "Harry friggin' Potter."

When the pain subsides enough, he stands, brushes off the dirt.

Home is five minutes away, but he doesn't have time to drop off his backpack – so he tosses it carelessly in a bush and just, hopes, no one steals his English essay.

Then he's gone, orbing his way to England.

He has a charge to save.

A/N: Wow, it's been a long time since I've posted anything to this site. Feels kinda weird.

I love y'all enjoyed this! There's a second (and possibly third) part to this, which I think I'd add shortly, if you want.

Thanks again for reading! See you soon!