Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, liked and added to alerts and favourites.
Seeing other people enjoy a story I am telling, the words I am writing and the cross-over world I am building means a lot to me and I can't thank you enough for your continued support.
I also wanted to thank you so much for all the support with me saying I'm writing original work as well.
Life update as I have shared in the past my health has been up and down for the last 18 months while I've been going through a flare up and they have been trying to control it. At the point I last updated in April, not only was I not able to sleep with how bad the pressure headaches were getting as they were daily but my vision had also started to be affected and that is usually one of the signs where the shit is hitting the fan and everything depends on how quickly I get treatment to how much damage is done to my optic nerves.
At that point, I was still waiting for my Neurologist despite my GP hounding them weekly. Eventually got the appointment through towards the end of May where it was decided - yep lumbar puncture is needed.
I've now had the lumbar puncture - 10 days ago today but its still to early to tell whether that damage is permanent or not. So only time will tell when it comes to my vision. So I'm busy recovering and writing when I can and this chapter is ready. So I'm posting it now.
TW:- for the chapter - Mentions of child loss (we get some confirmation to that question this chapter - subtle but its there - more will be coming as to what is going on with Project Arthur)
We get some answers and we get a load more questions.
We get some surprise guests. ? guests I don't think any of you are expecting.
And Steve and Bucky stand their ground against General Ross. Our boys are in full protective mode.
Also, I have used two names from Marvel Comics in this chapter. They are mutants in the comics, at the moment I'm just referring to them as Enhanced individuals and leaving the door open as to how that develops.
I've ended on a cliffhanger. And I have no idea when the next chapter is going to be.
Thank you all so much for continuing to enjoy this story and I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Any mistakes are mine and I will probably find loads when I look over this tomorrow.
XXX
Chapter 17
Images flashed upon every screen. It didn't matter which way he looked, what news station channel he was watching. They all reported the same.
Another attack in New York. Hydra and hostiles are unknown. Avengers fighting in the centre, a firestorm, and light explosions reminiscent of New York from a few years ago.
His heart tightened at the memory. Old pain resurfacing no matter how hard he tried to push it down. To focus on the task at hand. Dwelling did no one any good, although his fingers itched to write and symbols burned in his mind, desperately seeking a way to escape him.
Symbols that had driven John Garrett mad.
Symbols that Phil was certain were slowly driving him mad as well.
He couldn't remember the last time he slept. Certainly not since he became the Director of the newly formed S.H.I.E.L.D. Not that there was much of a S.H.I.E.L.D. right now. Not much of anything. Former agents were dead, Hydra or working as free agents and staying as off grid as they could.
Rebuilding was slow.
As to was the healing of his team. His family. Betrayed by one of their own, broken and scattered. Simmons had volunteered to go undercover within Hydra, the reports infrequent and short as she had only just started working her way up the ranks as needed. She wasn't any closer to finding the information they needed than she had been three months ago. Fitz was damaged. Broken both by him and his injuries and Simmons leaving. Unable to communicate or complete even the simplest of tasks as he could once do.
Phil did not know how to help him. To heal him the way, he needed to be healed.
May, was training Skye, both of them channelling their anger at the betrayal in a physical outlet. Focusing on each mission and task with a scrutinise they needed to regain everything they lost to both Hydra and the Government.
They were a hunted breed.
Considered the enemy of the world by many and yet the world needed them now more than ever.
"Have you seen the news?"
May's question cut across his office as she drew level with him.
"Hard to miss. Hydra attacked the Avengers, and they have a new alley with powers." His gaze never left the multiple screens that showed every news channel possible.
"Skye's trying to track their movements since they disappeared. Checking all surveillance cameras to see if they appeared anywhere else in the city."
He looked at May, his gaze meeting hers for a moment, before turning back to the screens. "She won't find them. Whatever technology they used is more advanced than we had catalogued, and this isn't something they have developed since the fall."
"So it's something else. Something new."
"It has to be," He admitted, the dull thump of pain in his head increasing with every beat of his heart. Those symbols eating away. Bad enough they consumed him in his sleep, but now they were intruding on his waking thoughts.
"Coulson?"
He blinked. Not sure what May had said to him.
"I'm sorry, say that again?"
"I asked what you planned to do now. This is Hydra's first public sighting since they announced themselves. It may just be one branch, but it's more than we've had to go on."
"And he still isn't talking." He murmured before turning his full attention to May. She didn't ask him to expand further on who he was talking about. They both knew who he was. "We leave Simmons where she is. Continue working that angle for as long as we can and it's safe for her to do so. As for the rest of us. I think it's time we pooled our resources with the Avengers. Especially with them being the centre of this attack. Hopefully, we will work out what Hydra is working towards."
"Is that wise?"
Phil could hear the question in May's tone. The uncertainty of whether this was the right course of action. The Avengers thought he was dead, and it had remained that way for over a year. But if they wanted to take Hydra down and rebuild S.H.I.E.L.D the right way, then it was best to pool resources.
"If we want to stop, Hydra. If we want to keep the world safe from this new threat. Yes. That doesn't mean I'm going to walk into the Avengers Tower, though. Not now. Not while eyes are watching the place. When the time is right, then we will reach out."
He knew in his mind how that reunion was going to go. He just hoped that it wouldn't be too late for them to work together to stop Hydra and this new threat.
It was time to reach out to Simmons and see where she was in her work.
XXX
Blaise watched the chaos explode around him. His senses stretching feeling out each member in the room. The Supreme Mugwump. The President of MACUSA, Minister Kingsley, Elder man Rochefort, Captain of the Aurors in New York, Auror Commissioner and Chief Auror.
President Quahog was currently in a heated discussion with Minister Kingsley, as was the Auror Commissioner. Blaise could catch the odd word here or there.
Foreign Intelligence Gathering on their soil without them being aware. Undercover work.
He swallowed the snort he wanted to utter. As though they didn't have their own network in Britain doing exactly the same. The difference being was this was Potter. Presumed dead. Famous. Deadly and working with muggles.
His lips curled ever so slightly into a small smile. Holly would always cause waves, no that wasn't right. She would always cause tsunamis without really trying.
His thoughts turned to her in question, an itch in his heart desperately wanting to see her. Instead, he had to play politics and stand to attention and act his part. At least until he was safely in his position as liaison between the Wizarding World and the muggle superheroes. The Supreme Mugwump wouldn't trust anyone else but one of her own people.
"Is she really alive, then?" A voice cut through his thoughts. Blaise turned to face the wizard, who approached him. Captain of the Aurors.
Captain Edward Roche, if Blaise recalled correctly.
He studied the man in front of him quickly, assessing his angle before he answered slowly.
"She is. Yes."
"Reports are saying the Killing Curse hit the witch on the Avenger's side. I guess her survival when she was a kid wasn't a one off."
Carefully choosing his words, he confirmed that she had been hit by the curse again, and his heart painfully tightened. "It would appear so." Casual. Void of his true feelings on the matter.
"A few weeks ago, I thought the Avengers were close to finding out about the Wizarding World. I was ready to send in a team to have them Obliviated. I'm glad I didn't. That another opportunity presented itself to me." Captain Roche paused for a moment. A deep, thoughtful look crossing his face until his lips pressed together in a grim line. A realisation. Though what that realisation was, he didn't share. Instead, Captain Roche fixed him with a look. "We wouldn't have survived if we went into that tower."
Blaise locked gazes with him. Understanding passing between them.
"If she deemed you a threat to people, she was protecting. No, you wouldn't have survived. After all, she defeated a Dark Lord at 17, survived the Killing Curse, and touched Ley Magic without dying. None of us would survive if she decided we were the enemy. I assure you, Captain Roche, you don't want to be her enemy. You want to be her friend."
Blaise looked away just as Madam Supreme stood from her seat, a grim look crossing her face.
"Gentlemen, need I remind you that your people voted for you to lead them and your country? Start acting like leaders, so we can get ahead of this situation and deal with the genuine threat to us all. Hydra." She paused before sitting back down. "Now, shall we begin?"
Blaise took his seat. Next to Kingsley. He kept his posture straight, and his face was void of anything as his senses stretched across each one. Trying to gauge their reaction to where their feelings would lead them.
Anger. Confusion. Worry. Irritation.
Interesting. That wasn't something he expected. Blaise followed the source until he finally landed on the Chief of Aurors. Now, what exactly was he irritated by? By this whole mess, or was it something deeper?
Gently, Blaise prodded, seeking a hint of emotions that would give him a clue. He found nothing, but that didn't deter him. It just meant he would pay extra attention to the Chief of Aurors as the meeting continued.
The sooner all of this was over with, the sooner he could return to see Holly with his own eyes.
XXX
The wind howled loudly, bringing with it a spray of seawater over the jagged rocks.
Sunlight was only just creeping over the horizon, but thick black clouds behind him weren't willing to give way to the beams of light. A storm was coming. A rumble of thunder echoed in the distance.
Ron ignored it as he stood on the edge of the rock. His cloak wrapped around him tightly, drawing level with the broken remains of a stone wall.
On a sunny day, Ron knew that the ruins of Dunscaith Castle would be pretty. The place is peaceful. A little out of reach for most muggles, as it sat on an off-shore rock, twelve meters above the sea and six meters from the mainland of the Isle of Skye.
But he was no muggle, and he could apparate to the widest point between him and the edge of the rock, carefully ensuring he kept his balance.
Ron ran the tip of his wand around the invisible circular pattern on the grey stone.
The stone shuddered. Rippled before it slid back, each stone following the movement of the next. Hidden behind the multiple layers of wards that Holly had created and added to even more ancient wards. Add the Fidelius Charm Holly had cast years ago, this place was as secure as it could be. Safer than Hogwarts, considering very few people knew about it.
Once the gap was wide enough, he stepped through the stones, letting the vibrations of the ward ripple through him.
"Ron, oh good, you're here," Neville's voice said behind him as he apparated to the edge of the rock.
"Let's get further in," he said, wanting to get away from the edge of that blasted rock.
The stones closed up behind them, sealing them shut in darkness as soon as they stepped fully inside the archway. He automatically raised his wand and cast the lighting charm, and Neville followed suit.
Together, the two of them walked the short distance down the dark, damp stone corridor before stepping out the other side.
Black clouds still rumbled above them, but no longer were they standing on such a small patch of rock. Instead, land stretched around them for as far as they could see on either side.
Muggles saw a ruined castle, standing on a crumbling rock. Not knowing the lie, or the correct size of this part of the Isle of Skye, hidden from sight.
Truthfully, that rock was as large enough to fit Hogwarts, and the grounds, Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest combined on it.
"I always forget how beautiful this place is." Neville said softly.
Ron couldn't help but agree, though it was strange being here without Hermione.
His gaze swept across the dirt path that led to a gigantic fortress that stood at the top of the hill.
Dún Scáith. The Fortress of Shadows. Muggles thought the place was little more than myth, and changed the name. How wrong they were.
It had been in the Peverell family for generations until they forgot about it as the Peverell family died. Only continuing through the female bloodline.
Holly was the last of the line now and this was her ancestral home, far further back than the Potter name.
"Come on. They are expecting us."
Ron pushed the thoughts aside as he walked up the path that led to the entrance. Ignoring the shadowed beasts that roamed along either side, protecting their Mistresses home. Provided they stayed on the path, no harm would befall them. A fascinating line of defence, Hermione had said. Truthfully. They fucking terrified him. Not that he would openly admit that.
The Fortress doors were open as if they were waiting for someone to arrive. Ron was more than aware there was so much he didn't know about this place, that any of them knew about this place, and if Holly did, she hadn't shared it with them. There were some spaces they didn't have access to. Others that they did one minute and not the next. But ultimately it didn't matter in the end.
None of them were here long enough.
Well, none of the witches and wizards were that were a part of Excalibur. A few Enhanced muggles were. They needed a place to shelter from the muggle world that was hunting them and they were loyal to Holly above everything. Loyal enough to not ask questions with what they saw here.
His friend was playing a dangerous game, but when it came to saving people. Keeping them from harm. There was no line Holly wasn't willing to cross. She had little regard for her own safety while trying to do just that.
His gaze met the familiar blue eyes of Luna as she stood in the entrance waiting for them. Two of those muggles were standing next to her. Both of them were young, just turning twenty. As different as night and day one could get.
Illyana had white blonde hair, and cold blue eyes that had seen too much. Her gaze often reminded him of Holly's gaze when she had returned from the graveyard so long ago. Ron could only imagine what horrors Illyana had seen. It wasn't his place to ask, but considering her abilities allowed her to teleport at will, and create strange armour he could guess. And that guess was probably not that far wrong.
Megan stood to the side, her bright pink hair off her shoulders, wings like a Cornish Pixie neatly folded against her back. She was currently blowing bubbles with the magical bubble gum that Luna had brought back for them.
He couldn't fault Holly bringing them here. Not when the world was cruel to anyone or anything that was remotely different, and both of the young women stood out as being different.
He nodded his head at both of them as he passed, before greeting Luna.
"Is everyone else here?"
She nodded. "Everyone that can make it. Hermione isn't, neither is Kingsley nor Andy."
"They are otherwise engaged."
"Is Holly, okay?" Illyana asked, her eyes narrowing. A note of concern lacing her words. Hidden behind anger, but it was there all the same.
Ron turned to face her before answering her. Letting her see the sincerity on his face. Illyana was wary of men, though she put on a brave face by standing her ground. He knew the signs to look out for, though. The tension in her neck, the way her eyes tightened, and that right hand of hers curled as though she was holding the hilt of a sword. Considering she could summon one at will while that strange armour crawled across her body, she always looked ready to hold a sword in her hand.
"As far as the last update, she was yes. But there were some complications last night. Complications we need to prepare for. Are you both happy to join us for the meeting?"
Megan's face fell ever so slightly. Ron knew the others made her uncomfortable, and as it stood, her home was being invaded by them. Illyana crossed her arms, and her face showed a determined look.
"It's Holly."
Two words that said so much, to exactly where their loyalties lay.
He nodded. "I just wanted to make sure you were both comfortable. This is your home, more than ours."
Illyana snorted. "It's Holly's home. And it's magical. We aren't magical."
He gave them a reassuring smile. Since having Rosie, he had learned to think before he spoke. To reassure and offer comfort and not be so blunt. Hermione would argue he was still blunt, but he wasn't as clueless as he had been.
"It's your home. And you're both just as magical as us. Just different."
Both of them nodded.
Satisfied, Ron continued through the fortress, Luna leading the way, Illyana and Megan flanking her as though they were her personal guard. After Holly, the two of them had connected the most with the silver-haired witch. Both he and Neville brought up the rear.
At the far end of the corridor, on the right-hand side, was a large room, used specifically for meetings of Excalibur. It had been Holly's plan to use this place as their headquarters, and while most of its members thought Holly was dead, there were a select few that knew otherwise. Those here now. His eyes scanned the circular table as he stepped inside. Large enough to conveniently accommodate the people already seated and more aside.
Faces he recognised looked at him expectantly.
His brothers and sisters-in-law.
Anthony Goldstein. Terry Boot. Daphne Greengrass. Dean Thomas. Hannah Abbot. Those who had fought and survived the Battle of Hogwarts. There were other faces, witches and wizards brought into the fold by the mystery witch that was whispered about in the shadows. Though they now knew the truth.
Nemesis.
Goddess of retributive justice. Was there a more fitting name for Holly, truly? For she was justice, and she was vengeance combined. A mix of impossible things that she made work.
Luna sat down next to her husband, Rolf Scamander. Neville took his seat next to Hannah.
Ron swallowed slowly, pushing the nerves that were fluttering in his throat as far down as they would go. There was no need to sugarcoat it. Better to rip the bandage off right now.
"Minister Kingsley, Hermione and Andy won't be joining us this evening. They are currently handling a situation in New York City. A situation that we have been preparing for the last three years." He cleared his throat.
"Hydra attacked the Avengers with several unknown witches and wizards. They are working together. They have not only declared war on the Muggle world, but on us by taking our children. Hydra has turned children into soldiers who are loyal to them. This is war."
A buzz of whispers spread from one person to the next.
Ron waited for them to fall silent before continuing.
"We have been working hard to ensure that we are ready for this inevitable war. Nemesis -" he paused before correcting himself. "Holly has trusted you with her secrets. Trusted you to help build Excalibur. Now we need to show her that trust wasn't misplaced in us."
Ron paused, letting his thoughts gather in his mind.
"Soon, the rest of the Wizarding World will discover that Holly is, in fact, alive. Her outing was public. She defended the Avengers against the witches and wizards working with Hydra. She saved New York City."
Silence filled the room.
Ron was certain you could hear a feather hit the ground with how quiet it was. Until Greengrass spoke.
"Knew it. You owe me 50 Galleons Goldstein."
Ron blinked. That was unexpected. "You placed a bet?"
"Seriously, you call us here for an emergency meeting? There was only going to one reason. Goldstein thought otherwise." Greengrass shrugged. "Either way, what's the next step? Where do we go from here?"
He shared a look with Luna, who nodded her head in encouragement. He wished Hermione were here. She could do this so much better. The explaining part, at least.
He took a deep breath.
"Greengrass, I want you to continue gathering intelligence. Reach out to our allies. We need information on any potential Grim Reapers that escaped justice when Grindelwald was imprisoned. Goldstein, Boot, how's the recruitment going?"
Greengrass nodded once, the only sign she acknowledged his words. Outside of Holly, Greengrass was the best person capable of gathering the intelligence. She worked in the shadows and blended in with the underground. It helped that her father had built the network during Voldemort's war, something she now took full advantage of since she'd taken over the business.
"It's going well. Not enough to draw the wrong attention, but we have a good batch of witches and wizards going through their intensive training now."
Ron nodded; his brow creased as the information spun across his mind. Holly asked Goldstein and Boot to recruit witches and wizards for an elite unit. They called themselves the Knights, after King Arthur's Knights, much to Holly's horror. He'd teased her endlessly when the name was first suggested, simply because it meant they saw her as their leader through and through. She'd grumbled but let the unit name themselves.
Of course, even with Minister Kingsley's knowledge of what they were doing, Excalibur was treading dangerous ground. Especially with recruiting from across Europe. One wrong word to the wrong person and it would label them renegades, and Holly, the next Dark Lady, wanting to take over the Wizarding World. Not that anyone would know it was Holly was in charge. She had her protection there.
He listened as each person spoke and passed on their new missions. Their new orders. They had prepared for this; they were ready and would be ready to meet Hydra on the battlefield when the time came.
XXX
The captured photo on the front of the Daily Prophet made his blood turn cold. The moving figure was oblivious to the fact that she was being photographed as magic swirled around her.
It was unmistakably Potter.
He knew those eyes and that scar from anywhere. Had spent enough of his time in his school years taunting her relentlessly over that scar.
Draco swallowed slowly, his pulse jumping as he read the headline and the article that accompanied the picture.
Girl-Who-Lives Alive.
He was aware of the Daily Prophet's lack of fact checking, but assumed the article was true that Potter was alive and at the centre of another disaster. Witches and Wizards of unknown origin attacking muggles in the middle of New York City was bad enough, a Ley Line being exposed in the way it had a nightmare. But Potter's role in all of this had his heart in his mouth with every beating thump.
She had survived the killing curse again.
And not only survived that but went of a full scale attack of the enemy witches and wizards, in front of muggles.
Before controlling a Ley Line. Wild magic.
Draco did not know how much of it was true, but if the photo was any sign, he was going to say all of it.
He couldn't believe that she was alive. After all this time. Questions rose in his mind. Did Blaise know? How would he react? How would the rest of the Wizarding World react? And what the hell had happened to Potter in all this time?
Anger bubbled in his veins. If she was alive, then others must have known and kept it from them. There was no way that Potter would have kept herself hidden for this long without telling the people she loved most. Without her godson and the Weasley's being aware.
He stood, putting the paper down on the dining table. His breakfast ignored as he headed straight towards the fireplace. He needed to speak to Blaise, to see how he was fairing with this news. And then he needed his own answers what the hell was going on.
XXX
Bucky's eyes opened slowly.
Lights dimmed, and the stillness in the private room in the Medical Wing greeted him. His enhanced senses could hear the slow beat of Holly's heart, offering a comfort he desperately needed since she had yet to wake.
Hand still entangled with hers, fingers entwined through. Absently he ran his thumb over her pulse in her wrist. It was weak, but it was there.
It was something Bucky would cling onto with both hands. The bonds between them had grown still compared to the maelstrom they had been hours ago. Too still for comfort, and he couldn't stop himself from reaching out and brushing against Holly's. Needing that extra reassurance that the bonds were alive and well.
"They went quiet a few hours ago." Steve said. Barely audible. But then he didn't need to shout at him.
"How long have you been awake for?" Bucky asked, noting the tiredness that tightened around his eyes and the three empty cups of coffee at his side.
"All night. I wanted to make sure you were both safe. I know they said the wards would keep her safe, but I -"
"Needed to make sure." He finished for him. "I would have taken watch."
Steve smiled. "I know. But you looked adorable, with your head resting on her legs."
"Shut up punk. I don't do adorable."
Steve's smile widened, a glint shining in his eyes. "My mistake."
Bucky huffed before looking back at Holly's still form. Throat thickening and making it difficult to swallow. It was wrong; her lying so still. Wrong for her to be in the bed.
"Have they said anything else?"
"No. Just a waiting game."
"I've never been good at waiting."
"I'm sorry out of the two of us, which was the sniper. You have far more patience than I do."
Bucky's lips curled ever so slightly. "That was then. This is different."
"She's all over the news. Jarvis has sent me every channel she shows up on. There is no hiding this."
"I know. Ross will come for her. Not just Hydra." His jaw clenched tightly. With the power she had capable, it wouldn't just be Ross that would come for her, their government would want a threat assessment of her. Determine whether she was a threat to national security.
"I won't let that happen." Steve said, tightly. His voice was hard and cold. "General Ross won't get either of you."
"Captain. Ms Hill has returned." Jarvis said, his voice a little lower than usual.
"Has she been out all night?" Bucky asked, eyes widening.
"Handling Damage Control. And Ross."
"She deserves a raise for that alone."
"I must advise you, she isn't alone. Both of your presences are required in the War Room." Jarvis continued.
Steve stiffened. "Whose with her, Jarvis?"
"General Ross and I believe General Talbot as well, sir."
Fuck, did that bastard move fast?
Steve stood. Bucky hesitated. "I don't want to leave her, not while they are in the building."
"Bell is outside. She said she would raise the wards again once we left. It will give her protection. Jarvis, ensure no unauthorised personal can enter the Medical Wing via the elevator."
"Of course, Captain. I have locked down this level."
Slowly Bucky stood, his gaze lingering on Holly, before finally he followed behind Steve, leaving the room. Bell stepped up at once and did what she needed to do without question.
This was his least favourite thing about being an Avenger, and he was thankful the higher ups did not consider him important enough for meetings. There was always someone who thought they could push them around. Demanding answers. Their attention, their updates. Steve usually got the brunt of it, as did Stark, though Stark usually ignored them all.
The elevator took them to the floor they needed, and the moment the doors slid open, Bucky tensed.
Both General Ross and Talbot were there, but there were others with them. Men in black ops uniform. Armed to the teeth, ready it seemed to carry out a full scale assault if needed.
The Soldier stirred. Assessing each potential threat carefully and the best way he could take them out. They wouldn't give him too much trouble, and if it came to it, he would do everything in his power to protect Holly.
Nat was already there next to Hill, squaring off against the soldiers, not letting them further than they'd already gotten. Sam, with his arms crossed, watched and waited. Stark sat in the War Room, as did Banner and Clint. Thor stood in the doorway.
"Generals, how can we help you?" Steve said calmly. At least if you didn't know him, you would have thought it was calm. Bucky knew Steve, though. He heard the steel edge. Saw the tightening in his shoulders as he put himself firmly between the elevator, and those that were clearly here to show force.
"Hand her over." General Ross demanded.
The coldness of the ice mask gave Bucky the clarity to let the Soldier take control without losing himself.
Balance. It was all about balance.
"I don't believe I understand, General. Who exactly are you wanting us to hand over?"
"The Enhanced woman. Someone you failed to mention you were working with, failed to report her capabilities to us, to your Government. We need to assess properly how much of a threat she is to National Security. After the events of last night."
"No." Steve said coldly. Steve's cold response cut through any potential argument that they could have thrown their way.
Ross blinked in surprise.
Hill stepped between the two of them.
"Nobody knows what happened last night. The news cycle is speculating, from thinking she is a long lost Asgardian Princess, to a new Superhero working with the Avengers. They are throwing out names, but all of them want answers." Hill said slowly. "Answers that we won't get by handing her over to you. She saved the city last night, she saved countless lives. She is not our enemy."
"I'm surprised, Hill. Considering your stance when Fury first put the Avenger's initiative forward as an idea, you were firmly against it." General Talbot added.
Hill shrugged. "That was then. A lot has changed, and the Avengers have done nothing but safe people."
"And destroyed millions of pounds of city property." General Ross pointed out, his gaze shifting across each of them.
"A weak argument. I believe the same woman you are demanding we hand over fixed a lot of the damage last night." She countered.
Bucky had never been more grateful than he was right now that Hill was on their side.
"Hydra had enhanced individuals with the same abilities as yours. We need answers, and we intended to question her so we can get them." General Ross snapped. He turned towards the soldiers he brought with him. "Find her."
Bucky moved. Not thinking of the consequences. He grabbed the nearest soldier to him. Ripped his gun out of his hands and pinned him to the wall quicker than the guy could blink. He made sure it wasn't hard enough to cause permanent damage or kill him. But he was making his stance perfectly clear.
Make another move and I will end you.
He was aware of the sound of guns moving, pointing directly at him. He didn't care.
"I don't think you want to test us. We aren't handing her over." Steve said firmly, "And if you think you're up to taking us on and try, then feel free."
Nat slid up next to him. Clint had moved from where he was in the War Room to take his stance. Thor stepped out.
Nobody moved.
Nobody dared to breathe.
A standoff.
Avengers against the military. It wasn't something anyone had ever considered happening. Nobody wanted it to happen. Hydra was their enemy, but he was more than willing to burn the world to keep Holly safe if it came to that.
"You are threatening us. Generals of the United States Military?" Ross said, eyes wide as he stood his ground.
"Threatening, no. Warning, yes. Stand down. We are not handing her over." Steve said firmly.
"Lady Potter is under my protection," Thor said. "She is under the protection of Asgard. To move against her would be to move against us."
"So she is an Asgardian, then?" General Ross asked, doubt creasing his face.
Thor didn't answer, and Bucky knew that was deliberate. The Asgardian wouldn't lie, but if General Ross concluded himself, then it would give enough doubt that this was the wrong move to make. Earth couldn't afford a war with Asgard. And if they imprisoned one of their citizens, then it was possible that was what it would lead to.
"Fascinating. That grown men must behave like children." A voice cut through behind them.
Bucky blinked, daring to glance over his shoulders. The witches and wizards from last night were back. And they weren't alone. Four other wizards, Bucky could only presume, stood with them. Each of them dressed in different coloured robes that seemed to represent something importance.
The woman, the Supreme Mugwump, moved forward, passing through the gap between Steve and him easily enough. She fixed General Ross and General Talbot a look.
"Who exactly are you?" General Ross demanded.
"Above your pay grade, I'm afraid. But you are about to get a phone call. I suggest you answer it and then we can stop all this silliness, where you puff out your chest and think you're in charge. I assure you, with this situation, you aren't."
Well, if that wasn't a verbal putting him in his place, I don't know what is, Bucky mused. Though he kept his amusement from showing.
On cue, Ross' phone rang. The General's gaze widened, and for a moment he didn't move. The phone continued ringing.
"I don't think your President will appreciate you not picking up." The witch said, with a slow amused smile. "Best answer it."
A flicker of uncertainty danced in Ross' eyes before he moved to pull out his phone and answer it.
"General Ross, speaking."
Eyes widened a fraction more.
"Yes, Mr President."
Well, I'll be damned.
"Yes, sir. I understand, sir. Yes, sir. Absolutely, sir."
Bucky found it hard to pay attention to the one-sided conversation, and he couldn't make out what the President was saying. Eventually, the call ended, and General Ross eyed the woman in front of him warily.
"Stand down." He barked. His soldiers followed the order.
Bucky loosened his grip on the soldier he'd pinned to the wall, and let him return to his fellow teammates.
"I expect a full report, Rogers. On everything."
Again, the witch smiled and answered before Steve could.
"Again, above your pay grade, General. The report will go directly to your President, and nobody else. Now, I believe we have a meeting to start, with the Avengers. If you will excuse us."
She didn't so much as look at either General's as she passed them and entered the War Room. The other witches and wizards followed behind her. Hermione joining at the end. Ross reddened in fury, then he commanded his men and strode to the elevator.
Bucky shared a look with Steve.
"That could have gone a lot worse."
"She clearly wields a lot of power, enough so to get the President to call off Ross." Nat said, eyes observing and assessing everything.
"He will not forget that in a hurry. Nor is he going to forget wanting to question Holly." Steve added, his gaze darkening.
"I'll start working with Pepper, in how we can spin this story. I won't give more than we need to yet, but eventually we are going to have to give them some answers about exactly who Holly is."
Steve rubbed his hand across his neck. "Another day's problem. First, we need the answers."
"Something tells me they don't like to be kept waiting, and leaving them with Tony unsupervised won't go down well." Nat said, her head nodding toward the War Room.
Bucky glanced through the glass windows, and could see that Stark was opening and closing his mouth as though a fish out of water. Eyes widening.
"Come on, we best get in there." Steve muttered, moving to the door as he spoke.
Bucky followed, letting both Nat and Clint pass before him before he closed the door behind. Now that he was in the room, no sound was escaping Stark's mouth.
"Now, Mr Stark, shall I give you back your voice, and we try this again? I despise rudeness."
Huh, I guess it is possible to keep Stark quiet after all. Just through magical means.
XXX
There wasn't a white sandy beach in sight when Holly opened her eyes, nor was Platform 9 and 3/4 with a train waiting to take her away. Instead, the sight of Hogwarts greeted her, standing tall against the night and day sky, and she saw a thousand galaxies glittering in the distance. The grounds were exactly like they were the last time she visited the school.
She couldn't say it surprised her that the world around her had shaped itself into the only place she had truly called home.
Whispers echoed in her mind, voices rolling on top of each other that it was impossible to pick out one specific voice and focus on it. Not wanting to enter the castle itself, Holly made her way across the grounds, until she found one of her favourite spots overlooking the Great Lake. A tree branched out from the shore, roots stretching to the water, as branches above hung over, giving shade.
The tree differed from what was on Hogwarts ground. If Holly was going to guess, this one was an incredibly large Elder Tree, because even in her mind she couldn't escape Elder wood and her connection to the tree.
Not that she minded. It was a pretty tree.
She took off her shoes and climbed amongst the exposed roots of the tree until she settled above the water. Comfortable enough to lie back down and let her feet dangle over. Toes touching the water.
It was icy cold, but for a change, the cold didn't bother her. Rather, it felt like she was coming home. Eyes open wide, she peered at the galaxy filled sky, and counted the stars, the bright flames, sparks of life speaking to her like she had never heard before. And right there, trickling to her ears, amongst the whispers, was the song. A sweet melody. Magic. Life. Her opposite in this place, she supposed.
Shooting stars danced across the sky in an array of colours. Beautiful and peaceful. Holly had a selfish wish to stay here forever, admiring the surrounding universes.
"You know you can't stay here forever."
Holly glanced to the side. The her that was not her was back. More relaxed, less tense than she had been when Holly had last seen her.
"I know. We have a job to do."
"I mean, technically, you can. It is your realm, but like you said, you have a job to do."
Holly sighed and reluctantly sat up to look over at the other version of herself.
"I think I'm going to call you Raven. It's easier than thinking about you as not-me."
Raven smiled. "You can call us whatever you like. We are a part of you."
"Right, yeah, and which part of us are you exactly? I don't believe I read the fine print when I opened the box."
"We never read the fine print. We leap first and hope for the best."
Holly rubbed her head. "Please stop referring to us as third person. It's giving me a headache, and I have no problem in making sure you suffer as well."
Raven ignored her. Holly wasn't surprised, considering how much she had ignored her for the last few years. Longer really, since she became Master of those fucking Hallows.
"I'm the magic you've suppressed for so long. The power you've had tucked away inside of you. You called me the darkness before, but I suppose Raven is a step up."
Holly sighed. "And I opened the box. Shouldn't that mean we are one now or something?"
"We've been separate for too long. It's going to take more than opening a box where you've kept me. You may have accepted your Death, but you haven't really accepted what that entails. You haven't accepted what you are capable of. Not fully."
"And what exactly does that mean? The last time I checked, I was born human."
"We were. We were born in human form, but that doesn't stop us from being who we are."
Holly frowned, a whirl of thoughts spinning in her mind. Nothing was making sense. Nothing at all, and something told her she would not get those answers. At least not from the Raven part of herself.
"Why were we born human?" Merlin, even she was talking about them in third person.
"Punishment, I think. Our brother thinking he was clever." Raven answered. Her eyes tightened as she tilted her head to the side. As though trying to remember. "Everything is fuzzy. We're supposed to be whole, and because we aren't, it's all kind of fractured. I think the memories will start coming back. Especially as we join as one."
"You aren't a Horcurx, are you? I haven't accidentally created one of them?"
Eyes turned black as night, and a sneer twisted her face. "Don't compare us to that thing. I'm the magic you suppressed. From a child. To be normal for them to love you. And that thing pushed me down so I could only do so much. Then we died. And we were free. And we had the Hallows and finally we could become one, except you still kept pushing us down. So I kept you alive. I became that living darkness inside you. I kept us alive while your morals and high ground blinded you. And your desire to be normal."
Holly swallowed, taken aback by the rage that Raven was showing, but then wasn't that part of the problem. She had pushed her down because her rage threatened to burn the world to the ground. Threatened to tear it all apart. She had thought for so long that she was too like Voldemort for comfort, that his soul had left its mark on her, when really. That power had been living inside her all along. Suppressed because she wanted her family's love to be normal. Overtaken because of the piece of Voldemort's soul.
"I'm sorry."
"We are not Voldemort. We are beyond him, beyond his capability of understanding."
Holly looked down at the roots, at the water below her. Before glancing back up.
"Do you want to be whole?"
Raven snorted. "I'm your power. You, Holly Jamie Potter, are the heart and soul. Without you, I am nothing. We may be separate now, but we were whole once, and we will be whole again."
Silence fell between the two of them, and Holly wasn't sure what to say next. Instead, she held her tongue and left her thoughts drift. If Raven, that power that was her, wanted to be a whole again, then the problem lay solely with her in why they were still separate. Clearly, she had some things she needed to work on.
"Why am I back here?" Holly asked. "I didn't die again?"
"No. But tackling the Ley Line burned through a lot of your power, and even though we absorbed some energies, ultimately, your soul retreated to your place of power. To recharge. This entire realm is ours. Those shooting stars are souls dying. Some coming here, others moving to their afterlife. But they each pass through this realm, and with it, they give you power."
"So we aren't invincible, then?"
"You can't die. There are some things out there, born of the universe, that have the power to hurt you. As it stands now, you have more than enough power to deal with the dangers coming your way, but while we are separate still, you are at a disadvantage. You need to hurry and fix that. Not only is the end coming for you, but our brother will know we have awoken. He will be watching. But for the balance to be maintained, Death remains. That doesn't mean there aren't ways for us to be trapped. Or caged."
There was that mention of their brother again. Holly wasn't sure why, but that filled her with more dread than the man in purple that said he was coming for her. Was he the end, or was she the end?
"And how do we become whole again?"
"I think we need to heal. Completely heal. Even the things we are burying."
Holly flinched and looked away, glancing back up at the stars. She wanted to heal. To be whole, but there were some wounds she was too afraid to open back up. Too many losses that were still raw.
"Until then?"
"Learn. Prepare. Enter the castle. You might find some of those answers you want so much."
Holly hesitated. "What about you?"
"I almost feel whole here. I would like to stay a little while longer. After all, it's home."
Holly swallowed the wince. How fucked up was she that she'd completely torn herself apart from the inside out? Did she have the strength to become whole? To heal all those wounds. She wasn't sure. Until then, though, she was going to be brave enough and enter the fucking castle and look for those answers she wanted.
She stood slowly, not bothering to put her shoes back on, Holly made her way back across the grounds. From lake to Hogwarts Castle until she was stepping through the familiar doors and Great Entrance.
She recalled her eleven-year-old self with a flicker of regret. Back then she had known nothing to awaited her.
It was the sound of voices that drew her attention to the Great Hall. Bare feet padded softly against the cold stone floor until she was pushing through the gap in the door. Candles floated overhead, and the stars continued dancing across the night sky just as they would have in the real Hogwarts Castle.
But that wasn't what drew her attention.
No, it was the four familiar faces sitting at the Gryffindor table. Two she'd only ever seen in photos or the first time she held the Resurrection Stone, and two she had only known for a handful of years.
Sirius.
Remus.
Dad.
Mum.
Her pulse quickened and her mouth was dry, unable to voice the words she so desperately wanted to. Even after all this time, this was a moment Holly would forever dream and hope for.
As one, the four of them turned.
Sirius grinned. Grey eyes filled with laughter. Remus no longer had the weariness he had while living, and her dad, forever youthful, gave her a wave.
But it was her mother who held her attention.
How many times had she wanted to be held by her mother when she had been a child? To feel soothed and comforted by her mother's kisses and unconditional love.
Lily Potter stood from the table.
Still looking the age she had been when she died. Her face a silvery pale, and green eyes so vibrant and red hair thick and full.
Holly swallowed the lump in her throat, her gaze never leaving her mother for a second as she approached her, hands outstretched, a warm, loving smile lighting up her entire face.
"Hello, sweetheart. We've been waiting for you."
Her mum's hand took her own. The warmth spread from her fingers to her toes. It was real. It was there and not a figment of her imagination.
"Mum." Holly said. Barely audible.
"We have so much to catch up on."
Tears slid down her cheeks, and Holly matched her mother's smile. "I'd like that. I'd like that a lot. I've missed you all so much."
"Oh, sweetheart, we are never far from your side. You only have to think of us and you will feel us."
Her mum led her back towards the others, towards the Gryffindor table, and gave her room to slip in next to her dad. He gave her a soft nudge with his shoulder before wrapping his arms around and pulled her into a hug.
"Merlin, Holly. You've grown up far too fast. I still remember painting your face like a lion for your first birthday."
Holly laughed.
"It came out more like a house cat than a lion. Prongs, tell her the truth now." Sirius teased.
Holly knew she wouldn't be able to stay here forever, but for the moment, she wasn't in a hurry to return to the waking world. The world of the living. Though she couldn't stop the thought that spun across the bonds she shared with Bucky and Steve.
I wish you could be here to meet them.
XXX
Steve sat down at the wall table. Bucky on his right, Sam on his left. Nat had chosen her seat to give her the perfect advantage she needed to observe the entire room.
Nobody said a word, each side clearly eyeing the other up. He recognised the witches and wizards from last night sitting near Madam Supreme, though Hermione, it seemed, had taken the seat closest to Bruce.
On the other side were four strangers.
Four men. Wizards, he corrected. Each of them looking official in neatly dressed robes?
He frowned slightly. His concern for Holly surpassed the need to learn about the Wizarding World last night and he wasn't as prepared as he would have liked to have been. He knew Nat and Bruce would ask sensible questions. Nat cutting straight to the point and filing away information for further analysing later.
Steve was more than aware that all eyes were watching him from the opposite side of the table.
Keeping his thoughts smooth, he spoke. "Thank you for your help with General Ross."
Madam Supreme smiled. "General Ross believed he could take a witch and question her. While he does not know about the Wizarding World, and it will remain that way, when it comes to Holly Potter, muggle governments have no power over her. No authority. Though Britain's own Prime Minister and your President, seems to have a certain amount of respect for her."
Steve cocked his eyebrow in surprise. Holly had never mentioned she had met the President before.
"I believe they have met briefly. Once, years ago. You must understand, though, in order to maintain our secrecy, we bring a very limited number of muggles into the fold. And even then, they are never given full access. We update world leaders when events on our side could interfere with your side. Potter's name has been at the forefront for many years at ensuring muggles are kept safe from those who wish to harm them." She continued, catching his surprise far too easily for his liking.
"You are about to gain more knowledge about the Wizarding World than any other muggle organisation before you. Your circumstances are unique. Potter trusts you and that trust holds more weight in our world than I think she realises. Here in the States, witches and wizards who breach the Statue of Secrecy are punished with death. You may not be witches or wizards, but our punishment will be just as swift, should you announce to the nation's press about our world as easily as you announced yourselves."
The warning hung in the air. Impossible to ignore, and the full meaning as crystal clear as they could get without the words being said aloud.
"What we say in this room stays in this room." Steve said, his gaze darting around each one. Seeing the nods of acknowledgements and agreements from Nat, Sam, Clint, Bruce and even Tony. Thor had more knowledge about the universe than anyone of them did and wasn't likely to need the warning. And neither Bucky nor he were going to risk bringing harm to Holly.
The world hadn't known about magic for centuries. It could continue not knowing as far as he was concerned. It wasn't their place to bring them out into the eyes of the muggle world. Though Steve couldn't help but wonder how they were going to clean up such a public display of magic.
"Now, I believe introductions are in order. You meant those that travelled with me last night, but for clarity's sake, I will reintroduce them."
Madam Supreme reeled off the names once again. Minister Kingsley was to Hermione's right side, with Zabini next to him and Rochefort beside Zabini.
The new names, the unknown faces, surprised Steve, though he hid it well. He hadn't expected the Wizarding World in America to have their own President of MACUSA, or that they would sit in the same room as him. President Quahog had light brown skin, dark brown eyes and jet black hair clipped short. Next to him was the Auror Commissioner, Gaius Potter. Steve couldn't help but wonder whether he was related to Holly, though he couldn't find a single similarity between them. Then there was Chief Auror, Magnus Ignius, lips pinched together, distaste in grey eyes, as though he would prefer to be anywhere else but here.
Some witches and wizards don't like muggles Hermione had given them that warning last night. Steve didn't want to assume, but he was going to guess that Magnus Ignius was one of those wizards who didn't like his kind.
At the far side, closest to Barton, was Captain Edward Roche. Captain of the Aurors in New York.
They quickly explained last night that Aurors acted as both the police and military for the Wizarding World. The Auror Commissioner would be equal to the Secretary of Defence.
Steve nodded his head slightly at all of them in greeting, before shifting his attention back towards Madam Supreme. The woman that seemed to have more power than all of them combined. What exactly was her role in all this? International Confederation of Wizards.
"I have brought up President Quahog up to speed of the current situation, and our common enemy."
"Hydra." Steve finished.
"Not just Hydra, I'm afraid, but also the faction of witches and wizards that are working with them. The children that have been going missing for over a decade turned into loyal soldiers and followers of Hydra, and whoever is leading them within Hydra itself." Madam Supreme answered. "As I explained last night, I was already on my way here to extend an offering to bring you into the fold. That hasn't changed. Last night has sped up the timeline and we must work together now more than ever."
"And where exactly is Potter, herself? Shouldn't she be here to explain herself, considering she has been acting as a Foreign Intelligence Entity for the last three years?" President Quahog said. Steve heard the hardness in his tone and the way his lips thinned together it was easy to see he wasn't pleased with the situation.
Holly had been a spy for the last three years. Working undercover, and now her cover was blown. That is going to cause some tension, he mused silently.
Before he could answer, Minister Kingsley answered for him.
"She is currently recovering from her injuries. And as I have explained to you already, President Quahog. The nature of the investigation required Potter to go dark. Under my authorisation, she was acting under the Le Fay Act 13. Hydra wasn't just a threat to Great Britain. But to all of us."
Steve shared a look with Bucky and gave a slight shake of his head. His instincts said to defend Holly, but he also understood that there was so much he didn't know about this situation. He bit back the words that threatened to pass his lips and waited. Time and a place.
For now, they needed more information to go on.
"Focusing on whether you should have been informed, President Quahog is taking us away from the main issue, and that is Hydra and the witches and wizards working with them. It is unfortunate that Potter is not yet awake to give a full report, however we now need to focus on what we do no and where we go from there."
She turned her attention to Steve.
"When exactly did you notice Hydra working with witches and wizards, or rather Enhanced individuals?"
Straightening in his seat, Steve explained what they had known at the time of the Enhanced individuals had appeared on their radar with Hydra.
XXX
Holly lost track of time.
Not that she needed to track it, not when she was here with her parents and Sirius and Remus. Though she couldn't help but wonder where Tonks was, where Fred was and the others that had died over the years that she knew.
"Where is everyone else?" She asked.
Her mother smiled. "They are here. In their own little patches of the world, living out their afterlife. You can summon them if you want to, but your heart seemed to know you wanted us."
"I do. I really do." Holly agreed.
"Not that they don't visit. We can move around wherever you want, but for your first time here, we thought it was best not to overwhelm you." Her Dad added.
"Thank you."
Her lips curled slightly into a smile. As much as she wanted to, she knew she wouldn't be able to stay for much longer. Already she could feel the buzz of energy humming through her, and the song of the Hallows, that much louder. Fully recharged, as Raven said. She would need to return to the world of the living. Except she didn't want to leave. Not yet.
"You never leave here really, and we are always here. The more you get used to it, the more you will travel here at will," Sirius answered, her unasked question.
"It's time for me to go, then." She couldn't stop the sadness from lacing her words.
"Not yet," her mum replied. "We need to talk. Shall we go for a walk?"
"I would like that," Holly answered.
Her mum stood from the table. They all did, and she spent a few minutes hugging her dad, and Sirius and Remus tight. Not wanting to let them go.
"Thank you for everything you are doing for Teddy. He is truly a remarkable young wizard, and that's all you, Holly." Remus whispered.
Holly shook her head. "No, it's Andy as well."
"Andy's love is unconditional, for her grandson, yes, and she is turning him into a fine gentleman. But Holly. It's you he turns to when he needs someone to protect him from the dark. It's you. He reaches for when he needs that reassurance that there aren't monsters under the bed. It's you that gives him the strength to be brave, to embrace his differences and not let the world tell him who he is. You give him courage to fly."
Holly swallowed the lump in her throat. To hear Remus put it into words when she had so many doubts about whether she was a good godmother brought a fresh set of tears to her eyes.
"Thank you."
Remus gave her an extra hug before he slowly vanished from sight. Sirius and her dad following suit. Until it was just her mother left.
"I fancy walking to the Astrology Tower." Her mum said softly.
Holly smiled, her heart thudding loudly in her chest.
"Sounds lovely."
As the two walked through the corridors of Hogwarts, they talked about simple things. Their own experiences of walking these halls in the land of the living.
Until finally they climbed through the stairs of the Astrology Tower and the universe lay bare before them. Hogwarts grounds, Forbidden Forest and beyond.
And the galaxy filled the sky with souls dancing across, burning their way as though shooting stars.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. For everything you have had to suffer. Without me to help guide you."
Holly looked at her mum. "You died to save my life. You have nothing to apologise for."
"I do though." She breathed. Barely audible.
Holly paused. Words repeating in her mind. With the plea of a mother, he intervened.
Understanding dawned on her. "It wasn't your sacrifice that saved me, was it? Your love?"
Her mum smiled sadly. "It was. Just not in the way Albus thought. Of course, Albus was a little shortsighted with magic and the boundaries he will cross. I wasn't."
Her blood froze.
"What did you do, mum?"
"We'd just found out I was pregnant when Albus called us to his office. Neither me nor your father had told anyone. We were both surprised to see Frank and Alice there as well. That's when he told us. The prophecy. That one of our children would defeat Voldemort. And worse, Voldemort knew at least part of it."
Holly blinked, listening to her mother closely. She had never heard the exact details about how they found out about the prophecy, wasn't even sure if they knew about it. But they had. Had known the whole thing too, from the sounds of it.
"I was angry. So angry. I refused to let fate claim my child in such a way. To give them such a destiny. So I threw myself into learning and researching. There was no stone I wouldn't look under. Both James and Sirius told me to slow down, but I couldn't. My child. My daughter was in danger, and I would not let you come to harm. Not if I could help it."
Holly cocked an eyebrow. "You knew I was a girl?"
"I hoped. I didn't know for certain, but I hoped with all my heart. Not that I wouldn't have loved you less if you'd been born a boy. But I wanted a daughter." Her mum smiled, though the smile didn't reach her eyes. "You know there is more magic in the world than the Wizarding World wants to admit."
Holly nodded. She had come across some of it in the last few years. Witches and wizards from the Wizarding World had their own source of power. Born with their own magic. But there were others who could use the magic of the universe. Of course, they also protected the universe from darker dimensions and demons, and things the wizarding world had long forgotten about. Once upon a time, they'd been part of the magical triad that protected this world. Now only one part of that triad remained. Remembered their purpose.
Kamar-Taj and Masters of the Mystic Arts.
Holly had never been to Kamar-Taj, but she had crossed paths with the Ancient One two years ago.
She pushed the thoughts aside and focused back on her mum and what she was saying.
"I looked into those ancient magicks. Forgotten magicks and I found something. A hope. No matter how flickering. Cosmic Beings. Demons. Gods. All of them. I prayed, and I prayed. Until I found what I was looking for. Or rather, perhaps pointed in the right direction for what I was looking for."
Holly blinked, her heart thudding loudly against her chest. Was this how she was Death? How she was born human? What had her mother done, exactly? And could she fault her?
"And what were you looking for?" She asked slowly. Knowing the answer, but needing to hear it all the same.
Her mother smiled. "A way to keep you safe. To keep you alive."
Holly glanced up at the stars and wondered if the positions were switched, whether she would have gone to such lengths to protect her unborn child.
The answer was simple.
Yes. There was no length she wouldn't have crossed. Even if it meant her own life in the end. She supposed that was where she was, also different from her mum. Lily Potter had protected her child. She had failed to protect her own.
She swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed the memories down. Not wanting to think or feel the depths of her despair.
Her mother took her hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Don't blame yourself for what they did to you. What they took from you."
She nodded and gave a bitter smile before pushing the tears back that threatened to fall. Thinking about what she had lost, that she had failed to keep safe her own child from Hydra was a wound that would never heal.
Holly glanced back at her mother, asking, directing it back to the answers she desperately needed. "And what answered your prayers?"
Her mother shook her head. "I don't think it has a name. Not in away us mere mortals would understand. He is everything, and nothing all in the same breath."
Holly stilled. Pulse quickening with every breath she took. "A Cosmic being?"
"Maybe fate intervened in the end. Maybe I was always going to walk down that path, into the cave, and make the choice that changed everything for you." Lily finished. Our brother intervened because of a mother's plea. Punishment why we were born mortal.
She was getting some answers, but it was only leaving her with more questions. Holly doubted she would ever find those answers she wanted while she remained fractured, her memories just out of reach. She was Death, but what did that actually mean for her?
"The price was your life."
Her mother smiled at her. "A life for a life. Old magick. Ancient magick. There could be no other price given. I knew the moment Voldemort entered the room that I would die that night, and I didn't regret it. Not when it meant you lived."
"I'm Death." Holly said, voicing the words to her mother.
Her mother stepped closer and cupped her face in her hands. "You are my daughter. You are Holly Jamie Potter. That is your heart, your soul. You may be Death, but never forget you were born from my blood. From your fathers. Nobody can take that away from you. Not even Cosmic Beings. You are Holly first. Death reborn second."
Holly swallowed slowly. Pushed the tears back. Merlin knows she'd done enough crying since entering her realm.
"I'm afraid."
"Don't be. You were born to shine amongst the stars, Holly. Let your heart and soul guide you, and you will never stray from the path. You will never fall to the darkness you're afraid of."
"I love you, mum."
"I love you, sweetheart. Never forget that. No matter what, you are and always will be my daughter and I couldn't be prouder of you."
Holly wrapped her arms around her mother and hugged her. Soaking in the embrace and letting the warmth wash over her. Surprising considering this was the realm of the dead, and life held no power here. Except maybe it did. In the beat of her heart, in the pulsing vibrations of the bonds.
She was Death, but what did that make Bucky and Steve tied to her?
"Yours. Anchors. Your heartsongs. Your soulsongs. Let them in, Holly. Let them in and be whole." Her mother whispered. Brushing loose strands of hair behind her ear. "Go. They need you now. Remember, we are never far from you."
Holly nodded, eyes closing as her mother kissed her forehead. By the time she opened them she was alone standing on the Astrology Tower overlooking her domain. However, she didn't need to be there. Bucky and Steve needed her. The living needed her, and that was where she belonged.
"Raven. I think it's time we woke up now." She said, letting her voice carry on the wind to that fractured part of her.
Before the world faded to her will. Shifting and changing.
Holly's eyes opened to the dim lights of the Medical Wing. Her heart beating hard and fast.
And at her core were the thrum of Steve and Bucky's soul bonds. Leading her to them.
XXX
"It would seem that the witches and wizards with Hydra hadn't really made themselves known until a few weeks ago. At least until they directly attacked you with Hydra." Madam Supreme said, her gaze hard as her lips pressed together. "That is something, at least. It means we might stop them in their tracks before they continue."
"Why now, if you don't mind me asking? If they have been working with Hydra for years, kidnapping children, why now use them?" Sam asked, head tilted.
Madam Supreme glanced towards Sam, her gaze weighing on him before she finally answered.
"For as long as our history had been recorded, there have been witches and wizards that have reached extraordinary levels of power in our world. We vote for our leaders just as most of the muggle world does, but there are some that born to lead. Magic blessed, we call them." She answered slowly. "And they always fall in two ways. For Light, or for Dark. Light Lords and Ladies. Dark Lords and Ladies, and both draw others to them like moths to the flames. In the last century, we have only had one Light Lord. Albus Dumbledore. But we have had two Dark Lords. You have been informed of the last Wizarding War?"
Steve nodded. "Hermione briefly touched on it last night."
"Yes. A bloody and terrible time for the Wizarding World. Voldemort's return in May 1995 wasn't publicly accepted, despite Potter witnessing the event. Although his followers kidnapped her to offer her up as the prize to be killed. The year that followed was a silent war. A former minister was in denial, not wanting to accept that one of the greatest threats had returned. But eventually, Voldemort stepped out into the public and it forced the Wizarding World to accept his return." She paused, head tilted, before continuing. "Those two years of the war were deadly. For Great Britain, for the both the Wizarding World and the muggle side. However, for the rest of us, we watched. We waited."
"Why, if you knew he was a threat, why not take him out?" Nat asked, her gaze fixing on the Madam Supreme.
"Apart from a child, and Albus Dumbledore, nobody had survived an encounter with Voldemort when they went face to face with him. He used some of our darkest magics. Nobody stood a chance, and for the moment, his focus was solely on Britain. On conquering Britain - "
"And killing a child." Steve finished for her, his pulse quickening as he straightened in his seat. The words sounded cold to his ears. "You were watching, and waiting, to see if he could kill a child before you would do anything."
"My predecessor was not the bravest of souls. But yes. To answer your question, the International Confederation of Wizards was watching and waiting to see where fate landed. Would Voldemort win? Or would Potter."
"You know that is fucked up right. She was sixteen, seventeen years old." Steve said, his voice as hard as steel. Jaw clenched tightly together, and anger burned in his veins. He couldn't keep the ice from his words, as anger got the better of him.
Bucky had stilled next to him. Stilled to the point for a moment, Steve was half convinced the Winter Soldier was in control and Bucky had retreated inwards.
Madam Supreme gave a slow smile. "Correct. Albus Dumbledore died in 1997. Killed by one of his own. A traitor. And Britain fell. Resistance forced on the run. Voldemort hunted Potter for almost a year, wanting desperately to kill the person he saw as his enemy above all else. To this day, most of the Wizarding World didn't know why he was obsessed with her. There are rumours of a prophecy. Rumours that only she had the power to kill him."
His eyes darted to Hermione and Minister Kingsley. Both of them seemed to know more about what Madam Supreme was saying, but neither of them offered confirmation or further information. Hermione met his gaze head on, her face unreadable, but her brown eyes were burning with something.
Anger.
The Wizarding World failed her in more ways than one. That was what she said last night, and Steve could see in that moment how fucking right she had been. They had been waiting for her to die. Waiting to see if she would survive when no one else fucking had. He desperately wanted to punch someone. To break something.
"Why exactly are you telling us this?" Tony asked, more bite to his tone than usual. "What importance does it have to Hydra and witches and wizards working together?"
"Everything. To understand, you must first know our recent history." Madam Supreme answered, before continuing. "As bad as those years were, for Britain. For Potter, and I'm not denying that they weren't bad, the Wizarding World collectively had been at peace for over a decade before. Trouble, yes, there is always trouble. But peace and it was peace brought because of Potter, and her not dying when hit by the Killing Curse."
She took another breath.
"The First War with Voldemort still only remained in Britain and lasted over a decade. We were far more active in it then, because he posed a risk. Because it lasted for a decade, and because he was moving elsewhere. Germany. France. Italy. He gathered followers. And they flocked to him. But even that was not the worst war we have seen internationally."
"What was the worst?" Nat asked, eyebrow cocked, the only sign across her face that could give him an insight into what she was thinking.
"It started with a wizard called Gellert Grindelwald. His war, his fight, stretched across our world. From Europe to America and back again. He wished to rule, and not just us, but the muggles as well. He rose to power in the early 1910s, and for over twenty-five years, there was a global war across the Wizarding World."
Steve froze. Both Bucky and Sam did next to him as well. Thoughts spinning. Was it a coincidence that the Wizarding World was at war at the same time as the muggle one was?
"Gellert Grindelwald used the muggle war to his advantage. He inserted himself into the Nazi army and worked his way up. Now, I'm not saying that he started World War 2. Hitler was an evil despicable human being, and his course was set even without magic interference. But Grindelwald, and his followers, his Grim Reapers, played a part in the war. We all did. Witches and Wizards were on the side of the allies as well."
"How much interference?" He asked, dreading the answer.
"I think you already know that, Steve Rogers." She gave him a pointed look.
His stomach churned, and his mouth was dry as he pushed the next words out. "Hydra. Hydra has known about witches and wizards since then."
A bitter, twisted smile crossed her lips. "Yes. Though we did our best to eliminate any that would have survived to ensure that knowledge wasn't passed down. We failed there. Hydra survived and thrived. And it seems witches and wizards are continuing to work with them as they did then."
Minister Kingsley spoke up. "You ask why now? Because Albus Dumbledore is dead, and has been since 1997. Because we have no Dark Lord or Lady and Light Lord or Lady. And because the one witch who had the real potential of becoming either was believed to be dead. Captured by them. Killed by them." His voice held a bitter note to it that was impossible to ignore. "It seems unfair that after giving everything to the Wizarding World that we would ask Holly Potter to give more, but she is Magic Blessed. She could have become the next Light Lady, or Dark Lady. She would have had witches and wizards flocking to her. And if they had struck earlier, then they perhaps would have been defeated with the amount that would have answered Potter's call to arms."
He paused. "You ask why now? Because she wasn't here anymore. Because she was dead. They have their army. And nobody with the true strength to oppose them. That's not to say that we are weak. But our world has politics just like you. And getting countries to agree to anything is -"
"Difficult." Nat supplied.
Minister Kingsley smiled. "Yes, but the Wizarding World would have flocked to Potter, regardless. Her magic would have called to them. They thought they were safe. Safe to strike now."
"But Holly isn't dead." Steve pointed out. He understood what it was like to have people to look to him, to lead them, but the true pressure Holly faced in her world wasn't something he could imagine. Was she even allowed to breathe without thinking of the consequences, how the world would view her? Friend or foe? Salvation or destruction?
"No, she isn't. And she will face the question, as any Magic Blessed before her has. Light or Dark? I know Holly. I know she is always going to fight to protect others, because that's who she is. Our hero. Our saviour, no matter how little we actually deserve her. And so others will follow, and others will rise to oppose her."
"And the witches and wizards with Hydra?" Nat asked, eyes tightening as her head tilted to the side. Hearing and understanding more than perhaps, the wizards in question realised she did. But then Steve had learned long ago not to underestimate Nat. They would learn to, if she deemed to teach them that. Otherwise, she would use it to her advantage. To their advantage.
"We believe it is a leftover force of Grindelwald. They called themselves the Grim Reapers, though the whole organisation was called the Alliance. And while the Wizarding World has fixed on Voldemort and his war, they have been lying in shadows. Gaining power. Kidnapping children. Building their army." Madam Supreme answered. A grim look twisting across her face.
"What was their aim? Grindelwald's and his army?" Steve asked.
"They claimed they wanted freedom to be themselves. But they wanted to rule. They wanted wizarding supremacy. They wanted to burn your world down."
"I can see how it would fit with Hydra. That kind of thinking, though in the end they are both using each other to achieve their goals." Steve admitted.
"That is our belief as well."
"And why do we think this? What proof do we have?"
"Potter heard a coined phrase from one attacker during the first incident. It was that that swayed her hand where she requested she bring you into the fold. Had Hydra not been working with witches and wizards and only kidnapping our children, then you would never have been granted that permission. At least not without extraordinary circumstances." Madam Supreme supplied.
"What was the phrase?" Nat asked.
"For the Greater Good. Grindelwald used it as his mantra. The ends justifying the means, because it is for the greater good." Minister Kingsley answered.
"This guy has got to be well and truly dead, though, right? I mean, he clearly failed." Tony stated, crossing his arms against his chest.
"We can live longer than muggles, but yes, he was defeated and imprisoned in 1945. He died in 1998."
Steve's mind was reeling. So much information to process. Hydra had been working with witches and wizards all along. A wizard had inserted himself in the war he'd fought in.
"Did he tell Schmidt about the Tesseract?"
Another look passed between her and the Elder man with her, and Steve couldn't help but wonder whether she would give them the answer.
"No. Schmidt had always known about magic. He was a squib. The only son of his family. Born to magic, without having a drop of magic in his veins. It is our belief he became obsessed with obtaining power he thought was his right to have by birth."
His mouth went dry. Red Skull, born to a magical family? Was that why the serum didn't work on him as well as amplifying all the bad in his soul? Steve couldn't think. Didn't want to think about his old enemy.
Silence once again filled the room before Nat spoke.
"While all this gives us an insight into what we are dealing with, why did they attack last night? Why that hotel? And what exactly happened to it?"
A look passed between them all before President Quahog answered.
"The hotel was built upon a Ley Line in the city. A natural pocket of magic that we can siphon our wards to. It makes them powerful enough to conceal extensive areas we need to keep from sight from the muggle world." He paused. "By destroying that Ley Line, they are weakening the wards around the city."
"So we are going to have magical districts suddenly pop up around the city." Tony noted.
"In a way, yes. Last night's Ley Line was the linchpin for the entire ward network. The Ley Line survived, but the linchpin itself was destroyed. It means that the other five points across the city are instinctively weaker to attack."
"So they are going to attack these points. To expose you?" Steve asked, a frown creasing his brow. A serious as that was for the Wizarding World it couldn't be their only goal. Their only reason for attacking.
"We believe so. Though they don't have to attack all five. Just taking out two more would do more than enough damage." The response sounded hollow. As they themselves didn't quite believe it. Steve couldn't help but think that they were keeping something from them.
"That's not the whole truth though, is it, President Quahog?" Holly's voice cut through the room like a knife would butter.
Steve snapped his attention to her, Bucky already moving to his feet. All he could do was stare. She was awake. And well. Her skin was still glowing with gold and silver rivers shimmering. Eyes shining vibrant green, and her hair was standing to attention around her.
She was still wearing her torn dress from the night before, barely clinging to her shoulder. Enough to keep their soul marks hidden. He blinked and her outfit changed, morphing into black trousers, and black top and a waistcoat that fitted her like a glove. Arms bare, and the material looked to be made from a reptile skin, only it wasn't snakes skin. It was something else. Black, green, silver. Shimmering under the light. A deadly smile crossed her lips, and gaze hardened despite the power that seemed to make them glow.
"It's not just the Wizarding districts the wards protect. They protect something else as well. Something you're worried about that they are after. So why don't you tell us the whole truth, and what you are so afraid of them getting their hands on from the Vault?"