Harry has a different reaction to his near death experience at age nearly seven and become a right little Machiavellian Prince and, as his relatives tell everyone he's a hooligan, he starts bringing their falsehoods to life.
I don't own or derive any material benefit out of Harry Potter or Stargate. This story is not a crossover, though it will feature a certain general from Texas.
Not being American, I know nothing about San Antonio and may get things wrong, a lot. The school is real; the events portrayed are not. Harry has his own views about religion. He's 7, now 8, so may not be correct. That doesn't mean he'll change his views. He is rather stubborn.
Special guest appearance from the death dealers from Underworld. I don't own anything to do with Underworld, either.
Lord Arcturus Black usually looked forward to Yule. This one in 1988 was an exception. 5 bullies had attacked James Hammond who had been James Evans before his despicable Muggle relatives had shipped him across the Atlantic. James had survived and Black Industries was now turning the screw on the companies owned by the five sets of parents to force a settlement. James wanted a very reasonable settlement, in Lord Black's eyes. Sirius had returned from visiting a recovering James. He was talking about a young girl James was having educated by Potter Inc that he'd somehow inherited. The girl's name was Missy Champlain. That made Arcturus uneasy. He and Charlus Potter had encountered a Missy Champlain in New York in the 1930s and been lucky to escape with their lives. Their paths had crossed several times.
Lord Arcturus Black was packing for a trip back to the USA. He'd informed MACUSA of his trip and where he intended to go. Hermione Granger was delighted he was going to see James. She passed on to Lord Black the research the Graignons had done on Missy Champlain. He'd read that with interest. Missy was a succubus. Yes, he knew that. A powerful one. He knew that, too. Parents had suicided in 1929 during the Wall Street Crash. Missy had stayed looking young. MACUSA had searched for her for twenty years. Missy had a powerful hate for magic users. Yet James had befriended her.
Lord Black had all his bags and Christmas/Yule presents as he stood in the MACUSA arrivals lounge. He was directed to the flight to San Antonio from JFK. It was crowded. Arcturus had never flown by airplane before and never on Christmas Eve in America. He was relieved to land in one piece and to be reunited with all his luggage. He'd pay extra for a portkey, next trip.
Harry James Potter who now thought more of himself as James Hammond and spoke with a south Texas drawl was thinking about his grandfather, George on a mission 'down south'. He concentrated and saw through George's eyes. George and his squadron were fighting a squadron of MIGs. George was on the tail of a particularly elusive MIG. Harry could see that there were 2 MIGs closing fast from his 5 o'clock. Harry could see that George hadn't noticed them. He didn't know how he was seeing through the man's eyes. Harry just let his eyes wander to that instrument. George followed and saw his danger.
"Hank, Walter take out those MIGs to my 5." Two fighters veered off from the formation to engage. Harry stayed watching the combat. It was over in about 20 minutes. George had shot down 2 MIGs out of 15. His other squadron members had destroyed the other 13, for the loss of two planes. Harry didn't hear the pilots' names or their fate. Harry did know he loved flying. He felt like the craft was an extension of himself.
Harry could sense that George wouldn't be coming home for the Christmas holidays. He was sad about that, but hoped to be able to phone home, once at least. As James Hammond and owner of Potter Inc, Harry had set his lawyers the task of creating paperwork for Missy. The primary reason was to see if she'd inherited any things from her 1920s ancestors. Proving her connection to the family was a breeze, since she looked the spiffing image of the Missy Champlain from back then.
They'd all met up on Christmas Eve. Sam had come across from the Academy and Mark from his High School. Fred and Claudette had picked both up from the airport. Missy had been escorted across the country by a Potter Inc Pinkerton agent. Harry got a glimpse of the man. He knew about Missy and, Harry reckoned, did not like what he knew. Missy seemed oblivious.
They had settled down for a meal, when the doorbell rang. On the doorstep was Lord Arcturus Black. Harry saw him, eyes widening in delight.
"Lord Black, what a pleasant surprise. I was expecting Sirius, but it's really good to see you again." He raced to the man and hugged him.
Fred invited him in and Arcturus went up to his room. Missy looked like she wanted to bolt.
"Missy, Lord Black was the one who made sure a group of my friends in England could get together and study. Americans would call it Civic Studies. We all had an interest and the subject is not really taught over there."
Lord Arcturus Black came down for dinner wearing a plead suit and was seated next to Missy.
"Lord Arcturus Black, owner of Black Industries, may I introduce Missy Champlain. Missy Champlain, Lord Arcturus Black. Missy is receiving an education paid for by Potter Inc, a company I own, how is not known to me. Perhaps the last Potter to own it, Lord Charlus Potter had a very weird sense of humour. I met Missy in an alley where she was throwing herself at a Catholic Priest. I'm not that fond of Catholic Priests, but I do respect those who practice their faith. We all bonded over a Big Mac. The healing power of a Big Mac. Sirius said he was re-assigned and there's another watching now.
Police records show Missy coming to their attention a couple of year ago and they reckoned she'd been on her own for at least a year. We're putting together some documents. The Missy back in the 1920s lost her parents in the Wall Street Crash. They had lost everything and sadly took their own lives. My legal team say they've found a log cabin up near Niagara Falls that is hers. There's a bit more work, they tell me, settling various matters."
"Champlain sounds French. French Canadian, perhaps?" Sam suggested.
"I can have them extend the search to Canada, though as they came to the US they may have been leaving behind a situation," Harry said.
"James, I brought some documents over that our French friends tracked down," Arcturus said.
"I'll look over them, later," Harry said.
"I'll look over them, later," Fred said.
"Oh, dad. They won't tell you anything you don't already know," Harry pouted.
"The group send you their seasonal best wishes. They were disappointed you only got Hermione a gift."
"Arcturus, Hermione is easy to buy a gift for. I had no idea when it came to the others. If you help, I can send you back with gifts for them."
"That's very generous of you, James. I'll be glad to help," Arcturus said.
"You know Lords?" Mark asked.
"The group I was with had quite the collection of titles," Harry answered. "Well, their parents did." That drew laughter.
Arcturus was wearing the Black Lordship ring. It could sense that James was wearing the Heir ring. Sirius had told him that he'd blood adopted young Harry Potter. Arcturus could hardly believe his eyes. Right infront of him was Harry Potter. Known to everyone else as James Hammond.
"I came across to help James with his case against the five bullies who nearly killed him." Arcturus' remarks could have been a grenade going off. Sam and Mark stopped eating to exclaim shock and horror. Missy turned to James and Arcturus could have sworn he heard her call him Harry.
"You haven't killed them, yet?" Missy asked.
"No. Too much paperwork. I've already been involved with the deaths of a child rapist murderer and a Texas Ranger. I don't want them dead. It is very likely that someone will, but they need help to stop and go in a different direction," James said.
"That's a noble sentiment," Mark said. "But you want your pound of flesh."
"Yes, I do. The Catholic Church tried to make me drop the case. Called me a racist. I want my hundred bucks and my book back." James was indignant that he'd been robbed.
"We want substantial damages," Claudette said.
"What was the book?" Sam asked.
"A book on flowers and their meaning," Harry responded. "I can understand why Neville loves plants so much. I was so wrapped up in looking for flowers expressing love and fertility that I didn't see my assailants."
Arcturus got the message. Harry was making potions or planning to. Missy looked like she was going to after the Five. Harry spoke to her, reassuring her that everything was being taken care of. Arcturus told her one of his friends, named Peter, was likely to be smitten by her and that she wasn't to take action, even if he wasn't a perfect gentleman. Harry would make sure he understood to treat her 'right'. Harry then noticed how 17 year old Mark was looking at Missy.
"Mark, do you have a girlfriend yet?"
"Yes, she's Chrissy, a senior like me."
"Is she the one?" Harry asked.
"James," Sam exclaimed.
"We're planning to attend college together on the West Coast. She's from there, originally."
"Would you rather have been there with her than here with us?" Harry followed up.
"Yes," Mark said, morosely.
"There's always the phone," Harry said.
"Quite right," Claudette said. "We'll make sure you can phone her."
"Thanks, Mrs Hammond."
The six ate exchanging small talk. Lord Black regaled them with tales of England. Missy relaxed. She hadn't known about the cabin. She was pleased Lord Black hadn't attacked her. From the looks of him, he'd recognised James as Harry Potter, too. Very interesting magic from young Harry to have clouded the minds of everyone else.
Later that night, in early Christmas Day, Harry couldn't sleep and had made his way downstairs in his pjs and dressing gown. There he found Sam in her dressing gown. He had been crying.
"Hi, Sam. I couldn't sleep. I'm going to make some hot chocolate. Do you want some?"
"That would be nice," Sam said.
Harry made two cups of hot chocolate and handed Sam one of them. Sam drank. Then she gasped and put the cup down.
"Hot, isn't it," Harry said.
"Yes, James it is. Thanks for making it," Sam said.
"You're sad. Why is that?"
"It's like this, James. Mark still blames dad for my mum's death. He wasn't there, when he said he would be. Mark won't speak with him. Dad phoned tonight and Mark wouldn't talk to him. I'm not happy that he's going to move away."
"You should be happy for Mark that he's found someone. Perhaps you're slightly jealous that he has found someone? You're going to be career military and not be in one place unless you're extremely lucky and you know that officers can't always be where they said they'd be. Mark, maybe, was too young to be able to come to terms with your mother's death. Perhaps he blames himself for what happened. That she had to do what she did because Mark was waiting for her at home. It wasn't his fault or yours. How's the Academy going?"
The Academy is fine," Sam said. Harry could see her tense up and could tell it wasn't.
"I didn't plan any of this, Sam. I'm an orphan from an unhappy background. Now, I'm here with a loving family and more than that, acceptance. You, in that Academy, don't have acceptance. You're bright and in the way to some cushy posting some male with connections thinks should be his. Your intellect is seen as a threat. I pushed this case against the bullies because I wasn't going to let them pigeon hole me as a victim.
You want to fly jets, go into combat and have a leadership role. Everything a woman is not supposed to want. Show you can be supportive. Help where you can. It worked for me. Perhaps, it will work for you, too."
Sam hugged Harry. She found what he said surprisingly grown up. Her eyes were drawn to the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. She dismissed the thought. The scar freaked her out, truth be told. The thought came back that he was being influenced by it. She chased the thought away.
The day after Christmas found Harry down by the river practicing his magic. Missy found him there.
"Harry, I know this Arcturus Black. He'd not the sort you want to trust. He and Charlus Potter were ruthless. Both built up companies: Potter from nothing and Black from what there was already. Potter created a company that had a turnover of $200m annually. Black doubled the turnover of Black Industries to $4000m annually. Our paths crossed several times. I nearly killed them, more than they nearly killed me. The Potter Inc executives doubled their turnover in the years since Potter died. You've given both companies an opportunity to add companies totalling $200 million turnover annually to themselves. Yes, I've kept up to date with both companies."
"You were defending the companies they took over?" Harry asked.
"Yes."
"How do they treat the employees in the companies taken over?"
"Pretty well. They understood loyalty and what binds people to an organization."
"Lord Black is an ally and an important one. I didn't understand the difficult choice you must have had to accept being educated by a company you don't much like."
"You've done more for me than anyone ever has. A log cabin near Niagara Falls that I never knew about belongs to me. Education and friendship, too.
Harry didn't really find out what Arcturus was really doing. He suspected the Lord was trying to buy out the companies owned by the five bullies' parents. He asked Fred to contact his lawyers to make sure his company wasn't losing out or acting in a manner contrary to Black Industries.
Harry's main present was a uniform set for minor league baseball that he'd start in the spring. He was now the height and weight he should have been – had he not suffered the Dursleys. He was quite looking forward to trying the sport out. He'd almost gotten used to waffles and maple syrup, so he thought he'd soon get the hang of baseball. He'd start playing catch with Fred in the back yard, after their guests had returned home.
The guests departed Monday 30th December 1988. Harry had done some gift buying for his friends back home, which Arcturus took back with him. Fred didn't give Arcturus any time alone with James. Fred didn't trust the man. The family was going to Macdonalds after late night shopping. Harry was going to try a super size meal. He rather ruefully thought that Dudley would demand a super super sized meal. Harry had already noted that Dudley wouldn't have stuck out like a sore thumb here, because there were kids of a similar size or larger.
Of course, Harry got separated from his family. He took a short cut down an alley that ended in a dead end. Harry was about to walk back down it and try to work out where he was in the city. He saw 10 figures in battle armour striding towards him. They were wearing Kevlar. Harry and Fred had discussed Harry wearing some to protect him against attacks. Harry had said he thought that an excellent idea. Fred was going to take him to visit some fairly local armourers after the New Year to get measured up.
The ten brought out 2 machine pistols apiece. Harry raised a shield. He hoped it would be strong enough. They all emptied a magazine at him. His shield buckled. It held, just. Harry thought he saw fangs. He emptied a match box onto the ground. He was using his father's wand. He transfigured the matches into wooden stakes, 3 yards in length. The 10 had reloaded magazines and emptied another 20 at him. His shield now looked more like a heavily buckled thing that had once resembled a shield. He banished his 80 stakes at the vampires with as much force as he could towards where he thought their hearts were. He hoped he'd get hits before they reloaded again. He was lucky. He did. 9 vampires vanished and the 10th looked like a pin cushion. The vampire was pinned to the ground, it seemed. Harry tidied up. His matchsticks went back into his matchbox. Once he'd turned them back into matchsticks. He forced all the bullets and shell casings into a pile and vanished them. He did the same to the 18 guns wielded by the vampires, he'd just dusted. The tenth vampire seemed resigned to his ending its life.
"What's your name?" Harry asked.
"Selene," the vampire replied.
"What are you?" Harry asked.
"A Death Dealer elite vampire."
"Why did you attack me?"
"You killed 20 vampires."
"They attacked me and my mother. We're locals, in case some other story got told."
"What are your plans for me?"
"Go home. Tell your bosses to stop attacking me or I'll find some werewolves and we'll pay your lair a visit."
"I can't tell them that," Selene argued.
"It's that or you can watch sunup in front of the main police station strapped into a chair. Your choice?"
"When you put it like that, I'll tell them." Selene knew it would do no good. The elder had marked the kid for death. The clan wouldn't stop until it had achieved its goal.
"Good. I knew you'd be reasonable. You waited until I was alone, before beginning your attack. You showed restraint."
"I'd like to leave, now."
"Not without an Oath on your part to never attack me again, on pain of you turning to dust."
Selene agreed and Harry administered the Oath. He hoped he'd done it properly. Selene seemed honourable for a vampire. If he hadn't got it right, hopefully, she'd still honour it. Selene left the alley. Harry gave her a few minutes to get out of sight and then left. He found his family waiting for him, outside MacDonald's. He smiled, apologized for taking a short cut that got him lost and they all laughed about it.
Selene wasn't laughing. She did track the boy for the rest of the night. She'd identified where he lived. She felt sorry for the boy. He only had death to look forward to. Unbeknownst to either Harry or Selene, the fight had been witnessed. The Watcher was watching and recording. The FBI was watching and recording. MACUSA had people there recoding. There were werewolves watching, too. None of the four groups of watchers knew about the other three.
The Watcher reported back to the group that James Hammond had used magic and not powers of Hell in his take down of the vampires.
The werewolves were overjoyed to have someone magical on their side. They knew full well that the boy would be attacked and brutally killed, without their protection.
The FBI watched the attack with jaws open. They could not believe what they were seeing. Proof of vampires and magic on the same tape. It created quite an impact. The local office head sent the tape to the head of the FBI, William S Sessions. It would create quite a stir. About a week later, instructions came back to destroy all copies of the tape and never to mention the incident again.
MACUSA were furious – with James Hammond. He was being blamed for the vampires about to break a treaty with MACUSA that had taken two decades to negotiate. The clear provocation the vampire elder was offering was being completely overlooked. Since the vampires would kill James Hammond, MACUSA decided it didn't need to do anything.
Selene returned to the clan, in the early morning. She said she and her team had failed and 9 had been dusted. The Elder was astounded and then outraged. Elder Cyman's outrage was twofold. Firstly that his elite death dealers had been unable to kill a defenceless human child and secondly, because Selene was untouchable. He did send her east to a clan there. Cyman made sure he'd got the boy's address off her, first.
Cyman's plan was simplicity itself. A well-dressed vampiress would knock on the door and explain she'd broken down in her car and could she use their phone. Once inside, she'd kill everyone. A thousand year old vampires proceeded to do just that at 8pm. Claudette had invited her in to use the phone. Harry had started going downstairs. He was carrying his mother's wand. He'd been practicing fiendfyre and not finding it easy to control.
The vampiress moved to attack Claudette. Harry fired off an incendio. The vampiress laughed. She didn't laugh off fiendfyre. Fiendfyre destroyed the vampires. Harry then had to battle with the spell to bring back under control to end it. Harry quickly got into his outside clothes. He ran out, wand at the ready. The werewolves were waiting for him. He was given a child sized helmet, gloves and biker leathers. Harry thought it great that he was going with a biker gang to end some vampires.
30 bikers and Harry arrived at the lair of the vampires. Harry thought the building a fortress, not a mansion. He used levicorpus on 30 bikers and himself to take everyone over the electric fence. Harry thought half a dozen fiendfyres would cover the length and width of the fortress. He said he needed the werewolves to deal with the vicious hunting dogs the vampires kept. They grinned. Sure enough dog and werewolf clashed. The dogs might be vicious killers: the werewolves were simply worse, primal killers. Harry cast the spells and collapsed on the ground. He was exhausted. The flames spread throughout the fortress. They took on the forms of slayers advancing to kill and dust all vampires present. The heat melted glass, steel, titanium and gold. Priceless works of art and bonds went up in flame. Gold melted and steel flowed. The nearly 200 vampires present perished.
Harry woke up the following morning with no recollection of how he'd got back. He got to keep his biker gear and was very pleased about that. All the magic he'd cast had come very close to draining him and leaving him a squib. Harry took it easy with magic. He was limiting himself, when he played with Peter and Paul. The magic they did was very basic. Harry had looked up his MACUSA lawbook to see if there was a treaty with the vampires in there. He memorised what the text said.
"That mansion that got destroyed, James," Paul had asked. "Do you think there were really vampires there?"
"Yes. There's a current treaty with the vampires that MACUSA keeps. It boils down to they don't bother us:we don't bother them."
"MACUSA must have dealt with Treaty breakers."
"At least, they didn't leave it for me to deal with," James laughed. So did Paul and Peter. The thought that an 8 year old could 'deal' with a couple of hundred vampires was quite preposterous, impossible, even.
Harry really enjoyed his baseball practice with his dad. Fred thought he would never get to play catch with his son. He was really made up about it. Claudette was happy, too. They were a proper family. Last time, he practiced, before school began, with a group of 14 children who would be trying out for the team. This practice ended about 9pm. They had a Big Mac and fries. Harry quite liked his Pepsi. He believed in throwing his empties away and went outside to do that. Who should he find standing there, but Selene.
"Hello, James. I'm leaving for the east coast. I have been back to my home for the last number of years. What's left of it. I've met a few wizards in my time. None as powerful as you or as young."
"You passed on the message, as you'd promised or you wouldn't be standing here, now," Harry said.
"I even left your furry friends alone."
"Thanks. Good luck with your trip east."
"When I get to my destination back east, all debts are paid, wouldn't you say?"
"Tempting, Selene. You'll be back to these parts soon enough. There will be vampires wanting to set up back here. That's not something I want. I want you to do your best to persuade them not to."
Selene looked at the boy. Was he serious? He looked serious. She didn't have that much sway. Who would believe the words of an 8 year old boy? Telling vampires who were hundreds of years or more old not to touch a city was not going to work. Somebody who could kill the number of vampires he had wasn't going to walk away to see some beautiful sunrise. He would never be allowed or left alone. He would die.
"There's a Treaty between Wizards and Vampires. Vampires are in breach of that Treaty. Selene, impress upon your bosses that continued attacks upon me will result in me activating the contingency written into the Treaty in response to the breach."
"They won't go to war for you." Selene was sure. Wizards had not had the upper hand in that war.
"I don't want a war, Selene. I'm not going to have wizards being attacked, me included, because you Vampires won't accept the Treaty they signed. You were there. You must have been. You fought. They signed and you, on the front line, didn't understand why. The blurb with the Treaty Terms didn't go into why, after two decades, the war ended. It just said an understanding was reached."
"Okay. I'll bite." Selene showed her fangs. "You're threatening to restart the last days of that war. I believe you won't be successful. Your Wizards haven't the stomach for that fight."
"You won't be involved, this time, Selene."
Selene looked at the boy, again. Just how did he think she wouldn't be involved? She was a death dealer. She'd be training the team this time. Their failure would be her failure. This James Hammond couldn't know that. "Why do you think I won't be involved, James?"
"You don't want to be involved," Harry replied.
"How do you know that?" Selene was genuinely interested.
"You didn't want to kill me. All your instincts were against it. You don't like killing children."
"You proved to be no innocent child," Selene said, angrily.
"I'd be dead, if I were. I will use any means necessary to defend myself."
"You cannot win, child!" Selene stated. She turned away and leapt into the air and onto the roof of a nearby building. Harry was sad to see her go. He had to invoke the Contingency. He just had to. He hoped Selene would come through for him.
Harry went back inside the MacDonalds to rejoin his family. They had begun to wonder where he'd gotten to. They all returned to their house. Harry had to explain about the situation with the vampires. Fred and Claudette were shocked. They knew about vampires. That shocked Harry. He asked for Missy to visit with them on New Year's Day. Fred made the call.
Missy was quite surprised to return. Happy, though. She wore a new dress. Cream, high neck and knee length. It had been Harry's gift to her for Christmas. She soon learnt why Harry wanted her company. Harry explained his run in with the death dealers and subsequent flattening of the local vampire lair. He also mentioned the Treaty signed in 1936 after two decades of war with the vampires. Harry wondered, if Missy had heard anything from her mother about why the Treaty got signed.
Missy frowned. She said her mother had mentioned a name with a lot of disgust. That name was Grindelwald. Both Fred and Claudette paled. Harry frowned. He didn't understand how Fred and Claudette knew the name. They weren't forthcoming. Missy and Harry spent the afternoon playing catch with Fred and Claudette. There was plenty of laughter.
Harry had a good day. Tomorrow, he'd ask Fred to contact MACUSA to invoke the Contingency on the Vampire Treaty. Fred had the day off. MACUSA worked. Harry sent an Owl with the formal triggering of the Contingency.
The Special Counsel to the President of MACUSA arrived at 4pm to 'discuss' the 'request'. Harry told the Special Counsel that he'd triggered the Contingency. A couple of hours later, the Congress of MACUSA summoned him to a meeting at 9:00am the following morning. Harry was going to have to go alone. He was a little concerned. He couldn't take a wand there, unless he wanted to have either his father or his mother's wand confiscated. He would then be exposed as Harry James Potter. He had no intention of letting that happen. MACUSA wouldn't be able to find the trunks or the wands in them. Harry felt powerless without them.
Everything about the Congress building of MACUSA was big and imposing. Harry found it intimidating. There were 300 members of Congress and 50 Senators of the MACUSA Senate. The President, presided. Harry felt suitably small. There was a seat in the middle of the Chamber: the Congress sat on the left, the Senate on the right and the President on a gilded throne on a raised dias in the north of the building. Harry was dressed in his best clothing. Claudette chose not to accompany him. Harry didn't blame her at all. It was his mess, not hers. A vampiress had nearly killed her, after all.
Harry explained that vampires had attacked him and his adoptive mother. He'd killed them. 10 death dealers had then attacked him. He'd killed 9 and sent one back to tell the elder to stop or face the consequences. The elder had sent a vampiress to kill him and his family. He'd then destroyed the lair and killed every vampire there and triggered the Contingency. He finished by asking how many they would allow to be picked off, before MACUSA took action. He'd made his case.
A lawyer for the vampires entered and presented the vampire's case. It was long and detailed. Harry took from it that he'd provoked the vampires.
"Sure," Harry muttered. "I provoked the vampires whilst walking through the city on the way to a treat organised by my parents. I, a magic user, have been attacked thrice and I have invoked the Contingency. Instead of sending an apology, the vampire High Council sent you, a No-maj vampire familiar to attack me, again. The Contingency is not subject to a vote by the Congress, Senate or Presidential approval. Your life is forfeit, lawyer. To stay our hand, the vampire High Council had to surrender one their members for execution."
Harry used levicorpus to spin the lawyer up into the vault of the room. He was told to release the man, immediately. He did. The lawyer's head impacted the floor and exploded. The President rose.
"You go too far, James Hammond."
"On the contrary, Madam President. I followed the terms set out to trigger the Contingency. That is now triggered. You can be cowards, if you like."
"You will hand over your wand."
"And be defenceless the next time the vampires attack me, no chance. MACUSA is now at war with the Vampire Nation." Harry walked out of the building.