The Luck of Lightning
Chapter 3
In the speed lab located in Star labs on Earth 1 of the DC Arrow verse.
Barry Allen, known as The Flash, felt a sudden jolt of energy in the speed force, something was happening elsewhere. He looked around the lab, expecting to see something amiss, but everything remained still. Meanwhile, in the room of requirement at Hogwarts, Harry Potter had just broken through the fabric of reality with his newfound speed. He emerged in the Star Labs particle accelerator, his body a living streak of lightning. The room around him was a whirlwind of metal and wires, and the smell of ozone filled his nostrils. Harry skidded to a halt, his heart racing even faster than before.
Cisco Ramon looked up from his work, his eyes widening at the sight of the unfamiliar figure in the accelerator "Guys, I think we have a new speedster," he called out, his voice echoing through the lab. Iris and Joe West along with Caitlin Snow and Cisco and Harry Wells from Earth 2, their expressions a mix of shock and curiosity.
Barry, dressed in his crimson suit with the lightning bolt emblem, his eyes meeting Harry's. For a moment, the two young men just stared at each other, each one trying to comprehend what they were seeing. Harry's heart hammered in his chest, his mind racing with questions.
"Who are you?" Harry managed to ask, his voice shaking. "And where am I"
Barry took a cautious step forward, his eyes scanning Harry's form. "I'm Barry Allen, the Flash. And you are?"
"I'm Harry Potter," Harry said, his voice still trembling. "I thought The Flash was Wally West at least that's what my friend Ron said"
Barry couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Harry Potter?" he repeated, a smile slowly spreading across his face. "As in... the Harry Potter?"
"The one and only," Harry said, still trying to catch his breath. "But how do you know my name?"
"Your kind of a big deal around here," Cisco said with a grin. "The Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One. You've got quite the fan club across the world. Your supposed to be a character in a book, and what do you mean Wally West is the flash, He's Kid Flash"
The group approached him, their eyes full of wonder. Harry looked around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings, his mind racing with questions. "But how did I get here? The last thing I saw after testing how fast I could run, after only just waking up was a flash of light " he asked, bewildered.
"Looks like you've tapped into the Speed Force," Barry said, his voice filled with excitement. "It's what gives me my powers. But how did you end up here from... Hogwarts?"
"I'm not entirely sure," Harry replied, still trying to catch his breath. "One moment I was running in a room, and the next, I was here. It was like I... I don't know, I just went through something."
" He must have somehow opened a breach from his Multiverse" said Cisco as he rushed to the computer to run a scan.
"What's the Speed Force?" Harry asked, trying to keep up with the barrage of new information.
Barry chuckled. "It's a bit complicated, but in essence, it's a dimension of pure energy that allows those who connect to it to move at incredible speeds. It's what lets me be the Flash."
Cisco's fingers danced over the keyboard as he called up readings on the screens around the room. "Looks like a small breach in the fabric of reality," he said, his eyes scanning the data. "It's definitely linked to your speed, Harry. It's not something we've seen before, but it's definitely connected to the Speed Force."
"A breach?" Harry echoed, his mind racing with worry, " how will I get Back home to Hermione and Ron back at Hogwarts"
Barry nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Don't worry, Harry. We've dealt with breaches before. We'll figure out how to get you back."
Cisco looked up from his computer, his eyes alight with curiosity. "But first, we've got to train you. You can't just go out there without knowing how to control your powers. It's too dangerous."
"Train me?" Harry asked, looking down at his hands, which still buzzed with the residual energy of his speed.
"Yes," Barry said firmly. "You're a natural, to quote Uncle Ben, with great power comes great responsibility. And if you don't learn to control it, you could cause serious damage, not just to yourself, but to everyone around you."
The group of them led Harry to the training room, where a series of obstacles had been set up to help him hone his new abilities. The room was spacious, with walls lined with monitors and tech that Harry had never seen before. He felt himself fill with excitement and a hint of fear as he took in the unfamiliar surroundings.
Barry began explaining the basics of controlling his speed, demonstrating by running a simple drill. "You've got to focus, Harry," he said, his voice echoing slightly as he zipped back and forth. "It's all about intent. Where you want to go, what you want to do. The Speed Force will respond to your thoughts."
Harry nodded, his eyes following Barry's blurred form as he sped through the obstacle course. He took a deep breath and tried to mimic the Flash's movements, but his first few attempts resulted in a series of stumbles and collisions. He felt clumsy and out of place, a stark contrast to the grace with which Barry moved.
"It's okay, Harry," Iris West, Barry's longtime friend and confidant, said reassuringly. "It takes time. Remember, even Barry had to learn."
Her words comforted him, and he took a moment to compose himself. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on the feeling of the Speed Force within him. When he opened them again, everything around him slowed down. He could see the dust motes in the air, hear the gentle hum of the machines, and feel the energy of the room pulsing around him.
"Alright," Harry said, determination etched on his face. "Let's do this."
Barry grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "Just remember, focus on where you want to go, and the Speed Force will do the rest."
With renewed resolve, Harry took off, his body a blur of motion as he sped through the obstacle course. The air around him crackled with electricity, and the room echoed with the sound of his movements. Each step felt more natural than the last, and soon he was weaving through the obstacles with the grace of a seasoned speedster.
"You're a natural," Cisco said, his voice filled with amazement as he watched Harry's progress. "It's like you've been doing this your whole life."
Harry grinned at them but then his face suddenly went red as his stomach began to growl loudly. The room fell silent for a moment before Caitlin and the rest began to laugh to Harry's embarrassment. Barry suddenly sped off.
"Well, it seems you're about to find out one thing you need to remember, you are not only a speedster buy also a growing boy," she said, patting his shoulder. "Let's grab some food before we go any further."
They all headed to the cafeteria, Where Barry appeared in a flash holding 5 large pizzas.
"I thought you might be hungry," Barry said with a wink as he handed Harry 2 boxes.
They sat down at a long table, surrounded by the buzz of the cafeteria. Harry looked around, taking in the sights of this new world. It was so different from the magical one he knew, filled to the brim with technology. Yet, here he was, sharing a meal with heroes he had only ever heard of in stories.
"You need to remember to eat at least 10000 calories a day as your metabolism has also been enhanced", stared H Wells, his accent giving him an air of authority.
"10000 calories!" Harry exclaimed, looking at the pizzas in his hand. "But I thought speedsters are supposed to be slim?"
Barry chuckled. "It's a bit of a balancing act," he admitted. "But trust me, you'll burn through it faster than you can say 'Accio pizza'. Plus, it's all about the right food. We've got Caitlin who helps us out."
As they ate, Harry felt a sense of camaraderie with these strangers who were somehow also his kind. They were all outsiders in their own way, bound by a force that set them apart from the world. The conversation was a mix of awe and practical advice, with the group sharing stories of their own experiences with the Speed Force. Harry listened intently, his mind racing with the possibilities of what he could do with his new powers when suddenly Gideons voice echoed out of the speakers, "Alert incoming time flux"
Barry's expression shifted to one of concern as he stood up and rushed towards Eobard's time vault with the others following closely. Harry felt a sense of urgency as he followed.
"What's a time flux?" Harry asked, trying to keep up with Barry's fast pace as they dashed down the corridor.
"It's basically a disturbance in the timeline," Barry explained as they approached the time vault. "We have a newspaper article from 2024, we have seen it change a few times when something has changed the future."
They entered the room, and Harry's eyes widened at the sight of the gleaming metal chamber and saw the hologram display of the article began to flicker and change. The date changed from 2024 to December 10th 2019, and the headline shifted from 'Flash Vanishes Missing in Crisis' to 'Flash's apprentice Disappears: The battle to save the multiverse: World Mourns Loss of Hero'. Harry felt a cold shiver run down his spine as the implications hit him.
"What does this mean?" Harry asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
At Harry's voice, Gideon spoke to Harry " Hello Harry Potter also known as Nitro, it's a pleasure to meet you, I have been expecting you"
Everyone in the room looked at Harry with confusion.
"How does it know me?" Harry asked, his eyes wide with shock.
"Gideon is an artificial intelligence," Barry explained, his eyes never leaving the flickering article. "It monitors the timeline for any anomalies. It seems your arrival has caused quite the ripple."
"But how could my being here affect the future?" Harry asked, his voice filled with concern.
Barry's eyes remained on the article. "The Speed Force is powerful, Harry. And your presence here, in this reality, could have unforeseen consequences. We need to be careful."
"But what does it mean, 'the battle to save the multiverse'?" Harry pressed, his stomach sinking.
"It's a bit of a long story," Barry began, "but basically, we've got a history of messing with time here. And when you mess with time, you mess with everything. It's like a butterfly effect, but with a lot more at stake."
The group looked at Harry, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern. Harry could feel the weight of their gazes, the pressure of his new role as a speedster in a world he barely understood. "I don't want to cause any trouble, I've gone back in time myself once when I was 13 with Hermione, she said terrible things happen to those who mess with time" he said, his voice low.
Cisco looked over at Harry with a knowing smile. "Don't worry, Harry. We've got your back. We'll figure this out without causing any more ripples."
Cisco remembers the changed of the date to 10 December 2019 "uh guys the date has changed again we have 3 weeks until we catch up to the article".
The room went silent for a moment before Iris spoke up "Ok, so we have 3 weeks to make sure Harry is trained and ready."
Barry nodded in agreement. "Let's get to work then. Harry, you need to learn everything we know about the Speed Force and how to control it. We'll start with the basics, but we'll need to tailor it to your specific abilities."
The training began in earnest, with Barry pushing Harry to his limits. They started with simple drills, increasing his speed incrementally until Harry could move so fast that the world around him was just a blur of colours. They practiced stopping on a dime, running up walls, and even phasing through solid objects. Harry found the latter particularly challenging, his body resisting the very concept of passing through something solid.
"You're doing great, Harry," Caitlin encouraged, watching from the side lines with her clipboard in hand. "Just remember to visualize yourself passing through. It's all about your perception of the world around you."
Harry took a deep breath and focused, willing his body to do the impossible. With a surge of speed, he dashed towards the concrete wall in front of him. He felt the resistance give way, his body phasing through the solid barrier with a faint crackle of electricity. On the other side, he stumbled and almost fell, but managed to catch himself at the last second.
"Remember Harry, you can't go back to your world without knowing how to control your speed," Barry said seriously. "We've got to make sure you're ready for anything."
The days at Star Labs passed in a blur, with Harry's speed increasing exponentially. He quickly became adept at navigating the city, using his powers to help with small acts of heroism, like catching falling objects before they could cause harm or stopping purse snatchers in their tracks. The thrill of saving people, of being faster than anyone he had ever known, was intoxicating. Yet, the looming threat of the impending crisis remained a shadow over their heads.
One day Harry was helping the police stop an armed shoot out when he heard Joe West call out in warning "Nitro look out." One of the armed assailant's fired a rocket launcher at a building fill of people. Harry's magic reacted, suddenly it meshed with his speed creating a jaw dropping effect. "No" he shouted as a protective forcefield of lightning ejected from his extended hand and enveloped the building before the rocket could make contact. The rocket was deflected into the sky where it harmlessly exploded.
The team watched the news report of the incident in the STAR Labs control room, their jaws dropping in astonishment. "What was that?" Cisco exclaimed. "It's like your magic and speed are merging!"
"It seems so," Harry said, his eyes wide with disbelief as he watched the replay of the event on the news screens. The reporters were calling him 'Nitro', a name that seemed to stick in this new world and marvelled at the unexplained 'lightning forcefield'. "I didn't even know I could do that," he murmured, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and trepidation. As the day the team were dredging slowly approached, Harry continued his training.
Barry and Harry worked tirelessly, pushing Harry's abilities to the brink. They practiced creating force fields, channelling lightning, and even found a few new abilities Harry's magic and speed had created including the ability to teleport short distances. The blend of magic and speed was unlike anything they had ever seen before. The team at Star Labs were in awe of Harry's progress, but the tension grew as the date of the newspaper article grew closer. His mind was a whirlwind of spells and science, his body adapting to the new demands placed upon it. The group grew closer, sharing stories of their battles and their lives. Despite the gravity of the situation, Harry found himself enjoying the camaraderie and the thrill of being part of something so much larger than himself.
Unfortunately, all good things come to an end as the sky suddenly turned red and Lyla appeared in the STAR Labs cortex, her expression one of urgency. "Barry, The Crisis has Begun."