Chapter Four
Raven smiled as she gazed at the security screen in front of her; Harry was currently giggling at something from the book Raven had given him to read while she and the others ran a few tests on him to see what exactly had happened the previous day.
As she finally tore her eyes from the security camera, Raven looked around at her team; Beastboy and Starfire were sitting on a nearby couch together playing some handheld videogame against each other, while Robin was standing next to Cyborg, who sat in front of a computer screen and looked at a readout about Harry that was slowly crawling up the screen.
Turning back to Cyborg, who was currently staring intently at the screen in front of him, Raven cleared her throat expectantly.
"Find anything?" Raven asked, making Cyborg chuckle at the question,
"Not since you asked me five minutes ago."
"You said that Harry was your adopted brother, correct?" Robin asked as he turned to look at her,
"Yes, his parents, Lily and James Potter, adopted me before Harry was born," Raven responded evenly, making Robin narrow his eyes in thought, "Why do you ask?"
"Because something doesn't make sense," Robin responded as he turned back to the screen, "Those tentacles that he attacked us with were similar to yours, and I can't see how he would be able to do such a thing unless you two were ACTUAL siblings."
Before Raven could respond, the computer suddenly beeped and a new message popped onto the screen that made Cyborg and Robin look at one another before turning back to Raven,
"What is it? Raven asked, suddenly worried at the looks the two were giving him,
"Raven, according to this, Harry is your brother," Cyborg said slowly.
"No shit Sherlock," Raven said as she rolled her eyes at the revelation,
"No, Cyborg means Harry's your ACTUAL brother," Robin said, emphasizing the word, "According to the scans, Harry's DNA is similar to yours, not enough to be mother and child but enough for a sibling match.
"For a few moments, Raven was rendered speechless as she took in the words,
"That's…..impossible," Raven whispered, "Harry and I share no blood relation, no matter how much I might wish otherwise."
"The computer doesn't lie," Robin said as he handed the printout to Raven, who took it and read it intensely while the others watched wide-eyed,
"It would explain how he was able to make those scary black tentacles," Beastboy said as he tore his eyes away from the videogame.
As Raven read and read the printout for the third time, a memory suddenly came unbidden to her, and she paled slightly,
"When I was a child," Raven said in a soft voice, "I was helping mom make dinner and accidentally cut my finger, very badly. Harry was such a sweet kid, even back then; he took my hand and kissed my wound before mom managed to heal it."
"Perhaps…." Starfire said softly, "Perhaps Harry managed to absorb some of your blood when he kissed the wound, thereby absorbing some of your abilities,"
"That's impossible, though!" Raven cried, "My powers don't work like that!"
"How do you know?" Robin asked, "You've said on multiple occasions that you have not explored the full capabilities of your abilities. Perhaps Starfire is right, and Harry did manage to absorb some of your abilities when he absorbed your blood."
Raven paled as her mind began to race with the implications of what the others were saying; if Harry had indeed absorbed her abilities, what else could the boy do? Raven's abilities were dangerous, especially if left in the hands of an emotionally damaged child.
"I'll need to run a few tests," Raven said at last, "If my little brother does indeed share the same powers as me, then he'll need to be trained immediately on how to properly control them to ensure that he knows how to use his gift instead of being afraid of it, as I was for so long."
The others nodded in agreement as Robin approached and gently placed a hand on Raven's shoulder,
"He'll be fine, he'll have a good teacher, after all, and we'll all be there as well to help,"
Yeah, Rae," Beastboy added with a smile, "I like the little dude, you know, when he's not shooting creepy tentacles at me."
Raven smiled at her friends for a moment before turning serious as she took in Cyborg's change in demeanor as he stared at another readout that had begun scrolling across the screen.
"What else have you found, Cyborg?" Raven asked as Robin turned back to the screen to see what had caught her attention.
Um…. Raven…." Cyborg said in a steady voice, turning his chair around to face her, "Perhaps it's better if you don't hear this next part…."
"If it concerns Harry, I have a right to know," Raven replied in a tense voice as Cyborg looked at Robin to back him up,
"She's right, Cyborg," Robin said, "Harry is her brother. So she has a right to know what you've found concerning him, the good and the bad."
Cyborg took a deep breath as he turned back to the screen,
"The scans have picked up significant damage to Harry's body, some of the damage going back years; I'm seeing multiple broken bones and fractures across his body, as well as severe malnutrition."
Raven felt horror and rage sweep through her in equal measure at the words; Starfire looked as though she was trying not to cry, while Beastboy and Robin both had hard looks on their faces,
"How did he survive all that?" Beastboy asked in an angry voice,
"That's the strangest part of all, five percent of the kid's body is covered in scar tissue from various methods of what I can only describe as torture, and yet it seems as though Harry's wounds and injuries have been healing themselves over the years, that's how he's managed to survive this long."
"He's been healing himself?" Raven asked in a surprised voice, "How?"
"I can only assume that it has to do with the kid's magic," Cyborg replied, "You said that his mom and dad were magical, it makes sense that he would be as well, and if he gained some of your abilities as well, then perhaps his innate magical abilities, combined with yours, have healed him with him knowing that it was happening, it would explain how he's still alive, considering that the number of injuries that Harry has sustained should have killed him a long time ago."
Raven felt a cold rage sweep through her at the thought of her sweet little brother being tortured for years at the hands of those who should have protected him. They deserved to be punished for it. They deserved to suffer!
The room began to shake, and tremendous pressure began to push down on the group as Raven imagined all the things she would like to do to the Dursleys for daring to hurt her brother when suddenly, a firm hand grabbed Raven's wrist, breaking her concentration and bringing her focus back to the room; to her surprise, everyone suddenly looked afraid and were standing around Raven warily.
"Raven?" Robing asked as he released her wrist cautiously, "I know you're upset, and you have a right to be, but you cannot allow your anger to lead you to do something that you can't take back."
"They hurt him," Raven growled back, "For years, they hurt my brother, and I'm supposed to just let that stand?!"
"Of course not!" Robin retorted, "We will make sure that his abusers are punished, but we are heroes, so we will ensure that they are punished according to the law,"
"You're a hero in Harry's eyes, Rae," Beastboy said softly as he took a step closer, "And the little dude has never had a hero to look out for him before, so think of how he'd feel if you did something that took that away from him."
With visible effort, Raven took a deep breath and released the pressure from the room, to the relief of the others, before nodding in gratitude to Robin, who returned the nod quickly,
"Harry deserves justice…." Raven said in a broken voice,
"And he will have it," Robin replied quickly, "But what he needs now more than ever is his sister, he has a long recovery ahead of him, and he'll need to know that you'll be there for him."
"And we will be there as well," Starfire added cheerfully, "Harry is the cutest, and I look forward to playing with him!"
We'll all be there for him, Rae," Beastboy said simply as the others nodded their agreement,
"Thank you," Raven said softly, "Thank you all so much,"
Robin placed a warm hand on Raven's shoulder as the pale girl tried to control her raging emotions,
"Why don't you go spend some time with Harry," Robin said, "I'm sure you two have a lot to catch up on."
Raven nodded in agreement before making her way out of the room and down the hallway; a moment later, she stood in front of the infirmary and hesitated as fear suddenly wormed through her at the thought that she might not measure up to being Harry's hero, as Beastboy had called her, pushing the worry angrily away, Raven entered the room.
"Raven!" Harry called happily as he looked up from his book, his face breaking into a huge grin as his sister strode into the room and pulled up a chair next to Harry's bed,
"Hey, how's the book, Harry?" Raven asked warmly,
"It's great!" Harry said happily, "Mr. Bilbo just had his house invaded by dwarves, and they ate all his food!"
Raven smiled at the boy's enthusiasm,
"Would you like me to read to you?"
"Please!" Harry said excitedly as he handed the book to her; with a smile, Raven began to read where Harry had left off, a warm sensation growing in her chest as the boy scooted closer to her.
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A few days later, once Harry had finally beaten his cold and Raven was satisfied that Harry's weight had been raised to an appropriate level, Harry was finally allowed to leave the infirmary, and Raven took him to a room that was across the hall from hers.
The room was twice as big as Dudley's, with a bed that seemed massive to Harry's petite frame. It had a huge closet, as well as a secondary room that led to a bathroom that held a huge tub; as Raven pressed a button on the wall next to the bed, the wall suddenly shifted into an enormous window, from which Harry could see the sea shining below and a vast city not far away.
"Do you like it?" Raven asked in a soft voice as though afraid of Harry's answer,
"I love it. It's so big!" Harry responded enthusiastically, making Raven smile happily,
"Good, because it's yours now."
Harry's mouth dropped open comically at the words before he slowly spun around and took in the room,
"All mine?" Harry asked softly,
Raven nodded happily as she stared at the boy, who seemed stunned at something as simple as his own room.
"You can decorate it however you like, within reason, of course," Raven said warmly, "And no one can come in unless you let them, besides me, of course. I have to keep an eye on you, after all-"
Raven suddenly stopped talking as Harry tackled her in a great hug and began to sob into her robe softly,
"Thank you, Raven," Harry cried as she gently stroked his hair, "I've never been given my own room before, thank you so much!"
Raven smiled sadly at her little brother's words. In Raven's opinion, denying something as simple as a room was beyond depressing, and she tightened her hold around Harry as he repeatedly thanked her for giving him the room.
"Now, why don't you get cleaned up, and then we can go clothes shopping for you,"
"I get clothes too?" Harry asked excitedly as he pulled away and wiped his face,
"Of course," Raven replied, "We can't have you walking around in a hospital gown, and those rags that the Dursleys had you in are definitely not something that should be worn by anyone, let alone my little brother."
Harry's eyes widened in happiness at the prospect of not only being given his own room but also a new set of clothes, and a huge smile began to spread over his face as Raven gave him another hug before turning to leave.
"I'll be back in fifteen minutes, and we can go, okay?"
Harry nodded happily and ran straight into the bathroom before slamming the door behind him; Raven smiled at the closed door for a moment before turning and leaving.
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A half-hour later, Harry was smiling happily as he sat squished in the back of Cyborg's car between Raven, Starfire, and Beastboy; Harry had stared in awe when he first saw the vehicle, and Cyborg had proudly told the kid everything about the car until Raven had told them that they needed to leave.
Because Harry had no other clothes, Raven had been forced to have Harry wear his cousin's hand-me-downs, with the promise that they would be summarily destroyed once Harry's new wardrobe was taken care of. Still, Harry didn't care as he was too happy that he had a new room all his own.
As they drove through the city, Harry thought his neck would break as he whipped his head back and forth to make sure he didn't miss anything, much to the amusement of the others,
"You might as well give up, dude," Beastboy grinned, "This city is too big to see everything."
"Doesn't mean that I can't try," Harry retorted happily, "All I've ever seen is Privet Drive and school. This is all new to me!"
A depression settled on the car as the group remembered how hard a life Harry had had before Raven had saved him, and Starfire pulled the boy into a hug,
"Worry not, Harry," Starfire replied, "We will make sure that you get to see everything!"
Harry's smile grew even more prominent at the words, and the mood seemed to lighten as Cyborg pulled in front of a clothes store.
"Now let's see what we can find for you," Cyborg said quickly, "The sooner those clothes are replaced, the better,"
"Agreed," Robin added as the group walked into the store. Harry smiled warmly as he walked between Raven and Starfire, holding both hands tightly.
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A few hours later, Harry was sure that he was having the best day of his life; the Titans had bought Harry an impressive wardrobe that included everything he would need in the future, including shirts, pants, socks, pajamas, and a myriad of other things as every time Harry walked out of the dressing room with something that the others seemed to think looked good on him, they immediately added it to the cart of new clothes, despite his protests.
After loading up a veritable avalanche of clothes into the trunk, the Titans had then gone to a nearby toy store and bought Harry enough toys to make even Dudley jealous; Harry had tried to say that he didn't need them, but Robin had assured Harry that price was no object as he had 'ways of paying for it' and the Titans had gone deaf to his objections, it seemed until Harry just gave in and let them buy whatever they wanted.
Now Harry was sitting with the rest of the Titans, enjoying a huge pizza, with a smile that seemed glued to his face as he enjoyed what had to be the best thing he had ever eaten,
"Raven…." Harry suddenly said in a shy voice as he stared at his plate,
"Yes, Harry?" Raven responded in a worried voice,
"Um…thank you for today. No one's ever done so many nice things for me before."
Raven smiled sadly at Harry for a moment before she reached over and rubbed his head affectionally,
"We're family, Harry, and family is supposed to look after one another,"
"But…." Harry replied sadly, "But if that's true, then why did Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon not like me…. did I do something wrong?"
Raven's face took on a stern look as she placed her hand atop Harry's,
"You did nothing wrong, Harry! You are a sweet, wonderful little boy, and it was not your fault that you were placed with such horrible people!"
"Yes, Harry," Starfire said tightly, "You did not deserve to be called names or treated with such cruelty. Family does not do that!"
The others nodded in agreement, and Harry felt tears slide down his cheeks before he was suddenly taken in a great hug by Raven,
"I promise you, Harry," Raven whispered as she gently stroked the boy's head, "You will never see those people again, and they will be punished for what they did to you."
Harry pulled away from Raven and stared at her wide-eyed for a moment before grabbing her for another hug while the others watched with smiles on their faces,
"Now, hurry up and finish your pizza," Cyborg said with a grin, "We still have a lot of work to do today."
"We do?" Harry asked in surprise, making Cyborg nod,
"Yeah, dude," Beastboy replied happily, "We still have to decorate your room!"
Harry smiled happily at the prospect and began to wolf down the slice before reaching for another.
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"Who do you think he is?" Jinx asked as she looked down at the Titans,
"Maybe it's some brat they've taken in," Mammoth replied,
"Who cares who he is," Gizmo said in annoyance, "All that matters is that the Titan jerks have a weakness that we can exploit!"
The three stared down from the roof they were standing on at their hated enemies; each had a score to settle with the Titans, and each looked forward to finally putting the Titans in the ground, once and for all.
"So, what are we waiting for?" Mammoth asked, "Let's go grab the brat!"
"Use your head for once, Mammoth," Gizmo sneered, "There's no way we can grab him right now. So we'll have to wait for our chance to strike!"
"And once the kid is in our possession, the Titans will come running to save him," Jinx added, her eyes narrowing dangerously, "And then we'll finally put an end to those super jerks!"
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