The Headmaster's office was as quiet as a graveyard as Dumbledore sat behind his desk, his hands folded before him as his thoughts raced with the past few weeks' events. A meeting of the Wizengamot had just concluded a few hours earlier, during which the members had been made aware of the events of what was widely becoming known as 'The Battle of Jump City.' The urgency of the situation was palpable, hanging in the air like a thick fog.

Naturally, many of the members scoffed when Dumbledore's agents stood in the center of the hall and explained in explicit detail all that the three men had seen while trying to survive the battle. Only when their memories were taken and shown before the hall were the Wizengamot members forced to acknowledge that the three wizards' story was genuine.

The silence afterward had been deafening as the Wizengamot had been forced to come to a terrifying realization; the world of Muggles had surpassed the Wizarding World in ways they could scarcely imagine. Shouting matches quickly began after this realization as everyone tried to think of what should be done. Some argued that the Wizarding World was in more danger than it had ever been, and steps should be taken to hide further, lest they be discovered and destroyed by these so-called 'Meta-humans.'

Others, however, saw a different perspective. They argued that with the amazing things that Muggles were now capable of, perhaps it was time to come out of hiding. If women who could grow and shrink at will were accepted, then why would they fear simple magic users? The diversity of opinions was staggering, adding a layer of complexity to the situation, making it even more challenging for Dumbledore to find a solution.

The arguing continued for hours until, at last, Dumbledore decided that enough was enough and concluded that day's meeting, sending the members home to think over what to do in this terrifying new world that the Muggles had created.

As Dumbledore let out a weary sigh, his mind raced with plans upon plans as he desperately tried to think of what to do. The world of the Muggles had far surpassed anything that Dumbledore would have thought possible a mere two decades ago, and with that realization came another terrifying realization: The days of the Wizarding World were numbered.

Even by Dumbledore's best estimates, he could only see his world remaining a secret for another decade at least, and what would happen then? Dumbledore had been a young man when he had fought his former lover, Grindelwald, amidst what the Muggles called World War Two, but he learned a critical lesson during those days.

Muggles were a violent species that would find any reason to kill one another. Right now, they were scattered, divided by a multitude of idiotic reasons such as race, class, and creed. But if they suddenly had an enemy to rally against? If the whole Muggle world decided as one that the Wizarding World was their enemy? Dumbledore shuddered with barely suppressed fear at the thought. The Wizarding World would lose, and all his people would be rounded up and put into those same camps that Dumbledore had witnessed so many years before.

A slight cough made Dumbledore's eyes shoot open in alarm, and his wand instantly shot into his hand, only to lower slightly when Dumbledore felt the cold steel of a blade pressed against his throat.

As his eyes took in the scene before him, Dumbledore couldn't help but feel his fear rising: Ra's Al Ghul stood across from his desk, smirking slightly as he gazed at the aged Headmaster, while half a dozen of his black-clad ninja took positions around the office, with one standing behind Dumbledore and holding a wakizashi to the Headmaster's throat in case Dumbledore tried anything.

With almost tenderness, Ra's leaned over and took the wand from Dumbledore's hand, gazing down at it fondly for a moment as Dumbledore stared at the man. Time had been especially good to Ra's, it seemed. The man hardly appeared to have aged a day and was wearing what appeared to be an expensive black suit under a jade-green cloak.

Finally looking up from the wand, Ra's spoke softly as he addressed Dumbledore.

"It's been a long time, Albus..."

"It has," Dumbledore acknowledged with a nod, "The years have been far kinder to you than to me, it would seem."

Ra's chuckled at that,

"Indeed. Tell me, did you plan to go for the whole 'Gandalf the Grey' look, or did it just come naturally?

"I'm afraid I don't know who that is," Dumbledore replied softly, making Ra's smirk.

"Pity, it is a beautiful story. It would help if you kept up with Muggle literature; some of it is quite enjoyable."

Dumbledore said nothing as Ra's turned his attention to the wand in his grip.

"How did you get in here?" Dumbledore demanded, "The wards should have informed me of your intrusion!"

Ra's chuckled at that,

"Do you truly believe that I wouldn't have a trick or two up my sleeve after six hundred years of life? I feel underestimated, Albus. Though looking at this wand, perhaps I shouldn't? Still the sentimentalist, I see. Tell me, did you keep Gellert's wand out of respect for your lover or out of guilt for how long you allowed his genocidal war to carry on?"

Dumbledore grimaced at that, refusing to admit that he had actually taken Gellert's wand because Dumbledore suspected it of being the most powerful wand in existence.

"Why are you here, Ra's?" Dumbledore asked, trying to change the subject without appearing to do so, something that Ra's saw through immediately as he smirked and looked around the Headmaster's office with a careful eye.

"The last time I was in this room was when your friend Armando Dippet was Headmaster," Ra's replied softly, "It was right after my daughter was murdered by that uncouth young man, Riddle."

"Interesting how you acknowledge her now," Dumbledore growled back, remembering the rage Ra's displayed when his daughter was killed during the attacks fifty years ago; Headmaster Dippet had never been the same after that encounter, constantly jumping at shadows, as though afraid that Ra's would return, "Yet you refused to do so while she still lived."

Ra's turned at that and sternly glared at Dumbledore, making the old man swallow fearfully for a moment.

"I wanted at least one of my children to have a normal life away from the League of Shadows," Ra's growled, "That's why I gave Myrtle away. If I had known how inept your predecessor would be at running this school, I would have never left her in your hands. And it was only due to her mother's pleas not to defile Myrtle's corpse that I agreed not to bring her back."

"She's still here, you know?" Dumbledore replied softly, causing Ra's eyes to widen in shock, "Her ghost still haunts the bathroom where she died."

"You never had her spirit exorcised?!" Ra's snarled, causing the ninja around the office to reach to their swords as one as they awaited their master's order to kill Dumbledore.

"Exorcists are expensive," Dumbledore replied softly, his eyes showing how much he hated that he'd been unable to give Myrtle's spirit rest, "And the Board of Governors refused to release the necessary funds on someone already dead. I'm sorry, Ra's. Truly."

Perhaps Ra's sensed the truth in Dumbledore's words, for Ra's quickly nodded and raised his hand for his followers to release their grip on their weapons.

"I will see to her before I leave, then."

"You never answered my question," Dumbledore stated, wincing as the ninja behind him dug the blade a little deeper into Dumbledore's throat, causing a small bead of blood to run down his neck, "Why are you here?"

"It would seem as though you and I share an interest in a certain wizard who used to attend here," Ra's replied with a smirk, causing Dumbledore to pale significantly. "That is, before you bungled the situation so completely that he refused to return."

"What do you want with Harry Potter!" Dumbledore snapped, attempting to lunge forward, only for the ninja behind him to violently jerk him back.

"The past few weeks, I've taken the liberty to familiarize myself with the goings on of the Wizarding World, including everything that I've missed in the last seventy years since our previous meeting," Ra's replied, "I must say, I'm very disappointed in what I've discovered."

Ra's eyes turned cold at that, and as he sat in the chair before Dumbledore, the Headmaster felt as though the temperature in the room had dropped several degrees. If Ra's decided to kill Dumbledore, no one would discover the deed for several weeks due to almost the entire staff being gone for the summer.

"With all the impressive titles you've gained since defeating Gellert, you could very easily have made The Wizarding World a far better place than it currently is." Ra's sneered, "One would think that you've deliberately stalled any progress that might have led to the betterment of this world on purpose."

Dumbledore said nothing, simply glared at Ra's as his mind raced with ideas on how to get out of this meeting alive.

"Which begs the question of why? Why are things no better, if not worse, than when I last took notice of your world?"

"You've lived for six hundred years, Ra's," Dumbledore replied. "I'm sure you remember the last time that Muggles discovered us. Would you really have us return to those days? When innocents were all burned alive due to the Muggles' ignorance and bigotry? I have done what I must to ensure that our kind stays hidden. I may not have liked every choice, but everything I have done has been for the greater good."

Ra's began to chuckle at that, causing Dumbledore to pale angrily, though powerless to do anything due to the ninja behind him.

"The 'greater good?' How Gellert would applaud you now, seeing you become an almost mirror image of himself."

"That's rich, especially coming from a man who supported the systematic slaughter of six million people!"

Ra's eyes turned hard at that, and for a moment, Dumbledore was sure that the man would give the order to have Dumbledore's throat slit open, only for Ra's to finally speak again in an icy tone.

"Hitler was a megalomaniac with delusions about his own destiny, but he was right that this world needs a firm hand if it is to achieve the greatness that is its birthright. I can assure you that I took no more enjoyment in those poor people's suffering than you did when you sat on your hands and allowed Gellert to nearly wipe out Magical Europe. We both have oceans of blood on our hands, Albus. The only difference between us is that I don't try to pretend otherwise. And as to your second argument, do you really think I would allow the Muggles to burn children? Need I remind you that it was I who saved so many of your kind last time!"

Try as he may, Dumbledore could not refute Ra's words; Dumbledore had allowed Gellert to bring Magical Europe to its knees and almost conquer it entirely, all because Dumbledore didn't want to have to kill the man he loved.

"What do you want with Harry Potter?" Dumbledore asked again, his voice coming out as a savage growl, "If you intend to hurt that child, you will find that I do not need a wand to stop you!"

Ra's smirked and gently laid the wand on the desk between them before leaning back into the chair and folding his hands before him as he placed his left leg over his right.

"You need not worry, Albus. I have no intention of harming the boy. In fact, I've recently learned about how he gained his fame and how he supposedly destroyed the man who murdered my daughter. But we both know that the story is just that, don't we?"

"I don't know what you're talking about..." Dumbledore stated,

"Come now, Albus. Shall we at least try not to lie to one another? Harry Potter may have destroyed Riddle's body, but we both know his spirit remains. And one day, that wretch will return, and when he does, the boy will have my help wiping that filth from the face of the earth forever!"

"That's all you want?" Dumbledore gaped, "To use Harry to gain revenge on Voldemort for killing your daughter?"

"Please do not use that idiotic nickname in my presence," Ra sneered. "And while that might be one reason, I also have another."

"Which is?"

"Harry will be an incredibly powerful wizard one day. Perhaps the most powerful since Merlin, and if cultivated correctly, he might even be worthy of one day becoming my heir."

"You... Want Harry... to become your heir...?" Dumbledore replied in shock before it quickly morphed into anger, "And you think I would EVER allow you to do something like that! To dig your diseased claws into the boy and make him like you!"

"What you want is irrelevant," Ra's sneered. "The boy is mine. In time. I'm simply here to give you a warning. Cease your machinations where Harry Potter is concerned. Otherwise, the next time I pay you a visit, I might be forced to see if you can fly after I throw you from the tallest tower Hogwarts offers."

"Threaten me all you want!" Dumbledore snarled, "I will NEVER allow you to corrupt that child as you've done to so many! You should kill me now! Otherwise, I will never cease until I have killed you!"

The idea seemed to amuse Ra's, who began to laugh as though Dumbledore had just told some great joke; after a few moments, Ra's wiped his eye and rose to his feet.

"I look forward to seeing you try to stop me, Albus."

With a final nod, the ninja removed the blade from Dumbledore's throat and slammed the hilt into the back of the Headmaster's head, instantly knocking him out and causing his head to slam onto the desk with a thud.

"Shall I kill him, master?" The ninja asked,

"No need," Ra's replied, "He cannot hope to stand in my way, and it will be amusing watching him try. Let the fool be. For now, let's go and visit my daughter; I think it's long past time she was finally laid to rest."

As though by magic, the other ninja disappeared into the shadows of the office as Ra's quickly strode through the door and down the stairs; as he walked through the halls, he couldn't help but smile warmly as he felt the magic of Hogwarts wrap around him as though he were an old friend who had been gone for too long.

"I've missed you as well, old friend," Ra's whispered warmly, "Now, please take me to my daughter."

The magic seemed to guide his footsteps, and before long, Ra's found himself stepping into a girl's bathroom as his ninja waited outside respectfully.

As he entered, Ra's became aware of the sound of someone sobbing in one of the cubicles.

"Who's there?" A girl's voice called out a moment before the ghostly visage of a young girl floated through the cubicle door.

As the ghost floated closer, Ra's couldn't help but stare sadly at his daughter's ghost; she looked the same as the last time he'd seen her. Trapped forever as a teenager, the girl was squat, with thick glasses and a large number of pimples across her face due to the acne she suffered while alive. Though many thought that Ra's was a heartless old man, who couldn't care less about his children, the reality couldn't be more untrue. Ra's loved all his children, and every time he was forced to bury one of them, it was like a knife through his heart.

"Hello, Myrtle," Ra's replied softly, making the ghost's eyes widen,

"Daddy...? Is... Is that you...?"

"It is, my child." Ra's replied softly, "I've come to finally let you rest."

"I don't understand..."

Reaching into his robe, Ra's pulled a scroll from within and quickly unwrapped the red cord tied around it before holding it up for Myrtle to see.

"This scroll will allow you to join your mother across the river, where you will finally have peace, my child."

"Will you be there?" Myrtle asked softly, making Ra's sigh sadly as he shook his head,

"Not for a great while, I'm afraid..."

At that, Myrtle bit her lip for a moment before looking at Ra's with a sad expression,

"I've missed you, daddy..."

"And I you, Myrtle," Ra's replied, and he meant it; he missed all his children and remembered every one of their names; even centuries later, he still remembered them all.

"I... I would like to go home, now..." Myrtle replied softly, making Ra's nod as he unrolled the scroll and began to read, his voice echoing off the bathroom walls.

As he finished the spell, Myrtle's ghost suddenly began to brighten until it was impossible to look at her; with a sigh of contentment, the girl disappeared, leaving Ra's alone in the empty bathroom for a moment before he turned to leave.

As he did so, his eyes suddenly caught sight of a small snake carved onto one of the sink's taps. Narrowing his eyes, Ra's approached the sink and investigated further, his anger rising as he realized what he had inadvertently found.

"Shan Chu! Come in here!" Ra's yelled out; a moment later, one of his ninjas entered the bathroom and kneeled before Ra's.

"Yes, master?"

"You are a Parselmouth, are you not?" Ra's asked,

"I am, master."

"I believe that the thing that killed my daughter is beneath this bathroom," Ra's growled, "Speak to the sink and see what happens."

At once, Shan Chu rose and approached the sink, carefully examining the tiny snake carved onto the side before hissing out something.

As Ra's watched with wonder, the sink actually began to rise into the air as a large hold opened on the floor; looking down into the hole, Ra's grimaced at the low visibility coming from it.

Attend to me!" Ra's snapped, causing the half dozen ninjas he had brought with him to storm the bathroom with weapons drawn; as one, they surrounded the dark hole and peered into it.

"The creature that murdered my daughter lies within; the one who brings me its head will gain a great reward from me! Now go!"

As one, the ninja dived into the hole as Ra's watched with narrowed eyes; for the next twenty minutes, there was only silence, and Ra's was about to descend into the hole himself when he heard the sounds of screaming and the clash of weapons.

For an agonizingly long time, the sounds of battle echoed up to him until, at last, there was only silence.

After several tense moments, one lone ninja finally crawled out of the hole, missing its left arm but holding the head of a Basilisk in his right as he bled profusely from a dozen different wounds.

"Where are the others?" Ra's demanded as the ninja placed the head before Ra's and then struggled to kneel,

"There are none, master," the ninja whispered through his pain, "This monster killed everyone with a single look; I only survived because I figured it out and shut my eyes."

"You've done well," Ra's nodded, "What reward would you ask for such service?"

"I'm dying, master," the ninja gasped, "And I don't want some beast to be the reason, so for my reward, I ask that you be the one to end me. Please."

With a swift nod, Ra's drew his katana and raised it as the ninja lowered his head expectantly.

"You have served me well; rest now."

Without another word, Ra's brought the katana down on the ninja's neck, beheading the man in an instant; with a sad sigh, Ra's sheathed his sword and used his boot to gently shove the ninja's body into the slowly closing hole. As the sink slid back into place, Ra's found himself alone with a small pool of blood as the only sign that anything had occurred.

Looking down at the Basiliks's head, Ra's saw that one of his ninja had wisely chosen to stab the beast in its eyes, thus taking away its most potent weapon. With a sneer of contempt, Ra's reached down, picked up the beast's head, and made his way out of the bathroom. The Basilisk's head would be mounted in a place of honor when Ra's returned to his fortress as a permanent reminder to all about the price to pay for those who dared to attack his children.

XXXX

Raven sighed sadly as she gazed at herself in the mirror, adjusting the black dress she had chosen for Cassie's funeral. It had been a month since the 'Battle of Jump City,' and in that time, she had been forced to watch as Harry became a shadow of his former self. It was almost as though Grodd had stolen the inner light that had made her little brother who he was. As Raven finished buttoning the last button on her dress and began to apply her makeup, her thoughts again went over everything that had happened in the previous month.

"The hero who kneeled." That was what the papers were calling her brother, and Raven hated the name even more than she hated Harry's other title. Only the respect with which the reporters seemed to give Harry had stopped Raven from using the impressive fortune the Potter's had at their disposal to sue every last one of them into oblivion. The few that had tried to blame her brother swiftly discovered why that was a bad idea as Raven used the Potter fortune to buy the newspaper companies outright and then fire the reporters.

Due to the guilt of just hovering there and not helping, the reporters seemed to go out of their way to write the story in a way that painted Arcane in the best possible light, given the circumstances. They wrote of how Arcane had defeated Yellow Lantern in battle with the aid of Lunatic, of how Arcane had then been forced to kneel before Grodd in an attempt to save the life of Cassie, only for Grodd to go back on his end of the deal and brutally murder the poor girl while Arcane was forced to watch helplessly.

They then went on to report on how Arcane and Lunatic had spent the next few days helping the rest of the Justice League and the Titans in digging through the rubble of Jump City to find and rescue survivors. Naturally, now that Lunatic had been established as a hero with the backing of the Justice League, CADMUS finally decided just to cut their losses, and Amanda Waller sent word to Batman that they no longer would be pursuing the boy, something that no one believed, of course.

To Raven's surprise, public opinion was split regarding who was to blame for the destruction of Jump City; while many blamed Arcane and Lunatic, stating that it was their 'prank' that caused that destruction, a great many more blamed Grodd. Raven still couldn't help but laugh as she remembered Lunatic's expression the first time the crowd had swarmed him as dozens of people tried to shake the boy's hand and thank him for saving them; it had been almost comical the way that Lunatic found himself entirely out of his depth with no understanding of how to respond.

Apparently, the best way that Lunatic could think of was to immediately teleport back to Titans Tower and hide himself in Harry's room, far away from any of the people who, according to Lunatic, made the boy feel 'strange and unusual'.

The Weasleys, Tonks, and Hermione had returned a few days after the battle once Molly had fully recovered and had nearly tackled Harry as they all tried to hug him at once. In an effort to get the children out of the city until things cooled down, the Titans decided to take Harry and the others to Disneyland for Harry's birthday.

Raven still smiled as she remembered how the children had thought that all the people dressed up like the characters were, in fact, the actual characters from the movies, and it had taken an exhausting amount of time to convince the Weasleys that the characters were just ordinary people dressed up, not the actual characters, something that seemed to amuse Harry greatly. Yet, even then, Harry still hardly smiled anymore and only seemed to speak when someone addressed him first. Each passing day just seemed to make Harry worse, which in turn broke Raven's heart a little more.

Finally nodding at her finished work, Raven quickly went to Harry's room and stepped inside. Her mood dropped further as she saw Harry staring at a picture of himself and Cassie at a Karaoke bar taken a few years prior, with Cassie singing something into the mike while Harry laughed in the background.

"Harry? It's time to go."

Looking up from the picture, Raven felt her heart break again as she saw the unbearable sadness resonating in her little brother's eyes; with a sniffle, Harry rose to his feet and gently placed the picture back on his dresser before grabbing his guitar and walking toward his sister.

Cassie's parents had come to see Harry a few days prior with a request that the boy simply could not ignore. Knowing how much their daughter had loved music and how her dream had been to start a band with Harry, they had all but begged for him to play one last song at her funeral.

Pulling her brother into a tight hug, Raven felt his small form shake as he began to sob again; she stayed there with him for a moment before gently pulling away and kneeling in front of him.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Raven asked as she gently wiped the tears from his cheeks, "No one would think less of you if you chose not to."

"I have to," Harry replied softly, "This is my last gift to Cassie..."

"Okay," Raven nodded, "Then make it a great gift."

As the two turned to leave, Raven saw Lunatic coming down the hall with a sad expression.

"Do you want to come as well, Lunatic?" Raven asked in a cold tone; while her brother might not have blamed the madman for the destruction of Jump City, there was a part of Raven that couldn't help but do otherwise.

Thankfully, Lunatic quickly shook his head,

"Not my place, and I don't think I deserve to be there," Lunatic replied softly, "I'll stay here and keep your house safe."

Raven nodded at that; truthfully, there was no need for such precaution. Most of the villains and hired thugs had been arrested and were awaiting trial, while the few that had escaped were running scared after the President had gone on television and stated that he would be doing everything in his power to seek the death penalty on all those involved in this senseless tragedy.

This simple address had shown how the winds had shifted in regards to supervillains; no longer would they be put into a revolving door of jails and asylums where they could break out and continue their mindless destruction. Now? Now, the villains would receive the justice that they truly deserved, and that truly scared the supervillain community.

To the surprise of all, Grodd had already been found guilty and was sent to Death Row. Gorilla City had demanded that Grodd be turned over to them. The President had replied that Grodd would die on American soil for taking American lives, and if the citizens of Gorilla City tried to stop it, he'd nuke their entire city before they could blink. Given the gravity of the situation, the citizens of Gorilla City had wisely decided to leave Grodd to the Americans.

"Very well, then," Raven replied, "We'll be back in a few hours."

Without another word, Raven guided her little brother past Lunatic and down the hallway to the car.

XXXX

As Harry approached the stage, he couldn't help but swallow nervously; hundreds had come to Cassie's funeral, nearly the entire Justice League was here, as was the Governor. As Harry gazed out at the crowd, he felt hatred and anger swell in him; none of these people had known Cassie, none of them had spent hours talking with her about her hopes and dreams, her fears and insecurities.

No, they were all here because the Governor had decided to turn Cassie's funeral into some political circus, and Harry hated them all for it. Harry had sat there in his seat while the preacher gave the eulogy, his anger just seeming to grow. He'd sat there when the Governor had stepped on stage and talked about how Cassie had deserved to live a whole life and accomplish her dreams alongside her best friend, Harry. Harry had nearly attacked the stage at that point, and only Raven's hand on her shoulder, keeping him in his seat, stopped him from doing so. Finally, it was Harry's turn to do his part and give his final gift to Cassie.

"Thank you all for coming here today..." Harry said into the microphone, "Cassie was my first friend, and she always talked about wanting to become a singer so big that the stars themselves would shine down on her."

Cassie's parents were seated in the front row, and her mother was quietly weeping into her father's arms, almost breaking Harry's iron grip on the unbearable sadness that coursed through him.

"This... This was her favorite song, and it's why I chose it as my last gift to her. I love you, Cassie... And I promise that I'll make our dream a reality."

As Harry's fingers began to dance across the strings of his Gibson, the band that the Governor had hired started to play in the background behind him. Swallowing his nervousness, Harry opened his mouth and began to sing.

"Let's dance in style, let's dance for a while.

Heaven can wait, we're only watching the skies.

Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.

Are you going to drop the bomb or not?"

As Harry began to sing, the crowd watched as though someone had placed the world's most powerful silencing spell on them. As tears began to race down Harry's face, others began to cry, and the crowd came to a singular conclusion: No child should have to suffer like this.

"Forever young! I want to be forever young!

Do you really want to live forever?

Forever and ever!

Forever young! I want to be forever young!

Do you really want to live forever?

Forever, and ever."

Superman stood beside Lois, his arms crossed over his waist as he stared sadly at Harry, who seemed to be only able to continue playing through sheer force of will. He and Lois still were at odds, and hadn't been able to have a converstaion yet that didn't end in an argument.

"So many adventures couldn't happen today.

So many songs we forgot to play,

so many dreams swinging out of the blue.

We'll let them come true!

Forever young! I want to be forever young!

Do you really want to live forever?

Forever and ever!

Forever young! I want to be forever young!

Do you really want to live forever?

Forever and ever!"

As Harry's song came to a close, he opened his eyes and gazed out at the crowd, who were all staring at him sadly, some openly weeping.

As his eyes trailed to the back of the funeral, Harry's eyes widened in shock; standing in the very last row with a smile on her face was Cassie, still dressed as she had been the day she died. Slowly, she nodded at him, and Harry couldn't but smile back as he returned the nod; as soon as he did, Cassie disappeared, and the crowd began to applaud. Choking back a sob, Harry raised his guitar with one hand, accepting their applause for a moment before he quickly stepped off the stage and into the waiting arms of his sister, who promptly led him away from the crowd.

XXXX

A week later, Raven watched as Harry said goodbye to the Weasleys and Hermione. Tonks was also headed back to England to begin her training in the Auror academy, while Aunt Andromeda started to to do her part as House Potter's proxy.

"I'll write as often as I can!" Hermione promised as she hugged Harry for all she was worth; when she finally let go, Ron approached with a sad expression as he handed back the guitar Harry had given him weeks before.

With a shake of his head, Harry gently pushed the guitar back to Ron before pulling a binder from behind his back and holding it out to Ron, who looked at it with confusion momentarily before Harry spoke.

"The guitar is yours, Ron. And the binder has five hundred songs; if you learn to play those by the time you graduate Hogwarts, you get the job."

"Job?" Ron asked, "What job?"

"I promised Cassie that I would fulfill her dream and conquer the world with music," Harry said in a small voice, "But I can't do it alone. I need help. And I want you to be the first member of my band. That is if you want to be..."

The Weasleys and Hermione stared at Harry with expressions of shock. Ron's face dropped momentarily before he swung the guitar strap over his shoulder and raised his hand shakily, the binder held tight to his chest with the other arm.

"I'd be honored," Ron said softly as he smirked at Harry, who swiftly copied the action as he clasped his hand into Ron's.

"Practice hard, Ron," Harry smiled, "I'll need your best when we begin our conquest."

"You have my word," Ron replied. I'll be the greatest bass player in the world, and we'll make Cassie proud."

As Ron and Harry hugged, Andromeda approached her niece with a stern look on her face,

"Now, I expect letters often!" Andromeda stated, "And no more of you getting injured all the bloody time! You will make me go gray faster than your cousin ever did at this rate..."

"I can't promise I won't get injured on the job," Raven smirked, "But I'll do my best."

"I suppose that's all I can expect, given your line of work," Andromeda acknowledged.

As the rubber duck that Molly was holding began to glow, Andromeda roughly grabbed the back of Tonks' shirt and pulled her away from where she and Beastboy had been trying to eat each other's faces.

"Hey!" Tonks snapped, "I wasn't done!"

"Yes, you are!" Andromeda growled, pulling her daughter toward her and forcing her to put a finger on the duck.

"You-" Tonks was cut off from whatever she was going to say as the Portkey activated, instantly teleporting the group away and leaving Harry standing alone next to his sister.

"I'm going to go to my room now..." Harry said softly,

"Are you sure?" Raven asked, "We can hang out with the others if you want?"

"Yeah, little dude!" Beastboy said warmly, "It's been too long since I beat you on Mariokart!"

"No thanks," Harry replied softly, "I... I think I just want to be alone for a little while..."

As Harry quickly made his way out of the room, Raven felt her heart break a little more. She was losing him, and she didn't know how to keep it from happening.

XXXX

A week later, Raven sat in the Titans meeting room, watching with aggravation as the Justice League discussed what should be done next regarding Jump City and the future.

"Luthor has bought a lot of goodwill by paying for the reconstruction of Jump City," Batman growled, "And he's spent two hundred million so far bribing the villains who took part in the battle to keep their mouths shut."

"So, he's going to get away with it?" Green Arrow demanded, "After all the people who died because of his temper tantrum!"

"No," Batman retorted, "He won't! I'm slowly building a case, but it will take time to gather the necessary evidence."

"So, Grodd takes the fall and Luthor gets away..." Beastboy sneered, "Figures..."

"He won't get away with it," Superman growled, "I don't care if it takes me the rest of my life; I will make sure Luthor pays for what he did!"

"Fantastic..." Raven sneered, causing the heroes to turn to her, "And while we're waiting for that happy day, my brother gets to live every day knowing that the man who killed his friend is walking around scot-free."

"Rae..." Cyborg began, only for Raven to cut him off,

"No! None of you have to watch as the inner light of my little brother slowly dies out! You all get to go back to your cities and pretend this never happened while I'm forced to watch as everything that made my brother who he is is slowly killed off!"

The heroes said nothing as Raven slowly slid to the ground and wrapped her arms around her knees, unable to keep her sorrow at bay any longer.

"I'm losing him... Day by day, I'm losing my little brother, and if I lose Harry... What have I got left...?"

"We're not going to let that happen, Raven," Black Canary said softly as she approached the girl and kneeled in front of her. Lex has taken too much from us already. But I promise he won't take Harry as well."

"You can't promise that!" Raven snapped, her red eyes appearing for a moment. "Most of the city views Harry like some Greek tragedy, while the others see him as the one who caused all this, and it's killing him!"

"Then the answer is simple," Batman said. "We need to get Harry out of the city, perhaps even out of the state, until all of this has blown over and it's safe for him to return."

"And where should I send him?!" Raven snarled, rising to her feet and storming over to Batman, "Back to Hogwarts, where Dumbledore will continue to try and use him like a weapon! Tell me, Batman! Where should I send my little brother? Where will he be safe?"

Batman was silent for a moment before finally answering,

"Rhode Island."

"What...?" Raven responded, caught off guard by Batman's response,

"The Justice League has created a new team consisting of all our junior partners. They will be sent on covert missions that the League will give them, and I think it would be best if Harry were a part of it. Not only will it help him work his trauma, but also teach him how to be a better hero."

"That could work..." After a moment of quiet contemplation, Jinx said, "I mean, let's face it, the Titans are finished in Jump City. It will be years before the city returns to how it used to be. And even when it is, I doubt people will want us here anymore. Not after this."

"But... But where will we go...?" Starfire asked in a small voice,

"I'll head to Bludhaven for now," Nightwing replied, "You're welcome to join me."

Starfire quickly nodded and took Nightwing's hand in her own as the other Titans shared a look.

"Room for one more?" Jinx asked softly,

"You will always be welcome," Nightwing replied, causing the girl to smile happily before she regained control.

"I think I'll head to London for a while," Beastboy replied softly, causing the others to smirk, "Just for a little while."

As the others began to discuss where they would all go, Raven's mind began to race as she thought of how to tell Harry that he would leaving the only true home he'd ever known.

XXXX

Author's note:

"Forever Young" is owned by Alphaville, and as such, I claim no ownership over it. In the next Chapter, Harry joins the Young Justice.