Harry Wayne and the Batman of Hogwarts
Chapter 45: Love Hurts
Hogwarts was alive with celebration. The Great Hall had never been so full of cheering students, clinking goblets, and bursts of magical fireworks flickering against the enchanted ceiling. Word of Hermione, Harvey, and Neville's victory over Ra's al Ghul and his Death Eaters had spread like wildfire. It was a victory the school desperately needed, a beacon of hope after months of uncertainty.
The Order of the Owls stood at the head of the hall, their golden masks shimmering under the floating candles. Silence fell as their leader, a tall, cloaked figure, stepped forward.
"Tonight, we step down from our watch over Hogwarts."
A murmur rippled through the crowd. The Order had always remained distant, mysterious figures of guidance and protection. For them to leave now, after witnessing Ra's al Ghul's return, was a statement in itself.
"We have seen the darkness firsthand," the masked figure continued. "Ra's al Ghul has returned, and he gathers his forces even as we speak. This battle is far from over."
Dumbledore nodded solemnly, stepping forward.
"As always, Hogwarts will stand strong. But we must remain vigilant." His blue eyes swept the room, lingering on each student. "Ra's is still out there. And he will return."
Despite the warning, the mood remained celebratory. After all, they had won this fight. And for now, that was enough.
As the feast carried on, Harvey found himself surrounded by classmates—shaking his hand, clapping his back, thanking him for saving Hogwarts.
Then, through the crowd, she appeared.
Lavender Vale.
She moved toward him with purpose, her blonde curls bouncing as she pushed past a group of younger students. Harvey barely had time to react before Lavender grabbed him by the collar and pressed a kiss against his lips. She then congratulated him and told him she wanted to be the first one to write about their adventure in The Daily Prophet.
The crowd exploded into cheers.
Harvey, caught off guard, could only blink in surprise. He had never really thought about Lavender like that before. But before he could even process it, the moment shattered.
Across the room, Hermione Kyle stood frozen.
Her fingers tightened around the goblet she was holding, her eyes darkening with something Harvey had never seen before—jealousy.
Before he could even move, she turned sharply on her heel and stormed out of the Great Hall.
Harvey's heart sank.
He wanted to go after her, but suddenly—everyone was around him again, slapping him on the back, offering him butterbeer, shouting about his duel with Professor Pyg.
He couldn't move.
Then—Neville appeared at his side, cutting through the noise.
"Mate," Neville said, his voice low. "We need to go see Harry Wayne. Now."
Harvey shook off his daze, nodding.
"Right."
Together, they left the hall, weaving through the corridors until they found Hermione near the entrance to the castle, her arms crossed, still visibly upset.
"Hermione," Harvey started, but she wouldn't look at him.
"We're going to see Harry," Neville said quickly, sensing the tension. "You coming?"
Hermione hesitated. Then, after a long moment, she finally nodded.
"Let's go."
Before leaving, they sought out Dumbledore, explaining their plan.
The headmaster, wise as ever, simply smiled.
"Go," he said, his voice kind. "Harry Wayne should hear what has happened. And you three should hear what he has to say as well. Tell him I too will be coming to see him shortly."
And with that, they set off—toward whatever awaited them next.
While Hogwarts basked in victory, deep in the shadows, Ra's al Ghul's forces were already preparing for their next move.
The air was thick with tension inside a darkened chamber, hidden away from prying eyes. Torches lined the stone walls, flickering with eerie green flames as Ra's al Ghul stood before his gathered Death Eaters.
"Despite our temporary setback," Ra's spoke, his voice calm yet laced with undeniable authority, "our mission remains unchanged. The fall of Hogwarts is inevitable."
The Death Eaters stood in silence, awaiting their orders.
Ra's slowly turned to Bellatrix, his piercing gaze settling upon her.
"Later, I want you to take a group to Diagon Alley," he commanded. "Ollivander must be taken. His knowledge of wandlore will prove… useful."
Bellatrix's lips curled into a wicked grin.
"Oh, it would be my pleasure."
"But first, we need to pay someone else a visit," Ra's insisted.
With a swirl of their dark robes, Ra's and a small group of Death Eaters vanished into thin air, apparating toward their unsuspecting prey.
Soon after, just beyond the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Jostanos stumbled forward, his robes tattered, his breath ragged.
After days trapped in Solomon Grawp's lair, he had barely managed to escape with his life. Every step felt like a battle against exhaustion, but the taste of freedom was within reach.
"Just a little further…" he muttered, pushing through the thick underbrush.
Then—a shadow moved.
Jostanos stopped in his tracks, his heart pounding.
The trees seemed to whisper around him, the air suddenly growing frigid.
Before he could react, a force slammed into him from behind, sending him crashing to the ground. He gasped, struggling to push himself up, only to feel the sharp tip of a wand press against the back of his neck.
"Going somewhere, Jostanos?"
A chilling voice cut through the night.
Lady Bellatrix.
She stepped forward, her expression twisted with mock amusement as Professor Pyg and Deadshot emerged from the darkness, surrounding him.
"Poor little Jostanos," Bellatrix purred, crouching beside him. "All that running… and for what?"
A fourth figure stepped from the shadows.
Ra's al Ghul.
Jostanos's eyes widened in fear.
"You have served your purpose," Ra's said, his tone eerily indifferent. "But your place at the Ministry is no longer required. We have… other plans."
Before Jostanos could beg, plead, or even resist, Ra's raised his hand.
A swirl of dark magic erupted, enveloping Jostanos as the Death Eaters whisked him away—vanishing into the night.
Later on, Diagon Alley lay quiet under the moonlit sky, the usual bustling streets now empty as most shops had closed for the night. A light rain drizzled over the cobblestone roads, making them slick, as a single lantern glowed within the windows of Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C.
Inside the shop, Mr. Constantine Ollivander sat hunched over his workbench, carefully carving the finishing touches on a new wand. He ran his fingers along the finely polished wood, his aged hands steady despite the night's silence pressing in around him.
Then—the bell above the door chimed.
Ollivander's fingers froze mid-carve.
He hadn't heard footsteps.
A chill ran down his spine as he slowly turned his gaze toward the entrance. The door stood ajar, swinging slightly as if someone—or something—had slipped inside.
"Hello?" Ollivander called, rising to his feet. His voice was calm, yet tinged with suspicion.
Silence.
He reached for his wand, but before he could even wrap his fingers around it—the lanterns flickered violently, then extinguished, plunging the shop into darkness.
A cold, cruel laugh echoed from the shadows.
"Oh, Mister Ollivander…" came a voice, soft yet dripping with malice. "Did you really think we wouldn't come for you?"
Lady Bellatrix stepped into the dim light, her wand raised, eyes gleaming with wicked delight. Behind her, Professor Pyg and Deadshot emerged, their silhouettes sharp against the faint glow from the street outside.
Ollivander gripped his wand tightly.
"I am just a wandmaker," he said, his voice steady. "Whatever you seek, I assure you, I have no power to stop you."
Bellatrix smirked.
"Oh, we know," she said, flicking her wand toward the ceiling.
BOOM!
The wooden beams above splintered and cracked, sending shards of debris crashing to the floor. Ollivander stumbled back, but before he could react, Deadshot raised his firearm and fired a net of enchanted chains.
The chains wrapped around Ollivander's arms and legs, yanking him backward and slamming him against the wall. He struggled, but Professor Pyg pressed a butcher's cleaver to his throat.
"Struggle, and I'll carve you up like a Christmas ham," Pyg snorted.
Ollivander stilled, his breathing ragged.
Bellatrix leaned in, her nose inches from his.
"Our Dark Lord has a great interest in your knowledge of wands," she whispered. "Ra's al Ghul wishes to see you now."
She raised her wand to his forehead.
"Petrificus Totalus."
Ollivander's body went rigid, his arms snapped to his sides, his eyes frozen wide with fear.
Bellatrix stepped back, admiring her work.
"Take him."
With that, Deadshot and Pyg lifted Ollivander's paralyzed body and dragged him toward the door. Before disappearing into the night, Bellatrix turned, surveying the ruined shop with a satisfied smirk.
"Such a shame," she mused. "All these wands, and none of them could save you."
With a final wave of her wand, she set fire to the shelves—wands exploding in bursts of sparks and magical energy as flames engulfed the shop.
The Death Eaters vanished into the darkness, taking Ollivander with them, as Diagon Alley burned in the distance.
While Ra's and his Death Eaters were at work, Harvey, Hermione, and Neville had made it to Harry's house on Privet Drive in Gotham, England. They rushed into his room, hooting and hollering about what each of them did to ward off Ra's and his goons. However, unbeknownst to them, Harry already had a visitor sitting close to him on his bed. It was Ginny Weasley. Plus, Harry looked like he was healing quickly from his broken back.
"Sorry, we didn't realize you had company," Hermione said, a bit of a frown showing on her face since Harvey had kissed Lavender, and now Harry was sitting close to Ginny.
"I'm so glad to see you guys," Harry said. "I want to show you something." He then dragged his legs over the side of the bed and stood up.
"Harry, you're standing," Neville said, shockingly. "It's a miracle."
Harry then began to stumble a bit, but Ginny reached out to give him a hand, helping him to regain his balance.
"Ginny has been a delight. She even brought me cookies," he smiled. "So, what were you saying about what you guys did to Ra's al Ghul?"
Harvey stepped forward. "You should have seen Neville when he took on Bane. It was brilliant." Harvey then started imitating what Neville looked like with his sword, acting like he was fighting Bane. Neville blushed a bit.
"You should have seen Harvey and Hermione. They had to battle Pyg, Deadshot, and Bellatrix," Neville bragged about them.
Neville then lowered his head for a second. "Though something bad happened to Sionis. Bellatrix's magic hit him... And... He's gone, Harry."
Harry sat back down on his bed, memories flooding his mind about Sionis.
"I barely just got to know him again," Harry frowned.
"I'm sorry, Harry," Ginny comforted him, placing her hand on his shoulder.
"He saved us all," Harvey spoke up. "If it wasn't for him, we might not be standing here today. He was a hero," he added.
Just then, the night air trembled as a massive explosion ripped through Gotham Bridge, sending metal and concrete hurtling into the river below. Flames illuminated the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the city as screams and sirens echoed in the distance.
Ra's al Ghul stood at the edge of the destruction, his cloak billowing from the heat of the fires. His Death Eaters stood beside him, watching the bridge crumble into the dark waters.
"Let this be the beginning," Ra's said coldly. "Tonight, Gotham falls, and soon, so will the wizarding world."
Bellatrix, standing near the wreckage, laughed maniacally, twirling her wand between her fingers.
"Did you see the little Muggles?" she cackled. "They screamed so beautifully before they fell!"
Professor Pyg clapped his gloved hands together, his mask tilting as he admired the flames.
"Such a lovely work of art, don't you think?" he mused, swaying with pleasure at the destruction.
Deadshot, ever the professional, simply loaded a fresh round into his rifle.
"We made our statement," he said, turning to Ra's. "What's next?"
Ra's al Ghul didn't answer immediately. His piercing gaze was fixed on the city skyline.
"We wait," he finally said. "Let them tremble in fear. Let the city burn with uncertainty."
Then, with a wave of his hand, the Death Eaters vanished into the darkness.
Back at Privet Drive, the walls shook violently as the aftershock of the explosion reached Harry's home. The group stared in shock out the window, their faces illuminated by the glow of the flames in the distance.
"That came from Gotham Bridge," Neville murmured.
"It has to be Ra's," Hermione said, her voice trembling.
Harry clenched his fists, his heart pounding.
"Then we need to go," he said firmly. "Now."
Ginny placed a hand on his arm.
"Harry, you just started walking again," she said, concern deep in her eyes.
"And now I'll run if I have to," Harry replied, determination burning in his voice. "I won't sit back while Ra's destroys everything."
Harvey looked at him and nodded.
"We're with you."
Hermione, still watching the distant fire, whispered, "This is only the beginning, isn't it?"
Neville exhaled sharply.
"Yeah," he said. "And it's about to get a lot worse."
To be continued…