Chapter 60: Chapter Sixty
It was a week before Thor's coronation, when Natasha's project reached the point where they could finally activate it. Harry had called a press conference the day before and in the early morning hours of next day, Natasha activated the control rod, which would vanish all the drugs they had replaced with magically conjured replacements since the start of the project.
They had infiltrated drug smuggling rings and production locations. Every time a shipment was ready for distribution, it would be replaced with a conjured product of equal or greater quality. The effect being that people got much better quality and less deaths occurred due to bad products. However, where drugs were mixed with other substances so that they could sell more of an inferior product, there was little they could do about it.
They obviously couldn't stop all drugs from entering or exiting a country, but they focussed mostly on the worst kinds of drugs they could find. Domestically produced drugs were brought to the attention of the DEA and other countries' equivalents. They didn't just focus on only America, after all. Cannabis was skipped entirely as some people used it medicinally and it was just too widely spread to try and track all the sources. Harry personally didn't really care about a substance that was not physically addictive and chilled people out.
When the press were ready, Harry stepped forward. Before he could speak a single word, there was an impact in the air, a yard in front of Harry. He didn't even blink as Tony, in his Iron Man suit, shot into the air and to the building where the shot had come from. "Don't worry," he said to the frightened members of the press, "we were prepared for that and all of you are protected by a barrier we set up to protect the press."
He put a finger to his ear and nodded. "The shooter has been detained and taken into custody." he told them. "I can tell you are afraid, but don't worry; we have the situation completely under control." Iron Man was seen dropping a man with EPI personnel before he landed behind Harry again. They had no doubt there were more assassins in the works, but hopefully their display of power would stop any further attempts from occurring during this press conference. The flying forts were the perfect cover, especially when invisible.
He gave them a couple of moments to get themselves back together, before continuing, "The reason for this press conference and the attack are most likely related. For a long time now EPI has been working to better this world and we have so far succeeded wonderfully, even if I do say so myself, but we need a little history lesson, before we continue.
"As you may know, back in 2014, EPI was founded to help protect the planet from domestic and extra-terrestrial threats. As a major investor, I have been working hand-in-hand with them to help them achieve their goals. I have little say in their comings and goings, as I left the running of the company to those far more experienced and knowledgeable than myself.
"I did have some input in some of their goals and helped start one of the divisions that would focus on a major global issue; Drugs." There was an excited murmuring in the crowd as most of the press had already been made aware of the mysterious disappearance of large stocks of drugs from various locations. Some even from police lockup. That had caused problems all over the world, which was why they activated the project only a few hours before the press conference.
Fury had already known that this would happen and had, right at the beginning, made certain that drugs were tested and recorded properly and the drugs themselves not be the only evidence in cases where people were arrested. Photographic evidence was now a requirement along with documented tests which were mandatory for the drugs anyway. He didn't want dealers back on the street because the only evidence vanished.
EPI's reach went far and procedure had been updated world-wide, where necessary, and EPI had even helped by providing acceptable testing equipment for places where lab environments were not available as readily. If people did their jobs, there should be no fall-out after the drugs in question disappeared.
"This morning," Harry continued after the murmurs had abated, "we activated the final step of the program, which I'm afraid I can't give you much details about as it is, once again, proprietary technology." There were more murmurs, but the worldwide press knew by now that Harry Potter didn't take questions. He made statements.
"Just under three hours ago, a large percentage of drugs, worldwide, disappeared from wherever they were. That includes drugs that had been imbibed since the project started.
"Now I know you are curious how that's even possible, but I'm afraid I have to say again, 'proprietary technology'. What I can tell you is that some people who had been slaves to drugs, will have woken up this morning without any cravings at all. The very opioids and substances that leave lasting mental effects due to saturation into their very cells, have a new lease on life, since they don't need to go through withdrawal.
"I know this does not negate the emotional dependence, nor does it reverse the scarring effects of some of the substances, but it does give those people who had been made victims of their individual circumstance a chance to recover what is left of their lives and continue to a brighter future.
"That's not the end of what I'm here to say, though." Harry said as he held up a hand when people started yelling questions. "From today on, the distribution centres and homeless shelters hosted by EPI will have councillors and recovery clinics available for people who wish to use this opportunity, but do not know how to do so. There will be group sessions and support groups ready for anyone who wishes to better their lives.
"If you are not fortunate enough to have been affected by the actions we have taken, since the technology used is new and not every corner of the world could be completely ridden of every trace of these substances, there is also a new treatment available for those who wish to flush the substances from themselves in a painless and cost-effective way.
"All you need to do is present yourself to one of the clinics or homeless shelters I mentioned and join one of the sessions hosted for recovering addicts. You will not need to identify yourself or request treatment as the technology will be activated and used during every session, to ensure everybody there is lucid and capable of coherent thought.
"We are not offering you a way to have a fun time and get rid of the evidence either, as blood and urine tests will still reveal residue that can be identified. We will not require your names or identities, but this technology can identify when it has been repeatedly used to clear your system of narcotics and intoxicants.
"For a complete list of drugs that may have been affected, please go to our website as there will be a full list that you can peruse. This technology is very precise and cannot have affected drugs acquired legally, so there is no need for alarm for those of you using substances with a writ or permit form your doctor, as long as it was legally acquired.
"I know there are many questions," Harry said holding up his hands when the majority of those gathered tried screaming questions at him, "but please contact EPI's newly created public relations department. You can find contact information for them on the website." Harry then turned around and walked back into the Stark Industries building, ignoring the many questions.
Jarvis would be a busy man for the next couple of weeks as he ran the public relations department through his digital connection. He had been informed of every step of the project, knew the precautions taken and had even helped them plan for every contingency. When the calls started rolling in, he'd be splitting his attention to the hundreds of lines at once, each instance of him using a different voice and speech pattern. Having a quantum supercomputer for a brain would leave this as a simple task that he could literally do in his sleep.
Jarvis had volunteered for the job when they were planning on hiring the required staff and training them with all the correct information. The biggest problem they predicted was people objecting to substances being taken directly out of their bodies without permission. The simple solution to that would be telling people that the substances themselves were targeted before it was ingested/injected/inhaled. They weren't reaching into people's bodies as much as affecting the already targeted substances. When people asked 'how', they referred to the original statement of 'proprietary technology'.
If anyone wanted to complain, they'd have to admit to being dealers or users, both of which were illegal to begin with. That didn't stop politicians and governments from trying to court-order more information. At that point Jarvis gladly told people to deliver the documents to their main office. The fact that nobody knew where that was led police to try and raid the technology from the distribution centres, but since the people there were under contract and the potions in use were in magically hidden locations, the only thing the police could do was take the potion laced tea and coffee off-site to be tested. Undrunk potion would simply be vanished by wards around the centres, so that left everybody with the mystery of how the technology worked, since informants told them they felt the effect when they drank the beverages.
Some of Harry's claims, like the ability to test for the substances later, were complete fabrications. The fact was that Friday's camera systems were installed at all the distribution centres and repeat offenders could be identified first by it and also by the staff. They could then be taken aside and offered more clinical help.
Harry had wanted to just let them get the treatment anyway, but he had been told that that would not solve the problem that they were working to fight in the first place. In the end he let Natasha and her team dictate how these things were handled. It was her baby after all.
The response in the press was varied. People's rights versus those same people affecting society negatively. The overall response and the grateful feedback from people who had struggled with physical addiction for years was overwhelming. Not having to go through the pain of withdrawal led rehabilitation centres to send their clients to at least one session at the EPI clinics. That did not solve the mental side of addiction, though, but that was why they had hired and trained so many people to deal with these situations.
There were more downsides and upsides, but Harry stopped paying attention when Fury kept on laughing at the demands for answers from infuriated government officials. For those governments who supported EPI, an offer was made to join the fold and they were contracted in and brought up to speed. That was when the Council of Earth was formed.
Unlike the UN, they concentrated solely on bettering the entire world for everyone and bickering among governments was not tolerated. This was not a platform to bring up grievances between countries. The World Security Council had had enough experience with these people and enough influence that they actually became useful for once and Fury allowed them to represent EPI's interests in those meetings, with supervision of course. Hill was not impressed that she was the Council's babysitter, but at least she held the reigns and not the other way around.
A week passed and the day of Thor's coronation arrived and he was nowhere to be found, so of course Harry was contacted first thing. He was not a happy camper as he'd gone to sleep only two hours prior, having been working on his spell storage buttons again. He felt he was getting close, but it was not quite there yet.
The enchantment factories were his greatest feat of magic, being capable of producing magical effects, enchant items, which were sometimes conjured, and making said items without him needing to be nearby to help the process. This was a big step towards making Hermione's dream come true and he was very excited to be able to be the one to achieve it, since he had almost thought Tony would get there before him, with how much time Hermione spent with him. He was still summoning her every other week for a tech meeting with Tony, where they brainstormed ideas and applications.
He arrived on Asgard in the briefing room, from which Odin had called him, only to be engulfed in a massive hug. "My son, it is good to see you!" Odin greeted. To be fair, it had been a while since Harry had gone to Asgard. Something was telling him that he needed to get as much done as he could and as soon as possible. He didn't know what was giving him this feeling, but he wouldn't ignore his instincts.
"Hello father." Harry said, resigning his emotion of annoyance in favour of a wry smile. "What has Thor done this time?"
Odin let Harry go and a look of exasperation crossed his face. "Your brother wouldn't tell anyone where he was going and he's not answering his mirror." Odin looked at Harry in mock annoyance, "You never should have given us those blasted things. Your mother has been getting quite attached to them and now she expects anyone she calls to always be available to her."
"I had noticed." Harry admitted. "It's not uncommon on Midgard for women and mothers especially to become quite attached to these easy forms of connectivity. Just be glad you don't have access to social media."
"I'll take your word for it." Odin intoned. "Now, about Thor?" he asked hopefully.
Harry nodded and put his hand on his Avengers bracelet. As he focussed on the magic that would allow him to appear at Thor's side, he smirked when he got an image of Thor sitting in a cell, talking to a skeleton. He soon vanished, appearing next to the cell. "Who's your friend?" he whispered.
Thor nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected voice. "Damnit Harry!" he whispered urgently at his floating brother. "Why are you here?" he asked.
"I should be asking you that." Harry said with a pointed look. "Frigga tried calling, but you aren't answering."
"I told them I'm doing something and will be back in time." Thor defended himself. "Also, it's a little difficult to answer." he said indicating his bound form.
"You don't seem to be faring well in your quest, then." Harry said. "Can I help?"
"I have everything under control," Thor said, "even though I know it doesn't look like it."
"Okay..." Harry shrugged as he waved his hand at Thor a couple of times. "I've just added a couple of protections, for mother's peace of mind."
"Thank you, now please leave!" Thor whispered urgently at Harry. "I'm expecting company soon."
As Thor finished saying this, his cage opened up and he fell. Harry just shrugged and returned to Asgard and a waiting Odin.
"Well?" Odin asked.
Harry smirked and sent a spell at the wall to connect to the monitoring spells he had cast on Thor. They would only last a short while, an hour tops, but he suspected he'd not need much more than that. Then he conjured some comfortable chairs, like you'd find at a movie theatre, and some popcorn. "Please take a seat and see for yourself. This is what Thor is doing right now."
Odin took the proffered seat and watched as Thor had a discussion with Surtur, who he had thought was dead. Then there was the inevitable fight, followed by Thor smirking at a fire-elemental dragon, after bashing Surtur's skull from his body and collecting the skull, and disappearing by portkey.
All-in-all it was a fun little show. They watched as Thor walked directly to the briefing room and Harry continued sitting there, until Thor walked in on them and saw them monitoring him. "You spoiled my surprise!" he accused Harry.
"You worried mother and father." Harry shot back as he cancelled the magic on the wall and got up. "What's worse is that you have been acting on prophetic information and you didn't tell me about it!"
A look of concern crossed Thor's features, but before he could reply, Odin spoke up. "I can see your worry, my son, and Harry has his reasons for fearing prophecy, but why did you pick today of all days to go after Surtur and why didn't you tell anyone?" he asked.
Thor took a breath and then slumped. "It was because of Harry's beliefs in the immutability of prophecy that I did not tell him. I wanted to stop Ragnarok before it could start. With Surtur gone there can be no Ragnarok. It is averted."
Odin looked a little older at this statement. "I'm afraid Ragnarok cannot be stopped. I once feared Hela would be the cause, but Harry has truly come through for us there." he said with a smile at his youngest. "While Hela remains on New Atlantis, there can be no doubt that she will not cause trouble for us and Heimdall informs me that she has grown quite attached to the island."
"But then how…" Thor started.
"It's always some stupid unexpected thing." Harry cut in. "In my case it was a rat that lived right under my nose for years. If Pettigrew didn't return to Voldemort, he'd have remained a wraith until I could destroy the Horcruxes." Then he looked at the skull/crown on Thor's back, "Speaking of which, you are aware that Surtur's soul still resides in that thing, right?"
Thor quickly took the crown off his back and placed it on the table. "Can it be destroyed?" Thor asked.
"Maybe." Harry said. "I'd have to try using the Sword of Gryffindor or basilisk venom. I don't think it would be wise to try and use Fiendfyre. This might just be the one case in which it would have the opposite effect."
"I'd have to agree with you about that." Odin said. "From all you've told me about Fiendfyre, it would be wise to avoid that."
"Then we go to Nidavellir and get the sword right now!" Thor enthused.
"No." a voice said from the door. Frigga stood there tapping her foot on the floor, "Your coronation is today and I am in no mood with any of you right now to allow you to take on quests."
"I'm sorry." Harry and Odin said instantly. They should have told her the status of Thor the moment they knew. In the excitement of the moment, they had forgotten.
"You should be." Frigga said with a stern look, before rushing in and hugging her eldest son. "I'm just glad you are safe." she said. "Now, we'll have someone deposit that disgusting thing in the vault and we'll start getting you ready." she said taking Thor by the hand and leaving the room with him.
Harry sighed and picked up the skull. It was quite heavy, but his Asgardian blessings allowed him to handle it with relative ease. "Shall we?" he asked Odin as he opened a portal to the vault.
Odin nodded and led them through the portal and to an unoccupied pedestal. "Place it here." he said. When Harry had deposited the crown on the pedestal, Odin looked at him with honest concern, "I suspect we are closer to Ragnarok than I originally thought. In the prophecy, I die and Asgard is destroyed."
"No." Harry said stubbornly. "If that is the case, I'll find a way to subvert the prophecy. I've done my research and discovered a couple of loop-holes, which may allow me to bypass your death."
"Do not fear death, Harry…" Odin started.
"You don't understand." Harry interrupted dangerously. "I won't allow it. Don't tell me it cannot be done. Just tell me when you suspect this is going to happen."
Odin looked angry for a moment, before he relented, "It could be as soon as today. When Thor went to Surtur and brought the crown here, he set in motion a series of events that will likely lead to the prophecy being fulfilled."
"So we do not have a lot of time?" Harry asked.
"Our time is very limited." Odin agreed. "As early as today to a couple of months at most."
"Okay, I need to go then." Harry said. When Odin made to object, Harry turned a determined smile on him, "I'll be at the Coronation. Don't go making up your will or anything." Then he disappeared.
It was a couple of hours later that Harry returned with Natasha, dressed to impress. Odin could tell Harry had been hard at work. His magic seemed forced, like he had used a lot of it and then recharged himself from the ring one too many times and Natasha had a certain readiness he had not seen in her posture before. Odin also sensed that Harry had company. Many invisible people silently spreading out and dispersing into the crowd. Some of them took to the sky and Odin could tell some sort of magic was being applied as they flew to different locations across Asgard.
"Harry?" Odin asked as they approached. "Should I be concerned that you are breaking Asgardian Law?"
"If Asgard is in danger, I'll break every law to save my people. I made an oath to protect them when you adopted me." Harry said matter-of-factly. "Is it safe to assume that the coronation will be taking place in the citadel and that all your subjects will be there?"
"We moved the coronation to the plaza, since we have so many people attending. Also, if there's an attack, it will be aimed at the citadel first. All but a few guards and Heimdall will be there." Odin said. He simply accepted Harry's word that what he was sensing was necessary. He also noted that Harry had an active mirror in his pocket. He could sense the connection. "You're having your people enact some sort of emergency plan?"
Harry nodded, but Natasha spoke for him as she removed her hand from her ear, having received feedback through it, "If anything happens, tell your people to stay in the plaza. They will be safe there. If you can sense what's going on, you know that Harry has spent a lot of power to try and have a backup plan ready for Asgard and her people."
"That's if the prophecy actually refers to today." Harry said. He was not taking any chances. If Asgard was to be destroyed, he'd save everyone on it.
Odin nodded sombrely and led them to the head of the plaza, where a raised dais awaited him and from which he would speak. They were seated, while a couple of courtiers made their announcements and people were organized in their correct locations. Thirty minutes later, Thor's moment arrived and he walked through the people with a bit of a forced smile on his face.
Loki was standing next to Harry and he whispered to him, "If I wanted to use the distraction of the coronation to strike, this would be the moment."
Harry nodded and suddenly an idea struck him and he paled visibly. "Damn it! We should have hidden the vault under Fidelius!" he whispered furiously.
Loki nodded along. They really should have thought of that. "Are your people stationed near the vault?"
Harry shook his head. "They have other orders." he said.
Odin made a speech about the importance of duty and wisdom, to know when to act and when to wait, when to rely on others and that doing so was not to be considered weakness. He finished the speech by stating that Asgard is not a place, but a people. Harry suspected he had thrown that in there for what would likely occur in the next couple of days, weeks or months. He really hoped Asgard would not fall, that there was a mistake in the prophecy somewhere. Asgard had become like a home to him.
When Thor swore the oaths humbly, but with conviction, Odin finished with, "I, Odin Borson, Allfather, proclaim you, Thor Odinson, King of Asgard!"
Loki was looking around with apprehension, but finally breathed a sigh of relief. Those gathered had no such problems, breaking into thunderous applause. It seems that whatever was happening wouldn't be hitting them as immediately as was feared.
The party that happened after the coronation was one of the largest Harry had ever attended. Natasha kept on whispering to him about the status of the various objectives as she kept in touch with Fury and their people. While they sat at the table and people were being merry, with Thor in the prime position on the throne, Harry was conjuring rings, adding a basic resizing charm and a portkey to a special location. Then Natasha used the handheld laser engraver to add the runes that would ensure the longevity of the conjuration.
During the entire feast, Harry and Natasha just kept on producing, even when people asked, he'd force a smile and say that it was a surprise for later. They even had a couple of conversations with friends, but they couldn't be broken from their work. Natasha was keeping count until she reached a certain number. Harry was running low again and about to fill up his stores through the ring, when Natasha placed a hand on his arm. "That's enough." she said.
Harry looked up at her and sagged. "Finally." he said. "I need a break. I'm getting tired of charging myself up."
Natasha nodded, "You used a lot of power today. I'm not surprised you're tired."
"And what, exactly, have you been up to today?" Odin asked as he approached them. He had been worried about the coronation as well. It was, as Loki suggested, the best time to attack. He was expecting something at any moment as well.
"We were making arrangements." Harry said indicating the rings and handing one to Odin.
Odin inspected it and immediately recognized one of the enchantments. "This has one of your transportation magics on it." he said. "I don't know the other magic I see, but it looks like it should affect the structure of the ring somehow."
"Comfort charm." Harry confirmed. "The ring will shrink or grow to fit the person who tries to put it on."
"From the amount you have made I'm guessing you made one for every soul on Asgard?" Odin asked.
"Emergency portkeys, yes." Natasha said for him. "Harry has prepared a safe location for if the worst happens."
"There are also some precautions I've taken for other things, including this." Harry said taking a bracer from inside his pouch. "Don't look at what the bracer does. It will only cause you to worry. Simply put it on and activate it when the time comes. You'll know when that is." he said as he handed the bracer to Odin.
Odin, showing the trust that Harry has earned from him, immediately placed the bracer on his forearm, where it affixed itself magically. "How do I activate it?" he asked.
"Simply will it active. It will perform its functions." Harry assured him.
Natasha's hand went to her ear and she listened to something. Then she broke out in a smile, "They've finished placing the stones. You only need to activate them."
Harry returned the smile, before closing his eyes and focussing on the closest stone he could feel. It was not hard, since every single one of them shone like a beacon to him, so much of his power did they contain. He sent the tiniest tendril of power into the closest one and let it do its thing.
The main reason for him being so haggard was that he spent a month restarting the day and creating hundreds of these enchanted stones. What they did was a secret for now, but with them in place, Harry would sleep well for the first time in a long time, from his perspective anyway.
As the stone sent a small, insignificant wave of power outwards, with the sound of droplet falling into a pool of water, the other ward-stones also activated with a similar sound, to his magical senses anyway. Odin suddenly looked up and around as if he could hear it too, before every single stone spread throughout the realm eternal disappeared, not leaving a trace of the magic they held.
"What was that?" Odin asked.
"If I told you that I knew the future and warned you of something that would hurt your people, would you change the future if you could?" Harry asked, rather than answer.
Odin thought that over. He'd had that same thought thousands of times. Obviously he'd want to change something, but in doing so he'd invalidate what was told to him, so it wouldn't be told in the first place causing a paradox. If he wasn't warned, though, his future wasn't written yet and anything was possible. In this case, however, his future was written, but Harry had the look of having found a solution. Harry's own experience with prophecy saw him fulfilling it and winning, but lost in the end anyway, so in that case the prophecy was fulfilled and thwarted at the same time.
"You've found a way to both fulfil and bypass the prophecy?" Odin guessed. "But telling me what you did might affect what I'd do, so you can't tell me…"
Harry didn't confirm or deny anything as Natasha handed him a cup of some sort of mead. He tasted it and decided he liked it. "This isn't bad." he said in thanks. He glanced at Odin and saw that he had yet to look away. Harry send him a forced smile, "I've been on the bad side of prophecies before, as you know. You'll just have to continue showing me trust."
Finally Odin nodded and pulled his tunic's sleeve over the bracer as he looked over at Thor. "I guess that means Frigga and I will be staying here, rather than taking that vacation we had planned." he said.
"Where were you thinking of going?" Harry asked. He had his suspicions.
"Where else?" Frigga spoke up. "We have a very nice little place by the sea where a friend of mine has told me that the Nymphs' trees have started blooming, ready to bear their fruit."
"What?!" Harry asked intelligently.
"Didn't you know?" Frigga asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. She had been hoping to change the subject and it seemed that she had succeeded. "Xera and the other Nymphs are connected. When you finally relented and allowed her into your heart, you forged a connection with most of the grove."
Harry's face lost a little colour, "What about Xamantha?" He really hoped she wasn't part of this. He was shocked about the revelation, of course, but he had known Frigga had planned something and he trusted her. He had also suspected something with how happy the Nymphs had gotten after Xera joined his bed.
"Fear not." Frigga said in a calming tone. "Xamantha sees you as a father and isn't old enough anyway. I would not allow her to connect to you in that way. She has another connection to you, which seemed to have been formed quite naturally."
"I think he makes a good father." Natasha agreed. She had noticed what Frigga was doing and approved. She had forced Harry's hand and accompanied him for every single trip back in time and ensured he ate and took time to sleep. She could tell that he was still overworking himself, though, and was worried about the low levels of magic she felt through the link on the ring. "I have no doubt that our children will be loved and cared for."
Frigga gave her a knowing look and nodded slightly when Harry's head spun around to look at Natasha in question. "No, Harry. Much to my own disappointment, she is not yet with child." she interjected for Natasha. "I may decide to cancel your protections against such things if you make me wait much longer, though."
Harry sighed in relief, when his own diagnostic magic came back with a negative result, making it quite positive from his perspective really. He had no objections with having kids with Natasha, but only when he knew he could keep them safe. Then he turned to Frigga with a calculating look, "Don't think that I'm going to forget about this whole thing with the Nymph grove. You should have told me."
Frigga's smile faded, but only slightly, "Would you have denied them something they sorely needed?"
"Well, no." Harry said.
"Then we won't need to discuss it further." Frigga said simply.
"But what about the Nymphs?" Harry asked.
"What about them?" Frigga asked.
"I think he's worried that they are all pregnant." Natasha explained for him. Harry just looked between the two of them, looking for an answer. Frigga's statement sounded like he had, in-fact, impregnated all of them, but Natasha's calm statement made it sound like they were not.
"Oh, I see." Frigga nodded. Then she shook her head at Harry with a look of bemusement, "Do you not know how babies are made?"
Odin decided to save Harry, "You simply allowed their natures to be sated through Xera. They will no longer need to be paired with a man for their trees to flourish and bloom. No pregnancies will come from such a thing. Not outside of the bedroom, anyway."
"You mean I'm sleeping with all of them?" Harry asked incredulously, only to hear the sniggers from behind him somewhere. He turned around to see Loki, bent over as he laughed as silently as he could.
"You're just sleeping with Xera and me." Natasha answered for her. "Your mother explained it to me as them benefiting from it, but not necessarily living it."
"It's the afterglow." came Thor's voice as he approached them from where he had been talking with one of the nobles from Vanaheim. "It's much like relieving a pressure that keeps building, otherwise."
"How do you know this?" Natasha asked.
"Most young men in Asgard study Nymphs at some point." Frigga said in exasperation. "Their sexual nature is quite provocative to the young libido."
"Mother!" Thor and Loki exclaimed as Harry just winced. Odin laughed at their discomfort. He had long since gotten used to such talk. Considering his wife's own nature, he was not unused to frank discussions of things that made others uncomfortable. He understood though, which is why he had never mentioned the difference Harry's book had made in the royal bedchamber. He was saving that for a special occasion, when he wanted to see all three his sons blush like children.
The party lasted a full week, but Harry couldn't stay away from home that long. He ensured that everyone was given a ring and instruction on how they worked. They were also told to never take them off. Not for any reason, as when the time came, they would all activate at once.
King Eitri, who was also in attendance, asked Harry to produce something similar for the dwarves as well. Harry had no problem with that as there were only three hundred dwarves on the station. Natasha had to stop him from starting production right then and there. Eitri laughed and told him he could wait a couple of days. Everyone that knew Harry, even a little, had in some way mentioned that he looked like he needed to rest. Natasha told them all that she was planning on dragging him home, forcing a calming draught into him and then making him sleep for a full day.
To Harry's ears that sounded like heaven, especially after the month he had had. With the possibility of another prophecy taking the people he cared for away from him, he had entered a state of mind that Natasha had never seen. Dark determination that drove him beyond all reason to accomplish a goal pushed him further than his limits should allow, but somehow he just kept on going. No normal human being would be able to keep such a pace and maintain their sanity. She was at once both sad and proud of the man she loved. He showed in his actions a devotion that went beyond the call of duty. Beyond what she thought she'd ever expect from him.
Then she remembered the broken young man she had met only a few months more than seven years ago. He was not that man anymore, but he didn't forget either it seemed. She once again promised to herself that she would do whatever she could to ensure he never becomes that man again.
When they finally arrived home, it was to find Xera already waiting in the house with two potions in hand. "Bruce told me to have this ready. Apparently Harry looked like… well, he looks tired and stressed." she finished lamely as she walked up to them and handed one potion to Natasha who quickly twisted the cap and handed the potion to Harry, who didn't even object. He simply downed the potion and sighed in relief as it took effect.
In short order they had him in bed, and he was out like a light. Natasha didn't even have to give him the other potion. If and\or when he needed it, she'd give it to him. Likely the next morning after breakfast. The next day as he slept, Natasha arranged for Harry to get some time to work on his pet projects, since he found that relaxing. He could go back to work when he was fully recovered.
Bruce also handed her a couple of nutrition potions, which he had apparently run out of before, since they were in high demand for the homeless shelters at the distribution centres. They were in so much demand in fact, that his interns and students could brew them in their sleep before they moved on to more difficult potions and only after someone else could take their place to continue the production. Nobody minded after they found out how many people they were helping. Some of them, after being promoted, still came back to help with production when they had time. Those were the people Bruce made special note of.
A week after the coronation, Harry was finally released from the island and Natasha's strict relaxation protocol. He had actually had a bit of a breakthrough with his new enchantment, after being able to take his time to think of the issue. The problem wasn't the types of magic, as much as it was that enchantment was already a kind of magic that contained and used other kinds of magic.
When Natasha asked him to explain the difference, he tried and failed miserably. It was like explaining what a colour looked like to a blind person. If you didn't have a magical education and an understanding of the principles of enchantment, it was almost impossible to understand. He tried anyway, by explaining how the trigger changed with different kinds of magic and that he needed to either change the kind of magic or the trigger for the enchantment to work as designed.
He ended up having to create a whole new kind of trigger that was quite bulky, in comparison to the normal kind of magic. It was an oversimplification, but she could at least understand the principle with that explanation. Harry was able to finally prove his theory by enchanting a stick, which he transfigured to look like a wand, with the new spell-holding enchantment and fired a levitation spell into it.
Natasha, being able to use such artefacts used it on Xera to great success, making her laugh as she floated around at Natasha's indication with the 'wand', making her smile as she felt like a real magical witch with a wand. Harry then proceeded to add five stunning spells into it, which it took easily. Natasha fired them out over the ocean and watched as they sailed off until they dissipated.
Harry next tried to add a stunning spell and a tickling spell, which failed miserably. It seemed that it could still only hold one kind of spell at a time, even if it could be any kind of spell. Natasha asked Harry to add as many stunners onto the 'wand' as he could, which he did, and she pocketed the wand, stating that it would be nice to be able to stun from more than an inch away and not have to fire a bullet.
Natasha's guns were already silenced, so he suspected she just liked the idea of having a wand. With that done, however, Harry got a wonderful idea. He could finally give Clint what he promised so long ago. An enchanted bow. The last two days of his off time was spent enchanting a bow with many useful spells. He'd still need a way to recharge the spells, but that was for when he was back at work. For now, he thought Clint would really enjoy his new toy.
His first day back on the job, had Harry calling for Clint to come join him in the ART room. He'd actually had to book the room, which was a first to him, but he wanted to be seen back at work, after his week away. He had been told that many people were worried and showing his face could only help with morale.
"Hi Harry, Nat." Clint said as he walked up to an excited Harry and exasperated Natasha.
Harry had been standing there, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet as he waited for the man, who arrived right on time. "Hey Clint! Come on, you're going to love this!" he all but dragged Clint into the room, with Natasha following behind him.
"What am I going to love?" Clint asked as he reluctantly let himself be dragged into the room. Harry just smiled and Natasha wasn't giving anything away. When they were in the room, it revealed itself to be what looked like a normal firing range. Clint saw a couple of guns and bows on the side, ready to be used and when he went to go pick something, Harry stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"No, no. You're using this." Harry said as he stuck his hand into a pocket and removed a sleek black bow with a bowstring which was segmented into many different colours, all of which were about a finger-width apart. It looked like it was made for him and he instantly recognized the feeling Natasha had described with her Skyline.
When he took it he felt a connection, like he was struck by a realization that his hand would feel empty if this bow was not within reach at all times. It was like the more modern bow he had been using before Harry had gifted him the indestructible one. He flicked his wrist and it folded up. Another flick and it was straight like a staff. A last flick and it was a bow again.
"You made me an enchanted bow?" Clint finally asked after the feeling seemed to settle in him.
"Of course!" Harry exclaimed excitedly. "I did promise you one when we first met after all. You didn't think the one I gave you last time was the enchanted bow I promised, did you? I know you've been carrying two bows since then and I wanted to fix that. This one is just as damage resistant as that last one as well."
Clint did, in fact, believe it was. He couldn't help but be amused by Harry's excitement and found his own excitement mount as he realised he could feel the power emanating from the bow. "Okay, so what does it do?" he asked.
"Try it and find out." Natasha said. She had helped test the bow and she'd be a liar if she said she wasn't at least slightly jealous of Clint.
Clint turned to walk to the weapons on display to go fetch some of the arrows he saw there. "You don't need those." Harry said as he beckoned Clint to look at a target on the far side. "Just draw the bowstring and fire."
Clint, having seen many feats of magic, put his fingers in the correct location in the string automatically and drew the bow to aim at the target. When his fingers made contact with an arrow that had not been in his hand before, he smiled. "How many arrows can it make?" he asked, releasing the arrow and hitting the target dead-centre.
"There is no limit." Harry said. "The magic recycles, so the ones that you fire disappear after a while."
"How long until they disappear?" Clint asked. He wanted to ask about the coloured sections on the string, but thought he'd let Harry explain them first. Instead, he let loose three arrows in a row and hit the target in a vital spot every time.
"About an hour." Harry said. "Okay, now grab the string by the red marker right above where you've been putting it and pull the arrow to the correct location."
Clint nodded and lifted his fingers slightly. He felt another arrow appear and pulled it to the correct location before he knocked the arrow and let loose. He was shocked when he saw the arrow disappear and a bolt of what was unmistakably a spell hit the target where he had aimed following the same trajectory an arrow would have. "What was that?!" he asked in awe.
"That, Clint, was a stunning spell." Harry said proudly.
"Harry finally figured out a singular spell storage enchantment." Natasha said as she hugged Harry from behind, a large smile breaking her face.
"I can store something like twenty spells per coloured section." Harry said happily. "You just have to choose what spells you want. I've preloaded it with stunning, enervation, incarceration, petrification, bombardment and unlocking spells." he said as he pointed to the coloured sections. "As you move your finger over the string, you'll feel slight markings, which will help you navigate the sections. These colours will fade in a week. Natasha's glove used to have different coloured fingers as well, until she got used to each different function."
Clint was still listening, but he was itching to try the bombardment spell and as soon as Harry stopped talking, he drew the bow after activating the arrow in the required section and let it fly. The other side of the firing range was lit up for a second as the magical explosive spell destroyed the target entirely. "Cool." he said, still in awe.
"That's not even the best part." Natasha said. "Tell him." she encouraged Harry.
Harry acted hurt about her spoiling the surprise, but only for a second, until the smile returned and he said to Clint, "Think about putting the bow away."
Clint did just that and it disappeared. "Where'd it go?" he asked.
"It's still in your hand." Harry said with a mischievous smile.
Clint opened his empty hand and saw, for the first time, a small picture of a bow. "You made it turn into a tattoo?!" he asked. "That's so cool!" he exclaimed, not even waiting for a reply as he grabbed Harry and hugged him in excitement, before letting him go and extending his hand. The bow appeared as he focussed on it and in under a minute he had emptied the bombardment spells and had started firing the incarceration spells at one of the dummies off to the side. Before long it looked like a big ball of rope, rather than a dummy.
Harry wasn't even upset he had wasted the spells. He was just caught up in Clint's exuberance and watched as he tore through the ART room's firing range. The stunning spells weren't much more than flashes of light with some force, but Clint still enjoyed seeing the paper targets get blown to pieces by them.
When Clint was done expending those three spells, it wasn't even five minutes later. He was breathing hard as he had been firing almost non-stop at a pace only he could ever hope to maintain while keeping his accuracy up, without being a speedster at least. He looked around for another target and Harry smirked, using the room's magic to summon fifty Chitauri to attack him.
Clint was only shocked for a second, before his smile grew and he started firing again. The petrification spells stopped the enemy dead in their tracks as they face-planted and Clint soon ran out of them. All he had left were unlocking spells and enervates, so he shrugged and tried an unlocking spell on one of the Chitauri. Instantly the creature started pulling its mask off, when the device stopped functioning as it should and then fumbled with a grenade on its belt as it activated. Harry had made the enemy to be affected by magic as they might normally have been and the results spoke for themselves, when a second later the grenade exploded taking five of the creatures down.
Clint smiled again and started firing enervates and unlocking spells at the creatures, following them all up with a normal arrow through the eye socket. Those hit with enervate still had equipment failures even as they seemed to become livelier, just before an arrow pierced their heads, the distraction of failing equipment being enough for Clint to capitalize on it.
When all the enemies were down, Clint was sweating and he looked elated. "This is probably one of the best gifts I've ever received from anyone." he said to Harry. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Clint." Harry said earnestly. "Hopefully, when I set up a way to recharge your spells without having to do it myself, you won't be so eager to expend them all?"
"Of course." Clint said, realising he might have taken it a bit too far. "Sorry about that."
"Don't be." Harry said. "I loved seeing you enjoy that. Magic is fun, isn't it?"
"Hell, yeah!" Clint agreed enthusiastically. "I might end up showing off a bit at home, though. The kids are going to love this. They might end up begging you for some spells of their own."
Harry chuckled, "I don't see why not. A couple of tickling charms here and there, some temporary colour changes and a couple of noisemakers probably wouldn't hurt."
"Just remember to give Laura some finites." Natasha said. "In case the kids go too far." Clint nodded along.
"You'll also have to make sure they stay away from cars or things that can be affected with magic." Harry said. "But that's for another time. I think we'll wait for birthdays or something. Don't want to spoil them all year-long, right?"
"Thanks for thinking of that." Clint said in relief, realising what havoc two children with magic could have. "How do normal families usually handle magical kids?"
"Hermione's parents were quite happy. My own relatives, not so much." Harry shrugged.
"His bedroom was a cupboard under the stairs until he went to the magic school." Natasha said, her mood cooling slightly.
"Good riddance." Clint said instantly. "That's one family I doubt I'd miss even if I knew them."
Harry just chuckled. He couldn't help but agree, in their case, at least. "Anyway, that was the surprise. Now I've got to start working on a system that can recharge the spells with MSC Shells. I'm thinking some sort of interactive robotic arm with a connection to a spell cluster that applies spells through an adamantite appendage. It should only take me a week or two for the more useful spells." He had started mumbling to himself as he walked off, leaving Natasha to say goodbye to Clint.
"He seems to be doing better." Clint said. "Was he really as bad as I heard?"
"He was a wreck." Natasha confirmed. "I can't give you some of the details, as there are still some things he needs to keep secret, but he overexerted himself for far longer than anyone realises."
"You're taking good care of him." Clint said. It was not a question.
"I love him." Natasha admitted. "What else would you expect?"
"I'm glad you have each other." Clint said. "You seem to be doing better than I ever thought I'd see and he obviously needs someone to keep him from overworking himself."
"He's focussing on his passion for a while. It's tiring work for him, but very rewarding." Natasha said.
"Don't I know it?" Clint asked looking at the bow again, before he made it vanish with a smile. "When he does what he's passionate about, he usually ends up making cool things that helps others."
"Like a bow that means you'll never be disarmed." Natasha nodded. "You might not have noticed, because Harry can do it so quickly these days, but that bow is bonded to you. Nobody else can have the arrows or spells appear, but you. I think he forgot to tell you when he left. He's obviously found his next project and couldn't wait to start."
"I'll have to thank him, then." Clint said looking at the small tattoo. "Think Laura will have a problem with this?" he asked showing her the image.
"Once she sees what it actually is? No." Natasha said easily. "She'll probably ask for a matching one, once Harry gets around to giving her one. She might end up getting a wand, though." she said pulling her own wand out.
Clint looked at the obvious wand and cocked his head to the side. "What's yours do?" he asked.
Natasha gave him an evil grin and asked, "Are you sure you want to find out?"
Clint saw the glint and decided he'd rather not, so he dropped the subject. They soon made their way out of the ART room, seeing the next people on the list just waiting for them. Harry had apparently not even waited around for them. Natasha was happy for that, as it meant his mind was on something he felt passionate for. That didn't mean she wouldn't make him pay for it later. Maybe they'd finally attempt the last section of the book that evening. They had Xera now and Natasha and Harry had done everything else the book had to offer…
It was a couple of days before Jarvis and Harry finished the design for the machine which would dispense spells into his enchantment. Harry had had enough experience with his Enchantment Factories to be able to make one spell enchantment at a time and Jarvis ended up making him enchant a cylindrical metallic tube with the function, which then could be inserted into a central device. The idea being that the Spell Shells, as they called them, could be inserted automatically by the press of a button and then kept in a secure location when not in use.
Jarvis had the machine up and running by the end of that week and Harry only had to focus on creating the Spell Shells they'd be giving people access to. For now, that meant stunning, enervation, incarceration, petrification, bombardment and unlocking spells. Exactly what he had given Clint access to. He also created levitation, sticking, light, cutting, enlargement, dispelling, booming (sonorous, for making something or someone very loud) and silencing (for the opposite).
He had plans to try and make portkey creation, patronus and shield Spell Shells as well. Those were more complicated though, as they required a certain amount of training to use. You couldn't just cast the spell and make it work. Many of the other spells would require at least a bit of training, to use correctly, but those were the ones with the highest difficulty or the most risk for accidents.
By the time they were ready to make the machine available to EPI, he was working on making an obliviation Spell Shell. It would only be capable of removing a set amount of time from memory, going back from the moment the spell was cast to an hour prior, at maximum. He refused to make what Tony called a Neuralyzer. Why would anyone need the ability to remove years of memory from someone's life or confound people into believing stupid excuses?
In those cases, Harry would much rather give people the option to sign a contract and, failing that, have Xavier modify their memories. He was the expert after all. The only reason he was giving them access to an hour's worth of obliviation, was so that he or Xavier didn't need to be on call permanently. It helped in cases where children saw things no child is supposed to see as well, or a parent.
When the machine was finally set up in its own location with a whole new staff to operate and secure it, Fury had started making requests for a new line of hand-held weapons, to fully utilize the new capability offered to them by the new division, named Applied Metaphysics. Harry had no problem setting up a new enchantment factory for un-enchanted bullet production and another to apply the new enchantment, but he refused to go into development for a firearm that could hold or produce all the spells.
By his reckoning, there were divisions that would benefit from one or two spells at a time, but he couldn't justify setting any one division up with a method to use all of them without changing clips. It was simply unnecessary. He outright refused to enchant any bullets with the killing curse. He had used it on occasion, when he needed to kill a target, simply because it was untraceable and quick, but he still didn't want that much power in the hands of the agents.
When Fury pointed out that he'd given them access to bombardment spells, which could potentially be used on multiple targets, Harry just nodded and threatened to take them away as well. Fury quickly accepted after that. The fact was that Harry had a personal issue with that curse and Fury understood that, so he respected it, for the time being.
Harry could use the killing curse if forced, to ensure someone that would die anyway didn't suffer and only when it could be proven that the target was irredeemable, but he knew that was not how it would be used by Fury. An assassination that could not be proven or protected from by Kevlar or bullet-proof glass, was an asset he'd love to have and that was a slippery slope. If Fury wanted to kill people, he'd have to find another undetectable way or simply live with people knowing they were assassinated. That or set someone else up for the fall, preferably an enemy. Either way, he didn't want to know or find out.
The only exceptions, of course, were the Avengers, who would have access to all the spells. Clint being the only one that would really benefit from most, if not all of them. He had happily filled his bow up, as the first person to be able to choose their spells. The next people were the Magic Corps as they were known in EPI. Anywhere else they were called the Special Response Unit, not to be confused with Special Ops.
They were able to choose what spells they wanted, but only one type of spell per weapon. New designs for different weapons were made that looked futuristic, as the spells, when fired from these weapons, turned into energy blasts of differing colour, depending on the spell. No physical projectile was actually ever released, unlike the stun bullets. These bullets were to be charged and installed by the staff of that division into whatever corresponding weapons were presented, as long as the user of said weapon presented their badge, which was scanned and double-checked for permission to use said weapon.
Bruce's division was the first to request healing spells be made available as well and Harry had easily agreed, knowing that in these cases they'd need specialized equipment, not guns with spells.
When all that was set up, it was time for T'Challa's coronation. Harry had been invited, as a visiting monarch, with the approval of all the tribal leaders, who had been brought in on Harry's secret after signing contracts. King T'Chaka had insisted. He had also insisted on a house on the island as an 'embassy'. Harry had agreed with a smile and requested a design for the house, telling them which dimensions would fit into the expanded area of the house. He would handle the building process on his own. They would still need to abide by the rules and laws of the island, even in their embassy. That was non-negotiable.
Harry and Natasha, as the future queen of New Atlantis, took up positions next to the current King and Queen of Wakanda, while the option to challenge for the throne was offered to those assembled. It seemed that there had been some thought along those lines by the Jabari tribe leader, when representatives of that tribe showed up.
M'Baku, their leader, stepped forward and challenged T'Challa, stating that Shuri scoffed at their tradition and that she was too young to be in charge of their technological developments, completely ignoring the fact that she was a certifiable genius. He also pointed at Harry and stated that the Panther Cult brought disgrace on Wakanda by allowing foreigners to enter their lands and attend their sacred rituals.
Harry made to object, but T'Chaka indicated for him to stay quiet. T'Challa would handle this. M'Baku was the only tribal leader that had refused to sign a contract and so was left out of the loop about Harry's status as a King. He was respected by all the other tribal leaders as an equal and they had started receiving the benefits of being considered friends with Harry Potter. Diseases cured and magical support being offered where they were able.
M'Baku's statement had left the other leaders scowling at M'Baku and was smart enough to drop that line of accusation. He was wondering what this white man had done to gain such respect and support within Wakanda. He would not have to wait long.
T'Challa accepted the challenge and called forth the royal guard, the Dora Milaje, as M'Baku's own guard took the opposing position. The fight began and Harry had to restrain himself from interfering when it looked like T'Challa would lose, only for him to rally with a cry from his parents, encouraging him.
T'Challa defeated his opponent with a submission hold and the assembled tribes all rejoiced at his victory. All except the Jabari, that is. Harry waited for them to finish their ritual, presenting the new King with the mantle of his station, in the form of a beaded necklace with teeth, which Harry assumed came from a panther. T'Challa finished the ritual with a cry of "Wakanda Forever!" and everyone cheered and celebrated a final time. The Jabari kept their tongues, waiting for the event to be over so that they could leave.
Harry waited for the correct moment, before he decided to present his gift to the new King. He approached as everyone cheered and he cast a spell so everyone could hear him. "King T'Challa, I congratulate you on your victory today." People had quieted down when he started speaking and now everyone was watching him.
"You conducted yourself with honour and bravery. You offered your opponent his life, when he would rather die than submit. You have shown wisdom and restraint. You have proven yourself to the Hidden Kingdom of New Atlantis and I have decided to give you her blessing in the form of this gift." Harry said as he lifted his hands and an intricate armband, which he had Eitri's people make for him, appeared, floating in the air.
It was made of a dark metal that didn't reflect light, except for one spot, where the silver image of a panther appeared. It was poised to strike and was so life-like it looked like it could jump off the band at any moment. The dwarves did good work. "This armband has been made with you in mind. It can only be passed down to those who share your blood. It has a special property in that it allows you to take a shape not your own, for a short period, should you ever need it."
Harry quickly muted the spell for a moment, "You'll need to anoint it with your blood. I suggest you put it on and touch some from your wound to it. It will show M'Baku why he should join us." He then allowed his voice to be carried to the crowd again, "Will you accept this gift in the spirit it is presented to you?"
T'Challa took the armband and looked at it for a moment, before he lifted his head so that he looked at all his people, "I, King T'Challa of Wakanda, accept this gift from our friend, King Harry of New Atlantis." He then took the loop and put his hand through it and pushed it up to his bicep, where it shrunk to fit comfortably. He then used the same hand to touch the wound in his chest and then touched the blood to the armband.
The moment he touched the band, it glowed bright gold, bright enough that everyone had to block their eyes. When the glow faded, they looked again, but instead of T'Challa, they saw a giant Panther. Only the royal family would recognize the form as that of an adult Nundu. T'Challa looked down at himself and saw the black fur and then he noticed how he was looking down at anyone on the same tier as him.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
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